hallii Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I have noticed over the years, that French M/H drivers start their engine and then proceed to let it tick over for some time before moving off. Now, this is irritating at 8.00am as I am still in bed, and then there are the fumes. But why the hell do they do it? Is there some French Government instruction that this should be done or what? Or maybe it's a hangover from the old tractor engined Citroen and Renault vans? H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I reckon they do it so they can make a hasty exit from the aire before the guy comes round for the money in the morning. I've seen them doing it many times, arriving late to avoid paying, then setting off early for the same reason. Tight gits. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 hallii - 2014-10-13 7:55 PM I have noticed over the years, that French M/H drivers start their engine and then proceed to let it tick over for some time before moving off. H I have read a number of times that diesel engines should be allowed to warm up before driving away. Maybe that's true ??? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheer lunar-see Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 They do it to annoy people like you, I suggest you arrive at lunchtime, between 12 & 2, and leave your engine ticking over whilst they try to enjoy their lunch. Bit of own back. Honestly, get a life, at least they have Aires in their country for you to ENJOY !!! not like the U.K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I've never noticed anything of the kind, and even if this was something that happened 8 am is hardly the middle of the night, and perhaps you shouldn't be parked so close, they may have a Sog as well. We have always found the French motorhoming folk on balance far more friendly than the average Brit, who more often that not ignore and avoid any eye contact, or a friendly hello with a fellow Brit. We always take on board we are in THEIR country, and enjoying THEIR facilities, many of them for free or at little cost, so perhaps a little bit of live and let live is a better mind set to have, rather than "why do they do that" if you don't like what they do perhaps stopping in the UK may be a better option for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Joe90 - 2014-10-13 10:20 PM the average Brit, who more often that not ignore and avoid any eye contact, or a friendly hello with a fellow Brit. . Maybe they follow this forum and reckon that discretion is the better part of valour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitches Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Live and let live but sone thing I have not noticed. A thing I was amazed by was how many people we saw climb out of a MH in Colmar in July! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Joe90 - 2014-10-13 10:20 PM I've never noticed anything of the kind... I’ve never perceived this as a French motorcaravanners’ habit either. I’ve occasionally run my motorhomes’ motor for a while before driving off, when weather conditions have meant that the inside surfaces of the cab windows will mist up without the demister blowing warmed air over them. This seems like a common-sense thing to do and, if other people do it early in the morning, I can’t say it concerns me. What does peeve me a bit (and may apply to other motorcaravanning nationalities not just the French) is the commonplace habit of leaving the motorhome’s engine running when queuing at an aire’s service-point. I wouldn’t mind so much if the people in the motorhome behind me, as I’m filling up with water and emptying toilet and waste tanks with my usual supreme efficiency, were making any preparatory efforts regarding their own servicing, or subsequently carried out their servicing with blinding speed. But I’ve never seen that happen - I vacate the service-point as soon as I can, the motorhome next in the queue moves to the point and then they just frig about as if time has suddenly become an alien concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Isn't it the case that people do what others may perceive as odd, or unexplained behaviour all the time, I leave my engine running for a couple of minutes when parking up, as I read somewhere that it helps cool the oil reaching the turbo.........but then I do suffer from a serious dose of "engine sympathy " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 As I understand it diesels warm up better while doing some work, so there is no real advantage to idling the engine when you are getting going. letting it idle for a minute or so before turning offr, especially if you have just been working it hard, is very good practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Quotes from my 2003 Ducato 2.8 JTD diesel handbook : " How to warm up the engine after it has started : - Begin to move forward slowly letting the engine turn at medium revs. Do not accelerate abrubtly. - Do not push the engine to its limits for the first few kilometres. You are recommended to wait until the coolant temperature indicator starts to move. " .... it also says that when you stop you should let the engine idle, to let the engine compartment temperature fall, before switching off. : I don't know if this advice applies to later models. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 malc d - 2014-10-14 12:19 PM .... it also says that when you stop you should let the engine idle, to let the engine compartment temperature fall, before switching off. : I don't know if this advice applies to later models. ;-) The cooling down used to be needed for the old turbos but things have moved on since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 hallii - 2014-10-13 7:55 PM I have noticed over the years, that French M/H drivers start their engine and then proceed to let it tick over for some time before moving off. Now, this is irritating at 8.00am as I am still in bed, and then there are the fumes. But why the hell do they do it? Is there some French Government instruction that this should be done or what? Or maybe it's a hangover from the old tractor engined Citroen and Renault vans? H Funnily enough, we were staying on a very pleasant aire just south of Macon last month. We'd seen a Dutch couple in their 30s/40s arrive in an old Hymer A-class the evening before. In the morning, they started the engine and let it tick over for a full five minutes.... at 5AM >:-( Grrr Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 This thread may be of interest http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/13910/does-a-turbo-charged-engine-require-a-cooling-down-period Stop-Start systems are now fairly common on vehicles with turbocharged diesel engines and it stands to reason that this type of system will cut in pretty quickly after the motor’s revs have dropped to idling speed. Fiat’s Owner Handbook advice for the latest X290 Ducato is that a) The motor be stopped when the engine is idling, b) A quick burst on the accelerator before turning off the engine serves absolutely no practical purpose; it wastes fuel and is especially damaging to turbocharged engines. There’s no mention that the motor should be at idle for a minimum