What to do to make the car warmer in winter and it starts easier.
We warm the car before winter
1. The first thing you can do is to set yourself an alarm with auto start. It is very convenient in winter. You can either set a timer to warm up the car, or turn on the warm-up from the window. As a result, leaving the house, you will sit in a warm car. But there is a nuance here! Find out what the alarm closes to to start the engine. Often close to the handbrake. Is that bad. In winter, it is not advisable to leave the handbrake at night. Discuss the circuit with the installer. But if you have a signaling with auto start, you can’t leave the car in gear, otherwise, turning on auto start, the car will move! The handbrake protects against this, which is why they close it. But tightening the handbrake in winter can damage the pads (they can stick, for more details in the article - operating a car in winter on the wall of sovetov.ru). The easiest way is with autorun, on machines with a gun. There you just leave the car in the parking lot.
2. There is a thing that cuts into the engine cooling system and is called a webasta. Webasta automatically heats the coolant of the car, that is, when you come in the morning to start the car, your engine is already warm. That is, the air in the car immediately enters warm. But such a setup is expensive. Webasto itself costs about 25-35 thousand rubles + work (for example, installing Webasto on a Kia seed costs 11 thousand rubles). Total to put a webasto on a kia seed in St. Petersburg will cost about 46 thousand rubles. Prices are approximate for St. Petersburg.
3. For warmth, purchase a car with standard heated front seats. Before non-standard heaters (such as seat covers powered by the car's cigarette lighter), regular heating has advantages. It has a fuse and if something closes, the fuse will blow, and the heating simply will not work. And with car seat covers, there were cases when they burned through the seat.
4. There is another little trick. When starting a car in winter (if you don’t have autostart), you need to turn on the heating and get out of the car and get into it after a few minutes. So it feels like you will freeze less than if you immediately sit in a cold car. Especially if there is no very strong wind and frost outside.
5. Do not put quilts under the hood so that the battery does not sit down in the cold. The blanket will not help start a cold engine, but it can burn!
6. In frost, you can take a weak battery home for the night in heat. Then it will start easier in the morning. But it's inconvenient. It is better to replace the old battery with a new one before the cold weather. Its price will be about 4000 rubles in St. Petersburg (from 2500 to 6000). Prices are approximate for St. Petersburg.
It's minus twenty outside the window, but you have to go to work. You leave the parking lot a little early and still do not have time to warm up the interior to a comfortable temperature. So you leave in a cold car. Only when you arrive at your destination do you begin to feel the first signs of warmth. Isn't it a painfully familiar picture? Heating the car interior in winter is a task faced by all motorists. It’s good if the car spends the night in a warm garage, but not everyone has such an opportunity.
Car heater Get your sleigh ready in summer
Regular heating systems of cars are divided into two categories:
- climate control installations (they are single-zone and multi-zone);
- programmable electronic climate controls;
- conventional mechanical system with manual control.
Regardless of which one is equipped with a car, the engine serves as a heat source. More precisely, the coolant that enters the stove radiator. The heating fan blows air through this heat exchanger, where it heats up. Nothing can be done against physics - if the engine itself has not yet warmed up, then there is no need to wait for heat in the cabin.
In order not to encounter unexpected troubles at the beginning of winter, it is better to carry out service work in preparation for the cold season in advance. To do this, pay attention to the following:
- there must be enough coolant - if it is lacking, the pump may not pump antifreeze into the stove radiator;
- make sure that there are no air pockets in the heating system - only full circulation will allow you to heat the car in winter;
- check the operation of the fan in all modes - if necessary, it should be removed and cleaned of possible dust, not every car has a cabin filter;
- a contaminated stove radiator can also cause an “ice age” - the heat exchanger must be clean both inside and out;
- check the operation of the air duct curtains - if you cannot direct the flow of warm air to the frosted glass, then your trip may end there.
Maintenance is easier to carry out at the service station, not every motorist will be able to independently, for example, clean the stove radiator.
How to properly warm up the interior
Surprisingly, even experienced drivers do not always know how to use the stove correctly. Many manufacturers describe the procedure in detail in the operating instructions:
- Start the car, let the engine warm up.
- Select interior recirculation mode. This may require pressing a button to command the servo to close the external air intake shutters. In simpler configurations, this function is performed by a lever on the dashboard, with which the driver blocks the access of cold air into the passenger compartment.
