We all love in the summer, when it is warm, dry and comfortable, when the asphalt is not covered with ice and snow, to rush along an empty road “with a breeze”. However, in winter, when snow falls and ice sets in, driving becomes much more difficult and dangerous. It is in winter, especially with our winters, that motorists need to pay more attention road conditions, an increased concentration of strength and skill is needed to safe management vehicle. And yet, none of us is immune from falling into a difficult situation. And winter meets with difficult weather conditions, an icy track, snowdrifts, heavy snowfalls and fog. In order to get into as little as possible difficult situations some rules must be followed.
First of all, before the onset of cold weather, inspect and diagnose your car and prepare it for winter. You will spend no more than two or three days on all these actions. Replace on your car summer tires for winter and slightly reduce the pressure in the wheels. It will be useful to check the correctness brake system, level and weather conditions of the engine oil. For a period of severe frosts, it is better to use synthetic engine oil because it is less viscous. Need to fill winter liquid into the washer bottle. Special attention must be paid to antifreeze. It should be transparent and have a bright green, bright blue or bright pink color.
Front and rear lights, direction indicators, parking lights must be in working order. For the winter it is best to buy in the salon rubber mats with high sides, they will protect the interior and body of your car from moisture and chemicals that are added to the roadbed. Don't park your car either. parking brake, as it can freeze and create additional trouble. Also, in cold weather, you don’t need to wash your car too often - locks can freeze and no newfangled products will help you. If this still happened, use a mug hot water or hair dryer. Be sure to check availability tow rope and sign emergency stop. Making sure that your car is fully prepared for winter will help you avoid many unpleasant moments and give you confidence in driving in difficult winter conditions.
According to statistics, the largest number traffic accidents happen in the first days of winter, when the street is covered with snow and the first ice covers the roads. Therefore, the speed of movement in winter should be at least fifteen kilometers per hour lower than in summer. And you should not accelerate or brake sharply, and the gears must be switched especially smoothly. The distance with the vehicle in front must be tripled compared to the summer one.
Most big problems for a motorist, which promise big troubles, is the entry of a car into a skid on ice and demolition into snowdrift. Most effective way to avoid similar situation- early detection of such problem areas and try to plot a route around them. Drivers whose work is connected with daily trips by car in winter are advised by experts to take courses extreme driving. In such courses, professional instructors will teach you how to cope with skidding without any problems. And after some time, you will gain the necessary experience, and you will feel much more confident behind the wheel even during ice. At the moment, there are more than enough such courses in our country.
What to do if you drove into a snowdrift?
First of all, don't panic. In this situation, do not sharply put pressure on the gas. A freely sliding wheel will only contribute to the melting of snow, and, accordingly, additional slip. Most in an efficient way in this situation there will be a so-called buildup. With the help of gas and clutch, it is necessary to rock the car until it completely leaves the snowdrift. If necessary, place rubber mats from the passenger compartment under the wheels. And try not to forget them when you get out of the snowdrift. In order to get out of the rut, you need to slow down, since the most dangerous in this maneuver- moment of departure. On high speed the wheels may lock up and the vehicle may skid. Therefore, just before the maneuver, slow down and be ready to maneuver during the skid.
Actions during a skid
If the car went into a skid, follow the main rule - you can not make sudden movements with the steering wheel, and even more so you can not brake sharply. Steering wheel it is necessary to turn in the direction of the skid, and also try to direct the car to the intended stopping place. If you have a car with rear wheel drive, then it is necessary to sharply press and release the brake pedal, and on a machine that has front-wheel drive need to add some gas. After exiting the skid, you need to level the steering wheel. And most importantly, there is no need to panic and be nervous. Calmly perform all the necessary maneuvers, and you will easily cope with this extreme situation.
Right down the hill
In winter, while driving downhill, it is strictly forbidden to turn off the gear and move to neutral speed. The safest thing to do would be to enable downshift, this will improve traction on icy and snowy roads. Just before the descent, it is necessary to apply the method of intermittent braking - rare pressing of the brake pedal.
