Idle

[jeff4637]

once again I've searched the posts and can't quite come up with the answers I was looking for. Maybe I'm typing in the wrong word(s). What I would like to know is about idling a sprinter. I've read posts about people using a generator to run the A/C. Is this to cut down on the wear and tear on the vehicle,or to conserve on fuel? And does anyone know how much fuel is used in say an 8 hour period of idling a sprinter?



Thanks. Jeff

 

[Moot]

Jeff, try this link:http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/truck-talk/22502-idle.html

It mentions fuel consumption for the old 5 cylinder diesel, but should get you in the ballpark for the newer 6 cylinder diesel engines.

 

[jeff4637]

Thanks Moot just as I suspected I must be search challenged. LOL

 

[Moot]

I used the advanced search function and typed in "sprinter idle" using quotation marks to bracket the key words. Got 3 hits.

 

[greg334]

I thought that idling a sprinter wasn't the best idea around?

 

[jeff4637]

I thought that idling a sprinter wasn't the best idea around?

That's what I thought I've read in several posts

 

[Turtle]

It's not the best idea, but it's not fraught with disaster like some want to make it out to be. At low idle speeds (with any turbo diesel, not just Sprinters) there isn't enough heat and pressure to keep the EGR valve clear, so you wind up with excess exhaust getting into the EGR valve and clogging it up and having to replace it after two years instead of four (depending on how much you idle, of course). There are other problems down the line, like to much exhaust in the combustion chamber (but something like Howes Meaner Cleaner will mitigate that to a large degree). At low idle you only burn through about 1/3 of a gallon per hour, tho.

But at high idle, where there is enough heat and pressure to keep the system clear, you'll burn a gallon per hour.