How bad is short tripping for a diesel engine?

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I cannot speak from experience with diesel automobiles, but I have a fair amount of experience with marine diesels and I feel that short tripping a diesel car or truck would be similar to the type of use that many diesels in sailboats receive. They are often started and used for a short time and often never reach operating temperature for any significant period of time or are run at or near idle without load to charge batteries, and it definitely causes problems and reduces the engines life.
 
Originally Posted By: Hullthumper
I cannot speak from experience with diesel automobiles, but I have a fair amount of experience with marine diesels and I feel that short tripping a diesel car or truck would be similar to the type of use that many diesels in sailboats receive. They are often started and used for a short time and often never reach operating temperature for any significant period of time or are run at or near idle without load to charge batteries, and it definitely causes problems and reduces the engines life.


And they don't even have to cope with the kind of emissions equipment that needs to be fully warmed up for optimal performance.
 
I think it will be fine actually since you do multiple 200 mile drives each month. That will clear out the DPF and any fuel dilution.
My wife has a 12 VW Golf TDI with a DPF and we have had it for 2 1/2 years and 30k miles. Her work is 2 miles from home. But she drives it to her families house about 100 mile round trip a few times a month. We hardly ever notice any regen's.
 
Originally Posted By: bigjl
You will have issues QPete.

Short trips round town are bad for even 10yr old turbo diesels. Variable vane turbos sieze up. Egrs clog up. Inlet manifold fills up with ssme rubbish as egr. Like a soft sticky tar.

Now with dpfs they are almost a no go for town work.


agree.
short trips, modern diesels = problems waiting
 
We've had plenty of diesels. Currently down to one, an '09 JSW TDI.

Even on the newer ones, one long drive per week is enough to keep things Kosher.

Less frequently than that, and things don't turn out as well over the long haul.

Because of their combustion efficiency, diesels run inherently cooler than gassers. A turbo actually can be a help for a shorter-tripper in that regard.

For very short commutes, opt for a hybrid or electric over a diesel. Diesels earn their keep on the longer runs.

Hope that helps.
 
Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: bigjl
You will have issues QPete.

Short trips round town are bad for even 10yr old turbo diesels. Variable vane turbos sieze up. Egrs clog up. Inlet manifold fills up with ssme rubbish as egr. Like a soft sticky tar.

Now with dpfs they are almost a no go for town work.


agree.
short trips, modern diesels = problems waiting


Oh, really - yes it is.

But you shoud say this to many taxi drivers here in Belgrade (3 milion people capital od Serbia).

About 50% of them (in total ~ 10,000 licenced taxi vehicles) drives (common rail) diesel cars that are old about 10 yaers, and tipicaly without DPF/FAP. And most of these cars have been purchased/imported used from western europe with mileage not less than 100,000 km, often much more.

But they know they should change oil regulary every ~10,000 km.

My beloved wife drives litle diesel car - Citroen C3 1.4 HDi 8V, 2006. (same as peugeot 206, same engine) w/o DPF. And it`s quite_ok/superb for city crowd and short trips.

But I know that it is better to put 5W-30, a little bit thinner (but also recomended by manufacturer) oil (ACEA C2, PSA B71 2290).

Acording board computer for last 2000 km. an average speed was 22 km/h, diesel comsuption 5.5 L /100 km.

Oil consumption ~1.5 L / 12,000 km (mesured by me)
Winter temperature (sometimes)-20 C, summer +40 C.

However, diesels with DPF/FAP are other ball gome.

For this reason, important message for UK drivers https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter

***

Yes, driving cars = problems waiting
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: DS9
Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: bigjl
You will have issues QPete.

Short trips round town are bad for even 10yr old turbo diesels. Variable vane turbos sieze up. Egrs clog up. Inlet manifold fills up with ssme rubbish as egr. Like a soft sticky tar.

Now with dpfs they are almost a no go for town work.


agree.
short trips, modern diesels = problems waiting


Oh, really - yes it is.

But you shoud say this to many taxi drivers here in Belgrade (3 milion people capital od Serbia).

About 50% of them (in total ~ 10,000 licenced taxi vehicles) drives (common rail) diesel cars that are old about 10 yaers, and tipicaly without DPF/FAP. And most of these cars have been purchased/imported used from western europe with mileage not less than 100,000 km, often much more.

But they know they should change oil regulary every ~10,000 km.

My beloved wife drives litle diesel car - Citroen C3 1.4 HDi 8V, 2006. (same as peugeot 206, same engine) w/o DPF. And it`s quite_ok/superb for city crowd and short trips.

But I know that it is better to put 5W-30, a little bit thinner (but also recomended by manufacturer) oil (ACEA C2, PSA B71 2290).

Acording board computer for last 2000 km. an average speed was 22 km/h, diesel comsuption 5.5 L /100 km.

Oil consumption ~1.5 L / 12,000 km (mesured by me)
Winter temperature (sometimes)-20 C, summer +40 C.

However, diesels with DPF/FAP are other ball gome.

For this reason, important message for UK drivers https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter

***

Yes, driving cars = problems waiting






I wonder how UK authorities are going to confirm the DPF hasn't been bypassed via internal straight pipe and/or hollowed out? The tuners in the UK already do this.
 
My previous PSD took 10-15 minutes longer than my gas engines to get to normal operating temperature. I absolutely love the diesel but it just wasn't right for our needs. We do lots of short trips when used and the truck would often sit for long periods of time. Perhaps it's different on cars but they can be very expensive to maintain also.
 
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