Properly moving downhill
It should be understood that any movement downhill requires acceleration. Otherwise, the car will not be able to overcome the slope and will stall, because at some point it will not have enough traction. If, even after gaining acceleration, you could not overcome the slippery slope, you can try to climb it backwards. However, such a maneuver is feasible only if your vehicle front-wheel drive.
Let's start moving
On a road covered with ice or snow, you need to move off as smoothly as possible and preferably from the second speed. However, theory is good, but practice is just as important, so try to work it out on a court away from the road. Also try emergency braking and leveling the car after a skid, etc. While driving, strictly follow the traffic rules and be sure to buckle up seat belt yourself and make your passengers do it. Be extremely careful and careful on the road at any time of the year and in any weather!
RAMC specialists shared their "winter" secrets. For some, these are common truths, but for someone, especially novice motorists, it may come in handy. So in order.
How to extend tire life in cold weather? First of all, you need to monitor the pressure. Low wears out the lateral parts of the tread, high - central part wheel tread. Choose a smooth driving style, avoiding hard braking if possible. Be sure to check the wheel balance when changing tires seasonally.
Dead battery is one of the common problems that drivers face in winter. Due to frost, the battery works with an increased load, and it requires a large current and more a long period engine start. Because of this, it fails faster, so before the onset of cold weather, it should be fully charged. But if, nevertheless, it happened that the battery is dead, and you need to go, you can use next tip. Before starting the engine, turn on the high beam headlights to "wake up" the battery. A chemical process will begin in the battery banks, and the electrolyte will warm up a little. If the car does not start the first time, wait 1-2 minutes and repeat the procedure. Depress the clutch pedal when starting the engine. This will make it easier for the starter to start the engine.
With frozen locks doors will help to cope with a special defroster or special grease(WD-40) combined with lithium grease. Make it a rule after a long drive in the cold to always cool the car by opening all the doors for a few minutes so that the air temperature in the cabin is equal to the ambient temperature. This simple procedure will help prevent freezing rubber seals doors. And to from low temperatures they are not cracked, do not forget to lubricate the rubber bands with silicone grease.
Motorists using diesel fuel , they know that it is in the cold thickens. Help to deal with it special remedy- . It will not allow the fuel to freeze. Before you go to the gas station, add it to the tank and the problem will be solved. But at gasoline its subtleties in operation. Condensation can accumulate in the gas tank, which, in turn, does not have a very good effect on the operation of the engine and fuel system. To avoid this, a dehumidifier will help, which must be periodically added before refueling.
icy do not rush to tear off the glass. This can damage the rubber brush. Use special glass gel or wait until Windshield warm up. Then it will be easier to clear the ice. By the way, in no case do not try to turn on the frozen wipers. The motor that drives them can fail.
If with the advent of cold weather nozzles and windshield washer motor stopped working, most likely, you simply forgot to fill the windshield washer tank in time instead of water with “anti-freeze” or you got a poor-quality one and froze. Most the best remedy melt the ice - put the car in a warm parking lot for a couple of hours. Vodka or alcohol will also work well with ice. But before pouring them into the washer reservoir, it is better to warm it up a little. Then the defrosting process will go faster.
IN winter time it is advisable not to put the car on the handbrake (parking brake). Otherwise, you risk getting frozen to rear discs brake pads . Although it is not difficult to solve such a problem. For example, douse the pads with alcohol-containing liquid. But this advice is acceptable only on the condition that the car disc brakes installed at the back. At drum brakes these recommendations do not work because the sticking area on the drum is too large. In no case should you try to break the pads with the help of towing: there is a possibility of damaging the elements of the brake system.
A rather simple accessory that would be nice to have in the trunk of every car. On city streets, it is unlikely to come in handy, but on a trip out of town it can be most welcome. Chains significantly increase the car's off-road patency, reduce drifts on slippery road at low speeds, help to get out of the snowdrifts. Rubber tires are softer, wear tires less and allow you to move at speeds up to 80 km / h. They very well save from snow porridge and ice on the road. But in difficult places, metal ones will help. But they are tougher, “eat up” rubber and limit the speed of a car to 20–40 km/h.
