How to start a car in cold weather. Automatic and mechanics: practical advice

How to start an automatic car

With the onset of winter, many car owners are puzzled by the question of whether how to start an automatic car. The coming frosts can turn the morning start power unit in a rather difficult event. Of course, start car in winter with equipment mechanical box gears and an unexpectedly dead battery, there is a potential opportunity through a tug. And given that a vehicle with an integrated automatic transmission gears, it is simply forbidden to tow, then the owners of such cars may face a very problematic situation.

In order to start a frozen car with automatic transmission without any problems, you need to thoroughly prepare for it. winter operation. In the process of preparing the transfer of the car to winter mode work must be of appropriate quality and replace it. Significantly alleviate winter period launch power plant allow industrially produced various fuel additives improving the ignition characteristics of cold fuel. It should also be borne in mind that when the ambient temperature reaches -32C, gasoline completely loses its properties.

In search of an answer to the question of how to start an automatic car, attention should be paid to acquiring a new battery, If established pattern has served for over three years. If it shows a certain functional instability, even with its short service life, it is necessary to make a thorough and replace it in without fail. To start a frozen car in severe frosts, you need to start the process with a short inclusion of the dipped headlights. This action will warm up the electrolyte in the battery and thereby increase the capacity of the battery, so that it will be able to crank the frozen engine more efficiently.

After several unsuccessful attempts to start the car in winter, it can be recommended to inject a small amount of ether into the intake manifold, specially designed to significantly facilitate starting the engine in winter. If the above methods did not make it possible to translate into reality the interest in how to start an automatic car in harsh winter conditions, then the owner of the car simply cannot do without the presence of a start-up charger or, as an option, "lighting up" in the parking lot from the neighbor's vehicle. In any case, it is necessary to restore the capacity of the battery, after which it will be possible to continue trying to start the engine.

Here comes the most severe time of the year in our country - winter. With the onset of cold weather, many motorists are faced with difficulties starting the engine, and it can let you down completely new car. The main reason for this problem is the battery, which is quickly discharged in the cold, and the fuel, which refuses to ignite when passing through a frozen intake manifold. In addition, some newer vehicles are electronically limited to starting the engine at environment below a certain mark.

One of the proven "old-fashioned" ways to start a car in cold weather:

Insert the key into the ignition (but do not start the car) and turn on the high beam headlights for 3-5 seconds, then immediately start the car. The trick of this procedure is that in the cold, the reaction in the battery practically stops and high beam you launch it. This procedure helped the author of these recommendations more than once in the winter.

General recommendations for starting the engine and operating the car in winter:

• Remember! If there is no urgent need to travel by car, it is better to refrain from starting the engine in winter at temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius, and according to some experts - below minus 25 degrees.
• For owners of cars with automatic transmission. In the cold, first wait until the engine warms up to a minimum, and the speed drops, then switch the automatic transmission to “D” and to “R” and warm up the box in the same way, i.e. It is not recommended to go straight away!
• IN hard frost after warming up the engines and gearboxes, start moving smoothly, without jerks, let's gas very carefully, the first 500-1000 meters must be driven, if possible, calmly and carefully. So you reduce the wear of the engine and gearbox, as well as other car components frozen in the cold and save yourself from the premature replacement of shock absorbers, bearings, various bushings and silent blocks of the car suspension.
• If the frost is strong and lasts for a long time, and you do not use the car, you should not periodically warm up the car. Each engine start in severe frost is an additional "stress" for the engine, increased wear all moving parts. No matter how expensive, reliable, proven your oil is, it freezes and becomes thick, loses its fluidity.
• We also recommend, in order to facilitate starting the car in cold weather, refuel with gasoline with increased octane rating, and when changing the oil before the start of winter, add a metal conditioner to the engine to reduce wear during cold starts.

Next, consider additional ways to start a car in cold weather.

It's cold outside and you are about to go by car, insert the key into the ignition, turn it and instead of the sounds of a spinning starter you hear crackling.

