Leaving the engine run All night long (all night)

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Originally Posted By: Vikas
Do the truckers leave the engine running when they sleep in their cab on the side of the road?

yes, and nothing to do with cold.
some just leave it for the truck to have power for the all around lights (visibility): better be seen + some fuel then the headache they may have from a getting hit accident...
 
Originally Posted By: mazdamonky
Originally Posted By: ShotGun429
My 06 Crown Vic Police Car i bought used last year, must have idled alot during its service life, it has almost 7000 idle hours on it plus 105000 miles with no ill effects, but i dont let idle much any more.


Around here, police cars are required to be idled as long as the car is on duty. Literally as long as they are not filling up on gas, the cars are idling. even when they are inside dealing with an issue. I was told they aren't allowed to turn them off for any reason other than gas while on duty and they have to have a receipt with time stamp to prove it. It sounds like a huge waste of gas to me, but that is their choice, not mine.


why: Police tech/computer equipment. it takes some time for it to boot/setup.....
 
Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Why would someone do that?

There are people in Alaska and Canada's deep north who do it all the time.
There sure are a lot of people with mental disorders.
 
Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Originally Posted By: madRiver
I have with my Civic to keep an 2500 watt inverter running to power my boiler and fridge during power outage.


2500W is a nearly 200A load on your alternator...I'm sure it's fine as a peak load.


There is a battery between the alternator and inverter which is why I left car running. My father law has been doing this for years with his ford trucks and now Nissan. He hooked it all up when we lost power not only in street but broke my lines meaning I was a week out. I left Civic running for days it had no ill effects. Better then freezing like the rest of saps.
 
Originally Posted By: bioburner
I have talked to those in Alaska running diesels and yes because of -40 or worse. On the fly oil changes on the heavy equipment.


Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Why would someone do that?

There are people in Alaska and Canada's deep north who do it all the time.

Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
It's a very common thing to do in Alaska. I know a guy that works on an oil rig and they leave things running for months at a time.



It's not 1962 anymore. This doesn't happen as much as you think ESPECIALLY on the North Slope where oil workers are scrutinized and fined for oil dripping on to the ground and any potential pollution violations. But how would I know?

We use block heaters and don't let them run all night unless it's being used. If you do, you're just an idiot.
 
I can see the purpose of people doing it in the extreme cold with Big rigs and trucks that run 15W-40 oils that would turn to molasses at very low temps, i'm from Finland and i know some truckers do that when they have to spend the night in Lapland where it can get to -40C in a winter night.
But in a passenger car or truck with a gasoline engine, running a 0W-XX synthetic oil i would not ever leave the engine running all night long.
 
I've never done it, and the reasons for doing so would be exceedingly rare. If it were -45 C or something, and no chance of plugging in, and it would be like that for many days on end, or if I were sleeping in the vehicle, or something.
 
maybe 5 minutes max. However when I worked in the oil fields in northern Alaska our equipment was never shut off
 
Originally Posted By: cmhj
maybe 5 minutes max. However when I worked in the oil fields in northern Alaska our equipment was never shut off


When was this? Heavy equipment is one thing but vehicles get plugged in unless being used.
 
A co-worker in the 80s used to let his VW Jetta diesel idle all night in the winter. He lived in a rural area where theft was not too much of an issue, and said the engine used almost no fuel at all at idle. Not for me, but then I've never owned a diesel.
 
Originally Posted By: Number_35
A co-worker in the 80s used to let his VW Jetta diesel idle all night in the winter. He lived in a rural area where theft was not too much of an issue, and said the engine used almost no fuel at all at idle. Not for me, but then I've never owned a diesel.

Sounds like we may have known the guy
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Do the truckers leave the engine running when they sleep in their cab on the side of the road?


Frequently, unless they have an APU.
 
If one pays 20k plus for a ride,,,I would hope that the manufacturer made a decent engine, cooling system to go with it,,,u think......the days of horse and buggies, lot less pressure....lol
 
If I did this in the cold with my Accent the coolant would not get over 150F idling I bet if below 0F.
 
Originally Posted By: jayg
We use block heaters and don't let them run all night unless it's being used. If you do, you're just an idiot.

Good to know.
Thank you.
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Hello,

I feel like its my destiny to inform you that keeping your engine running with the night is truly a waste of resources. But it seems like the idea may be stuck on you.

If you are a penny lover and you have endless love for the environment, you would turn off your engine at night.

Don't do it to me or the other citizens.
 
Originally Posted By: Number_35
A co-worker in the 80s used to let his VW Jetta diesel idle all night in the winter. He lived in a rural area where theft was not too much of an issue, and said the engine used almost no fuel at all at idle. Not for me, but then I've never owned a diesel.


I had a teacher in HS who said his dad had a MB diesel in the 60's. He'd work the graveyard shift at the local steel mill and when he'd get to work at night (about 11PM) in the middle of winter, he'd take the keys out of the ignition, lock the door and leave it running all night until the next morning when he was driving home. His car was toasty warm and he hardly used any fuel in the process (diesel was also far cheaper than gas in those days).
 
Originally Posted By: Number_35
A co-worker in the 80s used to let his VW Jetta diesel idle all night in the winter. He lived in a rural area where theft was not too much of an issue, and said the engine used almost no fuel at all at idle. Not for me, but then I've never owned a diesel.


Mine uses under a quart per hour in winter, and close to a pint in summer. The oil temps are lower in winter, which is where the extra fuel is going, I suppose.
 
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