Diesel does not start in winter: a solution to the problem. How to start a diesel engine in cold weather: tips from experienced drivers

23.04.2019

many owners diesel cars they are cautiously waiting for winter frosts, since almost every one of them had to deal with the fact that the car would not start in sub-zero temperatures. The main reason for this is the thickening of diesel fuel at low temperatures. This trouble happens due to the formation of small paraffin particles in diesel fuel. However, if you apply small tricks that experienced drivers use, you can figure out how to start a diesel engine in cold weather.

To diesel engine could easily start in a big frost, it is necessary to take into account such important factors:

good and proven fuel;
reliable battery;
working starter;
quality candles.

A prerequisite is also normal compression and serviceable injection system. When at least one of these points is inoperative or works poorly, the diesel engine will not start in frost. By the arrival of cold weather, it is necessary to check the operation of the engine in a good workshop. A smoking engine indicates a lack of power, uneven operation, or problems with compression. This is one of the main indicators that can characterize the entire operation of the motor.

Checking the diesel engine is carried out using a pressure gauge, which is connected directly to the injector. Thus, it is checked operating pressure in the cylinder during operation crankshaft. If the car is new, then this indicator should be at least 30-40 bar. If the pressure in the working cylinder is lower than 20 bar, then starting the diesel engine in frost will definitely not take place. But this is more common on vehicles with high mileage, where the engine is already developed. In such a case, it is necessary overhaul motor or, as an option for winter, a warm, heated garage. In the warm season, even strongly worn engine starts without problems.

Possible problems with the injector

In older cars with high mileage, the problem with the injector usually manifests itself when starting the car, there is also significantly reduced power and smoke exhaust pipe. Such an engine starts to work too noisily, it seems to be knocking with something metal. If the car is new, then you can find out that the injector is not working by hard braking after pressing the gas pedal. The cost of injector repair varies depending on the year of manufacture of the car, the newer the car, the more expensive the injector repair will be.

Battery Disadvantages

As practice shows, starting any diesel car is much more problematic than starting a car with gasoline engine the same power. Therefore, diesel engines are equipped with batteries and starters that are much more powerful. IN winter time all defects in batteries manifest themselves in a double size, since in severe frosts the need for an engine in electricity increases significantly. Frost thickens the fuel, the starters spin harder, and the spark plugs need to run longer. Usually, the colder it is outside, the less battery power. How to start a diesel engine in cold weather becomes the main issue even for experienced car owners.

To avoid many problems in advance, you need to take a closer look at the work of the starter. If it does not work well or after a couple of attempts to start it noticeably weakens, then you need to contact a specialist. The service station will check the performance of the battery and all parts of the car used to charge it. If you buy immediately new battery, without checking the old one, it is often just a waste of money, perhaps the problem is not in it. The alternator or starter may be faulty. Life time modern batteries is three to five years.

Fuel and fuel filter problems

With a sharp drop in temperature in the tanks of most diesel cars mobiles are still filled with summer diesel fuel, which tends to thicken strongly at a temperature of zero degrees. Paraffin, deposited in frost from such fuel, can completely clog the fuel filter, this is one of the reasons for the inability to start a diesel engine correctly in frost. If, for some reason, summer fuel was not used, a special additive, an antidepressant, must be poured into the tank. This will help to reduce the thickening parameters of diesel fuel. Experts recommend changing the fuel filter before the onset of frost, in diesel engines the filter design provides for a sump to collect water, if there is a lot of liquid in the sump, then in frost it will freeze and limit the flow of diesel fuel into the engine.

Most diesel owners think that the troubles with the diesel engine factory in winter period are obtained due to diesel fuel, which does not correspond to the season. There are only three types of diesel fuel:

summer diesel fuel - used from zero degrees and more;
winter diesel fuel - poured at negative temperatures up to minus thirty degrees;
arctic fuel - used in diesel vehicles at temperatures below minus thirty degrees.

The most important difference between all these brands is the temperature of the thickening of the fuel. If the fuel is filled according to the season, then the use of special additives is not required. If all systems of the car are in good condition, the diesel engine will start in the cold on the first try.

Candle failure

It is very rare that all car candles fail at the same time. If the car is old and with high mileage, the driver may not even notice the failure of a separate candle, it’s just that when the engine is started, the engine starts weaker and its work is uneven for several seconds. In the fall, it is advisable to conduct an audit car candles and replace defective items.

