Idling - How Long Is Too Long?

[NightmareMoon]

Thanks for the replies guys, just a hypothetical question in case it comes up. Thankfully haven't experienced it yet.

I'm slightly reassured lol
If you had to idle for hours would you guys change your oil or perform other maintenance afterwards?

No need. Oil breaks down if it gets too hot. An idling car isnt working very hard at all, and wont be generating problematic temps.

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[CrackedHorn]

The car shouldn't overheat but the engine isn't operating efficiently at idle

Quicker carbon buildup, oil waste buildup, etc are all accelerated when idling for longer periods. Not to mention, the lack of airflow over the motor and components.

And then there's exhaust. Which can circulate back into the cabin in varying degrees.

So, not great for an engine but it won't detonate on you, either

 

[WildHorse]

The car shouldn't overheat but the engine isn't operating efficiently at idle

Quicker carbon buildup, oil waste buildup, etc are all accelerated when idling for longer periods. Not to mention, the lack of airflow over the motor and components.

And then there's exhaust. Which can circulate back into the cabin in varying degrees.

So, not great for an engine but it won't detonate on you, either

The biggest wear/degradation to an engine is heat cycles. ON/OFF ON/OFF ON/OFF kinda thing. An engine continuously running for week will have less wear than an engine that shut on/off several times a day.

 

[atomicpunk]

I have seen dozens of work trucks - pickups and strait trucks with a shit ton of idle time on the engines go several hundred thousand miles with everyone and their mother driving them. The one thing idling engines are bad for is the exhaust, does not get hot enough to cook out the moisture and rots it out quick.

 

[ice445]

Extended idling is like what police cars do. So it has to be a substantial portion of total run time. Since the gen 3 uses its port injectors at idle there's really nothing to worry about from a buildup perspective or fuel diluting the oil or anything. As long as the fans work it won't overheat either.

 

[cerbomark]

I don t know for sure but I m not a fan of idling .
I have a 24 Hemi engine and it s reported that excessive idle time was killing cams due to lack of (or low) oil pressure at idle, and yes I know it s a different design. I worked with fleet Fords that Idled DAYS at a time for years and ran fine. I m sure your car is fine if this happened but I would avoid it .

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I have seen dozens of work trucks - pickups and strait trucks with a shit ton of idle time on the engines go several hundred thousand miles with everyone and their mother driving them. The one thing idling engines are bad for is the exhaust, does not get hot enough to cook out the moisture and rots it out quick.

Theres a big difference between a work truck and a Coyote.

Extended idling isn't good for any engine. That's common knowledge, and it's right there in the manual.

 

[ORRadtech]

I'll say this.
If it's a choice between sitting in traffic in 100 degree weather without the AC and risking a little engine wear, the AC will win hands down every time.

 

[JetGray_Mach1]

Cold starts wear the engine way more than some extended idling. As long as your cooling system is working as designed + your are keeping up with maintenance it will not be an issue.

 

[WildHorse]

Extended idling isn't good for any engine.

Tell that to Western star, Kenworth, etc.

 

[Angrey]

There are some conditions where idling is bad and most of them are obscure.

If you have ID1700's and you're at the limits of pulse width, yes, idling no bueno.

If you've installed a lower T-stat and you're sitting in the cold and the motor never reaches proper temp, yes, no bueno.

But as long as the fan system is working properly and the engine is at temp and it hasn't been altered, idling isn't all that bad.

I'd definitely run the motor hard after an extended idle session just to raise the EOT high enough to burn off lightweight contaminants, but other than that no biggie.

Hell, I let my car idle for a few minutes to warm fully before moving it EVERY TIME.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

Tell that to Western star, Kenworth, etc.

Yes, if you are comparing diesel semi's to coyote motors, I guess you got me there.

 

[shogun32]

Watching the YT has learned me that idling is engine death!! Why else would you take a car fresh off the transporter, in the dead of Las Vegas Winter, and proceed to bounce it off the rev limiter non stop?

All you engine mechanics don't know anything. Cold, thick oil gives max pressure, and max protection when it's thick as tar.

Damn Boomers!

 

[WildHorse]

Yes, if you are comparing diesel semi's to coyote motors, I guess you got me there.

Well, you said "any engine" . Specificity is the cornerstone to an effective society ha-ha.

 

[JCFoster]

I’ve been doing it for 18+ years. My work ‘20 Tahoe has over 7k engine hours at 166k miles. As long as the electric fan doesn’t quit your good. The oil has been changed every 5k miles. Still runs great.

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