period before stopping it, but it certainly would do no harm letting the motor idle for a while if your X290 has just dragged a car on an A-frame at high speed up an Alp. The Owner Handbooks for Euro 4 and Euro 5 X250 Ducatos say "IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you should allow the engine to “catch its breath” before turning it off by letting it idle to allow the temperature in the engine compartment to fall.” This caveat is omitted from the Ducato X290’s handbook, which may mean that there’s no benefit doing this with the latest models, or that the ‘catching its breath’ advice was missed out accidentally when the X290 handbook was produced, or that Fiat has accepted that (most) drivers just can’t be bothered, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I have occassionally set off in the early hours, eg to catch a ferry from the Calais Marina Aire, and I'm always conscious of the need to start up and creep away as quietly as possibe. When we've stayed there later however, there have always been lots of gaps in the line where people left while we were alseep, yet I don't remember ever having been disturbed. Modern, common rail, diesels are much quieter than the older ones; they don't make that horrible"diesel rattle" noise. Maybe that's got something to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 hallii - 2014-10-13 7:55 PM I have noticed over the years, that French M/H drivers start their engine and then proceed to let it tick over for some time before moving off. Now, this is irritating at 8.00am as I am still in bed, and then there are the fumes. But why the hell do they do it? Is there some French Government instruction that this should be done or what? Or maybe it's a hangover from the old tractor engined Citroen and Renault vans? H I think it's called 'having consideration for those around you' . You either 'have it' or you don't, And it's not 'nationality sensitive' all nationalities are 'blessed' with the 'have's' and 'have nots'. As many early awakenings on CC sites recently will atest. Ray Their 'reasoning' seems to be, 'If i'm awake, why shouldn't you be'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryW Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Well perhaps I should keep my head down, but I do like to poke a fire occasionally. I often adopt this practice to remove the last moisture from the cab windows before driving off. Having mopped up the worst this practice gives me a nice dry and clean windscreen to start my journey with. It also gives me the advantage of a warm heater to start winter trips with >:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 terryW - 2014-10-15 12:52 PM Well perhaps I should keep my head down, but I do like to poke a fire occasionally. I often adopt this practice to remove the last moisture from the cab windows before driving off. Having mopped up the worst this practice gives me a nice dry and clean windscreen to start my journey with. It also gives me the advantage of a warm heater to start winter trips with >:-) Blimey, I have to drive 10 miles or more to get a warm heater in any Ducato I've owned, not ticking over for 5 or 10 minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Joe90 - 2014-10-15 1:46 PM Blimey, I have to drive 10 miles or more to get a warm heater in any Ducato I've owned, not ticking over for 5 or 10 minutes Had a Kia Sedona that was like that but, both Ducato's (X250) I've had warm up really quick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 My 2006 2.8 JTD Ducto engine takes ages to warm up if it's left idling - at least 15 mintes, probably 20. But if I start up and drive away, it's warmed up within as little as two or three minutes. We live near a mtorway junction and either North or South on the motorway involves a gentle hill climb. Doing that seems to speed things up and in either direction the needle is up to normal temperature by the time we've climbed half a mile up either hill. No working the cold engine hard, just pulling steadily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 terryW - 2014-10-15 12:52 PM Well perhaps I should keep my head down, but I do like to poke a fire occasionally. I often adopt this practice to remove the last moisture from the cab windows before driving off. Having mopped up the worst this practice gives me a nice dry and clean windscreen to start my journey with. It also gives me the advantage of a warm heater to start winter trips with >:-) I never have this problem because I use external silver screens. It takes seconds to take them off as opposed to minutes trying to clear dripping condensation from windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 As I said, Being blessed with no consideration for other people ,who might be sleeping around you, is a common affliction, and not confined to any particular nationality. Why do they do It ? because they can, And they haven't YET met the person who 'gets up, in their PJ's' , walks over to the 'lazily ticking over' Motorhome or Diesel 4x4, reaches in, whips out the Keys and promptly throws them as hard as he can into the nearby field of Sunflowers ! Goodnight Vienna ! sleeper goes back to bed. Ray ;-) Oh ! was that yours ? i'm sorry I thought it had been abandoned ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 What drives some people nuts, others are totally oblivious too, like the two dogs yapping their heads off tethered to the back of a van whilst the owners sat blissfully unaware and unconcerned in their van watching the telly ! One of the reasons we like our van, it's easy enough to drive off, on that occasion I had to be very careful that I didn't run over anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Rayjsj - 2014-10-16 1:31 PM As I said, Being blessed with no consideration for other people ,who might be sleeping around you, is a common affliction, and not confined to any particular nationality. Why do they do It ? because they can, And they haven't YET met the person who 'gets up, in their PJ's' , walks over to the 'lazily ticking over' Motorhome or Diesel 4x4, reaches in, whips out the Keys and promptly throws them as hard as he can into the nearby field of Sunflowers ! Goodnight Vienna ! sleeper goes back to bed. Ray ;-) /QUOTE] ... but doesn't sleep well because he starts to worry about any ' comeback ' from his actions. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 malc d - 2014-10-16 1:54 PM Rayjsj - 2014-10-16 1:31 PM As I said, Being blessed with no consideration for other people ,who might be sleeping around you, is a common affliction, and not confined to any particular nationality. Why do they do It ? because they can, And they haven't YET met the person who 'gets up, in their PJ's' , walks over to the 'lazily ticking over' Motorhome or Diesel 4x4, reaches in, whips out the Keys and promptly throws them as hard as he can into the nearby field of Sunflowers ! Goodnight Vienna ! sleeper goes back to bed. Ray ;-) /QUOTE] ... but doesn't sleep well because he starts to worry about any ' comeback ' from his actions. ;-) 'Key Finding' Labradors for hire, Please apply when I wake up. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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