The performance of candles can be checked without contacting specialists. The element must be pulled out, the contact from the minus connected to the body, and plus thrown onto the candle terminals. When the candle is working, the tube will instantly warm up. After a few seconds, it will fully heat up and it will glow.

Proven ways to start a diesel

A very reliable and proven way to ensure correct functioning fuel design diesel vehicle, is to install the heating structure in fuel tank, on pipes and on the filter. It is very easy, although dangerous, to start a diesel engine using a tug.

Passenger cars are equipped with a belt-type distribution system drive. When a tug is used, jerks are inevitable, this can lead to a break in the belt. You can use the tug only in hopeless situations when the battery is dead or the starter is broken.

Take some advice from experienced drivers:

if the diesel engine is started in frost, it is necessary to turn it on for a few minutes distant headlights, then depress the clutch for a few seconds, and then let the starter rest, this can help the diesel plant;
you can add kerosene to the fuel, even if long-term operation V sub-zero temperatures such a composition does not affect the operation of the entire design of the diesel engine;
use additives that reduce the thickening point of diesel fuel;
to quickly warm up a frozen diesel engine, you can put a cover on the car and put a heat gun under the bottom. The temperature under the engine must be brought to at least zero degrees;
if we start a diesel engine in frost, then for a quick start, you can sprinkle ether into the air intake, you need to try to start the engine while the ether is in a sprayed state;
another method proven over the years from experienced drivers of diesel cars. If the car does not want to start in the cold, it is necessary to warm up the drain manifold. This can be done elementarily, with a piece of paper and matches. The paper is set on fire and the collector is heated with the help of smoke, in this case the machine starts up very quickly;
need to buy diesel fuel only at proven gas stations, saving on diesel fuel, you can spend a lot on repairs.

Conclusion

Diesel vehicles are popular due to their power and efficiency in operation. But for all these advantages, lovers of such cars suffer in winter frosts. The transition period from autumn to winter is especially troublesome, it is at this time that there are frequent frosts, and the fuel in the car is mostly filled with summer fuel. So you have to spend hours trying to start your car. If you follow the advice of experts and carefully monitor the car, then even in severe frosts such problems will not arise.

Let's start with the fact that over the past ten years, cars has become a worthy alternative to gasoline analogues for a number of reasons. At the same time, significant fuel savings due to better and other positive qualities motors of this type.

However, this type of engine is also not without drawbacks. The main problem all diesel engines without exception modern cars is vulnerability sensitive fuel system, as well as cold start difficulties. It should be noted that certain knowledge makes it possible to avoid a number of such troubles during the operation of a diesel engine.

In this article, we will talk about what a novice "dieselist" needs to know about the features of engines of this type, as well as how to start a diesel engine in cold weather and do it right with minimal damage to other systems. power unit.

Read in this article

Cold start of a diesel engine in winter: difficulties and nuances

As a rule, problems with a diesel engine begin precisely when the outside temperature drops to zero or below. At near-zero and negative temperatures in any engine, there are several, the fuel evaporates worse, it discharges more strongly, etc. As a result, launching can be naturally complicated.

As for the diesel, in this case special attention deserves . The fact is that diesel fuel is divided into "winter" and "summer". This division is dictated by the fact that this type of fuel tends to thicken and paraffinize in the cold. If this does not happen in warm weather, then in winter thick diesel fuel simply will not be pumped through the power system.

It turns out that in the summer at gas stations they sell the so-called "summer" diesel fuel, while to solve the problem with the onset of cold weather, "winter" diesel fuel is supplied to the gas station. If simply, in summer diesel fuel separately, special additives are added that allow this type of fuel to remain fluid even at sub-zero temperatures.

At the same time, it is important to understand that in the off-season, when it is still relatively warm during the day, and it is already cold at night, not all gas stations have time to switch to winter diesel in a timely manner. Considering that winter fuel in itself is also more expensive, then some unscrupulous sellers, in the pursuit of profit, quite often sell summer diesel fuel at the price of winter oil before the onset of stable cold weather. The situation is further complicated by the fact that it is impossible to distinguish summer diesel fuel from winter diesel fuel visually, by smell, consistency and any other signs.

