The "correct" way to start a diesel engine.

[davethespark]

How long do you suggest letting it idle before switching off please?

 

[gus-lopez]

Acouple of minutes at least if you have a turbo.
I also never turn the engine off if at anytime the electric radiator fans are running, after hills etc; until they stop.

 

[Viennese]

One of the things that make me cringe the most, is those that drive the motorway at high speeds, then pull into a service station and switch straight off. With an engine doing say, 4500rpm, a turbo will be nearer 150,000 rpm and requires to slow down, cool slightly and have fresher oil delivered to the bearings

I have never had my van at 4500 revs... what speed would that be - 90mph?

 

[ColtheCamper]

Say 'Purleeeeze start this time.......' , then sob..... Repeat until cloud of black smoke appears at rear of car then floor it......

 

[Bulleteer]

Ok, so I have an automatic diesel Motorhome. Foot on the brake and turn the key..........so what does this do for the above theories?

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[Jim]

How long do you suggest letting it idle before switching off please?

My handbook suggests 7-10 minutes at idle after working hard.


STOPPING THE ENGINE

Turn the ignition to the OFF position.

On E-Series vehicles, to prolong engine life (after extended high speed

or maximum GVW operation), it is recommended that a hot engine be

idled for 7–10 minutes which will allow the turbocharged engine to cool

down.

 

[Wildbill]

Prosedur on my van depress clutch turn key start you b.
Bilk

 

[Hawkstone]

Had one car which needed the clutch pedal depressing to start.

But in a manual I always start the car with clutch pedal down, having driven a lot of multi user cars where last person has left it in gear...certainly wakes you up as you lurch forward

My ( non indicator using ) hubby has a bad habit of leaving my flipping car in gear. Drives me mad.

 

[DL42846]

Interesting - on some streets in San Francisco you will get a ticket if you don't leave your wheels turned into the kerb.

I think you will find that is the case for nearly all of the US and Canada.

 

[DL42846]

My ( non indicator using ) hubby has a bad habit of leaving my flipping car in gear. Drives me mad.

It is an added precaution to leave the vehicle in gear. My friend has a Defender. He left it parked on a incline and went off and left it. When he came back the Defender had rolled back into another vehicle. The handbrake cable broke.

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[funflair]

Jap import imprezza's and Mitsubishi whatever's would often come with a "turbo timer" switch off lock up and walk away BUT the engine will eventually stop when the turbo has cooled.

Martin

 

[Hawkstone]

It is an added precaution to leave the vehicle in gear. My friend has a Defender. He left it parked on a incline and went off and left it. When he came back the Defender had rolled back into another vehicle. The handbrake cable broke.

If I remember rightly it is taught when you take driving lessons as a safety precaution as you say. I don't know if they teach it these days. I just forget that he always does it, forgetting things is get not to be a habit......must be my age

 

[Sidney]

If you have a tow car you should always be careful if you have a habit of leaving a car parked in gear.

It does happen and the results can be very messy indeed

 

[aandncaravan]

When I was a youngster starting any engine was a strain on the battery. By pressing down the Clutch, as stated above, you lightened the strain by removing the load of the Gearbox internals thrashing around in Oil. This was especially so in Winter morning thick Gear Oil. The Engine Oil back then was a 20/50, which also on a Winter day was like Treacle so made starting harder.
Not unusual on a Wintery Monday morning to hear a symphony of Cars in the Neighbourhood with Starters slowly singing out of harmony as people vainly tried to start their car. Anyone remember how much switching to a 10/40 Oil improved Starting in Winter and all the discussion about how a 'thin' Oil would lead to failed engines everywhere?

My Ford Cortina 2.0 had a battery that was rated at a paltry 180 starting amps.
My Peugeot 504 2.3 diesel had a 'heavy duty' 210 cranking amps!!!

My current Mitsubishi Spacewagon 2.0 has a battery rated at 490amps, more than double the power yet modern engines have thinner Oils and much lower friction losses.
Modern batteries are so powerful that you could put Crude Oil in the Gearbox in -40 degree temperatures with the Car in 1st Gear and it would still start. Modern High Torque Gear reduced Starters are equally powerful.

A modern Fiat Ducatto 2.2 low friction engine with its 5/30 Oil is much easier to turnover than my old Pug 504 2.3 Diesel ever was, yet the Fiats battery delivers nearly 850amps.


I have not bothered to press the Clutch down to start an engine for many years.


