excessive idling time cause engine wear ?

hunter01 · #1 02-19-2005, 03:18 AM

I've heard that letting your engine idle for long periods of time can cause damage due to low oil pressure. Is this true?

If this is true, can damage be minimized by increasing or varying rpm's ?

I ask because I've installed a high amperage (250amp) delco alternator in order to be able to recharge an auxillary battery (115 a/h delco voyager) at idle. I haven't hardwired anything yet so I'll be using jumper cables and an ammeter to test the recharging rate.

I'm thinking of adding some kind of mechanical throttle kicker to raise the rpm's to speed up the process. Or, should I use a scan tool to increase rpm's? I seem to remember a test function of the scan tool that raised engine rpm's to 1000.

Would this be harmful to do for 1 hour?

Any thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated.

2002 S-10 Blazer 4X4
4.3L vin W

BlazerLT · #2 02-19-2005, 11:14 AM

Naw, you will be fine, don't raise the rpms.

The engine will do it itself if the charging rate gets to low.

Where did you get a 250amp delco alternator?

hunter01 · #3 02-19-2005, 11:49 AM

This is where I got the alternator from.

http://www.alternatorparts.com/Extre...144%20type.htm

BlazerLT · #4 02-19-2005, 01:06 PM

How long will you be idling it?

All day long?

hunter01 · #5 02-19-2005, 01:20 PM

Just long enough to recharge the battery. My inverter shuts off when the battery voltage drops to 10 volts. I have to do some testing to see how long it takes to recharge from 10 volts to a full charge. Maybe 1 hour a day?

BlazerLT · #6 02-19-2005, 01:29 PM

Your alternator is not a battery chanrger.

Remove it and charge it with a battery charger only.

blazee · #7 02-19-2005, 01:52 PM

I have heard idling for long periods of time is bad, too. I'm not sure all the reasons why. It isn't due to low oil pressure though. The mininum required oil pressure for a 4.3 at 1000rpm is 6psi (yep that's it). Most of them have between 30 and 40 at idle so...oil pressure is not an issue.

blazee · #8 02-19-2005, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter01

Just long enough to recharge the battery. My inverter shuts off when the battery voltage drops to 10 volts. I have to do some testing to see how long it takes to recharge from 10 volts to a full charge. Maybe 1 hour a day?

Are you planning on doing this every day? You better make sure it is a good deep cycle battery.

BlazerLT is right an alternator is not a battery charger, it is a battery maintainer. Repeatedly using it to charge a dead battery will kill it.

hunter01 · #9 02-19-2005, 03:22 PM

I'm not going to do this every day maybe a couple of weeks out of the year when I'm on vacation. The battery is a delco voyager M30HMF 115 amp-hour. How low should I let the charge go?

BlazerLT · #10 02-19-2005, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter01

I'm not going to do this every day maybe a couple of weeks out of the year when I'm on vacation. The battery is a delco voyager M30HMF 115 amp-hour. How low should I let the charge go?

Is it a deep cycle?

blazee · #11 02-19-2005, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter01

I'm not going to do this every day maybe a couple of weeks out of the year when I'm on vacation. The battery is a delco voyager M30HMF 115 amp-hour. How low should I let the charge go?

Is that one of those with the blue sticker and a little green, red, or black charge indicator window?

I know I've owned one of those for one of my boats, but I'm not sure which one it was. (I've owned a lot of trolling motor batteries) If it is the one I am thinking of...thay are pretty good batteries and hold up well.

hunter01 · #12 02-20-2005, 12:24 AM

Yes I'ts a deep cycle. Also, they don't put those green dot's on them anymore it causes more problems than it is worth.

As for an alternator not being used to recharge a battery, what about on a boat? I've seen a lot of dual battery systems where the auxillary battery is recharged by the alternator. (I know, wrong forum.

dmbrisket 51 · #13 02-20-2005, 01:26 AM

then use a mariene alt in your vehical

hunter01 · #14 02-20-2005, 03:58 AM

What makes a marine alternator different?

BlazerLT · #15 02-20-2005, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter01

Yes I'ts a deep cycle. Also, they don't put those green dot's on them anymore it causes more problems than it is worth.

As for an alternator not being used to recharge a battery, what about on a boat? I've seen a lot of dual battery systems where the auxillary battery is recharged by the alternator. (I know, wrong forum.

Whta are you going to be powering with the second battery?

Also, in a boat application, there is usually a battery charger incorporated into the boat's electrical system which charges the battery up when you are hooked to 120v AC when you are docked at a powered parking spot.

We never idled the boat to charge ours up. 460 big block doesn't make for an economical battery charger if you catch my drift.

Our boat was a 30 foot Bayliner Avanti and it has one of those HUGE deep cycle batteries.

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