Warm up before driving mini excavator out of garage?

[Carl_NH]

^^^ Similar to this were gathering bids to replace our FHW oil boiler in 2009 and one contractor left his new GMC Denali 2500 Diesel running for an hour in our driveway at 32*F while we were reviewing the scope of work for a fuel-efficient boiler (he was selling the "System 2000).

Needless to say we didn't go with him..

 

[CalG]

Hi,

Is it harmful for a mini excavator to be driven carefully out of a garage immediately after startup without a 5 min warm up? Warm up will fill the garage with exhaust or should I use a hose on the exhaust to get the fumes outdoor?

Thanks

Erling

count five, then drive! just no loading!

 

[RayIN]

I think we obsess way too much over warm up. I can't imagine there is any difference between sitting and running and driving slowly. I do try to warm my tractor up a bit before I do anything serious, but I drive it around and do light things right away.

I agree! Even Cummins engine says you may start driving immediately, but not to drive interstate speeds for 5 minutes.

 

[notaz3]

I've never been one to let things ideal; unless, it's carbureted and I'm waiting for the chock to kick off.

Diesel truck gets started up and I start driving even in when it's 7 outside. By the time I've gone through the gate and to the main road it might be ready to get on it.
Tractor is started and slowly pulled out while running loader up and down to help heat hydraulics. Real work doesn't start until things get warm.

 

[ning]

Do modern diesels (talking pickup trucks here) regulate the RPM during warmup (I've got a 2009 Mazda 3 which goes to high "idle" RPM for a short time after starting)?
My '97 idles at like 700 rpm or something which I doubt is enough to actually warm up an engine - I believe if you idle at that rate long-term you'll get wet stacking which tells me it probably isn't particularly warm; I do have an aftermarket mode that will bump the RPM to 1200 which I switch to for a warmup if it's actually cold-ish here (it's never cold here), or if I'm using the winch.

I park my tractor in a container and while it's backed in with the exhaust pointed mostly forward at the open door, I still don't want to sit there waiting for a warmup, so I usually start it, wait about 30 seconds, bump up the throttle a bit above 1000, then very slowly pull out, and in the next couple minutes I'm hooking up whatever I need to the tractor and occasionally bump up the throttle till it's about 1500 as I go where I'm going to be working. Usually a few minutes before I'm ready to work at the specific site which seems enough for a decent warmup.

 

[grsthegreat]

Have had 3 diesel trucks and a few diesel tractors over the years. North idaho = cold mornings 6 months of the year. All diesels are plugged into timers for block or radiator heaters. Done this for past 30 years.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I would let it idle for a minute or two until the white smoke stop and it run as it should then move it out and let it warm up properly there until it reach temp.

 

[hayden]

^^^ Similar to this were gathering bids to replace our FHW oil boiler in 2009 and one contractor left his new GMC Denali 2500 Diesel running for an hour in our driveway at 32*F while we were reviewing the scope of work for a fuel-efficient boiler (he was selling the "System 2000).

Needless to say we didn't go with him..

I think there is a big element of people pretending their truck is a "big rig". Little boys playing make-believe.

 

[Carl_NH]

Yes Hayden - small guy, big ego, big truck

 

[USN2TN]

MY opinion: #1 Small engines that don't have oil pumps use splash lubrication which cause them to take longer to warm up throughout. #2 Mini-Excavators have very slow travel speeds with little change from engine speed. All that said, start it, open the bay door, ease throttle just above idle & drive it outside. Light operations until the temperature gage registers movement and then operate as normal. Hope it helps.