I am finding your site very interesting and helpful. Glad to have found it. We are new to the Diesel Truck World and have waiting about 5 years to make this purchase. We purchased a Crew Cab - 4x4 - short box - 2500HD in May. I just love this truck. Nothing I don't like about it. We have about 1800 miles on it and I am already noticing a difference in the way it runs. Seems to be better getting going in the morning. My question to you and I have not found that it has been asked: We live here in Wisconsin and I do a lot of shorter runs back and forth to town and in town, turning the truck on and off. I have heard that with the newer diesels that it doesn't matter anymore and they do just fine, run it like a gas engine. Is this true? Especially this winter when it gets cold. By the way this past weekend we pulled our 3 horse gooseneck - wow what a difference compared to our Gas-1996-GMC-2500HD pick up. Going up a hill that use to drop our speed down to around 50 unless you started going up doing 80 didn't even phase the diesel. I know this is what it is made for but what a difference.

I do short trips from time to time. I just try to make sure I get it up to operating temp. In the winter time this would be even more important.


Try to get it up to temp on every drive and Be sure to change your Oil every 3,000 miles if you do allot of short trip driving. You will be fine.





Welcome to the forum.

Yeah, what LLY DMAX said.


I have owned 3 other diesels and it's good to get them at operating temp for as long as possible, and after running at higher speeds, it's good to let them idle for a few minuets to cool the turbo down.


Welcome, from another newbie!

Winter Cover helps a great deal in getting things up to temp and keeping them there.

when you make your stops around town if you're not going to be in any place for an extended period of time I would just let the truck idle. it would be better for it than starting it and stopping it. Welcome to the forum

Thanks. Everyone seems to have different opinion on this and the salesman will tell you what he thinks you want to hear. I did get a winter cover with the truck and also will plug in the heater when it gets real cold. I also had the ticking that everyone has commented about but no longer hear it.

I dont have any ticking, just a real quiet motor, in fact, a little too quiet for me http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif I forgot about the cover that comes with the truck, I'll read up on what is the best time to leave it on.

I skimmed over the manual part on it when we got the truck. Remember to use it when it gets cold and take it off when towing. I will also have to review it myself again. So the covers will make a big difference in keeping the truck heated and keeping it warm? The shorter runs were a big concern. I did notice that I cannot have the truck running and use the door locks I have to use the remote to lock the doors and keep the truck running. Not too many places I would want to leave my truck running and not be in it. Although the OnStar system may be of some help if someone were to help themselves to a drive.

The ticking will come and go at Oil Changes .... No one out of thousands that have ran thru the GM forums has ever reported any bad effects of this noise .... So the general is correct as they reported in the TSB we have to belief ....





Diesel Gas no matter short trips are in the higher maintance schedule ... As written above the key is to get the engine up and hopefully the oil to full operating temp ....


Good luck with your new ride !!


Mac

I skimmed over the manual part on it when we got the truck. Remember to use it when it gets cold and take it off when towing. I will also have to review it myself again. So the covers will make a big difference in keeping the truck heated and keeping it warm? The shorter runs were a big concern. I did notice that I cannot have the truck running and use the door locks I have to use the remote to lock the doors and keep the truck running. Not too many places I would want to leave my truck running and not be in it. Although the OnStar system may be of some help if someone were to help themselves to a drive.


With the cover on, it will of course keep very cold air from passing through the radiator, and will in turn allow the eng. to maintain its operating temp. easier. Many people say on your cold start, is to let the eng. run for about an hour, allowing it to completely warm up, etc.,etc. but, alot of us dont have an hour b4 work to drive around, including me. So, I do start the truck a little earlier, winter I let it warm around 10 min.(I have a timer plugged in to start the block heater about 2hrs. b4 I start the truck), summer around 5min. I only have about a 7 mile trip to work, mostly a dirt road so I get approx 30 min running time each am. And I agree with you, I would'nt want to leave my truck running while I was gone either.

Again - thanks for the last two posts. Very helpful. That was the information I was looking for.

I would NOT under any circumstances leave a new diesel truck at idle for an hour. Those days are gone. You will have unburned fuel getting through. That will ruin the turbo, and possibly the engine. The new diesels are no longer supposed to be idled like that. My Mack truck dealer told me to always raise the idle speed. They will void your engine warranty if you idle extensively. The duramax owners manual I thinks states 20 min max for idle. My '03 Dodges automatically raise the idle speed if left too long.

When using the front cover, the bumper cover is the most critical to keeping the heat in. I run both covers when not towing and remove the grille cover only when towing. These BTW are the slowest trucks to warm up I have ever owned. Make it a point in the winter to fully warm it up at least once a week. Then I would think a 5k oil service interval would be fine, 3k is a waste IMO.

I think that I should be fine than with the driving that I do. During the week I do shorter runs and on weekends we will get out and hook up the gooseneck and go a distance. I appreciate the welcome and help that I have been given. I would like to have this truck for many years down the road. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif