Is it necessary to run engine for 10-minutes when cold starting?

[KiwiKampers]

I ask this question because on several occasions I have been parked next to a motorhome in which the driver insists on starting the engine and leaving it running for ten to fifteen minutes before he drives off. I remember this was a habit people had about twenty years ago, but with modern Diesel engines is it really necessary? It’s very annoying when they start up at 06.30am.

 

[GMLS]

Totally unnecessary.Not mentioned in the handbook.Reminds me when my dad used to leave the house 10mins before anyone else to "warm up the car" (and have a fag).Running with the choke on was never a good idea then with petrol engines and never heard it necessary for diesel.

 

[Landy Andy]

Would they be doing to try and clear the internal windscreen of steam/condensation?

 

[Steve and Denise]

These days start and go, to help this clean the screen first manually

 

[jollyrodger]

Even with modern diesels, start and let in run (briefly)

And when coming to a stop let it tick over again briefly.
Will prolong life of the turbo.
Was my teaching.

But 10 mins a bit excessive imo.

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[RedFrame]

Simple solution.

Tow a Harley behind you and fire it up at 05:30 for 10 min.

 

[Lenny HB]

Very bad for the engine with modern diesels you you drive off directly after starting them.
Leaving them ticking over they will never reach operating temperature risking damage to the CAT & DPF and damage to the engine itself.

 

[Carpmart]

Start up, have a walk round to check all is in order, lower off E&P (need engine running for this), air up the rear end and drive off… doesn’t take 10 mins, equally it takes more than two mins!

 

[Jamesh]

I wouldn't thrash it from cold to allow oil to get round the engine esp the turbo...

Ditto when stopping not good to come to a hard stop without letting the engine coast for a few minutes, which even when you come off the motorway to the services it takes a minute or two to find a parking space...

 

[Tombola]

no not at all. Start, .....oil runs round move off.(alebit thicker)
BUT...the odd 10 min tickover doesnt cause as much harm as people think. Even longer to charge the batts scoring and harm is not worth mentioning compared to being without power

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[DavidG58]

Potato up the exhaust will get him wondering what happened

 

[KiwiKampers]

Thank you all for your comments. Next time it happens I’ll blast him with The Tremeloes at Volume 11.

 

[Reallyretired]

Apart from being unnecessary and possibly damaging it wastes fuel and pollutes the atmosphere.

 

[Lenny HB]

Even longer to charge the batts scoring and harm is not worth mentioning compared to being without power

II would rather be without power that having to spend a few grand on repairs.
If the leisure battery is low, just drive off drive until the engine is fully up to operating temp, then you can let it tick over.

 

[Coolcats]

Interesting comments most engines are fine to start and drive don’t thrash it until warmed… helps the transmission to be working and warned too. One of my vehicles will literally not drive until it reaches 40c which takes 5-10 mins has a rather large and loud exhaust and feel sorry for the neighbours when I start it.

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[dunnah01]

Why do people want to thrash the engine even when warm?

 

[Gaston aires]

Unnecessary, antisocial, and clogs up the engine valve.
Some do it to recharge their leisure batteries but in these days of solar ?
Phil

 

[Sapper520]

My old Scammell Crusader required at least a two minute wind down before switching off……otherwise damage would be done to the turbo. Those were the days.

 

[jockaneezer]

I personally don't see any reason for leaving it ticking over for that
long ? In the bad old work days, I would start the motor and let it tick over, just as I was scraping the ice from the windows, but that's the only time.
I wonder how the engines in ice cream vans cope, some of them, especially if at a show or festival, sit on tick over all day ?

 

[peterc10]

I ask this question because on several occasions I have been parked next to a motorhome in which the driver insists on starting the engine and leaving it running for ten to fifteen minutes before he drives off. I remember this was a habit people had about twenty years ago, but with modern Diesel engines is it really necessary? It’s very annoying when they start up at 06.30am.

Even longer to charge the batts scoring and harm is not worth mentioning compared to being without power

Even more annoying was the owners of an old converted PVC next to us at an Aire in Portugal. Both nights we were there they came back to it (from the bar presumably) at 10pm and started the engine and ran it on tick over for over an hour presumably to give them some power.

