Fleet Maintenance - 13

dling vehicle engines is costly for any fleet, and
in more ways than one. Not only does engine
idle inflict financial costs, but there is also a
physical toll to pay for the continued running
of the engine and its components. However,
there are solutions available to assist fleets in
combating engine idle and its residual effects.
Engine idle reduction systems can extend the
life of the engine, extend service intervals, and
ultimately reduce a fleet's costs.

Idling implications

There are many reasons a driver may leave the
vehicle's engine idling. Whether it be a stop at a
delivery, a work truck at a job site, or a driver on
their mandated rest period, the engine runs and
various systems and components throughout
the vehicle are powered. The reason for the idle
aside, an idling engine brings costly ramifications. One of the most costly effects of engine
idle is fuel consumption.
"The number-one thing for cost on [engine
idle] is every hour that you idle a Class 8 tractor,
you're burning about a gallon of diesel fuel," says
Jim Flaherty, senior product manager at Thermo
King, a manufacturer of transport temperature
control systems, HVAC systems, and auxiliary
idle reduction and temperature management
systems. "That doesn't sound too bad in the overall picture of things, but this could lead to 2,000
hours or even 3,000 hours of idling every year."
Multiply that by the number of vehicles per
fleet, and the fuel costs alone add up quickly.
Aside from fuel consumption, wear and tear
on components is another consideration when
idling vehicle engines.
"Engine wear and tear, alternator usage, belt
[wear], and emission-related components like the
DPF (diesel particulate filter)," are all impacted
by engine idle, says Tom Stencil, senior regional
manager, Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems
U.S.A. Inc. The Eberspaecher Group is a system
developer and supplier of exhaust technology,
vehicle heaters, and bus air conditioning systems.
Engine aftertreatment systems can also be
affected by engine idle.
"The other part that we consistently get feedback on, and it's tough to put some hard numbers
around it because every tractor system is different, but when an engine is idling the DPF systems
on the tractors are not quite as good at burning off
that particulate matter," Flaherty says. "They may
need to be burned off more often. We've actually
heard from many fleets that they need to do a full
cleaning more often when they see tractors that
have really high idle percentages."
Beyond vehicle systems and components,
idling also has an impact on the environment
since the vehicle is expelling exhaust into the
atmosphere while running.
"We also know that idling engines cause emissions toward the environment," says Kevin Aries,
global product success lead, Verizon Connect.
"And that, therefore, can impact the community that the businesses are operating in by
producing emissions." Verizon Connect provides
connectivity and data insights to enable its
customers to be more informed about vehicle

and worker location, efficiency, safety, productivity, and compliance.
Not only are emissions released into the
environment during engine idle, but there is
also noise pollution to consider. With continually more strict mandates being introduced
throughout North America that limit idle time,
fleets will need to consider options to reduce
engine idle in order to maintain compliance with
such regulations.
Engine idle can also introduce issues
surrounding engine oil.
"[Engine idling] also increases the risk of
the engine oil temperature dropping below
100 degrees Celsius due to reduced engine
loading," says Darryl Purificati, OEM technical
liaison, Petro-Canada Lubricants, a developer
and producer of advanced lubricants, specialty
fluids, and greases. "Idling can also cause an
accumulation of water, the risk of acid formation,
fuel dilution, as well as reducing the viscosity
of the oil where it matters most in the lubrication zones. Together, these factors, along with
other effects of idling, can accelerate the rate
of engine wear and shorten oil drain intervals.
For diesel-powered units, when excessive fuel
dilution occurs, the volatility of the oil increases
which can result in more soot finding its way
into the diesel particulate filter. This has a negative effect on fuel economy as more regeneration
cycles are needed to clean the DPF."

Analyze idle impact

One way a fleet can determine whether or not
the engine in question has suffered excessive
wear due to idle is through oil analysis.
"The results of used oil analysis can indicate
whether vital engine components have been
compromised as a result of extensive engine
idling, so being able to interpret the results
is crucial for technicians," Petro-Canada's
Purificati says.

Warning signs to observe used oil analysis
include fuel dilution as a result of unburnt
fuel entering the crankcase. Increases in wear
metals such as iron, aluminum, lead, tin, and/or
copper are also indicative that engine components are wearing out. Purificati recommends
fleets seek advice from lubricant professionals
to pinpoint root causes of such wear to resolve
the issue at hand.
Aside from reducing engine idle, fleets can
mitigate component wear by utilizing properly specified engine oils to protect components
facing excessive usage.
"Selecting the right lubricant requires careful
consideration and due diligence," Purificati says.
"Before any steps are taken, the decision to select
an engine oil should always begin with consulting the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
vehicle manual. In addition, the OEM can also
be contacted directly for specific advice when
deciding upon a suitable product."
With the proper engine oil selected and
utilized, fleets can begin to prevent engine wear
due to engine idle, and furthermore have the
ability to reduce idle altogether.
"A lubricant with good low-temperature
properties can reduce an engine's need for
idling in some climates, as they permit easier engine start-up and lubricant flow in low
temperatures, which means the engine can be
routinely shut off rather than being left idling,"
Purificati says.

APUs and heaters

A major solution to engine idle reduction is
transferring the power demands off the tractor
engine to a separate power source in order to
operate select systems and components throughout the vehicle. Auxiliary power units (APUs)
can be specified onto tractors to power systems
independently from the tractor engine.

For illustration purposes only

Mini controller
AIRTRONIC D2-air heater

Continued Page 14

»This diagram demonstrates
installed Eberspaecher Airtronic and
Hydronic heaters on a tractor. The
systems are designed to provide incab and engine temperature control
while limiting the consumption
of the vehicle's diesel fuel.
Image courtesy of Eberspaecher

Fuel pick-up pipe
HYDRONIC 5 - coolant heater

A major solution to engine idle reduction
is transferring the power demands off
the tractor engine to a separate power
source in order to operate select systems
and components throughout the vehicle.
July 2020 | VehicleServicePros.com

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

Fleet Maintenance

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