So, you ran out of battery, how to start the car? First of all, to prevent this from happening, you can take the battery with you at night, recharge it if possible and lubricate the battery terminals with grease. If you don’t have the opportunity to remove the battery, then the “cigarette lighter” (contact cable, wires) and a responsive driver of a car passing by will help you. By connecting the terminals of two batteries according to the scheme: minus to minus, plus to plus, you can recharge a non-working battery.

There are some important rules here:

• before connecting car circuits, make sure that the circuit of the car from which you are going to “light it up” matches yours: 12V or 24V;
• you need to start with the positive terminals, then connect the mass, be careful and attentive! If connected incorrectly, you can disable the equipment (control units) of both cars, damage the power grid;
• if the battery is very discharged (this can be understood by the weak or absent illumination of the instrument panel with the ignition on), then after connecting the circuits, you must wait 5-10 minutes, while the second car must work with a periodic or constant increase in engine speed;
• it is worth starting a car with the dimensions turned off, the car radio, the stove and other electrical appliances, while on the second car it is desirable to increase the engine speed and also turn off the electrical appliances to the maximum.

We start the car in winter with a tugboat or from a “pusher”. These recommendations apply only to cars with manual transmission.

In the case when you don’t have a cigarette lighter (lighting wires), you will have to get off the tug or start the car from the pusher, as the people say. Owners of a manual transmission will need to tow from 100 meters to a kilometer. In this case, it is necessary to insert the key into the lock and turn on the ignition and then switch to second or third gear after acceleration, release the clutch and give a little gas.

For those who have a car with automatic transmission, it will be more difficult, you can’t start it from a pusher! The machine may only be towed neutral gear in a warm garage or box, moreover, no further than 20-30 kilometers.

Another way to start in the cold is to let the starter run for a few seconds, periodically pausing between starts for about one minute. This method is called "Northern launch", and it works in most cases, even despite the 30-degree frost, but is only suitable for those who have a sufficiently charged battery or have recently been replaced with a new one.

We hope that our article helped you start a car in cold weather, AKPP24 is always ready to help you:

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• The car is not mechanically prepared for winter. This is the most common cause, because most people only fix the problem after it has made itself felt. It is not right! Must be clearly understood weak sides car in the winter and try to make these risks negligible. Common problems include incorrectly set ignition, unset setting of the mixture of the former (carburetor, injector, injectors), untimely replacements Supplies(fuel and air filters). It should be clearly understood if there is even a slight difficulty with starting in summer time, in winter it will definitely backfire.

• Weak battery. To a greater extent, this applies to old batteries that are more than 2 years old. Although with improper use, there is also a faster "aging" of the battery. To understand the condition of the battery, you should contact a specialist. He will measure the condition with a special device and tell you how many working plates are in the battery and how much a full charge is enough. It will also measure whether the charge is being fully charged to the battery from the generator. It may be necessary to fill in electrolyte or distilled water for resuscitation.

You do not need to make a decision on adding electrolyte or water to the battery yourself, especially if you are a layman. Often, motorists with their repairs make the condition of the battery even worse;

• Wrong choice of oil. In winter, it is worth pouring oil marked 0W or 5W, this special oil for low temperatures. Withstands up to -30 degrees. Also long-term use and not timely replacement oil can cause it to thicken at low temperatures.

• Poor quality fuel. Cause heavy launch is often poor quality fuel. With gasoline, this is less noticeable, but with gas and diesel fuel, it is more. For a diesel car, you need to buy a winter diesel or add anti-gels to it (read about what it is).

