In winter, many car owners, especially those whose car spends the night "under the window", experience certain difficulties and inconveniences during its operation. Either the door locks freeze, or the windows do not go down ... The windshield is covered with frost, which is so firmly frozen to the glass that you can’t clean it right away. Perhaps these simple and easy-to-follow tips will help you.

How to protect doors from freezing?

Rub baby powder (talc, sold in pharmacies) or glycerin into rubber pads. This will make the gaskets waterproof and won't damage the rubber. This treatment is especially recommended before washing the car in winter.

If the locks are frozen

It is necessary to warm up the key on the fire of a match or lighter. When opening the door, never use excessive force, carefully turn the key in the lock. To avoid similar situations, protect the lock from moisture penetration, especially when washing the car.

If the car won't start

On cold days, the car can be started with an ordinary hair dryer. To do this, the hot jet from the hair dryer must be sent to air filter. As practice shows, in most cases the car will start.

To keep the windshield from freezing

On cold winter nights windshield can be covered with foil. Do it in the evening, then in the morning you will not have to clean the glass from ice.

How to prepare anti-freeze liquid for a car?

Traveling far out of the city, you do not always guess to take with you required amount antifreeze. And there is nowhere to buy it in "rural" conditions. But you can do it yourself. To do this, mix a liter of denatured alcohol (sold in household goods stores as fuel for stoves), a mug of water and two tablespoons of liquid detergent. The resulting liquid does not freeze up to -37°C. In extreme cases, you can use vodka, the cheapest or moonshine.

After washing

In winter, after washing the car, do not rush to put it in the parking lot. (See also:) Moisture accumulated in cavities and crevices can freeze and play a trick on you. After washing, turn on the heating stove for full power(naturally, without turning off the engine) and sequentially switch it to all blowing modes. Don't forget to slightly open windows or doors. This will dry your car.

If you by chance did not fill the washer reservoir antifreeze liquid, and frost hit at night, then the tank, as a rule, turns into a piece of ice in a plastic shell. Almost the only way to restore the washer system is to drive the car into warm box and wait until it thaws. But this is not always possible. You can defrost the tank in another way. This will take several liters. hot water and a small piece of cambric (plastic tube). Having poured hot water into the tank, we wait for some of the ice to thaw and drain the water using a tube. Fill with water again and drain again. So we free the entire tank from ice. At the same time, both the washer pumps and part of the tubes leading to the sprayer nozzles are warmed up. We fill the tank with clean, undiluted anti-freeze and try to “break through” the frozen hoses with short pumps. As a rule, after a few minutes this succeeds. If possible, you can use a home hair dryer to warm them up, or just wait a bit by closing the hood and warming up the engine. On standing car engine compartment warms up fairly quickly.

Engine starting

In winter, the oil in the engine, even the best, noticeably thickens and it is much more difficult for the starter to crank the engine than in summer. In addition, the battery in the cold significantly worsens its performance in terms of output electrical power. (This is natural, since the colder it is, the slower the chemical reactions in the battery proceed).

Therefore, it is very useful to warm up the battery a little before starting the engine by turning on the high beam for a minute or two.

If the car in severe frost does not start from the 3-5th time, do not try to start it further. Just uselessly drain the battery altogether. It is better to remove the battery and take it to a warm room for half an hour. After it warms up, quickly put it back in place and the car will probably start the first time.

Every car owner understands that it is necessary to take care of your car, and car operation in winter- This is a special topic for conversation. It's no secret that it is in winter that the car is exposed to the most powerful effects of various harmful factors.

You can prepare for some of them in advance by carrying out a set of measures to prepare the car for the winter season, but that's not all. You can take care of yourself and your iron friend additionally, in order, as they say, to be fully armed ...

Firstly, it is possible that in winter there will be snow on the street :), which can be an unpleasant phenomenon for car owners. Especially for those who store the car outdoors and those who drive on poorly cleaned roads (in Russia this means almost everyone). To clean the car from snow, if it fell asleep overnight, store it in the trunk a good brush. It is more convenient to work with a brush with a short handle. It is lighter and moves faster. But if you are short or the car is very high (a jeep, for example), then it is likely that you will have to purchase a brush with an elongated or even telescopic handle.

It is also worth paying attention to the pile of the brush. It should not be very long and hard. Otherwise, the brush will not clean melted (heavy snow) well.