TURBO?
I once owned a Blitz Japanese Import Toyota Celica 4 wheel drive in a very special state of tune, over 300bhp from a 2.0 litre and it got very Hot when driven hard, which obviously I never did.
We were taught that while idling the engine to cool the Turbo for 5 minutes was better than nothing, the ideal was to pull off the Motorway and with the throttle closed so little more heat was produced and put it in a lower gear than normal.
This meant that the vehicle rotated the engine fast on the overrun, circulating Oil and water at a much faster rate through the Turbo than idling ever could. Air was forced through the radiator and over the Turbo increasing the cooling effect.
By the time you came to a stop this style of driving, even for just a few hundred metres, meant there was little excess heat in the Turbo.
When we turned off the ignition the '5 minute' Turbo Timer would not activate as the turbo didn't need the engine to idle to cool down.

 

[jockaneezer]

When my old FS1E was overdue a decoke, you could turn off the ignition and remove the key and it would still run. I generally used to stall it but if you switched the petrol off, it used to pop splutter and missfire to a halt, bouncing around on it's centre stand, happy days.

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[aandncaravan]

Thats not quite the same as the engine contiuing to run on to stay cool!!!!

I had a Honda SS50 and used to dream of riding a Fizzy. But then I was only 16. Have you seen how much they go for now!!!

Amazing to think that back then we could ride such bikes as a 100mph Suzuki Super Six on an L plate!!

 

[EuroTrotters]

I think the clutch pedal down was more to do with preventing accidental movement if left in gear rather than being a major help to the starter motor.
The important bit when starting a Diesel engine is to give the glow plugs (when fitted) time to heat up before engaging the starter motor.

It is

 

[gus-lopez]

I have never had my van at 4500 revs... what speed would that be - 90mph?

Not in first gear.

 

[nicholsong]

It is

For the glow plug timing until warm for starting both my FIAT Ducato (2003) and my Mercedes OM 634(c. 1978), in the boat, have a light which extinguishes when they are warm enough for starting.

Does that not apply to all engines?

Geoff

 

[DL42846]

I find these days the glow plugs warm up much quicker. I normally just jump in and turn the key. Works with my Fiat Ducato, Defender, Auris, and Mercedes. I do depress the clutch to have less drag on the starter.

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[DBK]

Ok, so I have an automatic diesel Motorhome. Foot on the brake and turn the key..........so what does this do for the above theories?

If you have a Comfortmatic the first thing it does is shift into neutral if you haven't already put it there yourself before it cranks the engine. Now whether it also disengages the clutch I don't know but it wouldn't surprise me if it did to reduce drag. It might even be clever enough to decide what to do depending on how cold it is.

 

[tonyidle]

................ feels wrong with no clutch peddle, robotized manual gearbox.

It's no problem - the clutch is disengaged as soon as you turn the key and only engages when you drive off or turn off the ignition.

 

[tonyidle]

On a real diesel you don't even have an ignition key

On ANY Diesel you don't have an Ignition key ...............

 

[buttons]

It will depend whether it is a direct or indirect injection diesel engine....

 

[Barclaybasher]

On ANY Diesel you don't have an Ignition key ...............

............very good............but diesel does ignite...........under pressure

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[pappajohn]

My ride-on lawnmower work crank unless the handbrake is on.
If I take my weight off the seat without the handbrake set the engine cuts out.
It costs pennies to fit an inhibitor switch.

 

[Barclaybasher]

My ride-on lawnmower work crank unless the handbrake is on.
If I take my weight off the seat without the handbrake set the engine cuts out.
It costs pennies to fit an inhibitor switch.

I think it's meant to stop you mowing your feet

 

[pappajohn]

I think it's meant to stop you mowing your feet

No, it's meant to be a pain in the neck.
Lawns flat, mower won't roll and I want to move a fallen branch etc.
It's taken 5 years to remember to use the park brake in my auto car never mind on a bloody lawnmower.

 

[Enword]

It costs pennies to fit an inhibitor switch

Its compulsory to have one fitted to your brain to race sidecars

 

[nicholsong]

This concept of manuals advising running the engine for 7-8 mins(Think that was Jim's quote) would give DHL/UPS drivers a bit of a headache on 'multidrop', and also when I drove for Tesco when drops were timed to the minute.

On 50 drops a day x 7 mins. = nealy 6 hours, on top of driving time. I think the P45 would be readily avaiable from the Transport Manager on return to the Depot

Geoff

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