25.01.2018
I'll start with some unexpected tips:
First advice: "Car owner, remember: scammers in car services are waiting for you!"
Second tip: "Car owner! Before preparing your car for the winter, stop reading stupid Internet!"
Advice three: "Car owner, this article is just for you, read and remember that any advice can be interpreted in its own way, in relation to your car."
Now that you've read these tips, let's get started ...
And I'll start with examples (but I won't give specific addresses, why? There are exactly the same examples in your city, the main thing here is "not to be a ram on a string and not to be led where you are being taken").
"We offer you such an annual service as comprehensive training car for winter. Thanks to this service, you will forget about the many annual problems that any motorist has "...
And further, in order not to slow down the pace, the car service specialists recommend to immediately buy the so-called "packages". Here, purely according to the humorist Zadornov: "We have a lot of them!"
What are (or you may be offered) service packages: "Necessary", "Optimal", "Comfortable", "Exclusive". The initial package costs 5,000 rubles, and the latest package costs 25,000 rubles. The prices, frankly speaking, are exorbitant, and they reminded me of advertising on the streets of Moscow (when advertising was allowed and banners hung over the roads): "When buying two apartments in an elite house - a branded cap as a gift!"
And now it's time to figure it out specifically, so let's take it for thought
"Optimal" package:
Underbody washing and engine compartment
Integrated anti-corrosion treatment (including treatment with anti-corrosion materials of the bottom, arches and cavities)
Replacing the coolant
Prevention brake system (replacement brake fluid, brake system diagnostics)
Diagnostics of the wear of the wiper blades + replacement (excluding the cost of the brushes) + Flushing and adjustment of washer nozzles
Replacement of the washer fluid for the winter one (taking into account the cost of the washer fluid)
Tire fitting (complex 2 removal / installation + installation / denomination + balancing - from the bulkhead)
Diagnostics undercarriage
Oil change for winter (marked W - winter, excluding oil cost)
Diagnose battery status
Cost - 10,000 rubles.
Have you read it - were you surprised?
The average car owner will say: "Well, you fucking give!"
The owner of a rich car will not even read this article, however, it is written here not for rich people, but for the bulk of car owners, who have now begun to calculate not the distance to be driven, but something else: "How much money will it cost?"
What can you do without in this "service package"?
If you exclude the re-shoes of rubber, then you can leave only two points: "Replacing the windshield washer fluid" and ... however, no, only one point will be enough, because everything else is like bus stop "on demand".
Underbody and engine compartment washing?
What for? Have you been skating on impassable mud all summer?
Or this car service has such a special device:
Or such a high-tech device:
Such a device is not cheap at all, not every car service will buy it, but if you have already bought it, then now you need to lure customers and "beat off" the purchase?
"Diagnostics of the wear of the wiper blades".
And what, the car owner does not have sight, hands, and you can't do it yourself?
First, you can notice while driving that "the brushes have become worse to clean".
Secondly, after the trip, you can lift the brushes yourself, take a sponge and thoroughly clean the rubber of the brushes - it helps in most cases.
Thirdly: if you do not clean the ice on a frozen windshield in winter, the brushes will last much longer.
And each brush can cost "from 500 rubles."
But why would anyone pay if you can do everything yourself?
Including, and replace the wiper blades, and not throw money on the sides and buy such proposed "winter packages".
Of course, if there are such similar offers, then there will always be a buyer ... why wrote all this: money can and should be spent on maintaining your car, but under such conditions:
- First and foremost: to carry out seasonal work only with a trusted auto repairman. And not only "seasonal service", all work must be carried out by a trusted and reliable auto repairman, this is the only way to preserve and extend the life of your car.
- The second condition: trust your "autodoctor" - he himself knows what work needs to be done on your car in a certain period of time, especially if you are constantly serviced by him, and he has the whole "medical history" of your car in his computer.
- The third condition: never say specifically, they say, "I urgently need to change this ... this ... and this." Just tell me what is bothering you, and then trust your auto diagnostic mechanic.
By the way: were you a little strained by the expressions: "your auto repairman", "your autodoctor"?
And you don't have to strain, you have to strain if you DO NOT have such "own" autospecialists. And so I can advise you to look at this page:
The map and addresses are now being filled, and soon it will be possible to learn a lot of useful information from there. And I cannot but agree with the words written there, I especially like the expression about "the ultimate truth":
"Legion-Avtodata" presents auto diagnostics and repair specialists who have become judges, the most successful finalists, winners and prize-winners of the regional stages of the Autodiagnostic Olympiad.
The Olympiad, by definition, presupposes the identification of the best in terms of professional knowledge diagnosticians capable of solving complex problems, but this does not at all call into question the competence of the regional finals that remained outside the framework - perhaps, in the proposed format, someone simply did not have enough luck. We hope that they will again take part in the future Olympics.
