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10-11-2009, 09:46 PM
| | Lurker | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: NW
Posts: 17
| |  Opti Idle Hell
The company I drive for has Opti Idle in their trucks for supposed fuel conservation. For those of you not familiar with this hateful device, you set the feature by starting the truck, and adjusting the cruise control. Then you go to the little thermostat style box in the bunk and set the temp you want to maintain in the truck. Supposedly, once that temp is attained, the truck shuts off until the temp goes above or below desired temp by 4-7 degrees.
Now, what really happens is this. Just before the opti idle starts the truck there is a loud beeping sound, then the truck starts, it runs for a while, shudders loudly and violently to a stop, waits a while and starts again. I'm not sure where the actual thermostat is located within the truck but it apparently isn't around the bunk area so you can't really get the temp you want.
This device wakes you up repeatedly throughout the night with its beeping and stopping and starting of the truck. By the time it's time to get up, you're tired and grouchy. A few nights of this and you're in sleep deprivation mode so probably not the safest driver on the road.
Who the hell thought this up. They should have to spend a week in a truck with this device then maybe they could come up with a better solution. Same goes for the bosses at the company because when I've tried to talk to them about it I've gotten only scolded for not appreciating the equipment I drive. This said from their central heat and air conditioned offices with comfy ergonomic chairs.
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10-11-2009, 10:00 PM
| | # 1 Devil's Advocate | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: twixt here & there
Posts: 3,310
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Quote:
Originally Posted by progtrucker  The company I drive for has Opti Idle in their trucks for supposed fuel conservation. For those of you not familiar with this hateful device, you set the feature by starting the truck, and adjusting the cruise control. Then you go to the little thermostat style box in the bunk and set the temp you want to maintain in the truck. Supposedly, once that temp is attained, the truck shuts off until the temp goes above or below desired temp by 4-7 degrees.
Now, what really happens is this. Just before the opti idle starts the truck there is a loud beeping sound, then the truck starts, it runs for a while, shudders loudly and violently to a stop, waits a while and starts again. I'm not sure where the actual thermostat is located within the truck but it apparently isn't around the bunk area so you can't really get the temp you want.
This device wakes you up repeatedly throughout the night with its beeping and stopping and starting of the truck. By the time it's time to get up, you're tired and grouchy. A few nights of this and you're in sleep deprivation mode so probably not the safest driver on the road.
Who the hell thought this up. They should have to spend a week in a truck with this device then maybe they could come up with a better solution. Same goes for the bosses at the company because when I've tried to talk to them about it I've gotten only scolded for not appreciating the equipment I drive. This said from their central heat and air conditioned offices with comfy ergonomic chairs. | i have never driven a truck with this device/feature, but i can say whole heartedly i feel your pain.
too bad the jerks at your company couldn't have looked into APU's instead, but if THEY DID, well, my guess is the device you speak of WAS much cheaper..........
but yeah, you're right, they sit in a nice "climate controlled" office.............
hope and pray the HVAC system goes on the fritz, ON THE HOTTEST DAY of the summer, next summer, of course........
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10-11-2009, 10:01 PM
| | Lurker | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: West
Posts: 8
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It almost seems like it would be better just to pack an extra blanket for the cold and a fan for the heat. I know it's not the same as heating and AC, but it beats being woken up abruptly several times a night.
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10-11-2009, 11:15 PM
| | Seasoned Veteran | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Pa
Posts: 1,514
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I had the Cummins version which was ICON Idle when it first came out. It sounds like it was about the same. The best part was in the winter - the truck would start but the ICON would show a fault code so the truck would idle all night but it would not produce any heat through the vents..lol.. I'm sure it would not work anymore but I figured out a way to bypass the system and just idle the truck.
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10-11-2009, 11:58 PM
| | Naturally Oozing | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North of Columbia
Posts: 4,600
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MY solution if the Cruise Control option isn't feasible or operational is simply to place some article (like the Fire extinguisher, a Briefcase, etc.) on the Fuel pedal, adjust to the desired RPMs, and go to sleep with adequate HEAT or A/C.
That's MY style of opti-idle where I CONTROL the option and works BEST if one is able to not set the tractor brakes.
IF I want an alarm, I'll use a Screamin' Meanie.
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10-12-2009, 01:09 AM
| | Seasoned Veteran | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Pa
Posts: 1,514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cerberus_Kelpie MY solution if the Cruise Control option isn't feasible or operational is simply to place some article (like the Fire extinguisher, a Briefcase, etc.) on the Fuel pedal, adjust to the desired RPMs, and go to sleep with adequate HEAT or A/C.
That's MY style of opti-idle where I CONTROL the option and works BEST if one is able to not set the tractor brakes.
IF I want an alarm, I'll use a Screamin' Meanie. | I tried all of thee above and none worked. I went a step further.
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