Did you know that excessive idling may require special maintenance? Some engine manufacturers set idle time limits and require altered maintenance intervals for certain engine components.

Vehicles that spend a lot of time idling, such as certain fire and rescue apparatus, may develop maintenance problems because the engines are not operating at the designed speed and temperature. This may affect the engine oil life, exhaust emissions control efficiencies, batteries and other components.

For example, some manufacturers specify more frequent engine oil changes for vehicles that spend more than 40 percent of the time idling. Excessive idle time may also affect the interval and procedure for regenerating the diesel particulate filter (DPF), which is a critical part of the emission controls on many modern vehicles.

If you have vehicles that drive a little and idle a lot, check the engine operating and maintenance manuals or contact your local engine distributor for special maintenance instructions.

This feature offers a variety of short tips and facts about apparatus specifications, maintenance and testing. Submissions of 150 words or less are welcome from our readers, subject to editing. Send them to James Careless at jamesc@tjtdesign.com