From the end of autumn, Russian motorists are massively beginning to prepare for the coming winter. Many experts recommend doing this training at trusted service stations, but if you don’t have such a desire, you can do all the work yourself. What’s more, it takes less time to do it. In today's article, we will try to figure out how to prepare a car for winter and what details you should pay attention to.
Winter tires
First of all, you need to take care of the "re-shoes" of the car. There are plenty to choose from in the store, however, in addition to manufacturers, you need to decide on the type of rubber. At the moment, there are two types of car tires - studded and the so-called "Velcro". The first type performs well on icy roads, but becomes useless on cleared asphalt. Velcro is another matter - it provides the car with the maximum level of safety on both types of road surface. There are also combined wheels (something between the first and second types of tires). They are quite rare on the Russian market, moreover, their price range is several times higher than the cost. Therefore, there is only one conclusion: for residents of cities and megacities - Velcro, for those who live outside the city - studded wheels.
Other details
Preparing a car for winter is not complete without lubrication. The best option for automotive hinges is the universal spray WD-40. Never use machine oil for this purpose. Also take a spray of WD-40 into the cabin as a reserve.
Many surprises can arise on the road, so preparing a car for winter is necessarily accompanied by the purchase of a shovel for cleaning snow, as well as tools for removing frost on the windshield and side windows. Do not forget about the brushes with which you will clean the ice from the body.
Preparing for winter
For vehicles running on diesel fuel, it is recommended to purchase a special Anti-Gel product. It is added to the tank so that diesel fuel does not freeze in winter. "Antigel" is also better to buy in reserve, like WD-40. The fact is that during sharp autumn cold snaps, Arctic fuel is not always supplied to Russian filling stations. Gas stations still sell summer diesel fuel, the pour point of which is minus 10 degrees Celsius. At this stage, the preparation of the car for winter is completed.
And finally, a little advice to motorists. When the first frosts come, you should not leave your car for a long time on the handbrake. This can lead to the fact that at the most crucial moment you will not be able to move your car - the brake pads will simply freeze to the drum. Therefore, instead of the handbrake, use first gear.
If you follow these tips, it will pass without any difficulties.
With all its advantages, a diesel engine is much more capricious in conditions of negative temperatures. If new cars that have barely left the assembly line rarely create problems for their owners, then an engine that has worked 100,000 km or more will have difficulty starting in winter. To make life easier in the cold season, every owner of a diesel car must prepare his car in advance for operation in winter conditions.
Why does a diesel engine start badly in winter?
The main reason lies in the features of the internal structure and the principle of operation of the diesel unit. Unlike a gasoline engine, in a diesel engine, fuel is not ignited by force with a spark, but only due to the implementation of the basic law of physics: compressing the air-fuel mixture in a limited volume leads to an increase in its temperature to a point at which self-ignition occurs.
But in order for self-ignition to become possible, it is important to take into account the initial temperature of the fuel. If the fuel mixture is initially too cold, there will be insufficient temperature gain from compression and the autoignition point will not be reached. In modern diesel cars, including those equipped with engines of the company Cummins, this problem is practically solved by using a swirl injection chamber and a common-rail system. However, radically low temperatures still create certain difficulties during cold starts.
The above is far from the only reason for the problems of winter operation of diesel engines. It is also important to remember that diesel fuel thickens in the cold, which makes it difficult to move through the fuel system and especially injection. For this reason, in winter, gas stations sell winter grades of diesel fuel with special additives that prevent thickening. But if you have your own supplies of conventional diesel, do not try to use them in winter.
Finally, the engine is prevented from starting normally, which thickens at a negative temperature and prevents other nodes from moving normally.
Preparing your car for winter
The above reasons are partial and cannot tightly “freeze” the engine for the winter if all other components and systems are in good order. Starting problems begin when the machine as a whole is in poor condition.
First of all, you need to pay attention to the battery. In order for the starter to be able to overcome the resistance of thickened grease and create compression in the cylinders at the level of 20-25 units, it needs a lot of energy. And he can take it only from the battery. That is why it is so important to check the battery on the eve of winter and make sure that it produces enough power. An old battery is quite capable of coping with its tasks in the warm season, but it is better to replace it with a new one for the winter. It will also be useful to check the condition of all terminals and the starter for oxidation.
