Idling time vs. miles driven

[LDB]

While looking at various van websites I got wondering about the comparison of idling vs. driving. I'll do some web searching but has anyone done any serious contemplating or research on how idling compares to driving? I ask that in relation to idling for HVAC.

The first thought was what is the idle rpm and what speed would the van travel in top gear at that rpm? I have no idea but I'd suspect high idle setting would be around 1k rpm and that might be 45mph or so. Then the questions really start. Is 45mph equivalent idling less than, equal to or greater than 45mph moving? Obviously for the transmission, suspension, tires etc. it is less than since it is zero. For the engine is it less than since there's no rolling or wind resistance? Is it equal since although there's no rolling resistance there's no air/wind flow through the radiator? Is it greater due to the no air/wind flow?

Obviously an Espar or similar is a great thing to have. Just curious how idling compares overall to an Espar, a/c, generator etc.. So many subjects one can think about to pass the time.

 

[greg334]

Gm did a study on this a while ago and they came to the conclusion that there were too many variables involved. Idling speed with no load is not the same as with a load for the engine and even with the pto speed control, there has to be a load on the engine to make the comparison.

I don't know of the ECM you have in your van has a idle time or pto time to see how much idle time you have done but it is reasonable to think it does.

 

[LDB]

My current van has a display of engine hours but that's total running time. It may have idling etc. with the obd scanner. I was looking at the Sprinter website which led to the high idle function which led to the curiosities of the comparisons and also how it compares between diesel and gasoline as well.

 

[redytrk]

I once did my own idle study. Top off tank. keep track of hours (weekend). Top off tank. Divide gal used, by hours, My result .7 gal per hr.

 

[Turtle]

According to Ford Motor Company, an hour of idling time is equal to 25 miles of driving, based on wear and oil analysis of Power Stroke engines. There's a reason why all F-Series Super Duty trucks built in model year 2005 and after are equipped with hour meters in the dash instrument cluster from the factory, it's because a lot of those trucks are used in applications which require extensive idling. Idling fatigues the oil just as if you're driving down the road, since the oil compression in the engine must take place whether you're idling or driving. So, something other than miles driven needs to be considered for maintenance like oil changes. Boat owners have known this for years, of course, and engine usage on a boat is measured in hours, not nautical miles.

Sprinters and a few other vehicles have an oil quality sensor, which takes many things into account, including miles driven, running time hours, and loads on the engine.

 

[LDB]

My primary curiosity is idling a/c usage vs. Onan/Coleman. The rough numbers suggest 3 hours Onan/Coleman 1 gallon, 3 hours idling 2 gallons.

 

[geo]

when i drove my fl60 and western star, firgure out they used 1.5 gals per hour fuel per hour
and used 3 gal's in 24 that was a proheat genset
that also idling 1 hour was equal to running 50 miles in on hour
and cat engine required oil change every 250 hour of running
proheat required oil change every 250 hours running
in one year of running saved 4,000 dollars in fuel and 3,000 in maintance
on fl60 had 4 years and traded it for western star had only 27 hour of idling on engine,
on western star had 75 hours of idling on engine
i haved never run engine for any longer than had to
some states are coming down hard on idling
and it is money out of my pocket