Driving during high idle

[Flagship]

When I start my truck cold (89 7.3), it idles high for 5 or 10 minutes. If I get impatient and drive it while the high idle is engaged, it's really quite loud. I mean compression noise. I always go real easy, giving it just enough fuel to shift. The first couple of miles are in town where the speed limit is 25 MPH anyway.

Is this a poor choice on my part? Should I let it run until it idles down? Don't want to hurt it, but hate to waste $3 a gallon fuel and need to get to work on time.

 

[alienturtle]

all the high idle does is hold the throttle arm on the pump open. I dont see it hurting anything driving it while it still on...the throttle arm just wont return to full idle untill its warmed up. I think you are fine..i always did that with mine..

 

[redneckaggie]

The high idle also also actuates an advance mechanism on the pump, the only danger I can find with driving before the high idle disengages is that your oil is not warmed up and is actually bypassing the oil filter more than likely because it is to thick to flow through the filter and still supply adequate volume. I have always let the high idle kick off on mine just cause I like my heat to be working and I like to let the oil warm a little

 

[MJlogan]

mine feels like it runs a hell of a lot better when the high idle/advance is on. once it clicks off it feels like i put the parking brake on. advance the timing a bit maybe?

 

[smolkin]

My truck never had a high idle solenoid when I got it. The advance works fine though, and the way it runs cold w/advance sounds like fully warm w/o advance. In between (not fully warm, w/o advance) it gets quieter and runs kinda sluggish until it's warmed up fully. I thought about advancing the timing because of this, but I'm worried that without a meter I'd just make it worse. It's very drivable, I just know that when the advance kicks off to expect that 'lag' for a few minutes, and I alter my driving style to suit. Once it's warm, it's fine the rest of the day.
As a matter of fact, when I drove my friend's truck that does have the solenoid, it was weird for me. If I got another truck I'd probably remove it since I'm used to none, and maybe it saves some fuel.

 

[grog85]

As long you don't drive it hard, you should be fine. This same question came up a while back, and the answer was, don'tdrive it hard when the cold advance is on.

 

[dyoung14]

IT WONT HURT NOTHING IT IS PERFECTLY NORMAL YOU CAN DRIVE IT JUST THE SAME! all it is is the timing advance doing its job, its louder because it advances the timing, it quiter when the timing advance and high idle go off, functioning like its supose to dont worry@!

 

[dyoung14]

As long you don't drive it hard, you should be fine. This same question came up a while back, and the answer was, don'tdrive it hard when the cold advance is on.

You dont drive a cold engine hard, but you can drive it normal, its not gonna hurst nothing

 

[DeepRoots]

shoot, if you leave it to just idle, you might be there awhile.
I always just drove slowly until it kicked off.
If you have the timing advanced further than normal, you may want to disconnect the cold advance altogether.
Of course I think idling a cold engine is moronic. It takes ALOT longer to warm up, it only warms the engine (not the rear end or trans), basically it just prolongs the engine being cold.

Best of luck,
Dp

 

[dyoung14]

shoot, if you leave it to just idle, you might be there awhile.
I always just drove slowly until it kicked off.
If you have the timing advanced further than normal, you may want to disconnect the cold advance altogether.
Of course I think idling a cold engine is moronic. It takes ALOT longer to warm up, it only warms the engine (not the rear end or trans), basically it just prolongs the engine being cold.

Best of luck,
Dp

And my teeth dont chatter so bad when i let it warm up, i kinda enjoy getting into a warm truck at 15 degrees rather than getting in the truck when its 15

 

[plywood]

Certainly could be an indication that your static timing is a little too advanced though if it really is "overly" loud.

Takes just a second to unplug the advance wire ontop of the IP, can't say if it is the front or back one, but mine has little tags on the wires. You might try it and see if you like it better.

You'll know if you got the wrong one cause it just won't start at all.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Certainly could be an indication that your static timing is a little too advanced though if it really is "overly" loud.

Takes just a second to unplug the advance wire ontop of the IP, can't say if it is the front or back one, but mine has little tags on the wires. You might try it and see if you like it better.

You'll know if you got the wrong one cause it just won't start at all.

The fuel solenoid connection is the wire closest to the front of the truck on top of the IP, one wire is longer than the other that goes to the cold advance.

Lots of information and mis-information has been discussed about the Hi idle and Cold advance solenoid on the IP.
Both of these are controlled (turned ON and OFF) by the Engine heat sensor located on the passengers side close to #1 glow plug. It is a normally closed switch when cold and opens when the coolant temp raises to 120* on that head.

That side head is the controlling factor on how fast the coolant heat rises. With the WRONG t'stat (Only a Motorcraft or an IH t'stat is correct) the coolant will NOT be closed off preventing flow to the Radiator, a small amount of coolant will flow thru the bypass to the water pump then back thru the block until the t'stat opens for the coolant to flow thru the radiator. If the cab heater is on there will be circulation from the water pump thru the cab heater back to the block. In the heater hose is a tee with a hose going to the bottom of the radiator connected to an orfice fitting, this helps to warm the tranny fluid quicker. There is also an orfice with a ball check valve in the T'stat neck which allows a small amount of flow to the radiator, also for bleeding any air in the block, this closes when the t'stat opens allowing flow to the radiator.
I've read where this ball has been removed, and sometimes the hole blocked off, it's there for a reason. then they wonder why they have coolant heat or not enough heat problems.

Motorcraft t'stat---start to open @ 180* fully open at 195*

The t'stat shown is the correct configuration, it was in one of my trucks, but was mutilated, evidently they had cooling problems, but did the wrong things. More pix in my webshots.

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[MidnightBlade]

The fuel solenoid connection is the wire closest to the front of the truck on top of the IP, one wire is longer than the other that goes to the cold advance.

so your saying the longer wire toward the back of engine (looking at engine from radiator side) is cold timing advance?

 

[OLDBULL8]

so your saying the longer wire toward the back of engine (looking at engine from radiator side) is cold timing advance?

Yes

 

[88beast]

also the wire ends are 2 different sizes and can only go on one way unless forced
but if you have a concern get it looked at post a vid on here or something if need be

normal rule if you think somethings wrong it is