[1999 1.9D DW8] I know idling a diesel is bad for it, but how bad?

[van ordinaire]

For a not entirely unrelated reason, I'm a bit late to this party but, fwiw, here's my 4 penn'th:-

Between August B/H w/e, when the C15 was found to have an air leak in the fuel system & the week after Christmas (when I finally got the tank back in & hooked up) it'd only been started 4 or 5 times & run for 5,10 mins, either to run a tyre pump or the pump I used to (try to) drain the tank.

I had one of those parafin sump heaters - never used it though.

I think you'll find Fergies were originally built with Vanguard engines.

The early Farina Oxbridges had a (rarely taken up) diesel option.

I remember reading about Turkish lorry drivers lighting fires under the fuel tanks when they were parked-up in no man's land for 2 or 3 days waiting to get through customs (presumably when heading East) - & that would've been much later than the '50's!

I understand that Alaskan truckers never turn their engines off because they wouldn't start - & they'd die!

Jim, do you recall the winter that MK Sorting Office couldn't start a single mail van - because they hadn't had any winter diesel delivered?

[CitroJim]

I think you'll find Fergies were originally built with Vanguard engines.

Indeed they were

Jim, do you recall the winter that MK Sorting Office couldn't start a single mail van - because they hadn't had any winter diesel delivered?

No, I may well have been overseas then but knowing how they were/are it does not surprise me at all...

1978 and 1981 were particularly hard winters as I recall...

Just this past couple of weeks the MK bin collections have been reduced to chaos following the bad weather just before Christmas and the inevitable revised schedules over Christmas/New Year; they are garnering great criticism for failing due to not having enough drivers or bin wagons...

[van ordinaire]

Must've been '78, that would fit in with when I was working there.

How can any undertaking responsible for refuse collection not have enough dustcarts? (well that's what they were always called - & I see no reason to change)

[CitroJim]

Dustcarts is what I always used to know them as but for some reason for a while now they've been bin wagons...

Even though in MK we have sacks rather than bins!!!

Still a far better term than the horrible words the Yanks use to describe them... Garbage is the most horrible word I know...

[Paul-R]

Garbage is the most horrible word I know...

Probably the reason that Eric and Ernie never made it in the USA.

"What do you think of it so far?"
"Garbage!"

[CitroJim]

Probably the reason that Eric and Ernie never made it in the USA.
"Garbage!"
[/quote]

They should know as that's exactly what they were...

Never found them in the least funny nor entertaining... In fact I found them utterly cringeworthy and pathetically sad..