Anti-corrosion treatment of the body - good rust remover. In winter, roads are sprinkled with chemicals, which, getting into the microcracks of the body, corrode parts and paint. Therefore, do not be lazy and carry out a special treatment of the car before winter.
By the way, quite recently, Za Rulem.RF conducted a survey on how our readers prepare their car for winter. The most common answer was "I'm changing the wheels and washer for winter ones."
In the article "Useful tips for motorists in winter" we will give you helpful tips driving in winter. The onset of frost in winter is always sudden. But this winter is not the first for motorists in their lives, and we offer you ten people's tips.
1. Do not wash
You better refrain from washing your iron friend, because sharp drops temperatures can kill the finish of the machine, it can dull its polish. If you are so unbearable to wash the car, then you need to treat the window seals and door locks, gas tank lock and cork with silicone sprays. After washing, do not regret and treat your car with hot wax. Thanks to the wax, the coating of the car will not suffer, and you can wash it much less frequently. After leaving the car wash, you need to slow down hard so that the pads of your car do not freeze. At night, it is advisable to put the car in gear, and not on the "handbrake".
2. Carry a suitcase
When there is a sudden change in temperature, the door locks do not open. And many before the onset of winter buy spray cans that help break the nut that does not open and help thaw the lock. With the help of this can, they spray it once, and then they throw it into the trunk, and there it is of no use, and it is still difficult to get to it. Therefore, you need to carry it with you, as you need to wear work gloves, so that everything is warm and close by and have a key for 10 to the battery terminals.
Doubtful of course it turns out comfort, but nothing can be done. You need to have a set of fuses, a wiper brush in stock. Of course, you don’t have to carry it with you, just like the wires for “lighting up”. In the trunk, they will not be superfluous. You can open the lock without a can, for this you need a lighter or matches on fire, heat the key and turn it carefully.
3. Do not start immediately
It is not recommended to start a car in severe frost. The main reason that the engine fails in cold weather is the battery, which has "sat down". Before you start it, you need to “cheer up” the battery a little and make it easy. To turn on dashboard and electrical appliances, you need to turn the ignition key to the first position. Then blink high beam about 10 or 15 seconds. After that, the electrolyte in the battery will warm up and its capacity will increase. In such a short time you will not be able to plant it. Then you need to turn off the headlights and start the engine.
4. Warmth from evil frosts
In Siberia, one could observe such a picture, the frost was 30 degrees, the drivers stood in line for the transformer, the guard transported the cigarette lighter from car to car on a sled, collecting money. The lady brought home a light and flat heater, plugged it in, put it under the hood of the Toyota and ran to the store. She came back 15 minutes later and the car started right up. But women also have a hair dryer in their arsenal.
5. More gasoline
There should always be more than half of the gasoline in the tank. It should not be forgotten that the more air is contained in the tank, the more water vapor it contains. Water vapor crystallization occurs, then microcrystals settle in the fuel, they accumulate at the bottom and clog fuel system and fuel pump. There is no need to wait for the fuel quantity indicator light to come on. When the arrow shows that there is half the fuel in the tank, turn to the Gas Station.
6. Check the pressure
Due to large temperature differences, tire pressure changes noticeably. This can affect the grip of the wheels with the road, which is especially evident in the snow, and on slippery surfaces. Therefore, with temperature fluctuations and with severe frosts need in without fail check tire pressure.
7. Glasses will not fog up if
When you come to the parking lot, in severe frost, you need to lubricate the windows with a special ointment, which consists of 2 parts of glycerin and one part of a strong solution of table salt. This mixture must be applied just before leaving, because it protects the glass from frost for two or 3 hours.
Windows can be prevented from fogging up with a saturated solution of table salt, for which you need to take two tablespoons to 1 glass of water. With this solution, you can quickly clean frozen windows. Wipe the glass with this solution until the ice and frost are gone, and then you need to wipe the glass with a dry, soft cloth. Or you can take wet salt, wrap it in gauze and then the car windows will not fog up.
