Every car owner understands that it is imperative to take care of your car, and winter car operation is a special topic of conversation. It's no secret that it is in winter that a car is exposed to the most powerful impact of various harmful factors.
You can prepare for some of them in advance by taking a set of measures to prepare the car for the winter season, but that's not all. You can take care of yourself and your iron friend additionally, in order, as they say, to be fully armed ...
Firstly, it is possible that in winter there will be snow on the street :), which may turn out to be an unpleasant phenomenon for car owners. Especially for those who store their car outdoors and those who drive on poorly cleaned roads (in Russia, this means almost everyone). To clear the car from snow, if it fell asleep during the night, store it in the trunk good brush... It is more convenient to work with a brush with a short handle. She is lighter and moves faster. But if you are short or the car is very tall (a jeep, for example), then it is likely that you will have to purchase a brush with an extended or even telescopic handle.
It is also worth paying attention to the brush nap. It should not be very long and tough. Otherwise, the brush will not clean well melted (heavy snow).
You can get stuck in a car in winter not only somewhere on a country road. It is also possible in the courtyard where snow is poorly cleaned or where the utilities have not yet arrived. In order to get out of the snow trap yourself, it's a good idea to have a small paddle in the trunk. It can be especially useful for owners of mono-drive cars with automatic transmission gear. But such a tool will not hurt everyone else. Suddenly, someone will have to dig out :). Anything can happen on the road. Could it be that none of the drivers have a cable? Can. But it is better that he was. So check for it in your trunk. In winter, it is required more often than in summer, although it should always be.
But this is not all the trouble that snow brings. The winters are not very frosty. Frequent thaws contribute to the formation of slush on the road, which flies from oncoming and passing vehicles into the windshield and headlights, which greatly impedes visibility. And this is already fraught with increased emergency danger. To reduce the risk of getting into an accident in winter, it is imperative to check the presence of windshield washer fluid in the reservoir as often as possible. And keep a stock of washer bottles in the trunk so as not to get into an unpleasant and dangerous situation.
In addition, it is highly recommended to use specialized winter wipers. They differ from summer ones not only in that the mechanism is closed in a special rubber casing, but also in the composition of the wiper's rubber, which makes it possible to better clean the glass. In addition, it is necessary to clean the wipers from dirt as often as possible, which, when accumulated, can make the wipers absolutely unusable.
Before getting into the salon, everyone cleans the soles of their shoes, but this is not enough if the carpets in the salon are velor. Snow, penetrating into the velor, melts, and then it can freeze. As a result, ice forms under the foot, which interferes with driving. The foot can slip off the pedals, which in some situations can lead to an accident. Using rubber mats doesn't always save the day. Rubber can slip too. Here everyone comes up with their own ways to deal with moisture. Textile mats can be treated with various moisture-repellent compounds, and rubber mats can additionally be covered with newspaper or special sheets that are sold in car stores. Although, all this is not very convenient, and does not save 100%.
also in winter time years with inveterate stability, there are quite large temperature drops, which is why you need to monitor the pressure in the wheels, as they can slightly lower. If funds allow, then it is better to install tire pressure sensors, then you do not have to jump around the car with a pressure gauge and twist the caps.
Most drivers wash their cars on their own, and the main thing to remember here is that in the winter season, water can simply freeze up in the most undesirable places on the body of your car. Actually, that is why, after you have removed all the dirty water, you will need to thoroughly wipe all the sealing rubber bands on the doors (including the trunk) and blow air through the locks that are located outside the car. By the way, it is useful to treat the locks with WD40, which in many cases will prevent them from freezing. If, nevertheless, the locks are frozen, then you can unfreeze them special liquid a defroster that you can buy at any car store. It is not recommended to heat the key. This can be done on our classics, but it is better not to heat the keys of foreign cars with built-in chips. You can stay without a key.
There is also such a situation in winter: the doors opened perfectly in the morning, the car started up without any problems, we turn on the speed, we press on the gas, and the car stalls instead of moving away. Well, or simply does not go, if the driver is a little more experienced and did not let the engine stall. The problem here is that the day before the driver put the car on the handbrake by inertia. And at night frost hit, and the brake pads froze to the brake disc.
In winter, it is better to leave the car at speed for mechanical box gear. For cars with an automatic transmission - in the "parking" mode. If you are afraid that the car may roll away, then put something under the wheel. Just don't forget to remove it later :).
For reliable and stable operation of batteries, it is advisable to charge them with a charger once every two months. If this is not done, the battery will simply begin to lose its resistance to changing weather conditions.
Also, do not forget to systematically turn on the air conditioner for at least 10-15 minutes throughout the winter, if your car has it, of course. This must be done so that the rubber seals do not depressurize. This procedure should be carried out 3-4 times a month, and preferably more often.
