When filling your diesel, do you shut off the engine? Have you ever had a problem because of not shutting it off?

I know a lot of people that don't shut off the engine. Some people don't because it's kind of rough on the truck (especially cummins), some people don't because it's cool to be like the big rigs. But when I picked up my new Dodge 2 weeks ago, the salesman made sure to tell me to always shut it off due to the possibility of sucking air bubbles into the fuel system. This makes some sense to me, but then again so many people do it.

I shut mine off normally('06 Cummins) but if I've been pulling a trailer or it's hot out I usually just leave it running. Either I'm too lazy to idle down or I want the AC to keep doing it's job.
Hasn't caused any issues that I'm aware of.

There have been reports of Duramax computers going haywire from doing this. I always shut down to refuel just to be safe. The wear-n-tear on starting it up again is not really worth a hill of beans. It probably wears more from those 5 minutes of idling if you don't shut down...

Lots of idling makes for a dirty motor.

i always leave mine running, less wear on the billion dollar starters. plus whem im fueling the motor hasnt even gotten warm yet usually so i like to let it fully warm up as well. oh and having the ac still on is nice too when hot out.

I probably shouldnt but I always leave the truck running while refueling. My 7.3 has never missed a beat. IMO you get just as much sudsy action driving around as you get from fueling.

plus whem im fueling the motor hasnt even gotten warm yet usually so i like to let it fully warm up as well.

I stay running for this reason as well, the filling stationg is 1 mile from my house so I'm not warmed up yet... usually out on the road I leave it running as well to let the turbo cool. If I'm just running errands around town, and the motor has already been warm for a bit, I'll shut it down. '06 6.0

Unless they don't have "pay at the pump" and I need to leave my vehicle.... I almost always leave it running.

Summer - I want the a/c while I wait for the stupid slow 35 gallons...
Winter - I want the heat while I wait for the stupid slow 35 gallons...

Towing - It's generally a "quickly slip off the freeway" type of exit, so there's no time to cool down the turbo.

last time i left it running during a fill up it was 34* outside and I locked myself out while trying to keep the interior warm with the heater. 40 minutes sitting out in the cold with the truck locked and idling waiting for AAA to show and open it up for me has made me go through the motions of shutting down.

where I fuel is far enough along my commute to warm the truck up yet far enough off the highway to let the EGTs be low enough to just shutdown anyway once I pull off.

I leave my 7.3 running most of the time, never had a problem. That's with 2 trucks and about 250,000 miles, lots of fillups.

Brewchief:)

I would see the main advantage as extended turbo life rather than extended starter life depending on your driving conditions and habits.

I turn mine off whenever I refuel. Not sure why it would be hard on a truck with a cummins? :confused:

I leave my 7.3 running most of the time, never had a problem. That's with 2 trucks and about 250,000 miles, lots of fillups.

Brewchief:)

forget your 7.3, where are more pics of the hottie in the avatar? :eek:

Always leave mine running. Most of the time I'm getting fuel I've been running hard or towing. So a short shut down will cause more damage to the turbo than it's worth.
The Cummins has a self bleeding fuel system. Any bubbles created by the pump will be purged anyway.

Self bleeding?

Thanks for the input yall.

Scott, the reason I mention the cummins is a little harder on the truck is that compared to the other trucks I've been in the cummins really shakes the truck on shutdown.

I have heard of the issue with the duramax, something to do with an EVAP/Emission system like on many cars. I know toyotas seem like to throw codes whenever the driver doesn't screw the gas cap on tight enough.

I'm not sure what I'll do, right now I shut it down like the dealer told me. Being as this is my first diesel leaving it running doesn't come natural to me. And being as this is my first brand new truck, I still feel I can't walk more than 2 feet away from it without locking the doors and putting a cover over it.:D

03' DMax and I almost always leave it running. Haven't had any issues come up in the eight months I have owned it.

Usually leave my dmax running. Anyone ever had an attendant or anyone bitch at them cuz of it?

Thanks for the input yall.

Scott, the reason I mention the cummins is a little harder on the truck is that compared to the other trucks I've been in the cummins really shakes the truck on shutdown.

I have heard of the issue with the duramax, something to do with an EVAP/Emission system like on many cars. I know toyotas seem like to throw codes whenever the driver doesn't screw the gas cap on tight enough.

I'm not sure what I'll do, right now I shut it down like the dealer told me. Being as this is my first diesel leaving it running doesn't come natural to me. And being as this is my first brand new truck, I still feel I can't walk more than 2 feet away from it without locking the doors and putting a cover over it.:D
The only issue I could see is if you leave your doors open, you can screw up the hinges on shutdown.

I use my truck like some people say you shouldn't, short trips, etc.
I have a 1 mile commute to work. My temp gauge gets up to operating temp in that time. Having a long driveway to idle down helps too.
I let my engine cool down for a few minutes before I shut down every time though.

I have a turbo timer sitting here in it's box, waiting for me to install it.

last time i left it running during a fill up it was 34* outside and I locked myself out while trying to keep the interior warm with the heater. 40 minutes sitting out in the cold with the truck locked and idling waiting for AAA to show and open it up for me has made me go through the motions of shutting down.

where I fuel is far enough along my commute to warm the truck up yet far enough off the highway to let the EGTs be low enough to just shutdown anyway once I pull off.

