When it is cold outside...right now 26F...is it smart to let a diesel engine idle for a minute or two before driving it or is it ok to drive it one it starts? Right now it is sitting outside at work where I can't plug it in. It has been sitting for 12 hours now. At home I plug it in before bed and the WTS light goes off very quickly. As you can probably tell by my post count I am new here and don't want to hurt my new truck.


thanks for the replies

Let it idle for a couple of minutes before driving.

cool thanks

I let mine idle till the cold advance backs off and rpm drops to normal - then I'm 'ginger' with it till the coolant temps come up.

Ditto what gmctd said. Well, actually I do it to warm up the inside first. By the time I get all 4 kids in their car seats, and several trips to the bathroom and drinks, I've burned about an extra gallon of fuel.):h

So you seriously drive a bus around?

I think I'd find that a little embarrassing.

A Suburban is a fine vehicle for transporting the family. Safe and smart.

Well, it's a Savana body with a really high top. It's a handicap van. Real easy to loadin' and unloadin kiddos. Not exactly stylish, but very practical. Got real tired of my backside either havin' cold wind goin' up it or or rain runnin' down it loadin' up those car seats in my car before. This will last me a few more years until I have have a really nice vehicle that won't get so much attention.):h

Actually, we have a rental mini-van right now . . . not much fun. I'm puttin in MCI coach bus seats with seat belts. Nice improvement to the ride, and spouce approval factor moves up too!

Neat..........

So you seriously drive a bus around?

I think I'd find that a little embarrassing.
Why would that be embarrassing to drive that. If you have a big family( I have 6 kids) you drive what your famliy fits in. I think thats cool to be able to find and make that work for you.

We aren't rich, but we aren't really poor either. We are just blessed, and thankful that everyone is well, healthy, and we are provided for. Style is not just one of our requirements.

Maybe someday they'll make a Duramax van, and there won't be as much need for input from us in the car seat department. :)

A Suburban is a fine vehicle for transporting the family. Safe and smart.:ro) :ro) :ro) :ro) :ro) :ro) :ro)

I AGREE! (I think I may be a little biased though.:D )

Works great as a weekend warrior too (hauling boats, ice fishing gear, all the guys and guns for road hunting, etc...). And with that third seat, you can fit 5~6 kids and two adults rather comfortably.

Hey knkreb
Where are you located ?
As ya can see I love burbans too I've had five, two were 6.2's one of them a 4X4 with 35" tires in Alaska. Loved it

Delaware. Burb would be nice, maybe next time. There's a 6.2 down the road here for sale. I've thought about it, but currently like the idea of NO MONTHLY PAYMENT!:ro)

A Suburban is a fine vehicle for transporting the family. Safe and smart.
Whatsamatta . . . bus not smart?

NO MONTHLY PAYMENT!:ro)
I'm all for that idea too! :ro)

99 Tahoe Centurion Conversion
95 3/4tn 6.5TD Suburban
92 Grand Prix

ALL PAID FOR.

You let that thing warm up if you like.I know the engine likes it.Also ,that thing can idle for days if you had to.....but its not recomended. MOST IMPORTANT

IDLE DOWN for a minute or two will keep that Turbo healthy. Thats your "get up n go" so take care of it. That thing needs to cool down a bit B4 u shut it off.

Good luck and dont be afraid to ask

kl8ton,

don't let it warm up idling, that puts a lot of wear on the engine. I tried it last winter by starting it and then removing the ice from the windscreen, thus it warmed up a bit before I drove off. But it doesn't really help anything, so now I glow it and start it while getting in (after removing the ice), and by the time I've put on the belt, placed the coffee into the cup holder, plugged in the electrical seat heater, I carefully drive off and keep the RPMs low. That takes maybe 30 seconds or a minute, and the first 1/2 mile or so before I get onto the main road, I've to drive slowly anyway.

Idling some time is enough to get oil pressure built up and the oil distributed throughout the engine. It depends on ambient temperature, the colder, the longer --- you'll get a feeling for how long it takes. I'm doing it about the same in sommer, just give it some time to 'wake up' like everybody needs, drive carefully until normal operating temps are reached, and you'll be fine :)

BTW, when you turn the cabin heater off until the coolant has warmed up, it warms up much quicker.

I'll add my 2 cents. A lot of people think high oil presssure is a good thing. What it really says is that oil flow is low, and the oil temp is still too low to lubricate correctly.
Don't load the vehicle until pressure comes down some. Bearings suffer the most when oil is thick (cold). Just don't load things up too soon to extend their life.

I also suggest the same idea with tranny temp. Until you see the needle come "off the wall", the fluid is not loose enough to shear well, or move through high friction areas..

im a fan of the jk high idle tip. i use the 1100 rpm. i start my truck, wait 30 seconds or so to get some oil everywhere then i kick that on. warms up real fast and it is a lot better for the motor.

When it's cold and I get the trucks temps up, I'll pull on the road and have to accelerate easy 'cause the tranny won't shift to 2nd if I rev it too much. After that first shift all is well.

Mine does the exact same thing. What causes that to happen?

cold tranny fluid.

Mine is sometimes reluctant to shift to 3rd, and it takes some warming up before the TCC can get engaged. Disabling the TCC is probably intentionally done by the PCM, but is the transmission intentionally built so that cold tranny fluid keeps it from shifting to 2nd or 3rd?

Hm, it wasn't reluctant last winter. Maybe I should let it idle a bit longer?

I usually try to let mine idle at least until I notice the temp guage hand start to lift off the bottom of the dial. Also keep in mind that the whole drive train need to warm up, the oil in your differentials and tranny are also cold, so it's not a good idea to push it too hard right off the get go.

I have 7 brothers and sisters. My parents drove us around in an '85 chevy van 11 passenger! I agree, you drive what your family fits in.