You can get stuck in a car in winter not only somewhere on a country road. It is also possible in the yard, where snow is not cleared well or where public utilities have not yet had time to arrive. In order to get out of the snow trap on your own, it is good to have a small shovel in the trunk. It can be especially useful for owners of mono-drive machines with automatic transmission gears. But for everyone else, such a tool will not hurt. Suddenly, someone will have to dig up :). Well, anything happens on the road. Can it happen that none of the drivers will have a cable? Maybe. But it's better that he was. So make sure you have it in your trunk. In winter, it is required more often than in summer, although it should always be.

But that's not all the trouble that snow brings. Winters are not very cold. Frequent thaws contribute to the formation of slush on the road, which flies from oncoming and passing cars into the windshield, onto the headlights, which greatly complicates visibility. And this is already fraught with increased emergency danger. To reduce the risk of an accident in winter, it is imperative to check the presence of windshield washer fluid in the reservoir as often as possible. And keep a supply of washer in the trunk so as not to get into an unpleasant and dangerous situation.

In addition, it is highly recommended to use specialized winter wipers. They differ from summer ones not only in that the mechanism is closed in a special rubber casing, but also in the composition of the rubber of the wiper, which makes it possible to better clean the glass. In addition, it is necessary to clean the wipers as often as possible from dirt, which, if accumulated, can make the wipers completely unusable.

Before boarding the cabin, everyone cleans the soles of their shoes, but this is not enough if the floor mats are velor. Snow, penetrating into velor, melts, and then can freeze. As a result, ice forms under the foot, which interferes with the control of the car. The foot may slip off the pedals, which in some situations can lead to an accident. Usage rubber mats doesn't always help the situation. Rubber can slip too. Here everyone comes up with their own ways to deal with moisture. Textile rugs can be treated with various moisture-repellent compounds, and additionally lay newspaper or special sheets that are sold in automotive stores. Although, all this is not very convenient, and does not save 100%.

also in winter time years with avid stability, quite large temperature drops are observed, which is why you need to monitor the pressure in the wheels, as they can slightly lower. If funds allow, it is better to install tire pressure sensors, then you do not have to jump around the car with a pressure gauge and twist the caps.

Most drivers wash their cars on their own, and the main thing to remember here is that in the winter season, water can simply freeze in the most unwanted places on the body of your car. Actually, that is why, after you have removed all the dirty water, you will need to carefully wipe all the sealing rubbers on the doors (including the trunk) and blow out the locks that are located outside the car with air. By the way, it is useful to treat locks with WD40, which in many cases will prevent them from freezing. If the locks are still frozen, then you can unfreeze them special liquid defroster, which can be bought at any car shop. Heating the key is not recommended. This can be done on our classics, but it is better not to heat the keys of foreign cars with built-in chips. You can stay without a key.

It happens in winter and this situation: the doors opened perfectly in the morning, the car started up without problems, we turn on the speed, we put pressure on the gas, and the car stalls instead of starting off. Well, or just not going, if the driver is a little more experienced and did not let the engine stall. The problem here is that the day before the driver, by inertia, put the car on the handbrake. And at night the frost hit, and the brake pads froze to the brake disc.

In winter, it is better to leave the car at speed for mechanical box gears. For cars with an automatic transmission - in the "parking" mode. If you are afraid that the car may roll away, then put something under the wheel. Just don't forget to remove it later :).

For reliable and stable operation batteries should be recharged charger once every two months. If this is not done, then the battery will simply begin to lose its resistance to changing weather conditions.

Also, do not forget to systematically turn on the air conditioner for at least 10-15 minutes throughout the winter, if it is available in your car, of course. This must be done in order to rubber seals not depressurized. This procedure should be carried out 3-4 times a month, and preferably more often.

And all motorists, without exception, are at war with salt and other reagents that are poured onto the roads to prevent the formation of icing. When preparing the vehicle for winter season We processed it with various special tools. The body was covered with wax, and the bottom with anti-corrosion. But all this will bring little use if the car is not protected from prolonged exposure to aggressive substances. And for this it is enough to wash it more often.

We hope that our simple tips for operating a car in winter will help you cope with most unforeseen situations.

Modern cars start quite easily in winter. They are warm and comfortable, even in severe frost.

• Tires modern cars provide good grip With pavement in any weather.
• Washer fluids can cope with a centimeter layer of ice, and coolants can work even in Antarctic conditions.

That's just the winter itself has not changed its insidious disposition, and continues to present surprises to car owners.

Main winter problems and ways to solve them

The main problems that overtake motorists in winter are the freezing of locks, door and glass seals, difficulty starting the engine in cold weather, and difficulty driving through snow-covered and icy areas.