And all motorists, without exception, are fighting together with salt and other reagents that are poured onto the roads to prevent icing. When preparing the vehicle for winter season we processed it with various special tools. The body is covered with wax, and the bottom is anti-corrosion. But all this will be of little use if the car is not protected from prolonged exposure to aggressive substances. And for this it is enough to wash it more often.
We hope that our simple tips for operating a car in winter will help you cope with most unforeseen situations.
In the article “ Useful Tips motorists in winter ”we will give you useful tips for driving in winter. The onset of frost in winter is always sudden. But this winter is not the first for motorists in their lives, and we offer you ten popular tips.
1. Do not wash
It is better for you to refrain from washing your iron friend, because sudden changes in temperature can kill the coating of the car, its polishing can tarnish. If you are so unbearable to wash your car, then you need to treat the window seals and door locks, the gas tank lock and the cork with silicone sprays before washing the car. After washing, do not regret and treat your car with hot wax. Thanks to wax, the coating of the car will not suffer, and you can wash it much less often. After leaving the car wash, you need to slow down strongly so that the pads of your car do not freeze. At night it is advisable to put the car in gear, and not on the "handbrake".
2. Carry a suitcase with you
When there is a sudden change in temperature, the door locks do not open. And many, before the onset of winter, buy spray cans that help to rip off a nut that does not open and help thaw the lock. With the help of this spray, they will spray once, and then they are thrown into the trunk, and there it is no use there, and it is still difficult to get to it. Therefore, you need to carry it with you, as you need to wear work gloves, so that everything is warm and close and have a 10 key to the battery terminals.
Doubtful of course it turns out comfort, but nothing can be done. You need to have a set of fuses in stock, a wiper blade. Of course, you don't have to carry it with you, as well as the wires for "lighting". They will not be superfluous in the trunk. You can open the lock without a spray can, for this you need to fire a lighter or matches, heat the key and turn it carefully.
3. Do not start immediately
Not recommended in severe frost start a car. The main reason that the engine fails in cold weather is the battery, which "sat down". Before you start it, you need to "cheer up" the battery a little and do it simply. To turn on dashboard and electrical appliances, you need to turn the ignition key to the first position. Then blink high beam about 10 or 15 seconds. After that, the electrolyte in the battery will warm up and its capacity will increase. In such a short time, you cannot plant it. Then you need to turn off the headlights and start the engine.
4. Heat from evil frosts
In Siberia, one could observe such a picture, the frost was about 30 degrees, the drivers took the queue for the transformer, the guard transported the cigarette lighter from car to car on a sled, collecting money. The lady brought home a light and flat heater, plugged it in, put it under the hood of the Toyota and ran off to the store. She returned 15 minutes later and the car started immediately. But women also have a hairdryer in their arsenal.
5. More gasoline
The tank should always contain more than half of the gasoline. We should not forget that what more air contained in the tank, the more water vapor it contains. Crystallization of water vapor occurs, then microcrystals settle in the fuel, they accumulate at the bottom and clog fuel system and a gasoline pump. There is no need to wait until the fuel indicator light comes on. When the arrow shows that there is half of the fuel in the tank, turn to the Petrol station.
6. Check the pressure
Due to large temperature differences, the pressure in the tires changes noticeably. This can affect traction, especially in snow, and slippery surfaces... And therefore, in case of temperature drops and in severe frosts, it is imperative to check the tire pressure.
7. The glasses will not fog up if
When you come to the parking lot, in severe frost, you need to grease the windows with a special ointment, which consists of 2 parts of glycerin and one part of a strong solution of sodium chloride. This mixture must be applied just before leaving, because it protects the glass from frost for two or 3 hours.
Misting windows can prevent a saturated solution of table salt, for this you need to take two tablespoons in 1 cup of water. Frozen windows can be quickly cleaned with this solution. This solution is used to wipe the glass until ice and frost come off, and then you need to wipe the glass with a dry, soft cloth. Or you can take wet salt, wrap it in gauze and then the car windows will not fog up.
8. In winter, mud flaps are needed
Mud flaps are needed not only in the warm season, and not only for passing technical inspection. The best option it will be if the mudguards are made of elastic material so that heavy ice can be thrown off with a light kick. It is important that the front wheels do not throw all this disgusting muck on the thresholds, because the ice under the front doors noticeably hits the bumps on the road.
9. To the hypermarket
Large hypermarkets have warm parking lots. They are a real boon for those drivers who save money on minor repairs and don't have a garage. Knock down the ice from under wheel arches and from the roof, wipe the headlights and glass, pump up the wheels, thaw the liquid frozen in the washer reservoir. You just go there, put it, go to the hypermarket to shop, and when you return, then you pick it up warm. Some people manage to bring a car into the parking lot, which refused to start. And in the parking lot, it will already thaw and, of course, will start.
