# whats your idle %?



## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

6% here

77 idle hours (obd reader)
1316 total hours (total kms/avg speed)


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## CruzeDan (May 17, 2015)

No idea but I can guess its high because I remote start and let it warm up almost every time.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

How do you find out?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Interesting. I wonder if my scangauge will show me this.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

If you have the information, how can you use the information for your benefit? Just curious.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

idling a diesel is bad...especially low idle, wastes fuel and youll get cylinder wash (unburned fuel goin past piston rings into cranckcase, spoiling your oil) and if your equipped with the new emissions as we are, you just clog up the dpf sooner, both each time and sooner to its end of life.

all your big trucks are programmed to shut off after 5-7 minutes by the engine manufacturer, and companies also download the idle times and bonus out operators with low idle times.

its my contention that the less we idle this car, the healthier it will be.
proper lifetime mpg _should _be an indicator towards proper idle time, but idle % tells the story.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Thanks for the information, I rarely ever let it idle, have used the remote start maybe twice. The only idle really is at stop lights etc, no way to avoid that. With the electric heater and my car is always garaged, I don't see any benefit to remote start. like @diesel I sometimes let it idle for 20 seconds before I shut the car off to let turbo cool down a little.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

IndyDiesel said:


> Thanks for the information, I rarely ever let it idle, have used the remote start maybe twice. The only idle really is at stop lights etc, no way to avoid that. With the electric heater and my car is always garaged, I don't see any benefit to remote start. like @*diesel* I sometimes let it idle for 20 seconds before I shut the car off to let turbo cool down a little.


In summer, ours is that way. My wife uses the remote start in the winter - though I generally won't let her use it unless its below 30, haha. 

If it was mine, I can deal with a cold car for the time it takes to warm up - and the electric heater certainly helps there. No space for it in the garage, though.


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## daddyrob4x4 (Jul 16, 2012)

How did you get you hours?

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## daddyrob4x4 (Jul 16, 2012)

boraz said:


> 6% here
> 
> 77 idle hours (obd reader)
> 1316 total hours (total kms/avg speed)


What reader did you use?

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

daddyrob4x4 said:


> What reader did you use?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


OBD2 software for car diagnostic | OBD Auto Doctor


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## BigToe (Nov 5, 2016)

Wow, I use the remote starter all the time in the winter. Engine shuts off after running for 5-10 minutes or so, which I find annoying.. I had no idea that the practice of idling a diesel was detrimental.. I guess using the oil pan heater and a secondary aux 120v ceramic heater might not be such a bad idea after all..


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

BigToe said:


> Wow, I use the remote starter all the time in the winter. Engine shuts off after running for 5-10 minutes or so, which I find annoying.. I had no idea that the practice of idling a diesel was detrimental.. I guess using the oil pan heater and a secondary aux 120v ceramic heater might not be such a bad idea after all..


like i said, low idle (which the cruze has) does nothing good, doesnt create any heat, just leads to cylinder wash and emissions issues

if it had a high idle switch, the cylinder wash goes away, itll create some heat, but still not good for the dpf....youll need regens more often.

used to work at a mine, we'd shut down at xmas for 36 hrs (3 shifts)...if it was cold enough, all the equipment was left idling cuz it was a pita to get the stuff running if shut off for that time....i was the only one working, fuelling everything...the dpf equipped equipment would need regens before goin into service, so id have to park regen them all, lol.


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## daddyrob4x4 (Jul 16, 2012)

BigToe said:


> Wow, I use the remote starter all the time in the winter. Engine shuts off after running for 5-10 minutes or so, which I find annoying.. I had no idea that the practice of idling a diesel was detrimental.. I guess using the oil pan heater and a secondary aux 120v ceramic heater might not be such a bad idea after all..


Using the remote start and idling here and there is not going to hurt a thing. Idling hours on end will. The remote start shuts off after 10 min. It can be extended to another 10 if done before it shuts off. I idle mine all the time. 10 to 15 every mourning and sometimes longer if needed. 40000 miles and not one problem. 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## justin13703 (May 2, 2016)

boraz said:


> BigToe said:
> 
> 
> > Wow, I use the remote starter all the time in the winter. Engine shuts off after running for 5-10 minutes or so, which I find annoying.. I had no idea that the practice of idling a diesel was detrimental.. I guess using the oil pan heater and a secondary aux 120v ceramic heater might not be such a bad idea after all..
> ...


In his case, the advantage of remote starting is that it lets the electric heater warm up the car before he gets in. So while idling for 10 minutes may not warm the engine up much, it will let the electric heat warm the cabin up for that time.


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## justin13703 (May 2, 2016)

BigToe said:


> Wow, I use the remote starter all the time in the winter. Engine shuts off after running for 5-10 minutes or so, which I find annoying.. I had no idea that the practice of idling a diesel was detrimental.. I guess using the oil pan heater and a secondary aux 120v ceramic heater might not be such a bad idea after all..


You're thinking into it too much. About the only negative you will see from the 10 minute remote start cycles will be an extra regen here and there. Make sure that you have the HVAC controls set up so that the electric heater will turn on, and remote start it whenever you need to. It's not going to hurt the car.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

justin13703 said:


> In his case, the advantage of remote starting is that it lets the electric heater warm up the car before he gets in. So while idling for 10 minutes may not warm the engine up much, it will let the electric heat warm the cabin up for that time.


yeah, 10-4, im more speaking of extended idling which the car doesnt allow on the remote start anyway.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

boraz said:


> 6% here
> 
> 77 idle hours (obd reader)
> 1316 total hours (total kms/avg speed)


now 94 idle hours
1548 total hours

6.1%


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