How to start diesel in winter

So, we sorted out the "fuel" risks. Now it becomes clear that common problem when starting a diesel engine in winter, which leads to difficulties during a cold start, is unsuitable for the season or low-quality diesel fuel. in the right ways To avoid such problems are the following solutions:

parking the car in a warm garage or heated parking lot;
installation of systems, etc.;
independent use of additives-antigels;

If everything is clear with the first two methods, then the third solution is many engine repair specialists and experienced car enthusiasts are being questioned. The fact is that the addition of various third-party additives to the fuel tank can be unsafe for diesel system power supply and the internal combustion engine itself.

By the way, many official dealers separately indicate that if any breakdowns occur due to the use of various anti-gels on diesel cars that are under warranty, then such a malfunction is not warranty case. This means that repairs will be carried out solely at the expense of the owner.

Let's go back to cold start. Let's imagine a typical situation where there is no garage, and the car itself has been standing on the street for a long time. At the same time, the car is not equipped with any additional heating. In this case, you need to know how to start a diesel engine in winter and what needs to be done to do everything right.

First of all, it is taken into account that starting a diesel engine in winter compared to a gasoline engine can be difficult due to the individual differences in such a motor. More precisely, fuel injection and further ignition of the mixture of fuel and air in a diesel engine occurs somewhat differently than in.

Also, owners of diesel cars that are operated in regions with fairly severe winters can be advised to install various preheaters (and power systems, an engine preheater such as Webasto or Hydronic, etc.)

It is also recommended to separately insulate engine compartment and engine. It is well suited for this, which retains heat and prevents the internal combustion engine from cooling down quickly. Warming will not be superfluous. For these purposes, various solutions can be used, the simplest of which is the installation of a dense cardboard “flap”.

Finally, we note that for a long time, since the motor of this type warms up only in motion under load. This means that 3-5 minutes after the start of work on diesel car need to drive, however riding for the first 5 km. should be smooth, without a significant increase in speed, sudden starts and braking, movement on overdrive etc.

Looking for a "common denominator"

How to start a diesel engine in cold weather? To begin with, let's look at the causes of bad things at low temperatures. Let's just say that there are a lot of them. But most of them have a common denominator - liquids. Moreover, the lower the temperature environment, topics worse engines they will work.

In the case of a diesel engine, frost attacks the fuel. With a rapid drop in temperature, it begins to thicken, which changes the composition of the liquid. As a result, the fuel is difficult to ignite or does not pass through the filter at all. fine cleaning.

A battery is also associated with liquids, in which chemical processes are constantly going on (producing electric current). And the lower the air temperature, the slower they occur.

Another reason for a poor start of a car on a diesel engine can be engine oil. It, like fuel, also tends to thicken. Thus, as the temperature decreases, the movement of the rubbing parts of the crankshaft becomes more complicated. Even worse, if the oil film breaks or disappears altogether. Then the overhaul power plant inevitable.

How to start a diesel in winter? First start

If your vehicle does not start the first time, no need to panic. This process should last no more than 15 seconds. After that, you should turn the key to its original position and let the battery “rest” for one to two minutes. Ideally, the car should start with a maximum of 3 attempts. If your car still does not start, do not repeat this process many times. So you only worsen the performance of the starter and discharge the battery.

Start by "lighting" method

In winter, always keep "in reserve" prefabricated cables. Thanks to them, you can quickly start the car. Help can be provided not only by a friend, but also by any friendly driver passing by you.

If the car can be started using the “lighting up” method, it can safely go further. But it is worth noting that you should not turn off the engine immediately after ignition. Let the battery fully "satiate" with electricity by driving at least 5 kilometers. And it is best to let the engine run for about an hour. In this case, it will unequivocally resume its charge and at the next start it will give a normal

Use of additives and antigels

So, we have her frozen, if not near suitable car, from which it would be possible to "light up"? In that case, welcome to the world of additives and anti-gels. Fortunately, finding them is not difficult even in small towns. Often motorists prefer such well-known manufacturers, like Liquid Moli, Hado and Castrol. Due to their composition, they do not allow the paraffin contained in diesel fuel to multiply in full. The fact is that when the temperature drops, this fuel begins to become cloudy, forming a special precipitate. Because of it, diesel fuel does not enter the combustion chamber, getting stuck in the filter walls.