10. Do not cover with tarpaulin
There are motorists who drive on weekends and thus take care of their car. They try to cover their car in the yard with a tarpaulin awning. But this cannot be done. Because you will have to tear off the frozen awning to the metal, you will have to tear it off "with meat." This frugality can lead to the fact that in freezing places paintwork will have to be restored.
Now we know about useful tips for motorists in winter. Knowing these tips and applying them in practice, you can save your car in the winter season.
1. Do not wash
It is better for you to refrain from washing your steel friend, because sudden changes in temperature can destroy the coating of the car, and its polishing can tarnish. If you are so unbearable to rinse the car, then you need to treat the window seals and door locks, the gas tank lock and the cork with silicone sprays before washing the car. After washing, do not regret and process own car hot wax. Thanks to the wax, the coating of the car will not suffer, and you can wash it even less often. After leaving the car wash, you need to slow down very much so that the pads of your car do not freeze. At night it is better to put the car in gear, and not on the "handbrake".
2. Carry a suitcase with you
When there is a sudden change in temperature, the door locks will not open. And many, before the onset of winter, acquire spray cans that help to break the nut that does not open, and will help to thaw the lock. With the help of this spray, they will spray once, and later they are thrown into the trunk, and there is no use for it, and it is still difficult to get to it. Therefore, you need to carry it with you, as you need to wear work gloves, so that everything is warm and close and have a 10 key to the battery terminals.
Incomprehensible comfort comes naturally, but nothing can be done. You must have in stock a set of fuses, a wiper blade. Naturally, you don't need to carry it with you, as well as wires for "lighting". They will not be superfluous in the trunk. You can open the lock without a spray can, for this you need to fire a lighter or matches, warm up the key and turn it carefully.
3. Do not start right away
It is not recommended to start a car in severe frost. The main premise that the engine fails in frost is the battery, which "sat down". Before you start it, you need to slightly "cheer up" the battery and do it simply. In order for the dashboard and electrical appliances to be cut in, it is necessary to turn the ignition key to the 1st position. Later, blink with a distant light for about 10 or 15 seconds. Then the electrolyte in the battery will warm up and its capacity will increase. In such a short time, you cannot land it. Later you need to turn off the headlights and start the engine.
4. Heat from evil frosts
In Siberia, you could follow such a picture, the frost was about 30 degrees, the drivers took the queue for the transformer, the watchman transported the cigarette lighter from car to car on a sled, collecting funds. The girl brought a home heater, light and thin, plugged it in, stuffed it under the hood of the Toyota and ran off to the store. After 15 minutes, she returned, and the car started immediately. But the ladies also have a hairdryer in their arsenal.
5. More gasoline
The tank should always contain more than half of the gasoline. Do not forget that the more air there is in the tank, the more water vapor it contains. Crystallization of water vapor occurs, then microcrystals settle in the fuel, they accumulate during the day and clog the fuel system and the gas pump. There is no need to wait until the fuel indicator light comes on. When the arrow indicates that there is half of the fuel in the tank, turn off at a filling station.
6. Check the pressure
Due to the huge temperature fluctuations, tire pressure changes noticeably. This can affect traction, which is especially evident on snow and slippery surfaces. And therefore, in case of temperature extremes and in severe frosts, it is necessary to inspect tire pressure in an indisputable manner.
7. The glasses will not fog up if
When you come to the parking lot, in severe frost, you need to grease the windows with a special ointment, which consists of 2 parts of glycerin and one part of a strong solution of sodium chloride. This mixture must be applied just before leaving, because it protects the glass from frost for 2 or 3 hours.
Misting windows can prevent a saturated solution of table salt, for this you need to take two tablespoons per 1 glass of water. With this solution, frozen windows can be quickly cleaned. The glass is wiped with this substance until the ice and frost come off it, and later it is necessary to wipe the glass with a dry, soft cloth. Or you can take wet salt, wrap it in gauze and then the car windows will not fog up.
8. Mud flaps needed in winter
Mud flaps are necessary not only in the warm season, and not only for passing technical inspection. A good option it will be, if the mudguards are made of elastic material, so that the languid ice can be thrown off with a light kick. It is essential that the front wheels do not throw all this disgusting muck on the thresholds, since the ice under the front doors tangibly hits the bumps on the road.
9. To the supermarket
Large supermarkets have warm parking lots. They are a real godsend for those drivers who save on small repairs and don't have a garage. Knock down ice from under the wheel arches and from the roof, wipe the headlights and glass, pump up the wheels, and thaw the liquid frozen in the washer reservoir. You just go there, put it, go to the supermarket for shopping, and when you return, then you pick it up warm. Some people manage to bring a car to the parking lot, which refused to start. And in the parking lot it will already thaw and, of course, will start.
10. Do not cover with tarpaulin
There are motorists who drive on weekends and thus save their car. They try to cover their own car in the yard with a tarpaulin awning. But this cannot be done. Since you will have to tear off the frozen awning to the metal, you will have to tear it off "with meat." This frugality can lead to the fact that in places of freezing the paintwork will have to be restored.