What should I do if the car doors won't open?

What to do if you find that the car doors do not open, because the central locking mechanism is not able to unlock the locks, because they are frozen, and it is also impossible to insert the key.

Trying to open locks with remote control, having made three or four unsuccessful attempts, it makes no sense to continue them - the locks will still not open until they are unfrozen. Do not use boiling water for these purposes, and also, do not heat the locks with an open flame - civilized people in such cases use special compounds.

They are now produced in a wide range and in various packaging, for every taste. Most often, these liquids are made on the basis of ethyl alcohol or ethylene glycol. In addition, components are added to some means for defrosting locks.

If there was no such remedy at hand, then you can use ordinary vodka by typing it into a small syringe. If, after such your manipulations, the lock thawed a little, and you managed to insert the key into it, then additional heat will not interfere with the insides of the lock either. If possible, before inserting the key into the lock, warm up its head with a lighter flame.

What to do to open car doors

After heating, the lock will turn much easier. You can also try to open the lock, using the key and block at the same time. remote control. Often such a double effort is enough to open the lock.

If these simple tricks do not give positive results, then you can warm up the locks with an ordinary rubber or electric heating pad.

It happens that the lock can be opened, but the door does not open - the seals are frozen. Try to open the door by pulling on the handle and the top corner at the same time. It is best to apply a small but long force (about 30-40 seconds), the door may open.

By the way, it is not necessary to open exactly driver's door perhaps other doors will open more easily and through them you can get into the cabin, start the engine and turn on the stove. To prevent freezing of seals, wipe them dry and treat with a special silicone compound.

About the windshield

icy Windshield you should not try to clear the "" - this will only spoil them.

An icy windshield does not need to be cleaned with wipers!

Wait for the motor to warm up and direct the flow warm air on glass. Once the glass has warmed up a bit, the ice can be easily cleared. To speed up the thawing process of glass, you can spray it from the outside special tool for defrosting glass or all the same vodka.

How to make it easier to start the engine in winter

There are fewer and fewer cars on our roads. carbureted engines. Today, almost all cars with gasoline engines equipped with the system. As experience shows, the engines of such cars with low temperatures, start easier than carbureted ones. The fact is that gasoline supplied under pressure through nozzles is well sprayed and mixed with air, it flares up well from a spark.

In engines with carburetor system power supply, at low temperatures, gasoline simply flows down the inner walls intake manifold and diffuser, while forming an insufficient amount vapors. To increase the amount of steam, you need to raise the temperature of the fuel, and for this you need to start the engine.

You can break this vicious circle by heating the collector in some acceptable way, for example, by pouring about a liter of hot water onto the collector. At the same time, care must be taken that water does not get on high voltage wires ignition.

Pour hot water into the manifold

Also, to solve this problem, you can use special starting compositions. They consist of a volatile substance such as ether and special additives. Such a composition is injected directly under the cover, after which the engine starts almost from the first turn.

Although the manufacturers of such compounds claim that they are safe for the engine, but still, you need to know the measure, and if the engine does not start right away, you need to look for the cause. Starting compositions make it easier to start the engine only in those cases when the car, and more specifically its ignition system, is working, in addition, the battery is in working order.

There is also an interesting article: starting the engine in winter. General rules starting the engine in winter -.

After starting the engine. Finally, the engine is started and warmed up, the interior is also warmed up, and the windows are thawed. No need to hurry! The shock absorbers should also warm up a little, otherwise, in severe frost, there is a high probability of the rods or their fasteners breaking.

The oil in the gearbox should also warm up. All this will not take much time, usually after three or four minutes of smooth and measured movement, you can move in the usual mode.

Features of driving a car in winter

Now winter tips for motorists about some driving features vehicle in winter. Winter does not allow the driver to relax. You always need to be prepared for various surprises, consider the most common:

• as a rule, ice and snow remain on the roadsides and near the sidewalks;
• ice remains at crossroads, near traffic lights and at exits from courtyards, and even on frosty days;
• in open areas, at places of exit from a forest or a tunnel, snow drifts and ice are often formed, and a strong side wind can also blow;
• in places where the road passes through ravines, in lowlands and on roadsides, snowdrifts can form, which melt in the sun during the day, as a result of which the road is covered with a thin and slippery crust of ice. In all these cases, road grip and rolling resistance change significantly.

