Oh great ones of the electron void, I seek assistance in routing around my anti-idle device on my semi. The system is designed to shut the truck down after 4.5 mins of idling unless one of the pedals is hit, thus restarting the cycle.
There is an interrupt switch to the clutch pedal running @ 9.04-9.16 input V. I tried running a SPDT switch with bypass on one side and a 12v flasher relay on the other with the load side of relay piggybacked with bypass lead to the clutch switch. Power supply going to the SPDT switch. As a bypass it works fine but it's not cycling, is there another type of relay that will work for this app? What would be the best circuit config? Thanks much for your help.

 

Is that okay with DOT?

 

It seems that a certain degree of idleness; 2min.? starts a 2.5 min. timer and one of your pedals re-sets this timer, is that it? First of all, it seems likely you would never touch one of the pedals traveling along on a flat stretch, so something else is keeping the timer from triggering; speedometer? There is likely another alarm in the background that says you are spending too much time on the road without stopping, so all your efforts may be in vain...sorry.

Regards, DPW [ Always remember you are not going to live forever.]

 

I think I remember reading that California enacted anti-idling laws a while back. Diesel engines generate a great deal of soot and sulfur emissions, and air pollution has plagued areas of CA for many years, particularly the LA basin.

The anti-idling device would prevent extended idling. I'd heard that you can be ticketed/fined for allowing an engine to idle for prolonged periods.

I can also see why someone would want to defeat the anti-idling circuit. If you had to take a mandated break (there's a limit to how many hours you can drive at one time) and there were no facilities to retreat to during a very hot or very cold spell, the only creature comforts a driver would have access to is the heater/AC controls that came with the truck.

If the driver were renting/leasing the truck, or if they were using a Company truck, they really couldn't modify it to provide creature comforts when the engine was off.

There are kits that you can buy and install to provide such comforts, but they're expensive, and it means down-time to modify the truck when you could be driving to make the bill payments.

I can understand, appreciate and sympathize with this predicament a professional driver has.

But I don't know if a modification like they're requesting would be in violation of laws/regulations that exist or are in consideration. It might be OK in some states, but not in others. I'm no lawyer.

 

Here is an interesting (to me, anyhow) presentation on anti-idling from the New Mexico Air Quality Bureau.

 

The circuit would be questionable in the state the tractor was sold in, and questionable in 12 - 15 others. I don't think we want to answer this.