Now we know about useful tips for motorists in winter. Knowing these tips and applying them in practice, you can save your car in the winter season.
Winter is a test not only for people and all living organisms, but also for cars in general and their component parts in particular. How to properly store, operate and care for car battery, we'll talk.
What if the car won't start?
IN winter season During the year, the rechargeable battery discharges its capacity much faster than in the warm season. Agree that stalling in the middle of a winter road is an unpleasant event. After all, you even have to wait for the tow truck to arrive in the cold - you can't warm up the car. Therefore, it is necessary not only to properly operate the battery, but also to observe certain rules for its storage in the cold season.
The battery, if properly used, will never let the driver down, even in the most severe frosts. An incompletely charged battery may not let you down in the summer months, but will not immediately show itself with better side in winter. Therefore, it is necessary to make it a rule to check, and if necessary even replace the battery when entering the autumn winter period vehicle operation. In the family of modern storage batteries it is very difficult to find serviced ones, which is why, when the output current is below the standard, replacing the battery before winter is a must and indisputable business.
Smell in the car
It is not difficult to choose a battery these days. It all depends on the financial capabilities of the motorist and his preferences for a particular brand of battery manufacturer. Some domestic car owners are characterized by such a common mistake as buying and installing a new battery with more powerthan it is provided in technical characteristics car. In this case, both the generator of the car suffers, because it has an increased load, and the battery itself itself - installed generator is unable to fully charge the battery, as a result of which its service life is significantly reduced. Before installing a new battery on the car, it is necessary to check the polarity of the terminals so that there is no trouble.
With rock battery service
Storage and operating conditions affect the battery life. Frequent starts and short trips, when the battery is only discharged, without having time to take charge, do not extend the battery life. The problems in electrical wiring the car, which directly affect the longevity of the battery. Even, it would seem, such a trifle as a weak attachment of power cables to the battery terminals, significantly reduce the battery life.
Useful tips for motorists
In the winter season, the load on the battery increases significantly. We turn on the interior heating, much more often than in the summer we use the dipped beam and windshield wipers. Don't forget that even the brake light bulbs come on more often than in summer. Therefore, in winter, the battery requires more careful handling. It's very important to know and follow the rules winter operation battery.
Let's try to figure out how to avoid accelerated battery discharge in winter. Surely many of us have seen how one motorist asks a colleague to "light a cigarette", as during the night his battery was completely discharged under the influence low temperatures, and some themselves were in the role of cigarette lighters. To avoid this, we follow a few simple rules. First, we check the electrolyte level, for which we take a substance from each can with a special pear. Secondly, we carefully examine the electrolyte for transparency: if there is a precipitate, then there is a high probability of the plates crumbling in a particular bank, which will inevitably lead to closure of the plates. It all depends only on the time when the closure occurs. If the electrolyte level is low, add distilled water to the jar. Then we check the density of the electrolyte and the voltage both in general on the battery and separately on each can. If the voltage is less than the standard, then it is necessary to recharge the battery.
Battery recharging procedure
Let's consider what is the procedure for recharging a "dry" battery. It's quite simple: fill in the electrolyte. The only condition is that the temperature of both the electrolyte and the battery being filled must be at least 10 degrees Celsius. All battery plugs must be open. We fill each can either to a special mark or to a level above 1.5 cm above the plate. After that, let the battery stand for 15-20 minutes, shake it slightly from side to side and, if necessary, add electrolyte. Then we tighten the plugs tightly - the battery is completely ready for use. Already flooded batteries, of course, do not need such a procedure.
What do you need to have in the car in winter?
Now let's look at how to properly store the battery in the Russian winter. Some of the domestic motorists (and there are many of them) prefer not to use their car in winter. This is mainly done by those who have the opportunity to keep the car not in the open air, but at least in an unheated garage. If you are just from this cage of car owners, then the minimum that needs to be done to preserve the battery is to remove the power from one of the battery terminals. And ideally - completely remove the battery and take it home, where it will winter well in a warm room. This applies when the garage is not heated. If it hibernates in a warm room, then such measures should not be taken.
X injured battery in winter
But let's imagine that we still removed the battery from the car. Each type of battery has its own special conditions their storage in winter. For example, for dry-charged batteries, the main thing is to store them in a warm and ventilated room - then there will be no problems with storage and subsequent operation. The only caveat is that the battery is not directly exposed to sunlight. Store the flooded battery only in an upright position. After the battery has been removed from the car, it must be cleaned of dirt and electrolyte residues. Examine the battery carefully and, if an insufficient electrolyte level is found, add distilled water to the jars where necessary. After the electrolyte level is restored, it is necessary to recharge the battery with a special charger.
