Idle/Drive hours accumulation - Let's figure it out

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gfh77665

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I have a new RAM. What, other than actual idling, activates the idle count? I have rang up 4 hours idle with about 80 drive hours. I know I do not let my truck idle more than 30 seconds or so before driving off, then I shut it off at my destination. Is the meter running even if in Drive gear while stationary at a stop light? This is the only thing I can think of that is making the idle hours accumulate.
 

Tim Garceau

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Is that measured on RPM under a certain value, or with the TPS @ 0 percent? Hmm, may be a combination of both in the programming logic.
 

OCDTech

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I have a new RAM. What, other than actual idling, activates the idle count? I have rang up 4 hours idle with about 80 drive hours. I know I do not let my truck idle more than 30 seconds or so before driving off, then I shut it off at my destination. Is the meter running even if in Drive gear while stationary at a stop light? This is the only thing I can think of that is making the idle hours accumulate.


I thought i was the only one who wondered this, but i haven't a clue. That being said mine is at 10 percent or so, looks like your at 5, and i'm pretty conservative... so you must be the master. :cheers:
 

mtofell

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I've often wondered this as well.... so, it sounds like anytime the speedo is at zero it's counting towards idle? It would almost make more sense that it's only when in "park" but whatever.

I just checked mine and with 90,100 miles I'm at 3152 total, 2950 driving, 202 idling. Pretty depressing that I've spent 202 hours of my life over the last 5 years sitting in traffic or waiting for my wife. Maybe I should learn to knit.
 

pacofortacos

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Idling is always and has always been considered 0 mph with 0 throttle input.
Ie. Idling in the driveway in park, or idling at a red light in gear, etc.

Add throttle and you aren't idling no matter what speed you are going.
Going 20 mph with 0 percent throttle is called coasting.
 

John Jensen

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Idling is always and has always been considered 0 mph with 0 throttle input.
Ie. Idling in the driveway in park, or idling at a red light in gear, etc.

Add throttle and you aren't idling no matter what speed you are going.
Going 20 mph with 0 percent throttle is called coasting.

So, if I get this right, if a truck has a "high idle" ability that would not record as "idle" time.
 

madtrucker2016

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Idling is always and has always been considered 0 mph with 0 throttle input.
Ie. Idling in the driveway in park, or idling at a red light in gear, etc.

Add throttle and you aren't idling no matter what speed you are going.
Going 20 mph with 0 percent throttle is called coasting.
OK i,ll go with your story . We all don't know but sounds plausible
 

pacofortacos

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So, if I get this right, if a truck has a "high idle" ability that would not record as "idle" time.

I am going by the age old definition. lol

High idle would still be 0 throttle on the older fuel injected trucks.

But with the newer fly by wire throttle body engines do they still use an AIS motor and TPS sensor?
I really don't know as I haven't looked closely at the newer throttle bodies, but I don't think so.
So
Or would it now use the gas pedal sensor to determine idle and off idle position?
I could see that happening as the PCM can now set idle speed with the throttle body motor - if there isn't any idle speed motor any longer.
PCM can still tell decel using the gas pedal as rpms and vac. levels would be high on decel.

I knew my 5.9 inside and out, but haven't really played with my 5.7 much at all and am curious now. I feel really stupid now!
 
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OLEJOE

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High idle must add to it also because that’s the only way I let mine idle or in traffic. I have about 10% idle time on mine also and I do make an effort not to. But I do try to let it warm up a little. Not much but get all the fluids moving and air out to everything. ????
 

Jimmy07

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I’ve witnessed the idle hours number advance while sitting in gear at a stop light. BUT...I’ve also witnessed the drive and idle hours skip numbers, idle hours reset, and completely different sets of numbers from a previous shutdown, on multiple rams. I’ve stopped worrying about it, and chalk it up as a novelty feature. If I was buying used, I wouldn’t put any stock or base any decision on what the hours are.
 

OCDTech

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High idle must add to it also because that’s the only way I let mine idle or in traffic. I have about 10% idle time on mine also and I do make an effort not to. But I do try to let it warm up a little. Not much but get all the fluids moving and air out to everything. ????

I dont believe in crank n go. Like someone told me years ago yea the air fuel is perfect no choke anymore but all those metal parts gaps etc are still cold. The ram has what i figure about the perfect time for idle down after cold cranking. Unlike my wifes accord. Man i swear its several minutes. Ram only maybe 45 seconds to a minute the idle comes down and i drive easy for little bit then go. Give the thing a chance. Now i am a firm believer in not letting one warm up for a long period. A guy i worked with one time let his old licoln warm up for i know 10 or 15 minutes every day when i dropped him off.


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OLEJOE

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I dont believe in crank n go. Like someone told me years ago yea the air fuel is perfect no choke anymore but all those metal parts gaps etc are still cold. The ram has what i figure about the perfect time for idle down after cold cranking. Unlike my wifes accord. Man i swear its several minutes. Ram only maybe 45 seconds to a minute the idle comes down and i drive easy for little bit then go. Give the thing a chance. Now i am a firm believer in not letting one warm up for a long period. A guy i worked with one time let his old licoln warm up for i know 10 or 15 minutes every day when i dropped him off.


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I live in a very rural area and I drive mine very easy and slow until the water temperature starts going up before I start getting up to speed. My truck sits sometimes for 2 or 3 days without being started so I let it warm up a little. About 5 minutes or so. My water temperature doesn’t show anything less than 100 degrees
 

Weebear

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Idling is always and has always been considered 0 mph with 0 throttle input.
Ie. Idling in the driveway in park, or idling at a red light in gear, etc.

Add throttle and you aren't idling no matter what speed you are going.
Going 20 mph with 0 percent throttle is called coasting.


Okay, so, stupid question then, what about those of us with the eTorque, where the engine shuts off when we stop at lights or waiting for our wife?

Does this time get picked up? If not, how am I ever supposed to know how much time I have spent sitting in traffic and waiting for my wife like @mtofell - I mean, I could learn to knit too, but I won't know how much time I have to do it . . .
 

OCDTech

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Why would anyone ever worry about that ****?? Worry about our country going to hell with the dems. Now that is something to worry about. JMO

Maybe your on the wrong forum. Or at least in the wrong thread. Here we chat about idleing issues and such related topics. This is where i come to escape all that.


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Lucy Girl

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Maybe your on the wrong forum. Or at least in the wrong thread. Here we chat about idleing issues and such related topics. This is where i come to escape all that.


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Your probably right because it would be a very cold day for that to be my worry. Sorry about that. Thanks for your thoughts about this and excuse my behavior.
 
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