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[TonyEmm]

Start up, have a walk round to check all is in order, lower off E&P (need engine running for this), air up the rear end and drive off… doesn’t take 10 mins, equally it takes more than two mins!

That’s double Dutch to me!

 

[JinxJetJock]

I personally don't see any reason for leaving it ticking over for that
long ? In the bad old work days, I would start the motor and let it tick over, just as I was scraping the ice from the windows, but that's the only time.
I wonder how the engines in ice cream vans cope, some of them, especially if at a show or festival, sit on tick over all day ?

Ice cream van engines will be under load to a degree whilst ticking over & running a compressor for the fridge which is not a bad thing, but filling up the exhaust after running all day will leave a smoke screen when driving off.

 

[AlunandFelicie]

Thank you all for your comments. Next time it happens I’ll blast him with The Tremeloes at Volume 11.

Just knee him in the Tremeloes that’ll teach him

 

[JinxJetJock]

I ask this question because on several occasions I have been parked next to a motorhome in which the driver insists on starting the engine and leaving it running for ten to fifteen minutes before he drives off. I remember this was a habit people had about twenty years ago, but with modern Diesel engines is it really necessary? It’s very annoying when they start up at 06.30am.

Turbo charged engines need 10 - 15 secs idle on start up to allow oil to feed the turbo bearings & the same when stopped before shutting the engine off to allow the turbo to spool down before the oil pressure is cut off when the engine is switched off. Not a good idea to let the engine internals to 'flail about' when cold any longer than is necessary. Modern engines & lubricants are well engineered so moving off after start up shouldn't be an issue. Amen.

 

[pagey]

Only if its firms van

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[John Barrett]

It may be old hat now but I was taught that cold starting requires excess fuel which can wash the oil film from the cylinders before the sump oil gets around. Not a good thing to rev the engine in those days given the then agricultural engineering!

 

[rod_vw]

Turbo charged engines need 10 - 15 secs idle on start up to allow oil to feed the turbo bearings & the same when stopped before shutting the engine off to allow the turbo to spool down before the oil pressure is cut off when the engine is switched off. Not a good idea to let the engine internals to 'flail about' when cold any longer than is necessary. Modern engines & lubricants are well engineered so moving off after start up shouldn't be an issue. Amen.

It seems to me that many of the above folks don't drive vehicles with Euro 6 engines vehicles equipped with 'Stop-Start' or they would realise that this is not necessarily the case as such engines will stop instantly when the vehicle comes to a halt.

 

[stevewagner]

Thank you all for your comments. Next time it happens I’ll blast him with The Tremeloes at Volume 11.

Trembliest? Try Muse!

 

[tonyysue]

I ask this question because on several occasions I have been parked next to a motorhome in which the driver insists on starting the engine and leaving it running for ten to fifteen minutes before he drives off. I remember this was a habit people had about twenty years ago, but with modern Diesel engines is it really necessary? It’s very annoying when they start up at 06.30am.

My motorhome is 27 years old - I’ve always warmed the engine before moving off - the engine has now done 300,000 and has only ever had/needed cam belt and consumables changed. When put on a rolling road a couple of years ago it still returned better performance and uses less oil than stated in the handbook!

 

[Martyn911]

I ask this question because on several occasions I have been parked next to a motorhome in which the driver insists on starting the engine and leaving it running for ten to fifteen minutes before he drives off. I remember this was a habit people had about twenty years ago, but with modern Diesel engines is it really necessary? It’s very annoying when they start up at 06.30am.

Maybe they have been parked up for a few days and the pressure in the air tanks has dropped. So you have to let the engine run to raise the pressure in the tank.

That is why we have to run our engine in our Mercedes Atego bus, as you can not move off until the red warning lights have gone off. 5:30 in morning maybe they have a Ferry to catch. Maybe next time it happens you could look to see if motorhome is built on a lorry chassis, so you will know why they have started the engine.