How to store your car correctly
If it is not possible to check the battery charge level before the onset of stable heat, you can use the following simple method of storing the battery in winter. After the recharging procedure is completed (how to recharge is described a little above), drain the electrolyte from the battery. We wash the jars with distilled water, and it is necessary to do this at least twice, and the second time the water should stand in the jars for 15 minutes. Now pour the boric acid solution into the empty battery. After that, wipe the battery with a dry rag and remove it until the warm season. This method guarantees the safety of the battery and eliminates the possibility of its spontaneous discharge. Before installing the battery after the winter "hibernation" on the car, it is necessary to drain the boric acid and fill the electrolyte solution. After the electrolyte has settled (this process takes an average of 45 minutes), we measure its density. And only after that we install the battery on the car.
Let us consider directly the operation of the battery in winter conditions. For long-term and reliable battery operation, you need to monitor the parameters:
- tension of the alternator belt;
- the connection of electrical conductors must be constantly cleaned of dirt, as well as strong and reliable;
- the density of the electrolyte solution must be within acceptable limits. In case of a decrease in density, it is necessary to bring it up to the level described above.
It is equally important to keep the battery always clean. Periodically clean the battery terminals with fine-grained emery paper, and after cleaning, in order to improve the conductivity, apply a thin layer of lithol on them. You can additionally insulate the engine compartment of the car, which will increase the battery life in winter. Insulation is carried out using a special material, which can be purchased at any car dealership or even on the market.
Frozen glass
In the cold season, the car owner is required to monitor the battery charge level at a much higher frequency than in summer time... This is due to the fact that the battery density in winter tends to decrease much faster than in summer. After starting the car engine, do not immediately turn on the heating system or lighting devices - it is necessary to allow the electrolyte solution to warm up for a while so that the battery is painlessly perceived additional loadcaused by electrical appliances.
When buying a new battery for winter use, be sure to pay attention to the factory performance of the battery. So, for the harsh climatic regions of our country, there are special batteries marked "arctic". These batteries provide reliable and stable performance even at temperatures environment below "minus" 45-50 degrees Celsius.
If you follow the simple rules for the operation and storage of batteries in the winter months of the year, you can ensure long and trouble-free operation of the battery for a long period of time. Don't be careless about your battery - it can cost you dearly, both literally and figuratively.
Surely every driver keeps a soft bristled brush and a plastic scraper in his trunk. Both of these items will be useful to the driver even when the car "spends the night" in the garage, because snow and ice freezing while driving or parking your " iron horse»Nobody is insured. What can we say about hunters and fishermen, whose cars can be under the open sky for several days.
It is recommended to clean the ice with a scraper only from glass panes. The hardness of the ice and plastic of the scrapers is much lower than the hardness of glass, and they will not harm it. Scrape off the frost with a scraper only forward, cutting off ice and snow. It is not recommended to move the scraper in the opposite direction, since back side the scraper no longer cuts off the ice, but only drags fragments in front of it, and not only snow and ice, but sand particles that can scratch the glass.
If possible, do not use "artifacts" such as cassette cassettes and CDs for cleaning glass, they have an obtuse angle and, as in the case of a scraper, will push hard particles in front of them and scratch the glass.
Be sure to clear the snow from the vehicle before setting off on the road. If you do not remove the snow from the roof, then gradually it will thaw from the heat in the passenger compartment and, when braking, may slide on windshield and thus create emergency... And snow falling from the roof while your car is moving causes inconvenience to drivers driving behind.
It is best to remove snow from the car before it melts. It is not recommended to remove frozen snow and ice from the body with a scraper - as you will probably scratch the paintwork. Ice can be removed either with special chemical compounds, or by driving the car into a warm garage or car wash.
As for the car wash, the car must also be washed in winter. Of course, not as often as in summer, but nonetheless. In cities, various chemical reagents are scattered on the roads, which, together with the dirt, firmly freeze to the body and "eat away" the car parts. Be sure to make sure that the locks and door seals are dried at the sink. Just in case, half an hour after washing, try opening the doors and windows.
If you do not do this soon after the water procedure, then in the cold the doors will freeze so much that it will be problematic to do this in the future. Sometimes to open frozen glass rear doors it takes up to 2-3 hours of continuous heating of the cabin. It is imperative not in the "hobby" of the car, but in the pocket of your jacket or coat there should be a can of "lock release".
When starting the engine, turn on the blowing of the glass to the minimum mode, and in cars with air conditioning, always set it to auto mode with a temperature of 18-20 C °. Only in such a gentle heating mode windshield so-called "thermal" cracks will never form on it.
A situation that happens to everyone and more than once, especially if you left the car in the cold after washing or after a thaw, a severe frost hit. The most effective are the following recommendations.
1. Insert a thin tube from any defrosting liquid into the lock (they are now sold in abundance in many stores) and press the cylinder button for five to seven seconds. Wait about a minute. Then try to develop a lock with a key. Most often, the defrosting liquid "does not work immediately" and sometimes you have to spray it 2-3 times and wait up to 5-10 minutes. But my practice shows that this whole procedure does not take more than 10-15 minutes and guarantees the opening of the lock.
