Mpg

I generally like to keep van to longer runs as it takes probably 30 miles before it gets hot and performing better/faster and i think better fuel consumption in my view anyway
I keep forgetting my Sprinter has a pre- heater for warming up the engine prior to starting it up. Seperate water heater, plumbed into the cylinder block. This is a standard factory fit, with a switch on the dashboard. Excellent device in Sub zero temps as even the cab heater is hot before you start the engine.
 
Spitfire Merlin engines had a pre-start engine electric oil pump so the bearings were lubed before startup,always thought this would be good for overhead cam engines.
Certainly save some wear on an engine especially a motorhome which can sit unstarted for long periods unlike a delivery van that is used everyday and kept well lubed up
 
I keep forgetting my Sprinter has a pre- heater for warming up the engine prior to starting it up. Seperate water heater, plumbed into the cylinder block. This is a standard factory fit, with a switch on the dashboard. Excellent device in Sub zero temps as even the cab heater is hot before you start the engine.


Got this on my Sprinter too.When I bought it I was informed the switch on the dash was for Cab Air Con.But no its the Eberspacher engine Preheater.A great piece of kit.Apparently it could be converted to heat the water to the sink and bathroom taps.But I dont know how to do this?
 
On a previous motorhome, I had a turbo added. It made an amazing difference to performance and did more MPG.
The people who fitted it (TB Turbos) made it clear how important it was to let the engine idle for a few minutes after starting to make sure the turbo bearings were well lubricated before whizzing upto speed, and again for a few minutes before shutting down, to dissipate excess heat that might cause the oil in the turbo bearings to carbonise.
I'm fairly sure the same is true for any engine with OHC and/or a turbocharger, but drivers aren't generally told to allow these idling times.
 
Got this on my Sprinter too.When I bought it I was informed the switch on the dash was for Cab Air Con.But no its the Eberspacher engine Preheater.A great piece of kit.Apparently it could be converted to heat the water to the sink and bathroom taps.But I dont know how to do this?
Didn't realise that could be done, interesting.
Don't do what I did on a campsite in February. Started the engine to allow it to warm up. Then thought I'd speed things up with the heater as well. After about 20 minutes there was a loud bang and a cloud of steam from under the bonnet. I feared for the worse but it had only opened the pressure relief valve. Phew!
 
Didn't realise that could be done, interesting.
Don't do what I did on a campsite in February. Started the engine to allow it to warm up. Then thought I'd speed things up with the heater as well. After about 20 minutes there was a loud bang and a cloud of steam from under the bonnet. I feared for the worse but it had only opened the pressure relief valve. Phew!
It should turn off automatically when engine is up to operating temp.
 
Got this on my Sprinter too.When I bought it I was informed the switch on the dash was for Cab Air Con.But no its the Eberspacher engine Preheater.A great piece of kit.Apparently it could be converted to heat the water to the sink and bathroom taps.But I dont know how to do this?

Yes, the whole system can be connected to a calorifier tank, you can then use the auxiliary heater and hot coolant when running engine to heat up water.
 
I'm fairly sure the same is true for any engine with OHC and/or a turbocharger, but drivers aren't generally told to allow these idling times.

Most vehicles with a turbo (at least used to, may be better with modern oils etc.) have advice in the handbook to not switch off immediately. The turbo can be spinning around 100,000rpm with very little load on the engine and because of the momentum will continue when the engine is shut off. The heat is a big problem also, as you say.

Valve trains of any kind don't continue to run after the engine ( more importantly, oil pump of course) has stopped, so not a problem.
 
Most vehicles with a turbo (at least used to, may be better with modern oils etc.) have advice in the handbook to not switch off immediately. The turbo can be spinning around 100,000rpm with very little load on the engine and because of the momentum will continue when the engine is shut off. The heat is a big problem also, as you say.

Valve trains of any kind don't continue to run after the engine ( more importantly, oil pump of course) has stopped, so not a problem.
I'm aware of the spinning turbo problems and no oil being pumped around engine and still forget to let engine idle at times:(
 
I'm aware of the spinning turbo problems and no oil being pumped around engine and still forget to let engine idle at times:(

If you're concerned, there is a device called a turbo timer where you can leave and lock the vehicle and it will shut the engine off after a programmable delay.
 
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Valve trains of any kind don't continue to run after the engine ( more importantly, oil pump of course) has stopped, so not a problem.
Nothing to do with valve trains, but on OHC engines the risk is supposedly that the heat is concentrated at the top when you switch off, and in particular in the oilways feeding the camshaft get hot enough to carbonise oil, which blocks them.
The theory is that idling for a while helps dissipate some of the heat.
Perhaps modern oils are less prone to this.
 
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the risk is supposedly that the heat is concentrated at the top when you switch off,

The heat is nowhere near comparable to a turbo, it's something like ten times, I will look up some numbers tomorrow if you'd like. And more importantly it's less than the engine will experience flat out, so won't do any harm as it cools because the oil can cope.

You are right though, that modern oils can cope with a lot more.
 
So should i switch of at 3700ft and glide in. 😂 😂 😂 😂


Do you have a Parachute just in Case :D

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The difference isn't the temperature being extra high, it's that the oil is no longer moving.
 

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