# Leave the Truck Running



## soccerlawn (Feb 7, 2006)

Hi, this may be a basic question for most, but I figured I'd ask just to be sure. I have 2006 Chevy 2500HD w/ the 6.0. After I am done with the main plowing and I get out of the truck to do any cleanup, should I leave the truck idleing or turn it off. Say under two minutes compared to 5-7 minutes, am I going to burn much gas?


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## Snowman19 (Sep 30, 2006)

You will burn the same amount of fuel. Keep it running, it also saves your starter.


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## NoFearDeere (Nov 7, 2005)

My truck stays running constantly.....ran damn near 18 hours today! Just leave it on!


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## Rowski (Oct 24, 2005)

Leave it running...

I usually crack the windows about an inch and set the heater to mix defrost and floor mode with temp selsctor on hot. I do this to help dethaw (deice) my cowl and (more important) dry out the inside of the truck. This helps with fogging of windows, as mentioned in the rear window defrost thread.

Derek


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## CARDOCTOR (Nov 29, 2002)

i never shut the truck off until i get home. this gives the alternator a chance to charge the battery and for the trans fluid to cool down


john


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## Gicon (Oct 1, 2005)

Never turn the truck off. Another thing that wasnt mentioned was......what if you turn off the truck and it doesnt start back up again, for whatever ODD reason. Weird things happen right in the middle of snow storms. Like someone else said, let the battery charging system catch up with itself. Strobe lights, heater motor, headlights, radio, plow, that all puts strain on the electrical system.


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## BobC (Nov 5, 2004)

I never shut mine off until I get home for the reasons everyone has already mentioned. Sometimes it's running 20hrs. I use a spare key to lock truck while I make any pit-stops.
And I carry spare keys for everything just incase one gets dropped in snow etc.


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## soccerlawn (Feb 7, 2006)

Thanks for all the replies, it makes sense to me now.

One last thing, if your filling up at a gas station leave it running also?


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## flykelley (Dec 29, 2003)

Never turn it off when plowing, alway turn off when filling with gas. I like a warm truck. Besides I do drop the plow and turn the remote control off. If they know what they are doing they can figure it out.

Regards Mike


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## Sweetpete (Jul 11, 2005)

I never turn off when filling up. I always drop my plow when I'm going to be out of the truck for any length of time, and I always lock the doors too!! That's one reason I love keypad entry.


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## yzf1000_rider (Oct 24, 2003)

do yourself a favor and get a remote starter put in like i did warms truck up before i head out and then when i have to get out i just hit the button and turn the key off truck stays running and secure. as long as its under 20 minutes thats what i have my timer set at to shut truck off. works great for me.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Leave it running...
If you have a working parking break use it...
Put the tranny in "N" as most trannys will circulate fluid in "N" and cool then selves down.. 

They do not circulate fluid in park, thus it is difficult for the tranny to dissipate the heat that has built up..



I leave mine running , even when filling up and I get back into the cab also...
I do touch the mettle on the pump before I touch the handle every time just encase any static electricity has built up....


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## J&R Landscaping (Dec 25, 2005)

I would definitly leave the truck running. For a few minutes, it dont make a lot of sense to keep stopping and starting the engine. A few minutes will be fine.


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## NoFearDeere (Nov 7, 2005)

Sweetpete said:


> I never turn off when filling up. I always drop my plow when I'm going to be out of the truck for any length of time, and I always lock the doors too!! That's one reason I love keypad entry.


How can you get your truck to lock with the key in the ignition? It would be nice but mine wont let me do it!


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

POPO4995 said:


> How can you get your truck to lock with the key in the ignition? It would be nice but mine wont let me do it!


Key in ignition engine running,
Open the door you can ether push the door lock button (powered) on the door or push the door lock down manually.
The door lock on my remote will not lock the doors with it running but it will unlock them.


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## Jpocket (Nov 7, 2005)

I always leave mine running when we are in the thick of a storm...once day light breaks, and things get moving I will shut it off to fill up or something.