2. In the absence of defrosting liquid, you can use the "old-fashioned" method - to warm up the lock with a lighter, setting fire to and stuffing inside a piece of newspaper rolled into a tube. You can also tuck a piece of cotton wool soaked in cologne into the lock. From time to time between "warm-ups" we insert the key into the lock and not too much, so as not to break, we turn the key. Not always, but in half of the cases it is possible to open the lock in this way.
3. The last radical remedy, if you can't do anything with the lock - you need to get a container of boiling water and pour it on the lock. Well, if there is nowhere to take boiling water, then there is only one thing to do ... pee on the castle.
How to properly "light" from another car
We will restrict ourselves only to the procedure that is optimal for starting any car and, moreover, will save the car from electrical short-circuits and other troubles.
1. We turn off the engine of the "donor" car.
2. If it is necessary (otherwise you cannot fix the "crocodiles") - remove the terminals from the "donor" battery.
3. We connect one battery to another with thick wires: minus to minus, plus to plus. We make sure that the contact is good. Sometimes, when the engine is started, the battery refuses to work and the alarm is constantly turned on. This happens for the reason that the terminals on the battery oxidized during the parking. Therefore, in every case when you expose the terminals, strip them.
4. We smoke in the literal sense of the word for 5 minutes. If the terminals have not been removed from the donor battery, you can start the donor engine.
5. We turn off the donor's engine, if it was started. You need to "light" only from an idle car, ideally from an autonomous battery.
6. Getting the "sick". If the problem was in a dead battery, the engine will start.
7. Let the "patient" work for 5-10 minutes. Do not touch the wires!
8. We jam the "patient".
9. Remove the wires.
10. Getting the "sick".
11. We start a "donor".
The battery is charged only on the move when the engine speed exceeds 1000 rpm, and it takes quite a long time (20-40 minutes). Traveling too short and stuck in traffic jams lead to undercharging the battery. In principle, you can also recharge on idle, but then you need to turn off unnecessary consumers of electricity - light, air conditioning, heated mirrors and seats, music.
Recently, special chargers appeared on store shelves that not only charge the battery, but also allow you to use it charger as a "donor" for starting the engine. But if possible, it is better to charge the battery autonomously in the heat from a special device. Charging is of high quality and does not take so much time.
Features of cold engine start
Let's start with common truths, namely: what conditions are needed for the engine for the cherished process in its cylinders to go safely. The power supply systems, ignition systems and a starter that can stir up a frozen engine are equally important here.
Food the engine consists of: fuel (the most common is gasoline) and an oxidizer (oxygen in the air). If one or the other is too little (or a lot), then combustion will be sluggish or not at all. Ideally, for complete combustion of gasoline, its weight ratio to air should be about 1:15. This is strictly monitored by the appropriate devices in any working blowtorch, gasoline burner, kerosene stove, providing a transparent, bluish, hot flame.
The carburetor, which must prepare a fuel-air mixture for various operating modes, is much more complicated than a primus. But one of its tasks is the same - to keep the ratio of fuel and oxidizer within the "combustible" limits.
When the engine is already warmed up, it's easy. A cold winter start is much more difficult. The frozen air in the carburetor diffusers is even more cooled, and the droplets of gasoline, mixing with this jet, evaporate reluctantly. And for a flash, an optimal mixture is needed - the spark will not ignite a liquid drop of fuel. The matter is complicated by the fact that part of the gasoline vapors, nevertheless formed during carburation, on the way to the cylinder condenses again, in contact with the cold manifold, and the candle again has one air - and, alas, it does not burn.
A way out of this difficult situation was found long ago - any carburetor is equipped with one or another starting device that sharply increases the supply of gasoline so that the saturation of its vapors near the candle becomes sufficient for a flash. The simplest "semi-automatic" seems tricky to many motorists - although in fact, any thoughtful schoolchild can learn and debug it.
A much more complicated problem arises in many modern foreign cars on which a temperature sensor is installed, which, at a certain value of the specified minimum temperature, simply will not allow your engine to start. You can fight this ailment in different ways, up to installing a special "board" in the car with a button output to the panel. When you start the engine, you press the button, the circuit is opened and the electronics responsible, among other things, for limiting the start of the engine, stops working. The engine starts, you depress the button, and the electronics of the car are restored again.
The next important system is ignition... Is the power of the spark between the electrodes really so important, if even a weak charge ignites successfully! Indeed, in light conditions (summer, a working engine, a normally working carburetor ...), a super-powerful spark is not needed. Cold start conditions are different!