It is very important on the eve of winter to drain all sediment from the fuel filter and tank. Further, during winter operation, this procedure must be repeated at least every thousand kilometers.
It is highly advisable to visit a car service to adjust the injection advance angle. Very often, problems with starting a diesel engine are connected precisely with the fact that this parameter has deviated from the optimal one. In the summer it is not so important, but in the winter ...
It has already been said above that thickened engine oil prevents the engine from starting. At mid-latitudes, where severe frosts rarely occur, in principle, ordinary all-weather oil can be dispensed with. But if in your region frosts of -25 degrees and below are most of the winter, then it is better to replace all the lubricant with a less viscous brand.
Finally, on the eve of winter, be sure to check the condition of the glow plugs. A malfunction in one of them will not allow the engine to be started under any circumstances.
Against the backdrop of all the advantages of a diesel car, one of the serious drawbacks is the difficulty of starting it in winter. In order not to become an opponent of this type of car and not switch to “gasoline”, it is worth knowing a few important nuances about preparing a diesel car for winter.
The main facilitating cold start assistants are glow plugs. They need to be checked and possibly replaced first. To do this, unscrew the candles and connect to the battery. After about 10 seconds, they should heat up. If this does not happen, the candle must be replaced.
The next step is to check the relay. It serves to automatically turn off the glow plugs when they reach the required temperature. It is it that, by its shutdown, extinguishes the light on the dashboard.
Knowing that we have serviceable candles, we unscrew one and turn on the ignition. The candle should heat up and after the click of the relay start to cool down. If this does not happen, check the wiring. Is there any damage on it? Then change the relay.
Starting a diesel engine is greatly facilitated by its pre-treatment with WINDIGO anti-wear additives.. For convenience, ICE Kits with a universal additive have been created, which contain an engine cleaner and a universal additive designed for diesel engines. The additive several times reduces the friction of parts, which makes it easier to start in the winter.
Experienced drivers have repeatedly witnessed how on a frosty morning in the parking lot they heat up the engine pan with a blowtorch. To avoid this, it is worth worrying about the correct viscosity of engine oil. The lower its class, the easier it will be to crank the crankshaft and start the engine.
The letter W is present in the marking of all oils that are suitable for winter use. The 10W-40 marking, popularly known as "semi-synthetic", means that the oil is suitable for winter. The number 10 indicates the temperature at which oil can be pumped through the car's oil system. The number 40 is an indicator of viscosity at high engine temperature. We recommend using WINDIGO oils. They are ideal for winter operation, as they have increased anti-friction properties.
In order not to accidentally see a barely burning dashboard after a frosty night, you need to pay due attention to the battery. In our case, a large current is needed for the starter. This will allow you to turn the crankshaft frozen in oil.
The older the battery, the less it holds a charge.. And besides, as the temperature decreases, the electrolyte loses density. Therefore, the old battery is a place for recycling. But if you suddenly cannot crank the starter with a new battery in the morning, you should try to "excite" it. To do this, turn on the headlights for 10 seconds and try again.
If you are lucky and you are the proud owner of a preheater, also known as Webasto, it is worth checking out its operation. After all, there is nothing more pleasant than getting into an already warm car from a frosty street.
In conclusion, let's move on to the main problem of our region is the quality of winter diesel fuel. In the cold, it turns into paraffin and simply does not pump through the system, not to mention spraying with nozzles. Therefore, either we refuel with proven high-quality winter fuel at a gas station that you trust, or we stock up on so-called anti-gel additives. They must be poured only warm and into warm fuel. Otherwise, mixing will not occur - and the nozzles will clog.
Different manufacturers have their own dosages, but on average, 30-40 ml of additive per 10 liters of fuel will be needed. Although it is better to play it safe and make a reserve by slightly increasing the dose.
By following these simple and inexpensive tips, you can be sure to start your engine in winter conditions.