I had that happen once with another truck(ford v10) so now i keep a spare door key on my keyring on my beltloop, as well as a spare door key hidden in a magnetic hide-a-key hidden in avery secure metal area of the outside of the truck just for those lock your chipped key in the truck situations


i know its dumb but sometimes if i need to leave my truck running and run inside, i can lock it while its running and use the key on my side to unlock when i get back

i know its dumb but sometimes if i need to leave my truck running and run inside, i can lock it while its running and use the key on my side to unlock when i get back

that is the one thing I like about the alarm in my trail rig. i can set the remote start while its running and remove the key and arm the system and lock the doors with the remote and walk away. when i get back, disarm, get in, insert key and turn to run and drive away.

i should see if i can get a similar setup for my towrig. i do need a turbo timer though....

last time i left it running during a fill up it was 34* outside and I locked myself out while trying to keep the interior warm with the heater. 40 minutes sitting out in the cold with the truck locked and idling waiting for AAA to show and open it up for me has made me go through the motions of shutting down....

I had this happen to me once as well.

ONCE = learning opportunity
TWICE = learning disability

:D

I now have this habit EVERY time I hop out and leave the motor running. Practically simultaneous with removing the seatbelt is hitting the power window switch to lower the driver's window by about 4". Just enough to get my arm in and unlock if I have a disability moment. ;) So far it hasn't happened again.

I had this happen to me once as well.

ONCE = learning opportunity
TWICE = learning disability

:D

I now have this habit EVERY time I hop out and leave the motor running. Practically simultaneous with removing the seatbelt is hitting the power window switch to lower the driver's window by about 4". Just enough to get my arm in and unlock if I have a disability moment. ;) So far it hasn't happened again.

I am lucky enough to have wing windows :flipoff2:

however I have not had it happen to me **yet**

I leave it running.
I normally go to the Diesel Islands though, where it only takes 2 min to pump in 30 ish gallons.

I leave it running.
I normally go to the Diesel Islands though, where it only takes 2 min to pump in 30 ish gallons.

I ~love~ the truck pumps for the fast flow.... :D

But generally have the choice between the car, RV, and truck pumps. Truck pumps are obviosly the fastest... But mostly I'll end up at the RV pumps because I can fill the diesel on the pickup truck and the unleaded on the toy hauler's fueling station. ~Most~ of the time, the RV pump will be fast like the truck aisle, but sometimes they're slow :(

Anyone ever had an attendant or anyone bitch at them cuz of it?

I personally haven't had any issue with it yet, but I've been warned by a friend of mine who has received several speeches from gas station attendants because he left his truck running. I'm not sure if it is just because they don't have anything better to do or what the deal is though.

I leave mine on all the time while pumping it. And at the drive through bank.

I get preached at all the time by other folk filling up.. Fuck them. They sit in there cars and smoke or talk on the phone while pumping. Plus i only get diesel from 2 places in town. normally only one. On the way home from work on friday's.

And i love to pill the black tape off the pump were it says pay cash inside only. They get so pissed because i know were the buttom is. Feel up then pay.

I had a guy allmost jurk me off the trailer one day while filling up the buggy about to head out of town. i was pissed. i was standing on top of my rigs tire. I was probly about 10ft + in the air when he jurked my pants leg.

The Shell station is next to my post office.
I will pay the cashier $80, start pumping my diesel, and stroll over to the post office to check my box. Never had anyone say anything. People in the country rock! :smokin:

I leave it running.
I normally go to the Diesel Islands though, where it only takes 2 min to pump in 30 ish gallons.

Have not used them yet, but can you pay at the pump like a regular one? Most of the time I see all the drivers going into the shop to pay and do other stuff. Don't pay much attention to all of them though.

Any 'rules' to using the truck pumps at a busy stop? Do they shut off just as fast as the regular user pumps do? I'd hate to spew diesel all over because they don't auto shutoff or shut off too late and overflow.

Ya, I filled up at the "big rig" island the other day, it was pretty cool. Though, I did develop a strange desire for an RC Cola and a moon-pie.:laughing:

Have not used them yet, but can you pay at the pump like a regular one? Most of the time I see all the drivers going into the shop to pay and do other stuff. Don't pay much attention to all of them though.

Any 'rules' to using the truck pumps at a busy stop? Do they shut off just as fast as the regular user pumps do? I'd hate to spew diesel all over because they don't auto shutoff or shut off too late and overflow.

The one I used was at a relatively new Valero station. It had pay at the pump and auto shutoff, though when I heard it starting to gurgle I slowed it down...I was worried about it blowing everywhere also.

I always leave my 7.3 running, but I also have a high idle setting that I switch to while pumping. :flipoff2:

I always get my fuel at the "truck" pumps... I buy my fuel from commercial cardlocks, all of them are not the same speedy fillups...

As for fuelling while running, I've never ever had an issue, and I normally do it all winter, because I usuallyget fuel when leaving work(I work for one of the fuel suppliers in town, cardlock is on site) and the truck usually has only run long enough to move 100 feet by the time I get to the pump...
As for the rules pertaining to it, here, code states you're allowed to refuel a diesel with the engine running, provided you're not within 30(might be 20, I'd have to check) feet of a gasoline dispenser in use.