We also note that additives and antigels do not dissolve paraffin in liquids, they only delay its growth with the next decrease in temperature. But, as practice shows, this is quite enough to start a diesel engine in a 40-degree frost. True, for this you need to know how to use the antigel correctly. And it is poured into the tank at a temperature above 0 ... +1 degrees Celsius. In this case, the tool brings real benefits to the engine.

The nuances of antigels

Modern automakers do not recommend the use of additives in fuel. This applies to TDI, HDI and CDI engines. This prohibition is explained by the complexity of the design fuel equipment. But motorists say that with careful and moderate use, the additive does not cause any harm to diesel installations.

When using anti-gels, it is important to pay attention not only to the ambient temperature, but also to the proportion in which liquid should be added to the tank. Manufacturers indicate this information on the labels.

What to do if the diesel fuel is already frozen?

How to start a car in winter if the fuel is already frozen? Of course, it is impossible to “revive” an already frozen diesel fuel full of paraffins. The only way is to pour it into a canister and heat it up to a temperature of 60-70 degrees Celsius. After that, add a few milliliters of antigel and pour the resulting substance into the tank. But before starting the car in winter, motorists are advised to first install a new fuel filter.

Details about kerosene

Experienced drivers do not trust various new products in the form of anti-gels and additives and usually prefer to dilute diesel fuel with kerosene. In practice, the result is the same, and this method can be used not only on older engines. Kerosene has a high lubricity, so it does no harm. Experts recommend diluting diesel fuel with this fuel in a proportion of no more than 30 percent, that is, a maximum of 30 liters of kerosene per 100 liters of diesel fuel.

Petrol

But this kind of oil products should be completely deleted from the list of used "heaters" for diesel engines. The fact is that gasoline, unlike additives and kerosene, does not have lubricity. And this means that during the operation of the engine, the high-pressure fuel pump will pump the liquid "dry". Therefore, before starting a diesel engine in cold weather in this way, remember that the repair of fuel equipment can cost from 200 to 500 Euros. In extreme cases, it is recommended to dilute gasoline with oil.

Glow plugs

Before you start a diesel engine in winter, you need to carefully warm up the candles. How to do it? First you need to turn the ignition key, then wait until a bulb in the form of a spring appears on the instrument panel. Most often it is yellow or red (you can see it in the photo below).

After a couple of seconds, it disappears, informing that the fuel has warmed up sufficiently. After that, return the ignition key to its original position. To fully warm up the glow plugs, repeat this procedure several more times with an interval of 2-3 seconds. The fact is that foreign manufacturers do not quite know what kind of low temperatures their cars have to face in Russia, especially in the northern regions. fuel mixture during this period, it is simply not able to warm up normally, so you should repeat this procedure with key turns more than once.

Also, before starting a diesel engine in frost, it is recommended not to remove the car from gear, but to squeeze the clutch all the way (applies to cars with manual transmission). The fact is that in winter transmission oil tends to stagnate, that is, by removing the car from gear, you force the discs and gears to slide without lubrication.

The car is frozen. How to start it "from the pusher"?

Unfortunately, this way cannot be used on vehicles with such engines.
The reason for this is the timing belt, which can break or jump a few teeth forward. Therefore, any attempt to start a diesel engine "with a pusher" in most cases turns into an expensive repair.

Of course, it is best to prevent these cases. For this we recommend:

So, we figured out how to start a diesel engine in winter. We hope the tips above are helpful to you. Good luck on the roads!

The diesel engine is good because it consumes less fuel than gasoline. But once winter morning he may refuse to start, and then it is not clear whether to be happy or not, because he does not consume fuel, but he does not go either. Let's figure out why a diesel engine does not start in cold weather and how to properly operate it in winter.

Reasons why diesel won't start

Actually, the reasons are the same:

fuel problems
lack of compression

The rest of the reasons are irrelevant. winter operation, since in warm weather it would not start either. But here, too, there are nuances.

A serviceable diesel engine, with proper operation, starts in any frost. Well, almost any. I have no experience in operating a car in the conditions of the Far North, but in frost -30, a diesel engine starts easily.

What problems can arise with fuel in cold weather?