I would like to repeat - we do not aim to choose the "best diagnostician" of the country, claiming the ultimate truth. Rather, we just want to help a large group of competent specialists from different regions publicly declare themselves, get to know each other, and, of course, introduce ourselves to potential clients. "
Why did you bring this card and say so many words? And so that you do not get this, accidentally overheard conversation in one car service near Moscow, when I changed the tires on my car. Conversation between the master-receiver and the car owner who came to inspect his car. At first I didn’t listen, but when the receptionist began to read the _the second_ page of "detected faults", I could not resist, looked over his shoulder first at the "list of faults" on several sheets, and then looked out the window at the client's car. It was a Toyota RAV4. Pretty straight from the tin, judging by paintwork and body contour. I don’t know for what reasons the client didn’t go to the dealer to be serviced, but what I heard about "loose rusks in the steering rack" ... and the like strengthened my thoughts about a "beautiful divorce for money". Or to put it more simply: "Elementary fraud".
I will not say the name of this car service near Moscow, maybe it’s a simple coincidence, I’m only reporting the fact of the conversation I heard, but draw your own conclusions.
And the last, as they say "the icing on the cake": "Currently in the rendering segment car service a lot of new people came to the population. Most of the newbies focused solely on monetizing their "knowledge" - pay attention to the quotes, as a result of which the general level of trust in car services decreases, car owners become discouraged and start looking for normal, that is, competent specialists, see the screen below. "
A winter kit for an air conditioner allows you to use climatic equipment at low temperatures, turning this device into a universal one. And how he does it, let's try to figure it out now.
Basically, the heating function in the air conditioner is practically not used, since there are strict limits for the operation of climate systems in the cold season. If the outside air temperature has exceeded zero, then it is no longer recommended to use the device. Only some manufacturers make their own in such a way that they can be used up to -7 C °. Why is it so bad for a modern split system?
Why you can't use the air conditioning system in winter
In order to understand why you cannot use the air conditioner in the cold season, you need to remember its principle of operation: the compressor pumps freon into the condenser-heat exchanger where it is cooled. After that, it compresses the gas to a liquid state and supplies it to the evaporator, in which heat energy is captured from the air during evaporation. After that, this energy is transferred by gaseous freon again to the condenser, where it gives it to the surrounding air, cooling and passing into the liquid phase. Giving heat to the outside air, the gas becomes cold and transfers this cold from the street to your home, giving the brought cold to the evaporator, and at the same time to the air that blows it.
When the climate system starts working to heat the room, the location of the condenser and the evaporator is reversed using a device called a four-way valve. So why shouldn't it be used in winter, many will ask.
The fact is that the principle of operation of any split system is based on condensation and evaporation, on heating and cooling. What happens when cold metal meets warmer humid air? That's right, condensation forms, that is, moisture, which simply freezes in cold air. When moisture appears in the air conditioner, it flows down the drain pipe outside the room. If this moisture freezes, and it necessarily freezes at a temperature below zero, then it will have nowhere to go and it will begin to seep through the pipeline connections into the device body, which will inevitably lead to its failure.
- In addition, in the cold, the oil in the compressor freezes, which can lead to a shutdown or serious wear.
- In cold air conditions, freon will have nowhere to take heat to transfer it to the room, so the efficiency of heating the air becomes practically zero.
- Cold freon may not have time to pass from the liquid to the gaseous phase, and will get into the compressor, which can cause a water hammer and simply kill the compressor and the freon line.
How a winter kit can help
Split system winter kit includes:
- A sensor that is low temperatures gives a command to the controller, slowing down the fan of the outdoor unit. This reduces the occurrence of icing on the instruments.
- Special heater for compressor oil when the air conditioner is not running. This maintains little in the liquid state and enables easy starting of the equipment.
- A device that heats the drainage pipeline, which relieves it from freezing condensate and the formation of an ice plug.
Currently, some manufacturers produce so-called low-temperature split systems, which are immediately equipped with a similar winter set of equipment. They can perfectly work to cool the air in the room, up to the temperature "overboard" -25C °. It is for cooling, and not for heating, since everything in this world is subject to physical laws, and especially the law of thermodynamics. It is impossible to obtain heat from the cold without wasting energy on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dMsR0gLum_dU We foresee indignant exclamations about why the winter kit, and who will cool the apartment in winter! The thing is that the cooling of the room in winter period is needed not by people, but by some mechanisms and such rooms in which a large number of computers are installed. In addition, cooling to certain temperatures is required in some laboratories and in certain technological cycles. It was for them that a winter air conditioner was invented, which can work for cooling even at subzero temperatures.
How to mount the "winter kit"
As a rule, such a set consists of three blocks:
- Compressor oil heating device.
- A device that automatically adjusts the fan speed.
- Drainage pipeline heating device.