A powerful, whipping spark heats the droplets of gasoline and ignites them. And the weak is not capable of this. In addition, it is important that the spark between the electrodes passes in time - at the end of the compression stroke, before the position of the piston at top dead center. This is the so-called ignition timing or ignition timing, for each engine its own, regulated.
The power of the spark often depends on more simple things. First of all - from the voltage in on-board network... And as long as the engine is not running - from the state of the battery.
We have consistently approached starter... Its task is to turn the engine, and quickly, so that the carburetor has enough vacuum, and the compression in the cylinders warms up each charge well. The slower the crankshaft turns, the more difficult it is to start the engine.
In winter, the starter is especially difficult, and even more so if the engine has a thick summer oil... It is so difficult to pump through the lubrication system that it sometimes breaks oil pump, the filter housing is torn. The crankshaft turns barely, the compression in the cylinders is slow and weak, the carburetor does not work well. But that's not all!
The load on the starter is at its maximum - and it strongly "sucks" the battery - so much so that there may be no spark. That is why oil viscosity often plays first fiddle during winter start-up. Have stingy, saved on oil change - troubles are guaranteed.
Now let's move on from theory to practice. As you can conclude from all of the above, the most important thing is the overall readiness of the car for frost. "Correct", more liquid and therefore more suitable for winter oil, and good battery... Everything is simple with oil - fill in good oil in proven car services. Mineral or just old machine oil at minus 30 it will surely freeze. Therefore, it is better to change the oil, preferably to "synthetics".
In the washer reservoir, you also need to have an anti-freeze, and high-quality and not diluted. Water, if suddenly someone remains, freezing, will tear apart the washer parts. Unfortunately, most of the anti-freeze systems offered in car markets freeze at -15 ° C. Knowing this fact, it is easier for the winter to drain all the liquid from the washer and thereby protect yourself from trouble. Agree: few of us use a washer in winter.
Battery. You can help him survive the night or even several days by warming up the car well "before going to bed" - it is best to drive for at least half an hour without using powerful electrical appliances - heating rear window and seats, servos, fancy music. There is another option to take the battery home, into the warmth. If you do not have a warm garage, and you have to park for a long time, say a week, then it is still worth removing the battery.
Even in normal warm conditions for a month, each battery needs to be charged, what can we say about cold weather, when the discharge process is much faster. Do not forget to clean all the contacts before installing the battery, otherwise your car will either not start, or the alarm will start to "glitch" at startup.
On cold mornings, the battery needs to be warmed up before starting by turning on for a few seconds high beam... This measure is quite effective. Advice to those who use manual box gears: in order not to overload the battery - do not forget to press the clutch pedal during start-up. The neutral position of the lever in the box is not enough: after all, when the pedal is released, the motor will have to rotate both the driven disc and the shafts in the box.
And even after the engine has started, it makes sense to keep your foot on the clutch for a while - if you release it abruptly, the car can stall and, according to the law of meanness, will not start again. It is not necessary to turn the starter for too long - it is better to let the battery rest and then repeat the operation.
If, nevertheless, you fail to get your iron horse, then in such cases we recall the existence of special devices that are popularly called - "Wires for lighting"... They are designed to supply a large starting current to the terminals of a discharged battery from a donor vehicle.
But only wires with a sufficiently large cross section are capable of transmitting this current. For example, to ensure the cranking of a cold engine with a volume of about 1.6 liters, the cross-sectional area of \u200b\u200bsuch a wire must be at least 16 mm ?, which corresponds to a diameter of 4.5 mm.
Some firms produce wires in rubber insulation, which dulls at low temperatures and does not allow the wires to bend. The best samples have insulation made of soft material, most often it is silicone, which does not lose its properties in the cold.
The ends of the wires are usually sealed in powerful crocodile clips and differ in color: as a rule, the positive wire is red, the negative wire is black. The length of the wires rarely exceeds 2-3 meters, so cars should be placed as close to one another as possible. And take into account the location of the batteries.
I want to warn you: many cars with a fairly complex electronic support launch systems - in other words, with computers - are not recommended to be launched in this way. Their rectifier bridges and computers can die in the process. What the instructions usually say quite definitely. Therefore, before you "light up" - look in the "manual"!
Having opened the hoods, first fix the tip of the "positive" wire on the "+" terminal of the suffering car and only then connect the second clip of the same wire to the "+" terminal of the donor car battery. The clamps must be tight and secure. Then connect the black wire in the same sequence.
After making sure that the wires are fixed correctly and firmly, wait a couple of minutes and turn on the ignition. Do not turn on the ignition and start the donor car engine to avoid damaging it. electronic systems... After starting the engine and the appearance of signs of its stable operation at rpm idle move wires can be disconnected: first "minus", then "positive".
Often the car will not start due to bad or dirty spark plugs... They need to be checked, cleaned of carbon deposits and, if necessary, changed.
In case of frost, a large number of special fuel additives are sold in car dealerships - for example, “ fast start»That are poured into the carburetor and fuel system for better engine starting.