- Set the temperature control to the position corresponding to the maximum heating. Thus, you completely open the access of the coolant to the heat exchanger of the heating system.
- Turn on the oven fan at low speed. A warm engine will soon start providing the radiator with warm antifreeze.
- As the temperature of the motor rises, the fan speed must be increased. If the windows are icy or foggy, then you need to direct a stream of warm air onto them by selecting the appropriate position of the shutters.
- After the windows are thawed, you can choose another direction of the hot air jet, more comfortable for the driver and passengers.
- When the interior warms up to the optimum temperature, it is necessary to turn off the recirculation mode, thus opening the access of fresh air inside the car.
All these actions are recommended by the manufacturer for a car equipped with a standard mechanical manual heating system. It is known from practice that it takes half the time to warm up the engine than to bring the cabin to a comfortable state. Many drivers prefer to start driving before the heating system raises the temperature inside the car to significant values. This practice results in significant fuel savings. In addition, the engine heats up faster while driving than at idle.
Vehicle heating Features of climate control operation
If your car is equipped with climate control, then the computer will do all the procedures for optimizing the interior heating for you. You need to set the desired temperature in the cabin and select the "auto" mode. The air conditioner controller will choose the fastest way to reach the destination based on the data from the temperature sensors. However, the operation of climate control in a car in winter sometimes requires adjustment. The fact is that the program of this device provides for the creation of comfortable conditions in the car. In this case, warm air is distributed evenly throughout the space. If you need to focus the flow, for example, on the windshield, you will have to abandon the services of the computer and switch to manual control. In this case, it is necessary to select the direction of blowing and the speed of rotation of the fan. After freezing the glass, you can again return to automatic mode.
Premium cars and large SUVs are often equipped with multi-zone climate control systems. In the case of three-zone control, the computer is able to separately control the temperature regimes in the following zones:
- driver's workplace;
- front passenger space;
- rear seats.
Zoning options may be different, it depends on the development of the manufacturer, and in executive class cars and on the wishes of the customer. With this configuration, you can set the desired temperature in each spatial area separately.
Four-zone climate control Rarely seen regular heaters
Heating a car in winter is not always carried out by draining antifreeze into the heat exchanger of the stove. Sometimes it is physically impossible, sometimes the manufacturer is trying to introduce some kind of innovation.
- Electric vehicles. This economical transport is increasingly gaining the sympathy of consumers. Due to the absence of an internal combustion engine as such, there is no coolant. Therefore, in “battery-powered” machines, an electric stove is provided, the most popular options are ceramic heaters.
- Air-cooled vehicles. A classic example is Zaporozhets. This car was equipped with a gasoline stove that works independently of the engine. The interior of this minicar warms up with the help of such a device in a matter of minutes.
- Toyota Prius. A vivid example of the innovative approach of engineers and designers of the Japanese automobile corporation. They applied a new technological solution to the question of how to heat the interior of a car in winter. For these purposes, heat is taken from the exhaust gases. Of course, the system turned out to be a bit complicated, but it is positioned as environmentally friendly.
- Land Cruiser 125, diesel version. Many motorists know that a diesel engine heats up badly at idle. Therefore, the northern equipment of this SUV includes a viscous heater. The principle of its work is extremely simple. The drive belt rotates the blades through an electric clutch, which are immersed in a viscous liquid. Due to the friction of the blades on the liquid, heat is generated, which is transferred to the antifreeze. Further, everything is as usual.
Optional Equipment
What should an unlucky driver do who does not want to spend precious time warming up the cabin, but at the same time wants to drive in comfortable temperature conditions? There is, of course, a way out. And not alone.
- Fuel preheater. This device is installed under the hood of the car. To generate heat, the same fuel is used that the power plant of the car runs on. It is turned on before starting the engine. On premium cars, a pre-heater is often included as standard. Its use allows you to warm up not only the engine, but also the interior of the car in a matter of minutes.
Engine preheater - Electric pre-heater. The principle of its operation is very simple. A heating element is placed in the water jacket or in the crankcase, which must be powered by a fixed 220 V network. Before starting, the device is briefly connected to the network. Working fluids are heated to certain temperatures, which allows you to quickly start the engine and supply hot antifreeze to the interior heater heat exchanger.
