Have read on this forum to NOT bother starting said engine unless you have time to run it for @25 mi. or so(I guess - to dry condensation). Will a second or two startup, to assure me I have things back in order hurt anything, as long as the battery stays up?
Jim
Jim run it as necessary to check things out, move it around as necessary, or work on it, it will not hurt a thing. What most folks here are talking about is not starting it once a week for 5 or 10 minutes just to here it run.
CAT told us when we bought the coach to run the engine as above. Turned out to be wrong; I think they may of thought we needed to charge the starter batteries. We leave her sitting, since we have dual chargers, no big!. ^.^d
Jim,
Coaches are moved around in lots all the time. Starting up to check on work is not something that is going to harm the engine, unless done on a very frequent basis. I would not start/stop the coach without bringing it up to operating temperature if the purpose is to exercise the mechanical components.
Bob
Thanks, Bob-I hear you...
Jim
There has been a lot of discussion related to this subject and I'm sure it will continue as the info' and opinions and personal experience of members seems to differ. For what it's worth.
I run my motor about every month till it's warmed up ( opinion once again ) I never kick up the revs. to avoid fuel wash which will destroy the oil quickly.
Mick
Starting up to check voltages, move the coach to another spot, rotate tires to a new resting point, etc won't hurt a thing. Modern oils have additives to counteract any acids that might be formed. If it's a minute, it's a minute. Our diesel car has been getting this treatment for almost 450K with nothing done to it. Just don't start it to listen to it and then run it for 10 minutes. I always fast idle it and never worry about fuel wash. Diesel is a lubricant and when you shut it down, the injectors stop injecting or the engine would keep running. Don't love them to death.
Pierce
I have also read that fast idle is WOT. Is this true?
Jim
Jim,
You may be confusing the generic term "fast idle" with the diesel engine rating term "High Idle".
When most owners say "fast idle", they mean any idle speed above the "normal" idle. Most of our coaches have some means of increasing the idle to a higher RPM than normal, such as using the cruise control. This is usually done to speed the engine warmup, or to speed getting the air system up to cutout pressure, etc.
"High Idle" on the other hand is a technical term applied to diesel engines. In the case of my C8.3 for instance, the "High Idle" speed is rated at 2760 RPM. The way I understand it, this is the max engine speed which would be attained with the throttle held wide open and NO load on the engine...like if you mashed the throttle to the floor with the transmission in neutral. Supposedly the engine is designed to achieve this speed and stay in one piece...but I don't think I want to test this fact with my coach. :o
Fast idle is 1000 rpm.
Two separate fast idles are adjustable on our m11