How to start a car in cold weather: the main ways

1. Proper car start technique (read about). With the clutch depressed (on the mechanics), we turn the starter for 3-4 seconds, this will make it possible to pump the right amount of fuel. Then you should turn on the dipped headlights for a short while, literally for 5-7 seconds. This will allow the battery to revive. Then again squeeze the clutch and try to start. It is not recommended to turn the starter for more than 6 seconds. It is much more effective to scroll for 3-4 seconds at intervals of 10-15 seconds. This makes it possible not to land the battery quickly. It should be started with electrical appliances, stove, heated seats, music turned off. When the car starts, do not immediately drop the clutch. It is advisable to hold it squeezed out for 4-5 seconds and slowly release it. The clutch is depressed to facilitate the work of the starter. After all, it only turns the engine without the gearbox. Also, do not immediately go, let the car warm up for 5-7 minutes.
2. "Smoking" from another battery. This method requires the presence of wires for lighting and the presence of a donor car. The technique is quite simple: the donor car drives up close to the car being lit, the wires are connected (plus to plus, minus to minus), the donor car works on increased speed 10-15 minutes, then it should be drowned out. After this procedure, you can try to start the car. If the first time did not work, the procedure must be repeated.
3. Keeping the battery warm. To reduce battery drain in the cold, you can remove it and leave it in a warm room. For example, in the North, motorists remove batteries for the night or for a while while they are not driving. Also, if it is possible to leave the car in the garage, it is better to do so. The temperature even in an unheated room will be higher than the street temperature. If it is problematic to remove the battery and there is no garage, you should sometimes go out and warm up the car for 5-10 minutes.
4. Use of quick start sprays. Before a cold start, the spray is sprayed into the carburetor, thereby enriching the mixture with flammable alcohols. In some cases, the spray helps well, but if the battery is dead, then it will not be able to help.
5. Heating the mixture. Boiling water is usually used for heating. Fuel systems should be watered. For petrol cars it is irrelevant. For diesel engines, the fuel filter and injectors are poured. If you are trying to start a car on gas, you should water the gearbox well.
6. Portable small battery. Charging battery"Quick start" is a pretty handy accessory. It has a small size, enough capacity just to start the car. It is inserted directly into the cigarette lighter, no need to climb to the terminals in the hood. You can also charge it from the cigarette lighter when the car is running.
7. Start from a pusher. This method is suitable for cars with a manual transmission.

For vehicles with automatic transmission, some of the methods are irrelevant. If you are sure that the battery is charged, the starter is working and turning, then the problem is condensation freezing in the fuel paths or filter. To solve this difficulty, you need to tow the car to a warm room, and the problem will be eliminated by the mother herself.

The same goes for freezing electronics. There is such a situation that on-board computer behaves incomprehensibly a large number of errors. This may be due to freezing as well.

Features of starting a diesel engine in cold weather

In order to diesel car started up well in winter, should be filled winter diesel fuel or add antigels to it. How to start a car in the cold, if, nevertheless, diesel fuel has thickened? Pour boiling water over the fuel filter and injectors.

When the car starts, the system will warm up the diesel in the fuel tank. Also, when starting, you must first turn the ignition key and wait 7-10 seconds for the glow plugs to warm up. And then start the car. Glow plugs are used specifically to warm up the fuel during start-up.

One of possible difficulties it could be a bad injector. This is usually checked on a specialized stand. Modern machines are also equipped with tank heating and fuel system. After starting the car, do not turn on the stove. It is advisable to wait until the engine warms up, and then warm up yourself.

Winter in Russia for many motorists usually comes suddenly, and most car owners find out about it only at the moment of an unsuccessful attempt to start the engine of their car. iron horse". In this article we will try to give useful and sensible advice for car owners, not only, but also for owners of cars, as well as owners of equipped cars.

But the most important argument for a successful start of the car's engine in cold weather is the serviceability of the battery (the density of the electrolyte should be 1.26-1.28 g / cm3). Below we give data on the freezing of the electrolyte, depending on the current characteristics of its density:
1.25 g/cm3 -50ºС, 1.20 g/cm3 -25ºС, 1.15 g/cm3 -14ºС, 1.10 g/cm3 -7ºС, 1.05 g/cm3 -3ºC.
You can check the density of the battery electrolyte at the service station or on your own by purchasing the device necessary for this procedure - a hydrometer. Of course, it is also necessary to ensure that the starter and generator are in good condition, that new (working) high voltage wires and candles, reliable fastening of battery terminals, pure synthetic or semi-synthetic oil in the engine, preferably only synthetics in the gearbox. Replaced air, oil and fuel filters, at least ½ full capacity fuel tank are also important for a successful engine start. But the most important thing is the battery.