The worst thing you can do when you get to such places is to slow down. Always remember that the car remains steerable only while its wheels are spinning. While the car is moving sharp accelerations or braking, it behaves predictably for the driver, almost like on dry pavement.

But, as soon as the wheels lock up during braking, the car will begin to slide and stop “obeying the steering wheel”.

Car skid

small slippery areas on the road and snowdrifts, you can almost always drive confidently, without slowing down. In the event that the car nevertheless “led”, you need to carefully and smoothly correct it with the steering wheel. Braking can only worsen the situation, the car will slip and it will be very difficult to keep it on the road.

When cornering, it will be useful to increase the load on the front axle of the car in order to increase the grip of the wheels with the road surface. To do this, immediately before the turn, you need to release the gas, and in some cases you can even slow down a little.

A slight reduction in speed will be enough to redistribute greater load to the front wheels. After that, turn the steering wheel and, after the car enters the turn, gradually increase the speed.

Even venerable drivers are always extremely careful when driving in winter. And they always drive slowly, turn on the lights, and ... In general, read on.

1. Relax

If you find yourself in difficult road conditions while driving a car, then the most important thing is to remain calm and not panic. If you are very nervous, it can affect your reaction, and not for the better.

2. Slow down

If the weather conditions worsen, reduce the speed by 2 times. We advise you not to do this abruptly, because this increases the risk of skidding and loss of traction.

3. Be careful

your actions on winter road must be fully controlled and deliberate. Remember that fast acceleration, hard braking and sudden turns of the steering wheel can cause the vehicle to lose control and skid.

While driving, maintain an optimal low speed. Keep a distance from other vehicles so that it is enough for emergency braking. All movements must be smooth and careful.

4. Let there be light

In bad weather, be sure to turn on your headlights. This will help other drivers see your car. It will not be superfluous to turn on the marker lights.

5. Use light signals

Many truckers around the world use a special technique for changing lanes while driving on the highway. In dry or rainy weather in autumn, summer and spring, before changing lanes, the truck driver turns on the turn signal and changes lanes only after the turn signal blinks 3 times. But in winter weather, they are rebuilt after the turn signal flashes 4-5 times. Follow their example.

6. Be careful on slippery roads

Pay attention to water under the wheels of other cars while driving in cold weather. If there is a lot of spray on the road, then it is very wet. In this case, you need to take additional measures precautions.

The fact is that at negative temperatures, the snow and ice melted from the wheels or from the reagent begins to freeze quickly, turning the road into a skating rink. If you see that the road is wet, but there is practically no spray, then be even more careful, since such a surface is the most dangerous. No spatter on wet road may indicate that most of the water has frozen and covered the asphalt with a thin layer of ice.

7. Watch out for truckers

If the weather starts to turn bad and trucks slow down, you should do the same. If I began to notice that many drivers heavy vehicles try to pull over, we advise when bad weather do the same.

By no means does this advice recommend driving like truckers. But remember: heavy vehicles have more ground clearance, big wheels and tires, greater overall weight, and better grip with the road. The lighter the weight of the car, the easier it is to lose control of the car and go off the track.

Preparing for winter comes down to a few simple manipulations that are easy to remember and even easier to perform.

Bookshelves are littered with numerous brochures with a wide variety of tips for novice motorists. You are offered to perform a lot of various manipulations with your car - from checking brake pads, candles, electrical wiring up to quality anti-corrosion coating etc. Sometimes these tips are so hard to follow that it seems easier to buy a new car.

Our main advice: don't be afraid of winter! Here are five simple tips. This is the alphabet. Without her, nowhere.

Don't skimp on tires

Replacing summer tires with winter ones is an axiom. Do not listen to the "experts" who talk about the fact that the asphalt in the city is already being cleaned so that the winters have gone warm, and the spikes slip on the wet road. These experts will not treat you in the event of an accident and will not give you money for repairs.

The first snow has already fallen in most of Russia. But melted. After the first snow for two weeks (in central Russia), you can still ride summer tires. And they should be changed when the thermometer has steadily dropped below + 4 degrees.

The secret is the following. summer tire- hard. From persistent cold, it becomes even tougher. Consequently, its properties to keep the road in the cold are sharply (very sharply!) Decreased. She, figuratively speaking, "dubeet".

Winter is the opposite. Steady positive temperatures and friction on the road make it "squishy". Rolling resistance increases sharply, gasoline consumption - respectively.