8. Mudguards are needed in winter
Mud flaps are needed not only in the warm season, and not only for passing technical inspection. The best option it will be if the mudguards are made of elastic material so that heavy ice can be thrown off light blow legs. It is important that the front wheels do not throw all this vile slurry on the thresholds, because the ice under the front doors significantly hits bumps on the road.
9. To the hypermarket
Large hypermarkets have warm parking lots. They are a real find for those drivers who save on minor repairs and who do not have a garage. Knock down ice from under wheel arches and from the roof, wipe the headlights and windows, pump up the wheels, thaw the fluid frozen in the washer reservoir. You just go there, put it on, go to the hypermarket for shopping, and when you return, then you pick it up warm. Some manage to bring to the parking lot a car that refused to start. And in the parking lot, it will already thaw and, of course, it will start.
10. Do not cover with a tarp
There are motorists who drive on weekends and thus take care of their car. They try to cover their car in the yard with a tarpaulin awning. But this cannot be done. Because you have to tear off the frozen awning to the metal, you will have to tear it off “with meat”. This frugality can lead to the fact that in places of freezing paintwork will have to be restored.
Now we know about useful tips for motorists in winter. Knowing these tips and applying them in practice, you can save your car in the winter season.
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 while driving a car you get into difficult road conditions The most important thing is to stay 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.
Glass icing
In cold weather, many people face the problem of icing on the windows. This drastically impairs the driver's view and can directly affect safety. traffic. How to deal with it? There are many ways. The most obvious is to reduce the humidity in the car interior. To do this, it is necessary to ensure constant circulation warm air when you are in the car, there is enough airflow for the windshield and side windows. If possible, in winter, rubber mats should be replaced with textile ones, they absorb moisture, and do not collect it underfoot. To prevent severe freezing of the windows during parking, you should equalize the air temperature in the cabin and on the street. Freezing the interior, of course, will not work, and it is not necessary: it is enough to let cold air get inside by opening the car doors for a couple of minutes. And one more folk way: wipe the glass from the inside with saline solution, so they freeze more slowly.
Battery
Particular attention should be paid to the battery when preparing the car for winter. Best to replace old battery to a new one, because in severe frosts the service life passes much faster. If you leave the car on the street, then when the frost is below twenty degrees, it is generally better to take the battery to a warm place. Whenever possible, it is recommended to charge the battery with charger once a month and a half. Before starting the starter, it is useful to let the battery warm up a little. To do this, it is enough to turn on the low beam headlights for half a minute or a minute.
Candles
The peculiarity of spark plugs in cold weather is that during short trips they do not have time to warm up, and this leads to the formation of soot. This problem is fixed in two ways. You can dismantle the candles and clean off the carbon deposits yourself, or you can let the engine run for a long time on high revs- a long country trip is perfect for this.
Body care and locks
Body in winter time - especially vulnerable spot, because the paintwork suffers from two misfortunes at once: severe frosts and caustic salts that are sprinkled on roads. The ingress of reagents even into a small scratch on the body can contribute to its corrosion, and here it is - corrosion and rust. Therefore, at the end of autumn it is useful to process the body paintwork special formulations (liquid glass, wax, varnish, etc.). It is necessary to wash the car in winter very carefully - as it gets dirty and no more than twice a month. If you wash yourself, in no case do not use warm water, and in severe frosts it is better to refuse washing altogether. After washing the car, you should dry the door and trunk locks well - water can easily seep in there, and it will not be so easy to open them. For chemical thawing of locks, some advise spraying with WD-40, among other means. It is better not to do this: WD-40 strongly attracts moisture, and although the lock will work well at first, problems can arise later.
wipers
Needless to say, it's important to have well-functioning wipers during the rainy and snowy season. Wiper blades must be thoroughly de-iced before each ride. If this is neglected, your wipers run the risk of getting snow and moisture in the hinges - in this case, you will have to buy new wipers. Also, it will not be superfluous to treat the hinges with universal grease.
