Idling while refueling Diesel pushers

[brunsje]

To idle or not idle is a personal choice.

However misinformation must be corrected.

I only fuel with the truckers and everyone I have been next to is running while they fuel.

This thread is getting mighty old.

Do as you please, it's your rig!

JohnnyB

[f14av8r]

Originally Posted by brunsje

To idle or not idle is a personal choice.

However misinformation must be corrected.

I only fuel with the truckers and everyone I have been next to is running while they fuel.

This thread is getting mighty old.

Do as you please, it's your rig!

JohnnyB

No they are not. You need to check again. Most, if not all of the truckers I fuel next to at Pilot/Flying J are shut down while refueling.

And, I agree with whoever said you don't have a significant risk if you do idle wile refueling at a diesel pump. Diesel, by it's nature, is not highly inflammable. It has to be put under great pressure before it becomes inflammable (that's diesel engine theory 101) so it simply will not ignite unless in the presence of very high heat at atmospheric pressure.

I shut mine down. I think modern engines have come a long way from the diesels that many of the posters here operated in their hey day. They run and operate much more like gas engines and don't need the careful care, feeding and operation that diesels of old required. Just follow the manufacturer's recommendation and don't try and be a test trucker!

That said, don't whine about me running my coach while I get settled into my campsite. I have to do some leveling and some slide extending and hey, I might just enjoy listening to those sweet horses hum before they go to sleep!

[Pa Miller]

I don't shut mine down and it's not just the turbo ... To each his own , I own mine she idles frequently. If I've been running all day ain't no damn way I'll shut it down before I'm done for the day. I've owned 5 turbo diesels and all made it over 200k miles without a head cracked or a turbo replaced and one more that a tree jumped and totaled ..... but it's your rig you own it do as you pls because I am mine..... I ain't mad either lol

[Monacoach]

Originally Posted by brunsje

To idle or not idle is a personal choice.

However misinformation must be corrected.

I only fuel with the truckers and everyone I have been next to is running while they fuel.

This thread is getting mighty old.

Do as you please, it's your rig!

JohnnyB

Yes lets correct the misinformation. I fuel 5 days per week next to truckers who mostly have their rigs shutoff. Your turn.

[ruffian]

Generally, I only leave the engine idling if the ambient temperatures are high or low and I want to maintain the interior temperature.

[wydeglyde]

Used to drive a Western Star truck with a Turbo charged Cat engine. The manual was very clear on the need to "cool" the engine down at light load for a minimum 3 minutes prior to shutting down. An alternative to a timed cool down was to monitor the EGT and shut down once once it had cooled to a certain point. Occasionally I would turn the ignition back on after the engine stopped to watch the EGT rebound. Followed this procedure religiously and that engine lasted a long time.

You also find similar procedures enforced on jet engines in helicopters.

[scep]

Originally Posted by Monacoach

Yes lets correct the misinformation. I fuel 5 days per week next to truckers who mostly have their rigs shutoff. Your turn.

Actually you arent correcting misinformation. You are simply adding your personal observation. The personal observation tally is around 50-50, so you're going to need to observe much more than 5 days a week to correct anything.

My personal observation even included a pic showing there was no posted federal or state requirement to shut off a diesel engine at the fuel pump. Maybe if you could provide a video clip of something it could "trump" my pic?

[twinboat]

scep,

Although, I don`t have a diesel MH, and have not paid any mind, to the signs on fuel pumps, your picture of one sign, is only proof of it, and does not prove there are no others.

With the Feds and 50 states making rules, your observation is not absolute proof either.

Just thinking out loud

[Gordon Dewald]

I worked for an agency that had 825 diesel trucks. The fleet managers decreed that the engines were not to be idled more than 5 minutes.

As 'users' we rented the trucks from them and had to pay for fuel in addition to the rental cost.

