Harder on engine, idling or restart?

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Again, in Texas, in the summer, if the A/C shuts off at a light or in traffic it's a no-go for me. During the cooler times of year it would be fine.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Start-stop is harder on the engine (bearings) than idling would ever be.

Every time you stop the engine, especially hen hot, the flywheel end main bearing sits down hard on the bottom shell of the last main, and the accessory belt end is lifted pretty hard against the top shell of the front bearing.

When you crank it to restart, these two interfaces are metal/metal (well tribofilm/tribofilm) until the oil wedge is established.

Like MANY of these fuel saving strategies, they aren't being done to make your engine last longer.

And if I'm wrong....then why are engine bearings these days being designed with "stop start" requirements in mind ?

Never heard of a bearing design being specifically for idling.


I've been wondering about that myself. My Detroit Diesel engine has "Optimized Idle" for maintaining interior temps, battery voltage and in cold weather it maintains the oil temp within a range. This is nothing new for Detroit, but it's my first one and worry about the life of the bearings with the extra stops and starts.

I wasn't sure if I needed to be concerned or not. This summer it has really cut down the total idle time for keeping me cool when parked, but golly it sure does shut off and restart plenty.
 
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