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## BobC (Nov 5, 2004)

Spare key works real cheap!!!! Also I leave running while I fuel. (diesel)


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## bowtie_guy (Jan 1, 2004)

BobC;327377 said:


> Spare key works real cheap!!!! Also I leave running while I fuel. (diesel)


Mine runs all the time, fueling up it idles. Diesel as well. I have an auto starter and the truck will idle for 35min. The remote is good for 2000 feet in perfect conditions so usually I can reset the timer if I will take a little longer.


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

If I'm gonna be outside the truck for more than 10 min or when refueling I shut it off.Other than that it stays running all the time.


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## MLLC (Jun 14, 2006)

in my town they passed a bylaw, that if your vehicle is left idling for more than 1 min, and a cop sees that, he will write you a ticket. this is done in effect with our towns environmental pollicy.


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## soccerlawn (Feb 7, 2006)

wow that is the first time I have heard something like that, how strict are they with that policy.


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## MLLC (Jun 14, 2006)

soccerlawn;328398 said:


> wow that is the first time I have heard something like that, how strict are they with that policy.


usually if you're only away from the vehicle for 2 or 3 mins, or if you are in a remote section of town you can get away with it. but in the center of town where the gas station and businesses and hotels are, people have been ticketed in less than 90 seconds. any more than 4 or 5 mins in the center of town guarantees you a ticket


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## gpfarrell (Nov 1, 2005)

MLLC;328391 said:


> in my town they passed a bylaw, that if your vehicle is left idling for more than 1 min, and a cop sees that, he will write you a ticket. this is done in effect with our towns environmental pollicy.


It might be worth checking the fine print of that law. Some of those ordinances drafted by fairly clueless locals don't think of much. But... if they based it on carefully written laws you should find some fine print excluding emergeny vehicles, special weather, etc.

The laws are usually in place to keep clusters of trucks around loading docks from choking the air with fumes. Permitting one truck to "defrost" shouldn't run afoul of that law, in fact one could present it as a necessary "safety step" to keep the windows clear.


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## MSS Mow (Mar 19, 2006)

gpfarrell;328526 said:


> It might be worth checking the fine print of that law. Some of those ordinances drafted by fairly clueless locals don't think of much. But... if they based it on carefully written laws you should find some fine print excluding emergeny vehicles, special weather, etc.
> 
> The laws are usually in place to keep clusters of trucks around loading docks from choking the air with fumes. Permitting one truck to "defrost" shouldn't run afoul of that law, *in fact one could present it as a necessary "safety step" to keep the windows clear.[/*


Absolutely necessary. Good point.

Stupid law.


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## wirenut (Jan 16, 2004)

just another way for taxachusetts to get in your pockets..
someone gotta pay for the politicians medical and retirement
and the illegals benifits.......


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## lodogg89 (Jul 8, 2006)

i have a remote start system, just push a button and take out the keys. Ive never had someone try and steel it, but id like to see someone jump in their hit the brake pedal and have it shut off on them


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## Rcgm (Dec 17, 2000)

Hey Sno farmer is that with all trucks that they only circulate in gear or N not in park?Man thats great Info thanks:redbounce 


RCGM
Brad


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Rcgm;328992 said:


> Hey Sno farmer is that with all trucks that they only circulate in gear or N not in park?Man thats great Info thanks:redbounce
> 
> RCGM
> Brad


I'm not sure if all autos do or not.

But the tranny's that Dodge uses need to be in gear or "N" to circulate fluid

.


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## 90plow (Dec 22, 2001)

Hey POPO if you have ford with a keypad shut the door with the truck running and press 7 and 8 at the same time on the key pad to lock the doors. My 150 wont let me use the door locks if my truck is running. I leave my trucks running all the time, let the alt keep up and prevent any no start mishaps.
-Eric


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

SnoFarmer;329068 said:


> I'm not sure if all autos do or not.
> 
> But the tranny's that Dodge uses need to be in gear or "N" to circulate fluid
> 
> .


Only the Dodges need to be in neutral to cool the fluid.GM and ford's will circulate fluid through the cooler no matter what gear position there in.