[DebnDan]

Fascinating thread...been in gassers for 20+ years and diesel for 1 year. After 12 pages of opinions I have decided
1) I will not worry about shutting down for fuel and other quick stops (5, 10, 15 - 30 mins)
2) When idling for more than a few minutes I will speed up the idle
3) Never shut down without minimum 3 to 5 minutes around town cruising or idling
4) Will not turn over engine (as done with gassers) just to hear it run and bring up to temperature - while in storage
5) Top off fuel before storing for any length of time

QUESTIONS: I ass u me the engine block heater will work from the house generator. Doesn't the generator require the same type heater? Is there one on the generator? (requiring 120v). If the engine turns over easily without the heating block being used am I doing damage to engine in cold weather (0 to 20 degrees F)?

[TQ60]

Good genny question...someone else is having cold genny issues as well.

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by DebnDan

Fascinating thread...been in gassers for 20+ years and diesel for 1 year. After 12 pages of opinions I have decided
1) I will not worry about shutting down for fuel and other quick stops (5, 10, 15 - 30 mins)
2) When idling for more than a few minutes I will speed up the idle
3) Never shut down without minimum 3 to 5 minutes around town cruising or idling
4) Will not turn over engine (as done with gassers) just to hear it run and bring up to temperature - while in storage
5) Top off fuel before storing for any length of time

QUESTIONS: I ass u me the engine block heater will work from the house generator. Doesn't the generator require the same type heater? Is there one on the generator? (requiring 120v). If the engine turns over easily without the heating block being used am I doing damage to engine in cold weather (0 to 20 degrees F)?

Great conclusion As far as the Onan genset, glow plugs pre-heat them for cold weather starting, when it is cold out, and you depress the start button and the red light flashes.....the colder out it is, the longer the light will flash before starting. And yes, you can operate "Most all" engine block heaters off the genset.

[scep]

Originally Posted by twinboat

scep,

Although, I don`t have a diesel MH, and have not paid any mind, to the signs on fuel pumps, your picture of one sign, is only proof of it, and does not prove there are no others.

With the Feds and 50 states making rules, your observation is not absolute proof either.

Just thinking out loud

I agree. I was being cantankerous LOL. My apologies, Monacoach.

Fed law trumps state law, and since texas doesnt appear to require diesels to shut down, it suggests to me that the requirement to shut down is a state law and not a federal law as was earlier suggested.

I wish I had paid more attention the 8 times I ran back and forth between Ca. and FL for work, but I didnt know shut downs would be so interesting. So the best I can offer is anecdotal evidence.

The over the road guys rarely shut down at the pumps, and thats probably because (IMO) they always carry as much as they can and even a flat road presents a heavy turbo heat load. I do know my boost gauge doesnt run on zero when I am doing 60, and any boost at all means a higher exhaust temp and that translates to higher turbo temps that need to be cooled back down before shutdown.

It would be much simpler if rv's came with a oil temp gauge that monitored the oil leaving the turbo.

[scep]

Originally Posted by DebnDan

4) Will not turn over engine (as done with gassers) just to hear it run and bring up to temperature - while in storage
5) Top off fuel before storing for any length of time

QUESTIONS: I ass u me the engine block heater will work from the house generator. Doesn't the generator require the same type heater? Is there one on the generator? (requiring 120v). If the engine turns over easily without the heating block being used am I doing damage to engine in cold weather (0 to 20 degrees F)?

4: If you leave it for a couple of weaks or more, always use a fuel stablizer and algecide so you dont gum up the works. You only need to clean that mess up once to fully regret not preventing it. I start and incrementally fast idle my rv (and generator (with both ac's running)) every 3 weeks to make sure all the internal metal has a fresh coat of oil on it. I run it until I can feel hot oil on the dipstick when I pull it. I always let the oil fully warm up to insure all of the engine has warmed up. I hate rust.

5) gas or diesel, always top off so the tank body itself doesnt collect condensation in the air and allows the moisture to collect in it.

You ass u me sort of correctly. Most heaters have a cheater cord that you need to actually plug into the ac in the engine bay. Mine is in the top left of the bay when I lift the rear access door. Mine warms the engine coolant, and will sort of warm the engine and oil as long as the outside temps are reasonable. Too cold and it will barely warm the coolant and the engine is left to fend for itself so to speak.