Choking on Diesel Fumes *Update Page 6*

[twentynine]

Quote:
Bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think we have a winner!

Diesel fumes? Know where you are comming from with that, they trigger my migrains.

I had a Yanmar tractor, that little two cylinder thing would burn anything you poured into the fuel tank, different combinations of cooking oil (veggie), diesel, and motor oil. Lots of people recycle motor oil, and all kinds of concoctions by burning them in diesel engines.

Your nieghbor is trying. He doesn't idle as long, he has moved the truck. Maybe you can met him half way by closing the window in the morning before he cranks the truck.

Off subject I know. Facility being built next to where I work is now making diesel fuel out of chicken fat--- now you want to know about smells?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I know lots of people are buying large vats of old transformer cooling oil an running it in there diesels. I haven't noticed it smelling different tho. There are lots of this that they will run on. He may also be running the new diesel fuel(2007 an newer) on a old engine or the other way around. I know my 1984 model don't like the new stuff an costs me about 7 miles to the gallon to run it but the old stuff is hard to find. My nine passenger suburban gets 19 mpg on the old stuff an 12 on the new.

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

Quote:
x2

The fumes fade quickly. And ask anyone who has a diesel (especially not a brand new one) - you do have to idle it to warm it up. Driving it without warming it up for at least a few minutes, even slowly, can cause some damage. Just like you have to turn the ignition and let it sit about thirty seconds before you crank it.

 

[ruby]

fumes trigger my migraines too! A good neighbor will find a way to make this right.......

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Just had a long talk with my brother(Kenworth tech) about this issue. He said that driving a diesel before it is up to operating temp causes fuel knock. Which is the sound made by fuel not burning evenly. Just like in a gas engine with spark knock it can cause serious an catastrophic damage. All knocking sounds are hard parts making contact. A diesel should always be idled till up to operating temp

That being said I usually dont, I start it an just pour the coal to it. Mine was $900 though. If I I scatter a piston its not the end of the world.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
Interesting that there are varying views on this. Someone wrote earlier that the ignition should be turned on for a few seconds before starting the engine. I remember the days waiting for the red light to go out to tell me that everything was glowing nicely in there but I thought those days were long gone. I haven't had a diesel engine for years that had that technology.

Thinking again about my way of starting and going, from cold at home it means a slow reverse of the truck to turn out of the gate and a pause on idle while I close it. If my wife is travelling with me there is usually a further wait for something she left in the house. Maybe that counts as the warm up from an air temperature of 30C!

 

[babylady4]

Quote:
Did he happen to specify on whether the size of the engine and the ambient temp mattered?

 

[Show Me Chick]

I own a diesel 3/4 ton dodge truck and have to let it idle for 10 minutes. There has been a time or two I didn't let it warm up properly and it ran horrible and made bad noises so I had to pull over to let it idle some more!!! I live in town and my truck idles very close to many neighbors and they don't have a problem with it....not that this gal would care if they did since it's my form of transportation and I refuse to drive it cold and risk damage to my truck. I think your neighbor has been really considerate and you should close your window if your that sensitive to the smell. I know I would not have changed a thing in my routine. And if you own a gasoline vehicle it is still putting out fumes into the atmosphere that can cause many different health problems, may not smell as strong but just as bad if not worse.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
Did he happen to specify on whether the size of the engine and the ambient temp mattered?

Unless the ambient temp is over 160*F then no it dont. Small trucks need the warm up time more than big rigs though. There higher compression better combustes fuel at lower temps. The T-300 Kenworth Pumper I used for years would fire an run pretty good cold... My 6.2 Suburban you have to wait on the glow plugs to heat up just to get it to start. An it don't really want to idle right off. Im not running a turbo ether though. Compression helps the big engines burn fuel better.

 

[Dunkopf]

The warm up topic has been around for ages. It's a lot like global warming. Opinions abound. Everyone is right in their own mind. As it should be.

As for cancer the poster that said all things that burn cause cancer is scientifically correct. Of course you know those scientist. Can't trust them.

I was always taught that knocking in a gas engine was caused by ignition timing set too far advanced for the octane rating of the fuel. In a gas engine it is the fuel exploding before the piston reaches the top of the compression stroke because the plug fires too soon. It does cause damage to the tops of the pistons but not because metal is touching. When metal touches it is usually a valve kissing a piston and that always ends badly.

I don't know anything about diesels except the difference in fuel ignition from direct injection.

To the original poster. I would set my alarm for before he starts his truck and shut the windows. Fumes like that dissipate quickly outside. Not so quickly inside. You may be one of those people that does get cancer from fumes and if you have asthma you should definitely avoid them. He is obviously of the school of thought that the engine needs to be warmed up before driving. Not much chance of convincing him otherwise. In the 50's and 60's when oil technology was much less advanced cars required warming and it is something passed down through the generations.