Starting the car when it’s cold outside can cause problems for drivers in certain situations. Motorization plays an important role, and depending on this, drivers must follow certain steps. Here’s how to start your car when it’s cold outside, depending on the engine it’s equipped with, diesel or gasoline.
Starting the engine when it’s freezing outside can be problematic.
The causes can be various, such as a discharged battery, too little time allocated to heating the spark plugs or even coagulation of the oil in the engine.
How to start a diesel car in winter
When starting a diesel engine after a frosty night or day, you should wait at least 3-5 seconds before starting.
This means that it is advisable to keep the ignition on three-quarters of the way until most of the warning lights on the dashboard go out, before turning the key all the way. But sometimes more may be needed.
The diesel engine uses a mixture of diesel fuel and air, which, through compression, ignites. When the piston in the combustion chamber pushes the mixture up, the pressure causes the temperature to rise to the point where ignition occurs. The explosion then pushes the piston down.
So diesel engines need compression to ignite the fuel. That is why it is recommended that in diesel cars, when the engine is cold and it is cold outside, the ignition should be kept long enough for the system to heat the glow plugs. Their temperature must reach over 800 degrees Celsius.
How to start a gasoline engine in winter
The starting principle of gasoline engines is similar to that of diesel cars. So you have to wait a few seconds after turning on the ignition before triggering the engine start.
Generally, these thrusters can be started after 2-3 seconds. But it is also important to wait for the warning lights to go out. As long as the ignition is on, the fuel pump sends fuel to the engine and the spark plugs heat up.
Unlike diesel, the gasoline engine works on the basis of a spark, which ignites the gasoline-air mixture. Therefore, low temperatures affect engine starting less than in the case of diesel engines.
The mistake made by many drivers
Many drivers are impatient for the warning lights to go out and try to start the engine as soon as they turn on the ignition or 1-2 seconds after. However, this is a mistake, and mechanics recommend, especially drivers who drive diesel cars, to keep the ignition on for even 10 seconds in winter before turning on the ignition. Or turn on the ignition at least twice before starting the car.
„When we do these successive ignitions the combustion chamber heats up better and the engine should start on the first key. This operation is not necessarily necessary in the case of cars with a petrol engine. Instead, contact can be held longer, about 8 seconds, before triggering the ignition”, mechanic Robert Marin explained to ProMotor.
After the car has started, it is recommended to let it idle for a few minutes. Thus, the oil can regain its viscosity to normally lubricate the metal components inside the engine.
Source: www.promotor.ro