- Remote start. Some models of car alarms provide for the possibility of remote engine start. This saves a lot of time, especially if you live in an apartment building and the car is parked under the windows. As you finish your morning coffee, your car is warming up. Getting into a warm, cozy cabin is much more pleasant than chattering your teeth in an unheated car.
There is also a simple and cheap old-fashioned method. Purchase a fan heater from the car's on-board network at the car market. After starting the engine, when the generator begins to fully charge, turn it on through the cigarette lighter socket and let it run for a while. Fans with ceramic heating elements are considered the safest. After the regular heating system starts to function, the "duika" can be turned off.
The warm interior of your car is not only comfortable movement, but also safe driving in long domestic winters. Do not forget also about your health and the health of your passengers.
1 commentOne of the most pressing issues for motorists in the winter season has been and remains the issue of efficient interior heating. And this is not surprising, because when it is -25 degrees outside the window, and things, nevertheless, do not wait, then, willy-nilly, you want to quickly get into such a familiar and warm interior of your favorite car and turn on the seat heating.
Otherwise, you run the risk of freezing as soon as you sit down ... It is at such moments, as a rule, that they remember warm summer days, when everything is easy and simple, comfortable, just outrageously, and birds sing outside the window. That's when the grass is greener, the sun shines brighter, and the spiritual mood of the positive with its waves warms the joyful heart. Immersed in an atmosphere of peace and harmony? This is good, but no matter how much you want it, you still have to return from heaven to the sinful earth and remember that it is winter outside ...
So, let's remember how things are in the winter for most motorists: early in the morning a person leaves the house, starts the car, if he left early, he warms the interior, but if not, he leaves without wasting time, because you need to have time to start work before work children to a kindergarten or school, as a result, the interior is more or less warmed up already upon arrival at the designated end point. What to do? How to be? What can be done in this difficult situation? Let's think logically...
Heating control systems in the car interior
To date, manufacturers provide the following heating control systems for heating the car interior: conventional mechanical and one-, two-, three-zone climate control, as well as programmable electronic climate control.
The problem is that many of our fellow citizens, when buying a car, do not even bother to look into the user manual, and therefore there are often cases when they simply do not know how to use the heating system correctly, excused by the fact that they are allegedly to blame for the fact that they are freezing. , exclusively, a stove, which, according to them, practically does not heat or heats very weakly. That is why it is so important to know the information below...
In fact, the procedure for starting the heating system of a car is no more complicated than the starting system for the car itself, one might even say that it is similar. So, the order is as follows: the owner starts the car, then warms it up, which depends entirely on the heating system installed on board. So, for example, if a mechanical system is installed, then you will have to act as a sensor yourself, that is, decide to turn on the heater immediately or after a certain period of time.
According to statistics, warming up the engine takes an average of fifteen minutes, and heating the cabin for the optimum temperature takes about 30-35 minutes, which is why, as a rule, you have to leave when it is still cool enough in the cabin and only warm up on the way. You ask: “Why is it taking so long? What is the problem?". Everything is simple - the point is the close relationship between the engine cooling system and the stove radiator, and therefore the car interior will not heat up until warm liquid appears in the engine.
This happens as follows: after turning on the heater, cold air, passing through the stove radiator, begins to enter the cabin already in a warm form, but due to the fact that the liquid has not yet warmed up, and besides, it has already cooled a little, the process of warming up the cabin dragging on...
In the case of a climate control system, after reaching the operating temperature of a certain level for 10-15 minutes, air is slowly supplied to the passenger compartment, and with increasing temperature, the intensity of this process only increases, when the set temperature is reached, the maintenance mode is activated. As a result, the whole cycle takes about 30 minutes.
In addition, it is also important to understand that in order to heat the incoming air flow, the temperature of the climate control system must be 2-2.5 times higher than outside the window, of course, including possible losses, because first you need to warm up the engine to the minimum mark of the sensor. For example, warming up the car itself takes about 10-15 minutes, and it will take another 30 minutes to warm up the interior. These data are approximate and best correspond to an air temperature of -18 degrees Celsius.
Is there any way to speed up this process? And, if possible, in what way? This is what will be discussed below ...
How to speed up the process of warming up the car?
Winter is getting closer, which means that in the morning motorists are forced to warm up their car longer in order to drive warm.
Every winter I thought about solving this problem, studied how automakers, automakers solved it, but we all know that there is no good solution.
And today it came to my mind.
But let's start by looking at what has already been done. Personally, I know of only three approaches of automakers to the problem, and one - motorists.