It is impossible, and it is pointless to turn the starter for more than 20 seconds. If, after three such attempts, the car does not come to life, you need to wait a few minutes, then repeat the series. When it did not work to start the engine from three to five attempts and it does not give any hope for this, it is worth leaving the car alone until it warms up or calling a specialist to find the cause of the sabotage of technology.
In the cold, it is better not to put the car on the handbrake so that the pads do not freeze. It's easier to just put the car in gear. Owners diesel cars it is generally not recommended to use the car in severe cold weather, if it sleeps on the street or in an unheated garage. The chances of starting a diesel engine at minus 30 are few.
In order not to dig with frozen door locks, it is better to pour special defrosting machines into the "larvae" in advance. I do not recommend pouring boiling water over the castle - the water will cool down, freeze, and the next time it will be possible to open the car only in spring.
One of the controversial questions is whether it is worth warming up the car, if, for example, it is completely serviceable and can go immediately after starting and not stall. Definitely: it is worth getting under way only after the interior heater begins to produce air that is noticeably warm to the hands. And, of course, do not turn the gas, as the instructions advise.
Remember: one problematic cold start engine in severe frost in terms of the degree of damage caused to the car is 300-500 km of run. And if the trip is not urgent, then it is better to postpone it for later.
How to start the engine in frost
There are quite a few reasons for the engine failure to start: these are flooded candles, and bad gasoline, and sensors that prevent the engine from starting when the temperature drops below a certain degree (usually up to -25C °). But most often it happens that the entire engine start chain is simply frozen.
This happens especially often when, after a thaw, the temperature drops sharply and the sensors and mechanisms are covered with an ice film, the mixture required by its composition does not form, and the nozzles simply "pour" without spraying with a torch. In order to prevent this, it is advisable to warm up the car in such temperature drops every two hours and smoothly enter your engine into operation at low temperatures.
But since the problem of starting the engine in cold weather arose, we will not reinvent the wheel - the algorithm has long been invented and tested.
1.
We check that all electrical appliances are turned off: fan, stove, headlights, radio, air conditioner, heated rear window.
2.
Before trying to start, turn on the high or low beam for literally five to ten seconds. This is enough to warm up the battery.
3.
We squeeze the clutch and put the gearshift lever in neutral (we recommend to "automatic machines" to move the selector from position P to position N) and turn on the ignition. As soon as the fuel pump runs out (it takes a few seconds), you can turn on the starter - but not more than for 10-15 seconds.
4.
An unsuccessful attempt can be repeated after one or two minutes. This pause is needed so that the gasoline that has flooded the candle wells evaporates. If the car did not start on the third attempt, then there is no point in further raping the engine and draining the battery. There are quite a few reasons for refusing to start, but the most reliable solution to the problem: if there is an opportunity to wait for the warming, when the air temperature becomes at least -10C °, or to tow the car to a warm garage.
5.
If the engine is alive, do not rush to release the clutch. The masters advise to do this smoothly, observing the revolutions. It is not necessary to "help" the sneezing motor with a gas filling, you can fill the candles.
You can apply a few more extreme ways to start the engine in cold weather. For those who are not afraid of auto chemistry, aerosol "start-up facilitators" will come in handy. An essential aerosol is injected into the air intake and facilitates the ignition of the mixture.
There is one more radical remedy that is used in extreme cases. Put a tightly wet rag on the manifold and around the carburetor and slowly spill the entire rag with boiling water. Two liters of boiling water should be enough for this procedure.
If nothing helps at all, then it remains to call on the announcement for the help of "specialists" who, with the help of heat guns or gas burners, will warm your car. They can also recharge your battery. But not everyone can afford such a challenge, and if the problem of a cold start arises from time to time, you can worry in advance and buy yourself a heat gun or an infrared gas burner. Heat guns are more suitable for heating vehicles indoors and when electricity is available.
Gas infrared emitters are more economical than electric ones due to their lower cost natural gas (average consumption 300 ml. per hour of work). They can be used in any room and in any frost. The only drawback is that gas at temperatures below -30 ºС can burn badly.
Thermal infrared radiation penetrates the air almost unhindered. It becomes effective only when heat rays hit solid bodies. The oil in the crankcase warms up better and safer than using a blowtorch, which, in fact, simply boils the oil. Compared to heat guns, there is no air movement, which means clouds of dust and debris.
The gas burner is installed under the crankcase of the vehicle. The engine is covered with blankets and other warm rags from above. If it happens on the street, then you need to close the car with cellophane or some other cover from below along the perimeter and exclude the blowing of heat from the burner.
Warming up usually takes 15-30 (maximum) minutes. By the way, a gas burner will be useful for you when fishing both in winter in a tent, and in autumn and summer on cold nights. You can also cook food on it. In all senses, a convenient and fairly inexpensive thing.
Konstantin Fadeev