Connecting these devices will not be difficult for a person who understands technology, because on each of them, for clarity, a connection diagram is drawn. So, after connecting the devices, and especially the fan rotation regulator, you need to check its operation, that is, apply voltage to the contacts. If the fan starts spinning at full speed, and then slows down according to the command of the temperature sensor, then the regulator is connected correctly.
Advice: If you are in dire need of the air conditioner operation at subzero outdoor air temperatures and decide to install a winter kit, then contact the service department. And if you want to do at least something with your own hands to protect your split system, then purchase and install, which will protect it in the cold season from the harmful effects of precipitation.
The times when only one cabin heater was included in the car "winter package" are long gone. Manufacturers have learned to make cars that provide their owners and passengers in the cold season with exactly the same comfort as in the warm summer days. We decided to remind you exactly which "winter" options you should pay attention to, and collected all the "amenities" in an ideal "winter package" that will be useful to any car owner.
1. Heated rear-view mirrors
Heated side mirrors - one of the most important "winter" options that directly affect driving safety. In the absence of electric heating, the exterior mirrors will give you a lot of headaches: the mirror elements will have to be manually cleaned of fogging and ice, and the view will be much worse than in similar heated mirrors. Today, this option can be considered a must for absolutely any car. It is definitely not worth saving on it.
2. Heated seats with step adjustment
The regular heating of the front seats and the rear sofa is also a very pleasant and useful option, which is now available even in cars of the lower price segment. If you carry in the car, as a rule, only your loved one, heating the front seats will be enough, and if there is big family if possible, it is worth considering the inclusion of a heated rear sofa in the package. Pay attention to the convenience of using the option: quality cars heating certainly has several steps of adjustment, but not an on / off key.
3. Heated steering wheel
If you have to sometimes drive in extreme cold, electric steering wheel heating must certainly be present in the car. Thanks to this simple option, you will not need to warm your hands with your breath and wear slippery, uncomfortable gloves. Regular heating "steering wheel" is a different level of comfort, which there is no point in giving up.
4. Heated front and rear windows
If the electric heating rear window has long become a mandatory option for all cars without exception, then frontal heating is not yet available to everyone. If possible, do not give up this simple but useful option. It helps to free the windshield from fogging and ice much faster, allows you to spend less winter washers and, ultimately, improves driving safety in difficult winter conditions.
5. Heated washer nozzles
Cleanliness windshield the heated washer nozzles also contribute. Isopropyl alcohol, on the basis of which winter windscreen washer fluids permitted in Russia are mixed, tends to thicken strongly in the cold, which often leads to the inoperability of the entire glass cleaning system. Heated nozzles is an important option, without which you will have a hard time at temperatures below -20 ° C.
6. Centralized headlight cleaning system
Headlight washers are the prerogative of cars in the middle and upper price segment. In this case, the option is often not very effective. However, with high-quality performance, it will save you a lot of problems when driving in bad weather in autumn-winter-spring conditions. Clean hands and better overview, especially in the dark, are not all the advantages of this option.
7. Heated armrests
To buyers who are truly dear and comfortable cars sometimes completely exclusive winter options are offered. For example, Mercedes E- and S-classes have heated armrests. Why not! Keep your hands warm!
8. Floor mats
However, there are things that will not interfere with absolutely any car that is operated in cold weather in Russia. These are, for example, rugs that protect the floor covering from dirt or snow. They greatly facilitate cleaning the interior and help to keep the car in top condition, protecting, including the floor of the body. This option is a must-have.
9. Electric drive back door
If you are buying a hatchback or station wagon, pay attention to the tailgate lock. Due to the aerodynamics of such bodies, the rear of the car will always be in mud or snow. This means that every time you open and close the door, you will get your own hands dirty. Electric drive will save you from such a problem and help to save a lot of nerve cells. Don't be stingy or opt for a clean sedan.
10. Remote start / pre-heater
The importance of the system remote start It is difficult to overestimate in Russia. Thanks to her, you will not be able to spend extra time on bringing your vehicle into working condition or freeze in it, waiting for warm air to flow out of the ventilation system ducts. Preheater salon is also a very pleasant and useful option that improves mood in cold weather.
11. Heated "glove compartment"
Cooled "glove compartment" for most motorists has long become commonplace. But many probably did not even think about the possibility of heating it. If in the heat you may need to cool the drinks, then in the cold, on the contrary, heat it up. You should definitely not underestimate this option!
12. High-capacity battery
The battery plays a decisive role in winter operation. Many automakers that officially supply cars to Russia supply their products with a high-capacity battery already from the factory. Remember: what more capacity battery, the more chances you have to start the car during extreme cold weather.
13. "Washer" level indicator
Washer fluid tends to run out quickly and suddenly in winter, especially if your car has a headlight cleaning system. In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, motorists are forced to carry with them a supply of anti-freeze or to navigate by the tank indicator. The latter is not on every model. Meanwhile, your safety directly depends on its presence.
14. Full-size "spare wheel" in the trunk