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## M&A Property Maintenance (Sep 29, 2006)

MLLC;328391 said:


> in my town they passed a bylaw, that if your vehicle is left idling for more than 1 min, and a cop sees that, he will write you a ticket. this is done in effect with our towns environmental pollicy.


WHAT TOWN IS THAT??


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## BobC (Nov 5, 2004)

Traffic Light will have you idle more than a minute. In nice weather maybe they need to be shown how stupid 1min. law is, shut them off at red light restart at green. Gentlemen, start your engines!!


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

B&B;329094 said:


> Only the Dodges need to be in neutral to cool the fluid.GM and ford's will circulate fluid through the cooler no matter what gear position there in.


... they(Dodge) circulate fluid in gear also:waving:

good Info!


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

SnoFarmer;329372 said:


> ... they(Dodge) circulate fluid in gear also:waving:
> 
> good Info!


Snofarmer I thought that part was self expainatory! LOL!


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## bryanj23 (Nov 17, 2006)

POPO4995;327360 said:


> How can you get your truck to lock with the key in the ignition? It would be nice but mine wont let me do it!


Some vehicles have this as a safety feature. You can get past it by using a spare key and manually locking the door from the outside once it is shut. Be careful though, here in my town it is ILLEGAL to leave your vehicle unattended with the key in the ignition with the door locked or not ...therefore if someone takes your ride your insurance doesn't have to cover it because you were breaking the law . As said above (somewhere by someone) do yourself a favor and get a remote start . Warm it up before you go out, leave it running whenever wherever with no chance of someone stealing your truck, be legal, and remember it works with a/c in the summer too!!


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## bryanj23 (Nov 17, 2006)

wirenut;328856 said:


> just another way for taxachusetts to get in your pockets..
> someone gotta pay for the politicians medical and retirement
> and the illegals benifits.......


Maybe so, here they did it (law against idling vehicles) because auto theft was on the rise and after doing a little study determined that most of the cars being stolen were sitting in peoples driveways warming up in the morning or running at the gas station unattended.


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## popov_plow (Jan 28, 2006)

yah dude you'll be cool leaving the keys in the ignition if you live in Brighton, but here in Flint-town you've gotta shut it down, lock the doors, and put a Club on the steering wheel:salute:


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## WetChicken (Dec 23, 2006)

wirenut;328856 said:


> just another way for taxachusetts to get in your pockets..
> someone gotta pay for the politicians medical and retirement
> and the illegals benifits.......


BRAVO!!!

Don't bother with the club, they just cut the steering wheel and slip it off.

FYI do belive that leaving a vehicle running while fueling is unlawful in most states, if not all.

Jason


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## DodgeRam1985 (Nov 30, 2006)

Here in Ohio we have some similar laws, although they are more strict. It's actually against the law to leave a vehicle running period, no matter what the time length. It's a safety practice to stop auto thefts, and also to prevent young people (mostly small children) from somehow getting into the vehicles and putting them in drive. I know there are some exceptions to this law, however I do not know them all off hand, guess I'll check ORC to find out.


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## daninline (Nov 1, 2004)

In my town you could leave it running all night with the doors open and it would still be there and someone might even shut it off for you and leave a note  

I neve shut it off during a storm.

you need to find the selectmen in town running there cars for 5 or 10 mins on a cold day to warm it up that will help change the law.


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

*What about from a cost perspective?*

I have always heard that it is cheaper to leave a diesel running for 45 mins then it is to turn it off and start it up again? Is this true?

Thanks,

Jon


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

yzf1000_rider;327264 said:


> do yourself a favor and get a remote starter put in like i did warms truck up before i head out and then when i have to get out i just hit the button and turn the key off truck stays running and secure. as long as its under 20 minutes thats what i have my timer set at to shut truck off. works great for me.