Let's start from afar. DT is winter and summer. Depends on the content of paraffins in its composition. Summer diesel fuel is only guaranteed to work at temperatures above -10 °C. If the temperature outside is lower, the paraffin thickens and the solarium loses its fluidity, clogging the fuel filter. Have you ever seen how a truck rides, rides, slower, and then stops altogether? This solarium thickens, paraffin clogs the fuel filter and fuel does not enter the engine. This problem is partially solved by heating the fuel filter, but with severe frost the solarium will solidify in the tank.

In winter diesel fuel, there is much less paraffin than in summer (paraffin is the basis of diesel fuel, most of the energy is released from it during combustion), in addition, special anti-gel additives are used that prevent freezing of diesel fuel.

It is also possible to pour the anti-gel additive directly into the tank when refueling.

Here is a list of the most popular antigels today

Antigel diesel LIQUI MOLY Diesel Fliess-Fit, 0.15 l (1877)

Volume: 150 ml
Designed for temperature: -31 °C
Fuel volume: 50 l.

Super anti-gel for diesel fuel Hi-Gear -47С, HG3422 (for processing 90 l of fuel). HG3422

Designed for temperature: -47 °C
Fuel volume: 90 l.

Compression

Without compression, a diesel engine will not start. But this is not about mechanical damage, which led to . This may lead to

dead battery,
thick oil
engine wear
faulty wiring

Actually, the fuel burns out when it reaches a certain temperature, this temperature is created at a certain pressure, when one of the above malfunctions appears, the air flows out of the chamber before the necessary pressure is created.

In any case, compression rings always let air through, even the most serviceable ones, even if they are worn out. And here the task of the engine is to create as much pressure as possible at TDC, so that the diesel fuel ignites easily. So than faster engine will rotate, the less air will have time to escape through the cracks.

This is where all the malfunctions come out - a discharged battery that cannot really spin the starter (you can’t tell by ear whether it’s oiling normally or rather weakly), the compression is too small or the oil is thick - again, it’s more difficult to crank the engine. Or maybe the starter is defective.

If the compression is weak, this can be easily checked by eliminating this malfunction. Unscrew the glow plugs and pour in a spoon engine oil into each cylinder, twist the candles back. The oil will disperse through the combustion chamber and fill all the cracks. Compression will be higher than a new engine. If after that the car does not start, then something else is faulty.

If the oil in the engine is thick (the viscosity is incorrectly selected for winter operation), then it will be more difficult for the starter to crank the engine and spin it up to the required speed for it to start.

The battery is discharged, or a faulty starter will also not spin the engine up to normal speed, and all these factors taken together make starting a diesel engine in cold weather very problematic.

You can try to start the engine from the pusher, but this also has its own problems - this will not work on a car with a machine gun, and even if there is snow and ice on the road, then there will be no normal grip and the car will simply skid. Another problem is that the timing belt may break when starting from the pusher, as it will jerk when the car starts up and can shear the teeth.

fuel combustion

Before combustion, the solarium should evaporate and turn into fine smoke. With a warm engine this is pretty easy. But what to do when starting when the engine is cold? This is done by glow plugs that vaporize cold fuel before igniting, thereby helping to start the engine. If the fuel is poorly atomized, then the engine will puff, fart, but will not start. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the performance of glow plugs.

Here, perhaps, are all the reasons why a diesel engine does not start related to frost.

To solve these problems, one can use preheaters type Webasto, which heat the engine through the cooling system, which throws off a few problems with the cut start-up oil immediately becomes less thick, the engine becomes warm and, accordingly, the piston-cylinder gaps decrease, which reduces air leakage from the combustion chamber, and the cooling system on many cars is associated with fuel filter and heats it, thereby preventing the paraffin from settling in it. Plus a small bonus - at the same time the interior will heat up.

It is useful for many car owners to know how to properly start a diesel engine in cold weather. After all, the fleet of cars with such an engine is constantly growing. The efficiency of these units is affected. At the same time, they have enough big power, according to this indicator, diesel is much more efficient in comparison with gasoline analogues the same volume. For these reasons, diesel engines are gaining popularity. But unfortunately they have one significant disadvantage.

Because of their principle of operation and structural features, these power units are afraid of frost. Or rather, they are reluctant to start when low temperatures. There may be several reasons for this. In practice, the driver needs to know all these nuances. Then the chances of a successful engine plant increase markedly.