Let's start with Toyota. Toyota has already come up with two good solutions. The first is an additional mounted unit on the engine, namely a viscous heater. The principle is simple: a belt, through an electric clutch (the same as on an air conditioner), rotates the blades immersed in a viscous liquid. From friction, the liquid heats up, then the heat is transferred to the antifreeze and then the antifreeze to the furnace.
It should be noted that manufacturers install these devices only on models designed for “cold climates” and only on jeeps, as if there is no snow in Europe:
The viscous heater is installed on models with diesel engines 1HD-FTE and 1KD-FTV in variants for regions with a cold climate - such as Land Cruiser HDJ101, KDJ95, KDJ125, HiLux Surf KDN185, KDN215.
You can read more about the device and principle of operation of a viscous heater.
The stray seems simple and functional, but still the idea is full of flaws:
- this is an additional mounted unit on a common belt, which also consumes a lot of energy (around 1000 W), so you have to make the belt wider
- now there is a tendency to abandon mounted units in general and the use of electrical analogues
- yet the design is quite complicated: an additional control unit, wiring, refrigerant pipes
Apparently, this is why the ordinary man in the street has never seen a viscous heater in his life and the idea was abandoned.
For the Prius, Toyota developed an even crazier system: extracting heat from the exhaust gases. Positioned as an environmentally friendly way to get "free" heat. In my opinion, the method is completely psychedelic, due to the monstrous recomplication of the design and is suitable only for heating the inflamed brain of the Prius owner, who will have an extra argument in disputes with diesel trade winds. No wonder the Toyota marketing department gets its bread: they made hamsters believe that by taking heat from the exhaust, and not from the engine, they somehow solve environmental problems. Just don’t understand the stupid hamster that the classic stove is just as “free” and uses, attention, the same excess engine heat, taking it, however, from the existing cooling system, and not building a new one.
The bottom line is that Toyota never came up with a simple and mass-produced instant heating system in the winter. Let's see what Mitsubishi has come up with.
Mitsubishi installed on diesel Pajero (again a jeep and again an option) an electric heating system. Simply put, an “electric hair dryer” was placed in the heating system. It would seem simple and effective and no moving unreliable parts, like Toyota. So it is, with the exception of the law of conservation of energy. Electric heating must have a minimum power of 500 watts to have any noticeable performance. For a 12V car on-board network, this is 42 A. Typical generator power is 80 - 100 A, followed by trucks. Moreover, the electrical load of modern cars is growing. So you have to install a generator with at least 150 A, which 95% of the time will still spin idle, spending milliliters of excess gasoline, which they are now trying to save with all their might.
So, it would seem that a beautiful and reliable system actually resulted in the need for a powerful generator, respectively, thicker wires, and a wider drive belt.
Ordinary people choose an even crazier and more expensive solution: installing an autonomous heater. This unit is technically very complex, requires modification of many vehicle systems, and is also very expensive (a typical installation is from 50k). At the same time, the people I interviewed all answered that they installed this system only in order to sit in a warm salon in winter. Most engine life is not important. As a mass decision, we will also cancel it.
But the solution is here, so close. It came to me when I accidentally turned on the air conditioner. And I thought: what a pity that it has been idle all winter, but it was possible ... yes, you could turn it on the other way around so that the radiator under the hood cools, while the radiator in the cabin will, correctly, heat up!
If you make small changes to the air conditioning system, which is installed on 99% of cars and add the ability to invert the thermodynamic cycle, the air conditioner in the car can both cool the air in summer and heat it up in winter.
This is done in all household split systems and allows you to warm up in winter without significant costs.
Yes, the cooling radiator of the air conditioner will slow down the warm-up process a little, but using a conventional stove, even when taking air from the street, slows down the warm-up catastrophically (you can check it). So this is not a problem, and to whom it will already be important how quickly the engine warms up if hot air comes out right away.
So let's sum it up:
- the cost of implementation is limited to making small changes to the existing design of the air conditioner
- no additional units or control units required
- Accordingly, the cost of the car does not change
- Efficiency is 2-3 times higher than that of electric heating or viscous heater
Cons: none.
I hope one of the automakers will read this text and make such a generous gift to motorists living in the coldest places on the planet.