Winter is a hard time for a diesel engine. All processes in such a motor in the cold season are noticeably more complicated. diesel fuel at negative temperatures it thickens and is hardly sprayed from nozzles. Icy air, entering the cylinders, is not able to warm up to the self-ignition temperature of the fuel, even at maximum compression. In addition, the oil freezes and has great resistance to starting. Owners of new cars may not face serious problems, but those whose cars have already “wound” more than 100,000 km will have to suffer pretty much in the morning before the engine gives at least some signs of life. So what measures should be taken on the eve of the onset of cold weather?
First, let's look at the battery. Diesel engines have a high degree of compression, approximately in the region of 20-25 units. It will be very problematic for the starter to develop starting speed, especially with thickened oil. Therefore, the battery must have a large capacity. The capacity can be any, but the starting current must be at least 320 A. In addition, it is advisable to change the battery every 3 years (the old one can be used on another, gasoline car that does not require such a large power). Immediately with the onset of the first frost, be sure to check the electrolyte level and properly recharge the battery. For preparatory purposes, it would be nice to assess the condition of the battery and starter terminals. They should not be oxidized! If it is present, clean them with fine sandpaper. Although sometimes it is better not to be stingy and purchase new wires and terminals.
The second stage of pre-winter preparation is draining the sludge from the filter and fuel tank. In frosts, especially carefully monitor the sump and get rid of its contents every 1000 km, especially now it is not uncommon for water to get into diesel fuel at gas stations.
In the fall, do not be lazy - go to MOT! Ask the service station workers to adjust the fuel injection advance angle, because often this downed parameter is the main obstacle when starting a diesel engine in winter.
As for engine oil, it all depends on the climate. For temperate latitudes, the all-weather oil for diesel engines so beloved by many with an SAE density of 10W-30 is quite suitable. But if you live in the Arctic Circle, where the air temperature drops below -25 ° C, then it makes sense to consider using less viscous oils during the winter months, such as synthetic 5W-30 oils.
Many motorists over the summer completely manage to forget about glow plugs. But if only one such candle fails, it is absolutely impossible to start a diesel engine in the cold. I must say that, in principle, glow plugs do their job well, especially on fore- and vortex-chamber diesel engines. On average, a candle lasts about 5 years. Check them more often: to do this, you need to unscrew the candle from the head and bring the positive and negative wires from the battery to it. If after 10-20 seconds the glow tube has not warmed up and does not light up, you can safely throw away this candle and purchase a new one. By the way, many are too lazy to make such checks and simply focus on the indicator on the dashboard. “It caught fire - it means that the glow plugs are working and working!” - some will think, but this indicator may well signal that the glow has begun, even if there are malfunctions in the electrical circuit, and the candles do not receive power at all.
And yet, the best solution to the “winter” problem today is the use of starting heaters that start the diesel engine on a timer in the absence of the owner. Sometimes it’s easier to fork out for its purchase and installation, but then not experience any problems in the morning. He left the entrance, got into the car and drove off - the engine was already warmed up!
A car has long ceased to be a luxury, turning not just into a means of transportation, but becoming a friend, assistant, and sometimes an ally for a modern little man. For many motorists, the issue of preparing a car for the winter season becomes an edge. The main thing in this business is timeliness.
Winter always comes unexpectedly, and this is not the fault of weather forecasters, who have long lost faith, but we ourselves. Most often, the car owner postpones preparations for winter until tomorrow, hoping either by chance, or amen, or by the calendar. But the key word here is not even "winter" - already late autumn can bring surprises. So if you don't want to start preparing for winter by shoveling snow, it's best to start grooming your car in advance.
Why winter is dangerous
Just one engine plant at low temperatures in terms of wear of parts can easily be compared with a couple of kilometers. Many experts believe that the average "frosty" drive to work in the morning and home in the evening means that your car has lost about 500 km of mileage. If you decide to joke with such things, then you are either a very rich or hopelessly stupid person. The mighty automotive god will never forgive you for such negligence.
Every winter is a blow to your car
Photo images.wikia.com
So, always remember that all the moving parts of your steel horse wear out much faster in winter than in the warm season. In other words, winter just has a great appetite, and it is ready to “gobble up” your car quickly and categorically. And the first recommendation to a caring motorist is that in severe frost it is better to use public transport and give your car a chance to survive.