I do the same thing with my remote start, even if I'm just running in to grab a coffee. Mine is an alarm also, but same idea

My truck stays running from the time I leave my house till I get home, fueling, eating, whatever. My town does have an idling ordinance, but durring a storm the cops are just happy to see us out there cleaning things up and don't pay any attention to a truck idiling while the driver runs into the store


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## QMVA (Oct 9, 2003)

We have a similar law but not so much for the environment. Every once and a while a bunch of unattended cars will get stolen while the driver waits for them to warm up so then the police will enforce the law so that people will be a little more careful. Most years its not a problem and they really only go after people in apartment complexes.


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

MLLC;328391 said:


> in my town they passed a bylaw, that if your vehicle is left idling for more than 1 min, and a cop sees that, he will write you a ticket. this is done in effect with our towns environmental pollicy.


I bet if you checked it takes more then 1 minute for the cop to write the ticket. Make sure he writes one for himself also. We would not want to be unfair now would we?


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## diehrd (Dec 11, 2006)

Pristine PM ltd;344156 said:


> I have always heard that it is cheaper to leave a diesel running for 45 mins then it is to turn it off and start it up again? Is this true?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jon


It also has been said it is cheaper to leave a light in your home on then to turn of and back on again in a short time..Both are Myths,,45 minutes of idle will use more diesel then a start up especially if the diesel was warm 45 minutes ago . .


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

Thanks, good to know.

Is there any amount of time that is does make sense to leave it running for though?

I have just been in the habit of leaving it running, thinking that it is easier on the starter, engine, and cheaper. Where would I find these types of stats?

Jon


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

Dwan;344216 said:


> I bet if you checked it takes more then 1 minute for the cop to write the ticket. Make sure he writes one for himself also. We would not want to be unfair now would we?


good point! I'll bet all of them leave the cruiser running while they are writing the ticket or delivering it to the car


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## diehrd (Dec 11, 2006)

Pristine PM ltd;344474 said:


> Thanks, good to know.
> 
> Is there any amount of time that is does make sense to leave it running for though?
> 
> ...


The light bulb myth was tested on myth busters  .

You have a gas engine not an over the road diesel,One area of big concern I would have with excessive idle is valve stem seals they are defiantly something long idles affect.And a common repair on emergency vehicles.

Use common sense if you are out of truck for a few minutes cool,,If you are getting out for 5 plus minutes you may want to shut her down. . And as far as starter issues I on a normal day start up at least 20 times and have yet to have a starter fail on the last 3 trucks I have owned,,All Chevy by the way.. And that covers 6 years of time.


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

> You have a gas engine not an over the road diesel


Sorry, I didn't quite understand what you meant by that?

Thanks,

Jon


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## DBL (Aug 27, 2005)

i leave mine running alot and sometime in places where theres a few clanksters about ill lock the doors and use the button to get back in


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## diehrd (Dec 11, 2006)

Pristine PM ltd;344681 said:


> Sorry, I didn't quite understand what you meant by that?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jon


U have a 6 liter gas engine right ? A diesel burns a lubricant a gas engine burns an abrasive.You will see tractor trucks idling all night long,,,not gas engines


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

diehrd;344696 said:


> U have a 6 liter gas engine right ? A diesel burns a lubricant a gas engine burns an abrasive.You will see tractor trucks idling all night long,,,not gas engines


what??? both diesel fuel and gasoline are petrolium based fuels, and both are somewhat a lubricant and an abrasive. Yes home heating oil and off road diesel are the same, but that doesn't mean it's a lubricating oil. The reason over the road big diesels run all night long is because they are 1) alot harder to get going first thing on a cold morning, and will consume extrainious amounts of fuel until at optimum operating temp (both because of the "choke factor" and also because of the length of time it takes to warm up) 2) they do go through starters more often than smaller diesels or gas engines because of the amount of compression in the combustion chambers, and how much torque that electric motor has to put out to crank it over. (remember it is common to have 1200+ foot pounds of torque) 3) climate control. With an over the road truck the driver is sleeping in the back. Yes they do have electric climate control units, but they put a good load on the batteries making it, again, harder to start in the morning. 4) most over the road trucks are not owner operators so fuel is on someone elses dime anyway so what do they care...lol