With the onset of the autumn-winter period, almost every motorist is faced with some unpleasant moments. A cold interior and frozen windows are one of those. Fortunately, the auto industry does not stand still and annually produces a large number of technical devices that can make life easier for drivers and passengers. Car stoves powered by a cigarette lighter are one of the new products. What is their advantage?
Technical capabilities of stoves from the cigarette lighter
A conventional car stove can warm up a car interior in about 15-20 minutes. At the same time, it will start working only after the final warming up of the engine. If you decide to purchase a ceramic car stove that will work from the cigarette lighter, then the waiting time for the interior to warm up can be reduced by 3-4 times. Of course, you should immediately draw your attention to the fact that the voltage in your car must be at least 12 V.
Another advantage of car heaters from the cigarette lighter is their versatility. They can be used in salons:
- passenger cars;
- trucks;
- buses.
At the same time, it is possible to choose a heater with the required wire length.
What is the working principle of ceramic interior heaters?
If you give your preference to a ceramic car stove from the cigarette lighter, then you will not lose. This heating device has in its configuration a very high-quality semiconductor component, which is made of ceramic by the manufacturer. In a very short period of time, it is able to increase the temperature in the cabin of your car by several degrees.
Warm air with the necessary humidity will allow the driver and passengers to feel comfortable. A powerful stove fan contributes to the uniform distribution of heat throughout the interior of the car.
The ceramic stove is very compact. But, despite all its diminutiveness, such a device will serve you for more than one year. This is because the heating element itself is made of ceramic and does not heat up.
If your glasses are frozen, then a ceramic stove will help you in this matter. The directed stream of warm air will cope with this problem in a matter of minutes. At the same time, the passengers of the cabin will not be left without the long-awaited warmth.
The device starts working immediately after connecting to the on-board network of the machine. In this case, the engine does not need to be started. Structurally, the device consists of a heating element and a hair dryer, which will help to instantly fill the cabin with warm air without burning oxygen.
What are the stoves from the cigarette lighter
The most popular cigarette lighter stoves are heating elements and ceramic heaters. A variety of manufacturers will satisfy the needs of any motorists. Picking up a heating device is not difficult. Here, the brand itself will also play a decisive role. To the attention of drivers, manufacturers offer ovens with a power of 100 to 300 W, with an operating voltage of 12 V. There is no doubt that heaters with such a low power will not be able to warm up the car interior. This is far from true.
Remember that cigarette lighter stoves were not designed to replace a stationary car stove. These devices are designed to quickly warm up the car interior, which has been in the cold for a long time.
Such furnaces start working immediately after the ignition of the machine is turned on. A directed air flow on the icy glass will melt the ice crust and dry them in a few moments.
If there is a choice between a ceramic heating device and a heating element, then it is better to make a choice in favor of the first.
How to choose the best cigarette lighter stove?
When choosing a car oven, it all depends on the personal preferences of the car owner. Many prefer proven German quality. Some manufacturers from Germany offer quite budgetary, but solid heating devices. Their cost is from 3500 rubles. They have a power in the range of 150 watts, which is enough to warm up the interior. And by placing such a stove in the area of \u200b\u200bthe legs, you can provide additional heating.
For lovers of advanced technology, the car market offers car ovens from cigarette lighter manufacturers from China. The devices are expensive (the average price is 5-7 thousand rubles), but they have a lot of advantages: additional sockets for charging phones, displays showing humidity and air temperature, different angles of the direction of the flow of warm air, and other options.
Operation features
WITH It is worth remembering not to forget to unplug the stove from the cigarette lighter when the ignition switch is already off.
To purchase such heaters or not is a private matter for every car owner. But, you should still be aware of the most basic advantages that speak in favor of car ovens from the cigarette lighter.
Such devices will become indispensable if:
- you live in a region where the night air temperature very often drops below 0 degrees;
- if your car is not in garage storage, but in the parking lot;
- if saving time in the morning is relevant to you.
But residents of tropical countries or those motorists who very rarely use cars in the winter months do not need such stoves at all.
See the review of the owner of the stove in the car from the cigarette lighter (video)
Outcome
Obviously, a cigarette lighter-powered stove makes car operation more convenient and easier. Give preference to solid stoves of average price. Do not chase cheap things, but you should not overpay for unnecessary options either. In this case, it is relevant to use the proverb "The simpler the better." A good quality car oven will become an indispensable assistant for you in the winter.
It will make your salon not only comfortable for your stay, but also save you a lot of time when preparing a car for departure.