Why is studded winter tires more convenient for car enthusiasts, especially beginners, than just winter and non-studded tires? The answer is simple: no matter how well the roads are cleaned now, on turns, on bridges, and simply on a road open to all winds, tongues (tongues) of ice can form. And here the spikes will serve as help. The first such case will push into the past all the debate about whether they slip on wet roads or not.

Do not think whether you have miscalculated or not miscalculated with the time of changing shoes, do not look at your new tires - how many spikes have already been lost, they say. In addition to unnecessary doubts and nerves, this will not give anything.

How to deal with oil

The average car enthusiast, winding 10-15 thousand kilometers a year, changes the engine oil together with the filter twice: on the eve of summer and on the eve of winter.

How not to get lost in oil markings?

Let's see what it says, for example, SAE designation 10W-40 for motor oils.

The designation of the viscosity grade "W" gives us information about winter application oils (W is the initial letter English word WINTER - winter).

The smaller the number before the letter W (in this case is the number 10), the lower the viscosity of the oil at low temperatures. This factor makes it easier cold start engine. Oil spreads through the engine faster, preventing wear.

The number after the letter W indicates the ability of the oil to provide reliable lubrication engine at high temperatures. The larger the number (in this case, 40), the greater the viscosity of the oil at high temperature and the more reliable the lubrication of the engine in the summer heat.

The presence of only one of the considered parameters in the designation of the viscosity class indicates the seasonality of the oil (for example: SAE 10W - winter seasonal oil, SAE 40 - summer seasonal oil). The presence in the designation of two classes at once (as in our example - SAE 10W-40) indicates that the oil is all-weather.

Reliable battery

Too frugal car enthusiasts do not like to buy new battery. The usual picture - on a winter evening, no, no, yes, and another thrifty one will pass by, puffing under the weight of the battery removed for the night. At home, he will put it on nightly exercises, drag it back in the morning - and, burning his fingers with frost, will connect the terminals.

For ordinary car owners, especially women, this procedure is overwhelming. Therefore, think about what will eventually cost less: daily carrying the battery, buying a charger, the danger of not getting far from home than buying a normal battery.

Strain your memory and remember how many years you have not changed the battery? If the service life has reached four years - do not be stingy and go to the store.

In order not to get confused in the questions that the seller will ask you, take the vehicle registration certificate to the store (you keep it next to the rights). It contains all the necessary data for the seller.

Tinker Day

On a winter road, the danger is not only those who continue to stubbornly drive on summer tires, but also those who did not have time to adapt to new road conditions. Especially those who got the rights in the summer and this is his first winter. "Teapot" by inertia will drive the car as usual. He doesn't know any other.

Remember: when high speed on slippery road the most sophisticated studded tire will not save either.

Try to make time for a simple workout.

On a clear, cold day, find a flat area covered with crust or ice. Try to accelerate a little and sharply, "to the floor", slow down. A few of these exercises will help you feel the reaction of the car and understand why (especially in winter!) You can’t slow down at speed with the clutch depressed, enter a turn with the clutch depressed, or roll up to an intersection in neutral gear.

The best thing: at the first black ice, do not go out into the streets for at least two days. Let other road users get used to the ice. Because the first days of winter sleet on the roads are the real opening of the season. Simply put, "tinker's day".

Of course, you remember this, but ...

Gasoline and cold

• If your vehicle's owner's manual allows you to use gasoline with octane rating below 98, do not refuel at severe frosts 98th gasoline. Otherwise, it will be more difficult to start the car.
• If there is a need in severe frosts to drive the car for the night or several nights in a heated garage, fill the gas tank to capacity. The more air in the tank, the more water vapor in it. Ice microcrystals settle in the fuel, accumulate with all sorts of muck at the bottom, and then "destroy" the fuel pump.
• Replace fabric rugs in the cabin on rubber.
• In cold weather, warm up the engine before every ride.
• To in winter time reduce the load on the battery, before turning the ignition key, turn on the high beam for 10 seconds.
• Check your wipers before driving. If frozen, carefully separate them from the glass.

What should be in the "winter" trunk?

• Ordinary broom. They are much more convenient and faster than modern expensive brushes to sweep snow from the car. It is cheaper and more practical.
• Special wires will not interfere in order to "light up" from someone else's battery if necessary (if your battery is already close to the "critical" age).
• A couple of old rubber mats. They will help to start off on full ice, if you put them under the slipping wheels.
• If you have to go out of town, "in the snow" - a sapper shovel (I generally carry a shovel with a shortened handle) - this is a sure lifesaver.
• Tow rope(however, it is better to "prescribe" it in the trunk forever).