Starting the engine in the cold. Starting an injection engine in cold weather

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Many motorists leave the car in their garage all winter, as driving during this period is not only dangerous, but also requires some skill from the driver. Most in a blizzard or ice go to public transport or taxi. But those who still decide to drive their own car to work may face the problem of starting the engine in the cold.

Start injection engine in cold weather

Most often injection cars do not start at temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius. There can be a lot of reasons, but the main one is the outdated firmware of the electronic control unit. You can get rid of this only by uploading a more recent firmware. But there are many other problems that need to be addressed. One of these is the lack of heating in the room where the car is standing. This causes the battery to fail.

If the battery freezes, then it discharges itself, and since starting the engine in the cold season requires more charge than at normal temperature, this is precisely what becomes the main problem. There are several solutions. In-First, store the battery only where it is more or less warm. Secondly, do not charge the battery to the limit. This is due to the fact that the density of the electrolyte changes, and being in the cold, it loses its properties, and the charge drops.

Some more effective ways

It is worth paying attention to the fact that starting the engine in cold weather can also be done from the pusher, but this applies to a manual transmission. There is another way to warm up the battery. To do this, you can turn on the external lighting for 1-2 minutes, and then try to start the car.

But if you still can't succeed, then you have to open the hood and carry out a few manipulations already there. For example, you can blow out the cylinders, which sometimes helps, and also replace the spark plugs. It is worth noting that starting the injection engine in frost for the first time must be performed without the gas pedal. If it didn't work out, then after purging the cylinders, you can try to start with the pedal.

Do not forget about the air damper (suction). If you pull it towards you, it will be much easier to deal with the problem. In any case, before leaving the car to winter in the garage, it is necessary to check the life of the candles, the starting system, oil seals, and oil. As for engine oil for the winter, this is a separate topic for discussion, which will be discussed below.

Starting a carbureted engine in cold weather

As for carbureted cars, there are also problems in winter. Often these are problems exclusively with the internal systems of the car. In very severe frosts, the inability to start the car the first time is completely normal. Most often, this problem is solved by installing a contact ignition and its adjustment. But launch systems also play a role, which must also be pre-configured.

Of course, starting the engine in cold weather will be much easier if the starter is working. This mechanism can consume much more current than necessary, and the output does not provide enough voltage to start the car. You can and should fight this. It is worth buying a new one or repairing or adjusting the old starter.

Another proven way to solve this problem is to install a more powerful battery. A standard 55 Ah battery can be changed to one that is designed for 60 Ah. As noted above, the battery charge should be above average, but not the maximum, this is optimal for starting the engine in cold weather.

How to successfully start in -20, or the choice of engine oil

After we have decided on the launch of carburetor and injection engines, it is worth saying a few words about engine oil, which plays almost a key role. The following oils are currently produced:

• mineral;
• synthetic;
• semi-synthetic (mineral and synthetic).

Mineral oils are used for ICEs up to year 90. Consequently, vehicles of the VAZ family use mineral oil. But there is one "but". The thing isthe fact that such oils thicken at low temperatures and do not allow the engine to be started in cold weather. VAZ tolerates semi-synthetics well, so it is suitable for the winter period. Do not forget that models 2101-2107 are often difficult to start due to incorrectly configured ignition.

As for synthetic oils, they contain a large number of various additives, and also thicken at temperatures below -40 degrees Celsius, so this is ideal for the winter period.

What is the risk of using low-quality fuel

The fuel system of a car is quite complicated, but, regardless of the brand of car and the period of its operation, high-quality gasoline or diesel should be poured into the gas tank. If starting the engine in cold weather is a problem for you, then first of all you need to make sure that the fuel is not diluted with water. After all, if this is the case, then in frost, condensate and water will freeze, this disrupts the operation of car systems and makes it difficult to start.

The only reasonable solution to this problem is to drive the car to a heated place where the water will thaw along with the condensate. But it is highly not recommended to go anywhere on such gasoline. There are also fuel dryers that allow you to draw out the remaining water so that the car runs on clean gasoline. But this is only a temporary solution to the problem, which will allow you to start your car in the cold.

Solving problems with diesel start-up

There are a lot of problems due to which it turns outunable to start the diesel engine. Let's consider the main ones, and also find methods for solving them.

Detuned fuel injection timing. With late injection, starting a diesel engine in cold weather is almost impossible. In addition, it is often quite difficult to determine that this is the case. This will require diagnostics.

Another actual reason is battery current leakage. If in summer this circumstance may not be so noticeable, since the starter does not consume so much energy to start, then in winter this issue requires an immediate solution. Most often, problems are in the winding (somewhere something has shorted out). All of this can be seen with a simple visual inspection. It is advisable to check the alternator belt for wear, tighten if necessary. After that, most likely, it will be possible to immediately start the engine in cold weather without any problems.

Frequent problems and solutions

Let's look at a few more problems that motorists face in the winter when they need to leave the garage, but the car will not start. The spark plugs may be flooded. This happens quite often, and there is nothing terrible about it, but it is unlikely that you will be able to leave somewhere. You just need to clean the candles so that you can see how the spark passes. You can also simply change them or bake them in the oven.

It happens that a car has been in the garage for a month, and the last time it left it was still warm, and inthe tank is filled with the so-called "summer" diesel fuel. In the cold, it becomes like jelly, and the car will not start. To solve the problem, you can resort to using autochemistry, such as "Quick Start" or something like that. You can warm up the fuel system hoses with warm water.

Conclusion

If you drive a mechanic, then starting in winter should be done with the clutch fully depressed. This reduces the direct load on the starter. It is also recommended to periodically clean the exhaust pipe from condensate accumulated there, this is also a working method.

Of course, it is equally important to leave the car for the winter, having previously prepared it for this. This can be done by cleaning the candles, cylinders, etc. As for the diesel engine, it is recommended to start it on the first try. The starter can be turned for about 10 seconds. If no seizure occurs, then you need to look for a solution under the hood.