launch gasoline engine in frost.
Let's simulate the situation - morning, temperature minus 25ºС, car with "mechanics". We open the car and ... do not try to immediately start the engine. First you need to warm up the battery, one of right ways serves as a normal switch high beam(just blink your headlights for 10-15 seconds), then turn the key in the ignition and wait until the fuel pump pumps fuel into the system. We squeeze the clutch pedal all the way (box to neutral) and try to start the engine (for cars with injection engines, in no case do not touch the accelerator pedal, for carburetor engines, we pull out the choke handle). If the car is in good condition, the starter will “revive” the engine within 5-7 seconds, but sometimes a second attempt is required. Take your time, wait a minute, and then try again to do the algorithm described above - the engine will start, if the start is successful, carefully and slowly release the clutch pedal. If the engine starts to lose speed at the moment the clutch pedal is released, depress it again and hold for 20-30 seconds, try again (the oil in the gearbox will warm up), the pedal can be released.
Warm up injection engines no more than 2-3 minutes are recommended, and for carburetor ones it will take about 10 minutes. At this time, it is necessary to prepare the car for safe movement, clean the windows frozen overnight from frost or ice, and the interior needs to be warmed up at least a little. Well, now on the road, we leave and move at a speed of up to 50 km / h, we try not to increase the engine speed much yet working temperature will not rise to 50-60 degrees.

launch diesel engine in winter.
As in the case with gasoline engine, a “live” battery is required to start a diesel engine, but due to the design features of an engine running on heavy fuel (diesel fuel) important factors, affecting a confident start in the winter. are serviceable candles incandescence, the state of the air and fuel filter, winter fuel. "Summer" diesel fuel begins to become cloudy (paraffins crystallize and clog filters and the entire fuel system) at temperatures below 0ºC. So we strongly recommend switching to winter fuel in winter (up to -25ºС), but for harsh climatic zones with temperatures from -30ºС and below, there is an arctic diesel fuel. In real conditions, even having refueled with the correct “winter diesel”, it will not be superfluous to use depressant additives (prevent fuel thickening), in extreme cases, add kerosene to diesel fuel (80-85% summer diesel fuel and 15-20% kerosene).
The most advanced owners install fuel heating systems and fuel lines on their cars with diesel engines (). The algorithm for starting a diesel engine is exactly the same as its gasoline counterpart. If there are no problems with diesel fuel and the battery, then the launch goes without problems. In the event of diesel fuel thickening, in no case should you heat the fuel system pipes with an open fire, because you are not driving a Kamaz.

Starting the engine of a car with automatic transmission in cold weather.
Automatic transmission (in case it is not ready for operation when low temperatures) in winter conditions makes it difficult to start the engine. The oil thickened overnight in the box counteracts the rotation of the automatic transmission shafts. If in the case of the "mechanics" the driver turns off the box by depressing the clutch, then the "automatic" cannot be turned off and the starter has to exert more effort to spin the engine and box. So most important aspect for cars with automatic transmission is the timely replacement of oil in the gearbox (than cleaner oil the easier it is to start the engine).

In conclusion, I would like to say that if your car “doesn’t want to” start in the cold, there are options: “light it up” from another car and pull the car “on a tie”. The first option is preferable, but cases of “dying” of the engine control unit and ignition coils in cars with injection motors. There will be nothing for carburetor engines; you can safely start “from the pusher”. Well, in no case do not try to start a car with automatic transmission with the help of a tug (the box will fail).

Our advice - new battery, good wiring, winter fuel and a garage (not even heated) will allow motorists to spend the winter quite calmly.

So, it’s minus 30 outside, your car is frozen and won’t start, all the ritual dances around it have been performed, and there’s no strength to waste any more time. Most likely, due to frost and due to the rare use of the car, your battery is quite discharged. Follow our tips to understand how to start a car in the cold quickly and correctly.