Winter tires for your car
According to the traffic police, when the cold comes, the accident rate on the roads grows like yeast dough. And the main reason for this lies in the fact that vehicles are not adapted to the conditions of winter, which in Russia can be no less severe than Chelyabinsk men.
You can decide to drive in winter with summer tires. But your chances of survival in this case will be lower than if you drank a mug of cyanide in one gulp. Tires should be changed already when the thermometers begin to embarrassingly fall below + 7 ° C. Usually thermometers start to get confused at the end of October.
Winter tires - the key to health and well-being
Photo vashamashina.ru
The rubber compound from which summer tires are made becomes hard at low temperatures, loses its properties and ceases to cling to asphalt. As a result, handling suffers and the braking distance is significantly increased. To make it clearer, we can safely say that even on the worst winter tires, the car will be safer than if you decide to cut through icy roads on steep summer tires.
Summer tires can be deposited with professionals
Photo mygazeta.com
In the cold season, the tires will have to pump up a little and be sure to check the balance. In addition, if you have a front-wheel drive, and a set of winter tires remains from last year, then it is better to put the front pair on the rear axle. This will give you even tread wear.
Full tank so as not to get into a mess
Does your car have an injection engine? Then it's time to start refueling to the eyeballs. It is very important that the tank is filled to the maximum when leaving in the cold. The thing is that the air in the fuel tank contains water vapor, which crystallizes when the temperature changes. Microcrystals get into the fuel, reducing its quality, and settle at the bottom of the tank. This can cause premature death of the fuel pump and fuel system.
Body: the first line of defense
The body is not only the largest part of the car, but also the most vulnerable. It is fried in the sun, it is washed by rains and covered with snow. And if we are talking about winter, then we must not forget about the main enemy of your car body - de-icing reagents. And do not think that if you have a new car, then it does not need anti-corrosion treatment.
Reagents turn snow into mush that kills cars
If you do not plan to spend a lot, then treat the body with mastic, polish or wax, check the reliability of the fender liner and install mudguards. Even if a chipped paint looks harmless, until spring it can bloom with bright red rust, so the number one task is to tidy up the paintwork, eliminating all visible defects.
Anti-corrosion mastic will reliably protect the bottom
Photo uralrti.com
The next step is to take care of the bottom, which can be protected with high-quality PVC plastisol. After that, your car will be reliably protected “below the belt”, and it will not be afraid of snow, sand, gravel and even great and terrible reagents.
Brakes: not one step back
The ideal option is to replace the brake pads before winter. The main cause of road traffic accidents in winter is skidding, which is often caused by the difference in braking torques of the wheels. But the preparation will not be limited to one replacement of the pads. It is necessary to check the degree of wear of the cuffs of the brake cylinders: if you find brake fluid on them, you should take care of this as well. Don't forget to change your brake fluid every two years. And in this case, the desire to save will be, to put it mildly, inappropriate.
Battery: the pros and cons of winter
As soon as the first frosts hit, many drivers may have difficulty starting the engine. But do not immediately blow the trumpets of Jericho and beat all kinds of alarms. First, check the level of distillate in the battery, because water has a habit of evaporating in the warm season. After you add water, you need to recharge the battery directly on the car or using a special charger. Having brought the battery into tone, check the density of the electrolyte: it is necessary that its indicator be not lower than 1.27. In this case, many try to bring the density to the required norm, but, in any case, this is a wake-up call in order to think about replacing the battery.
The battery can be insulated if necessary
Photo tune-priora.ru
It also happens: you fall asleep in the fall, and wake up in the winter. Frosts like to come under the cover of night. If your battery is well frostbitten, hot baths will help it. In this respect, he is not pretentious, and it is not at all necessary to lead him to the thermal springs of Tuscany. It is enough to put the battery in hot water for 10-15 minutes, but so that the liquid covers it by no more than 2/3.
Severe frosts make their way even into the cabin
Photo impulsnet.de
Lubricate all battery contacts before installing the battery. This advice is extremely important, given the fact that poor contact usually leads to heating and melting of the wiring. In the end, everything can end in a hot fire in the cold.
