Diesel Mechanics

[sddsddean]

Any of our friendly mechanics on here like to take a guess at this. How much diesel will my engine use on tickover? Its on a DAF85 (6 cylinder, 12 litre, 340hp). I've got an answer from DAF technical, but it seems too low to me. They reckon about 1.5lt/hr.

[BRAVO1]

Could you ask DAF how thay got to that figure ?.

I know the plumbing trade use an ultrasonic flow measurement tool.The consideration of width and diameter of fuel pipe and viscosity of fuel will have to be factored in.

[sddsddean]

Just got it off their technical spec sheets.

[BRAVO1]

Not often wrong these tech guy's !.

Why do you want to know the consumption on tickover anyway ?.

[sddsddean]

So I know whether it is worth getting a night heater in my new truck. What with diesel being the price it is, I thought it might be worth the difference, but a night heater uses about 0.5lt/hr, so its probably not worth the expense.

[BRAVO1]

I know an old Irish bloke who drove lorries all his life (who's sadly dead now), who used to light a BBQ in his cab...

Only joking ! - Mind you with the price of Diesel you would want to commit suicide at this rate..

No other types of heater on the market ? - Have you looked at boat or campervan heaters ?

[SeaJayPea]

Hi, sddsdean, Years ago, before night heaters were invented, I seem to remember using about a gallon or so a night. Everbody was doing it in those days. Nowadays, I suspect you'd have a few complaints about the noise.

I confess, I'm quite surprised that a DAF doesn't come with a night heater fitted as standard.

Cheers

[sddsddean]

So a gallon or so a night would be about .5 lt/hr, so perhaps it is about right. DAF units have heaters as standard, but mine is a tipper day cab and its not even a factory fitted option! The wife does a lot of nights on roadworks and we were just wondering if it would be better in the winter to have an Eberspacher (or similar) or just leave the engine running.

[fivetoze]

we used a diesel night heater to keep the outside shed warm, (we ran a hedgehog hospital)

the heater was set at 65 degrees, and during the winter it was running for around 14 hours a day. 4gallons of red lasted about 4 weeks... but oh boy was it noisy!
and a diesel nightheater doesnt require the engine to be running! good god, you might as well just turn the heater controls up...

[fasttimes1]

go to the truck scrap yard and get good second hand one,,50 quid ......leave night heatre on and use temp control it doesnt use much.....to leave your truck running all night is madness,,,lots of fuel per hour....damage to cylinders because of low oil pressure...not to mention carbon monoxide poisoning inside cab,,,,better off with timer set to go off when you asleep .,and back on before wake...nice n snug in bag....lots of daf 85s in yards now