The car may not start due to bad contact terminals and battery. This can happen not only in severe frost, but also in any other weather. Anyway, better first case to check the contact of the connections. To do this, open the hood of the car and with wrenches (usually a 10 open-end wrench is suitable), alternately tighten both battery terminals to the limit. If these manipulations were enough to start the car - luck is on your side! But if the car still does not start when you turn the ignition key, then your battery has really sat down.

If time suffers (if not, read tip number four) you can unscrew the battery and take it to a warm room to “warm up”. Depending on room temperature, it will take between 30 minutes and three hours to thaw a frozen battery.

Attention! Never attempt to heat the battery with heat sources forcibly, as this is dangerous to your health and battery performance. Only gentle warming under the influence of room temperature is suitable here.

Tip 3. Recharge the battery from the charger

Again, if you have at least an hour of time, we recommend putting the battery on charge. Either take the battery home, or charge it locally, of course, if you have an outlet and charger handy.

To recharge the battery, you need to disconnect from the battery automotive terminals, and connect the charger clamps in their place. Plus to plus, minus, respectively, to minus. A half hour charge might be enough.

To start a frozen car without removing the battery, try to cheer it up. To do this, turn on the low or high beam headlights for 15-20 seconds. And only after that turn the key in the starter. The engine of the car should start, and if this did not happen immediately, wait a couple of minutes and repeat the manipulations with the high beam headlights. If the car does not start from the 3rd approach, it is a serious matter, the battery is completely discharged and you need to change the strategy.

Take off your gloves, raise your right hand parallel to the ground and bend your thumb. Catch a passing car and ask the savior to give you a "light". To correctly and safely light one car from another, you need to take three simple steps:

Remember: The black battery terminal is negative, the red terminal is positive.

1. Using wires with lighter clips, first connect the positive terminal of the discharged battery and the same positive terminal of the charged one. With the second wire, connect the negative terminal of the charged battery and, attention !!!, ground ( metal part car engine). Do not connect negative terminals to each other.
2. First you need to start the car with a charged battery. Let it run at 2000 rpm for 20 minutes. This time will be enough for your frozen battery to recharge from the donor to the level necessary to start the engine on its own.
3. Start your car and, if the start is completed, let both cars work together for another 5-10 minutes. Disconnect the wires from the batteries in reverse order.

There are no other cars in the area, and the previous advice did not fit? Nothing, we will help you start your car in this terrible frost in a different way.

Attention! This way to start a car is only suitable for owners of a car with a manual transmission and, preferably, with a carburetor.

In our case, we can not do without outside help. You'll need another pair of hands. One steers, the other pushes. We start the car from the pusher. Basic Rules:

1. The one in the cabin turns the ignition key and, keeping the clutch pressed, puts the gear lever on II or III speed.
2. The one who is less fortunate and who pushes the car in the cold accelerates it at least to a speed of 10 km / h. This is the speed of a leisurely run.
3. Slowly release the clutch and the car should start. Let the car warm up for at least 10 minutes.

Tip 7. Start the car using special equipment

If there is a car service nearby, they can quickly help you with starting the car engine. Nowadays portable starter chargers. This is the simplest and safe way start the car in the cold.

Watch a video about various start-up chargers:

This is the most expensive way to start a car in cold weather. Buy a new battery and high power. All new batteries are sold in a charged state and you will start the car with half a turn.

Other reasons why the car does not start in the cold

If the battery is good and fully charged, it is possible that the car will not start in cold weather for the following reasons:

• Filled with spark plugs;
• Starter defective;
• Engine oil too thick;
• The ignition system is misaligned;
• Disrupted fuel supply or low-quality gasoline.

Timely prevention will help not to worry about how to start the car in minus 30

The key to a calm winter for drivers is timely preventive maintenance. It is better to change the oil in the middle of autumn, preferring types with an alphanumeric index 5w or 0w. Such oils will not thicken even at -30 degrees. Also in the fall, do not forget to change the fuel, air and oil filters.

In addition, in order not to worry about how to start the car at minus 30, it does not hurt to check the level and density of the electrolyte before the onset of cold weather, if necessary, change the washer and antifreeze, check spark plugs, armored wires, generator tension and charging.