Peculiarities

How to start a diesel engine in cold weather? To answer this question, you need to consider the structure and principle of operation of this unit more carefully. All the reasons for the "bad behavior" of the engine in the cold can be found inside it. The first is fuel. The fact is that diesel fuel contains paraffins. They begin to precipitate as a precipitate already at 0 ° C, at lower temperatures diesel fuel turns into a gel-like mass. In this state, the fuel simply cannot pass through the fine filter and enter the engine. Accordingly, the engine will not be able to start without fuel.

Another reason for the reluctant start of diesel engines at low temperatures is the ignition method. fuel-air mixture. The fact is that, unlike gasoline units, where the fuel is ignited with a spark, on diesel engines The ignition catalyst is the high pressure in the combustion chamber. Ignition occurs due to the heating of the mixture under high pressure.

In theory, injected fuel, experiencing high blood pressure, heats up to 800-900°C and flares up. But, in cold weather, the fuel is not able to warm up to such a temperature. Therefore, there are difficulties with starting a cold diesel engine. These factors must be taken into account both when preparing for winter and when problems arise.

How to prevent a problem?

As you know, it is better to avoid the disease than to treat it. This fully applies to bad start diesel units. It is much easier to take certain actions to prevent the situation. Than then to arrange shamanic rites, trying to start the car. To do this, first of all refuel with special fuel intended for winter use. Solar oil is divided into 3 types:

Summer fuel freezes already at -5°C, density no more than 860 kg/m3;
winter diesel fuel able to withstand frosts down to -35°C, its density is maximum 840 kg/m3;
arctic fuel, in fact, is a heavy kerosene. It does not freeze at -55°C. Its density does not exceed 830 kg/m3.

Starting from November, gas stations sell winter version fuel, but there are some nuances. Very often the rule is violated not to mix both types of diesel fuel. Usually at gas stations they don’t wait until the rest is drained and sold. summer fuel, and immediately poured into the tanks, received winter fuel. As a result, a mixture of two types is sold.

Accordingly, the antifreeze qualities of the resulting diesel fuel are much lower than the motorist expects. In this regard, at the very beginning of winter it is better to use special anti-gel additives.

Also desirable. Most often, liquid fuel heaters are used. The most famous heater of this type are. Another equally popular way to heat the engine is electric heaters. Regardless of which type of heater you decide to use, they heat up the engine in the vicinity of the combustion chamber. By raising the temperature of the mixture, they contribute to its faster ignition.

Before winter, be sure to check the battery performance. If necessary, replace it with a new one. There is such a thing as diesel batteries. They have a large starting current, strive to purchase just such.

We start the engine

And behold, you frosty morning decided to start their car. Regardless of how well prepared you are for winter, you still need to start your car correctly. Correct Algorithm actions will save you from unnecessary trouble. First of all, you need to warm up the battery. The most common mistake diesel owners make is warming up the battery, including the headlights. It is effective on petrol units. On engines using diesel fuel as fuel, it is better to simply turn on the ignition for 10-15 seconds. Thus, both the battery and the glow plugs located in the motor will warm up.

Some cars are now equipped with the " " button. On such models there is a special mode for warming up candles. To do this, hold down the button without pressing the brake, usually 6 seconds is enough. Wait until the illuminated icon on the instrument panel goes out. This indicates that the engine is ready to start.

Start engine, . The starter turns the engine for about 15 seconds. This time is usually enough for the engine to start. If the first time it was not possible to start, then you need to wait a minute and try again.

If you still failed to start the car, in this way, then there are other emergency methods for starting the unit. First, check the condition of the fuel. , then it remains the only option tow the car to a warm garage to thaw. If everything is in order with the fuel, you can try to warm up the engine.

To do this, you will need a blowtorch and a piece of tin. Put the tin under the car and warm up the engine by directing the flame from the lamp onto the iron. The main thing is to make sure that the flame does not touch the car. Heating must go warm air. You can also use the "quick start" drug.

As a last resort, you can try to start the car from a tow. This method will help you start the car with guarantee, but it is dangerous, especially for those engines that have a timing belt drive. But, if there are no other options, then you can use this method.

Conclusion. Winter is a difficult period for motorists. The car at this time of the year lies in wait for many dangers and difficulties. To avoid unnecessary problems, you need to know how to start a diesel engine in cold weather. After all correct operation power unit can significantly extend its service life.