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## diehrd (Dec 11, 2006)

spittincobra01;344737 said:


> what??? both diesel fuel and gasoline are petrolium based fuels, and both are somewhat a lubricant and an abrasive. Yes home heating oil and off road diesel are the same, but that doesn't mean it's a lubricating oil. The reason over the road big diesels run all night long is because they are 1) alot harder to get going first thing on a cold morning, and will consume extrainious amounts of fuel until at optimum operating temp (both because of the "choke factor" and also because of the length of time it takes to warm up) 2) they do go through starters more often than smaller diesels or gas engines because of the amount of compression in the combustion chambers, and how much torque that electric motor has to put out to crank it over. (remember it is common to have 1200+ foot pounds of torque) 3) climate control. With an over the road truck the driver is sleeping in the back. Yes they do have electric climate control units, but they put a good load on the batteries making it, again, harder to start in the morning. 4) most over the road trucks are not owner operators so fuel is on someone elses dime anyway so what do they care...lol


You are mistaken badly..On just this point,,Diesel and gas have a pretty big difference. Diesel is more akin to oil..Gas is as much like oil as water is..Ya ya ya they both come from oil but gas leaves all the lubricating aspect of the oil far behind during refinement.

And I guarantee one reason you see 500k on diesel and not gas engines is because of the the differences in there fuel..People hit 250k On a gas motor and feel like it is a big deal,,a diesel is just breaking in at 250k for gods sakes 

A gas motor burns it own destruction , which IS A MAJOR reason we are being told change oil at 3k, people seam to think the oil fails or wears out solely due to heat and forces with in the engine,,,,thats only half the reason ya change oil,,the other half is to flush out harmful contaminates that are put into the oil by combustion .


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

No, sorry that is why I was confused, we run the 6.0 International in our F-350s, and we will be buying two a year from now on (well, the 6.4 next year I guess). I know for gas you should always turn it off, but i was asking about diesel and the whole 45 mins of running is cheaper then turning it on and off.

Thanks,

Jon


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

diehrd;344791 said:


> You are mistaken badly..On just this point,,Diesel and gas have a pretty big difference. Diesel is more akin to oil..Gas is as much like oil as water is..Ya ya ya they both come from oil but gas leaves all the lubricating aspect of the oil far behind during refinement.
> 
> And I guarantee one reason you see 500k on diesel and not gas engines is because of the the differences in there fuel..People hit 250k On a gas motor and feel like it is a big deal,,a diesel is just breaking in at 250k for gods sakes
> 
> A gas motor burns it own destruction , which IS A MAJOR reason we are being told change oil at 3k, people seam to think the oil fails or wears out solely due to heat and forces with in the engine,,,,thats only half the reason ya change oil,,the other half is to flush out harmful contaminates that are put into the oil by combustion .


sorry, but I am not wrong in this discussion. 
The two major differences between gasoline and diesel are carbon and volitility. Gas has more of both. Diesel engines are built more durrable than gas engines from the factory because they run soley on compression (once started). That is partly why they last longer, there is alot of pressure which causes heat which ignites the air/fuel mixture. This is also why diesel engines cost more... better internal parts... Also there are more hydrocarbons removed durring refining than gas.
Gasoline is far more explosive (nearly 10 times more) than diesel, this explosiveness in the chamber, and the fact that almost no carbon is removed durring refining are the other reasons gas engines do not last as long. 
So yes you are correct that gas engines burn thier own destruction, but they are sort of designed to do that from the factory by using substandard parts compaired to diesel engines (forged vs cast parts... a whole different discussion)
It is the carbon (hydrocarbons) that contaminates motor oil, but that doesn't make gasoline any more or less like a lubricating oil than diesel. Both of them are somewhat lubricants, and are both somewhat abrasive.


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

Sorry, could someone please let me know how long it is ok to leave a diesel running for before it starts costing you more money then if you were to turn it off and on?

Thanks,

Jon


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## spittincobra01 (Nov 14, 2005)

5-10 mins, any longer and shut 'er down


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