Fluids: the primordial matter of the car
To begin with, many winter fluids have antifreeze properties. That is, they do not freeze even at extremely low temperatures. Be sure to arm yourself with winter compositions for washer. If you do not change the “sprinkler” in time, the water may freeze. The tank can be removed and warmed up, but nothing will work with the pipes if they plunge into suspended animation until spring. We'll have to drive into a heated garage. And this is, in modern times, oh what a luxury.
Washers should have a high-quality "anti-freeze"
Photo autocentre.ua
You should not buy cheap washers, because an unpleasant smell in the car interior can be your least problem. The fact is that conscientious manufacturers use only ethyl or isopropyl alcohol for the preparation of washers due to their harmlessness to the human body. But today you can often find washers, which include methyl alcohol, which is very toxic.
Antifreeze - don't let yourself freeze!
Photo myforester.ru
In summer, you can “drink” the engine cooling system with ordinary water, but winter changes the rules, and it’s time for antifreeze. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate all leaks, if any, so as not to subsequently encounter problems in the operation of the cooling system. Yes, and in no case do not lose interest in your car.
Chassis: walking through the throes
As you know, in Russia there are two troubles - fools and roads. Interestingly, you can easily meet fools on the roads. A small clarification - on bad roads. The running gear fully depends on driving skills and the quality of the roadway, so you should not expect it to be perfect. This expectation will certainly lead to disappointment.
Carry out a complete diagnosis of the undercarriage
Photo abicar.ru
Check all the “rubber engineering”, because the breakdown of even a seemingly insignificant part can provoke a chain reaction, and by spring you will not be a happy owner of a car, but a rather unfortunate owner of a mountain of scrap metal. If there are cracks or small gaps on the anthers of CV joints, then the sand and salt that public utilities delight us with in winter will certainly lead to a breakdown of the hinge. And this is already quite serious, because the likelihood of getting into an accident in this case increases many times over.
Take your vigilance microscope and examine absolutely everything under it: shock absorbers, silent blocks and brake system components. Do you have such a habit? Well, do it if not for yourself, then for the sake of your loved ones. Well, at least for the sake of the car.
Don't be stingy and put in new spark plugs. Even if their "mileage" is not yet long enough to send them to rest.
Oil should be purchased such that its viscosity index allows the engine to work without problems even in severe frost. Such oils are marked 10W30, 5W40, 10W40.
To reduce such situations, it is necessary to correctly prepare the car for the winter.
Photo liqui-moly.de
To prevent the windows from fogging up in winter, you need to change the cabin filter. Some craftsmen manage to wash the old filter, but this is an extreme measure.
A brush-brush should settle in the trunk, which will help you deal with snowdrifts by car, and in the cabin, rubber mats should take the place of felt mats.
Special winter windshield wipers will come in handy
Photo carleader.ru
By the way, you can put the winter version of the wiper blades. The rubber compound from which conventional brushes are made can become dull and cracked in the cold, which will certainly affect the quality of the windshield cleaning. Today you can buy brushes with winter tires and even heated brushes. True, the latter stand like an elephant that won the Epsom Derby.
For cars with a diesel heart
If gasoline engines do not require any special treatment in winter, then diesel engines are rather capricious in this regard. Summer diesel fuel must be worked out or drained before frost, and sediment should be removed from the filter and fuel tank. In order for the engine to start without problems in winter, serviceable glow plugs are needed.
Some are forced to build a fire under the car to warm the diesel fuel.
Photo narod.ru
Be sure to choose one gas station in which you will be one hundred percent sure. Quite often, gas stations can sell summer fuel under the guise of winter fuel. At best, it can be a fuel that can be called conditionally winter. But if you still doubt the quality of diesel fuel and the integrity of the gas station management, then stock up on anti-paraffin additives.
Winter fuel of a fairly high quality is usually provided to drivers of public, military, maritime, rail and municipal transport. As a rule, drivers save fuel and sell the surplus. It’s good if diesel fuel from a workaholic grader migrates to the tank of your car.
Winter is just the end of autumn, not light. And your car will not have a single chance to freeze, of course, if you do not break firewood.
