[Richard and Rhonda]

Running the engine at idle does not produce the combustion temperatures that running under load does. That's bad for two reasons. One, combustion of hydrocarbons has water as a byproduct. That water gets into the oil. It mixes with other hydrocarbon byproducts to form acids in the oil. The oil has to get up to temperature to allow the water to vaporize and leave the crankcase. Idling won't do it.

The second reason is that the low temperatures of idling allow the spray of diesel from the injectors to soot up around the injector nozzle. That leads to inadequate atomization of the fuel, bad mileage, rough running, and ingrown toenails. Just ask Russ what long term idling of the generator leads to. That mist of unburned diesel also washes the oil off the cylinder wall and leads to premature wearing of the cylinder bore.

In my opinion you are better off not cranking it at all than you are to crank and idle. If you must idle, by all means do it at high idle. The best solution is to crank that puppy and drive it 50 miles. That gets the engine warm, lubricates all the seals in the transmission and drive train, and is good for your tires. Plus if will put a big grin on your face. I know that might not be practical in Canada in February.