New vehicle has 5 engine idle hours

[QwikKota]

We purchased a new Yukon with the 5.3L that had around 50 miles on it. I was mainly focused on getting the purchase price down but did check interior/exterior for any flaws. I did not think to check the idle hours because it was new. I am going to reply to the general sales manager who followed up with us after the sale but not likely they will care. With the lifter issues some vehicles can suffer from that hour figure is less than ideal.

Was going to do any early oil change anyway but a little frustrating to find when clearing the trip odometer for the first time after fueling up. It currently has 6 hours of idle time and I am estimating we did not idle it anywhere near an hour since we purchased it a week ago. I'm guessing high hours are from test drives and customers sitting in it for extended periods of time while the salesman explains the features.

 

[sunroof]

Sales manager wanted a quiet lunch hour(s).

 

[SatinSilver]

@4wd may have some ideas about this.

 

[GW.]

I remember back when I worked at a dealer during snowstorms the salesman would go out and start every car on the lot and clean them off. Then wait for the plow guy to clear everything up leaving the vehicles idling. This could be a multi hour process with many storms throughout the winter.

 

[Kira]

That's what I wass thinking too...."idling to keep the battery charged".

Seiously, Does idle mean "engine running in P only" or does idling include "engine running with speedometer at 0"?

 

[QwikKota]

Definitely no snowstorms here. I assume engine running and vehicle not moving whether in park or at a stop light in drive.

I know on my Hemi Ram that is prone to lifter issues I have heard of a dealer or 2 denying warranty if the idle hours exceed 10%.

 

[bdcardinal]

There is a thing called "lot rot." Sales are supposed to start the vehicles on the lot to charge the batteries. I know with Ford, they will not pay for a battery under warranty if the vehicle has not been sold. Dealers don't like to do it because occasionally you have to put gas in the vehicles.

 

[CKN]

The warranty is based on miles/time....am I correct? 3 years or 36,000 miles bumper to bumper and 5 years powertrain? Something like that?
Why worry?
And if you didn't buy an extended warranty I would buy one.

 

[nwjones18]

I don't think 5 hours of idle time is anything to argue/worry about.. Maybe someone used it for a couple youtube video's and it was running the whole time. If you worry about an early first oil change maybe just do it a bit sooner than you would have otherwise.

 

[crashz]

Idle hours creep up quickly! And the clock starts at the factory, so imagine it idling from first start, bringing it off the line, parking, loading onto delivery trucks, delivery at the dealer, showing it during sales, etc. 5 hours is not bad.

 

[6.7 CTD]

If I recall correctly, when my Ram was delivered from Louisiana to my home, it had something like 7 or 8 idle hours on it, surprisingly. I didn’t think much of it as it only had about 8 miles on it; probably enough to fill the tank with diesel and go back to the dealership. As far as why there were so many idle hours, your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Rand]

Not trying to come off salty, but if I was worried about 5 idle hours doing some sort of damage,
I would have bought a different vehicle/engine.

 

[Adkcedarman]

That's what I wass thinking too...."idling to keep the battery charged".

Seiously, Does idle mean "engine running in P only" or does idling include "engine running with speedometer at 0"?

I might be stupid, but who would idle a car for 5 hours (at once or cumulative) not in Park? If the vehicle is new and has under 100 miles then it wasn’t idling in gear - idling kind of means by vicarious or inferred definition, in park.

Most likely is as you eluded to - vehicle was idling for 10-15 minute intervals to show customers - you know dealers love to warm it up and pull it around with it running so that you don’t hear the start up sequence and sounds especially on noisy startup engines. Then there’s the potential of winter clean up and feature explanations as was also mentioned.

 

[billt460]

If "idle hours" were some type of disaster in the making, half the cop cars in this country would be in trouble.

 

[QwikKota]

Thanks for alleviating my concerns, more or less. I didn't think about idle time at the factory. I have purchased/ordered a few new vehicles but never really checked hours.

I was on the fence about an extended warranty but this thing has a ton of screens and the 10 speed transmission. I got some decent pricing on a factory GM plan from Sheridan Motors that goes out to 8 years from purchase date.

 

[Danno]

I work at a new car dealer.

5 hours idle time is frankly a "not to worry at all item" imo.

 

[BHopkins]

That's what I wass thinking too...."idling to keep the battery charged".

Seiously, Does idle mean "engine running in P only" or does idling include "engine running with speedometer at 0"?

Or, could idle time include time with the car on, but engine not running?

I don't see the problem. Who ever even knew that a car could have idle time accumulate, prior to purchase, until newer cars provided all types of data that was never available before?

 

[QwikKota]

Agreed that sometimes more info is not better.

 

[RedSpider]

Having worked at a car dealer in my early days I can assure anyone willing to listen that your new car quite likely had many, many hours of idle time on it by the time you signed the paperwork, and the first few miles that car acquired while on the lot will be by far the hardest miles that poor car will ever see.

 

[Chris142]

Im sure that the guy that put it on the truck to take it to the dealer idled it. Im sure that dealing with a dead battery on the upper deck of a car hauler isnt any fun.

The sales man idle it so that the AC was cold to sho prospective buyers. And like you said to show the electronics .

And idle on the lot to charge the battery if it got moved around a lot.

All normal things at a car dealer im sure.