General Idling to charge battery

[thetaffia]

Hi All
Ihave a Ducato 66 plate. Its a 2.8 ltr engine. Im wondering if idling to charge battery will do more harm than good theres lots of conflicting stuff on Dr Google. Its actually a Chausson motorhome 718xlb.
Thanks in advance

 

[Cornish Ian]

Hi All
Ihave a Ducato 66 plate. Its a 2.8 ltr engine. Im wondering if idling to charge battery will do more harm than good theres lots of conflicting stuff on Dr Google. Its actually a Chausson motorhome 718xlb.
Thanks in advance

Perhaps as an emergency one off for a while depending how clean your engine runs but I have known a head having to come off for a decoke after approximately 2 days of idling. It was absolutely stuffed with carbon.
If you can get access to mains power then a smart charger would be best.

 

[theoneandonly]

The Wisedom says no due to glazing of bores not enough temp to actually get to correct temp for oil, clogging of dpf etc etc. If its a one off followed by good runs are you going to destroy the engine , no but this is the type of activity that reduces life/ creates dangerous acidity of modern engine oil in a seldom used motorhome if repeated will reduce engine life.
So yes and if not frequent does it matter. Its something that i wouldn't do as a matter of course but if desparate.

 

[Reg 65]

Depends who you talk to.
The experts say its bad for your engine.
But the ice cream men do it all day and say its OK.
(not to charge the battery but to stir the ice cream so it doesn't go too hard to pump, like the stuff we get out of a home freezer)
I think the post 2006 Ducatos came with 150 amp alternators so charge pretty quick. But earlier models had small alternators.
Not an efficient way to charge a battery or course, but when thats all you've got....