How in a frost to get a diesel engine? How to start a car in the winter? Tips, recommendations

In winter, starting the engine "on a cold" sometimes becomes an unimaginable task for motorists. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort. But not every car owner has so much free time. But how to avoid such a situation? In today's article we will tell you how to start a diesel engine in winter. Also, we will look at the advice that you will not get so often into such unpleasant situations.

Looking for a "common denominator"

How in a frost to get a diesel engine? First, let's look at the reasons for poor engine startup at low temperatures. Immediately say that there are a lot of them. But most of them have a common denominator - fluids. And the lower the ambient temperature, the worse the engines will work.

In the case of a diesel engine, frost affects fuel. With a rapid drop in temperature, it begins to thicken, because of which the composition of the liquid changes. As a result, the fuel is difficult to ignite or does not pass through the fine filter at all.

With liquids, a battery is connected, in which chemical processes are constantly going on (the generation of an electric current). And the lower the air temperature, the slower they occur.

Another reason for the poor start of the car on the diesel engine may be engine oil. It, like fuel, also has a property to thicken. Thus, as the temperature is lowered, the movement of the rubbing parts of the KShM becomes more complicated. Even worse, if the oil film breaks or disappears altogether. Then a major overhaul of the power plant is inevitable.

How to start a diesel in winter? First start

If your vehicle does not start the first time, you do not need to panic. This process should last no more than 15 seconds. After this, turn the key to its original position and let the battery "rest" for one or two minutes. Ideally, the machine should start at a maximum of 3 attempts. If your car still does not start, in no case do not repeat this process many times. So you just degrade the efficiency of the starter and discharge the battery.

Start by the method of "lighting up"

In winter, always keep "in stock" ready-made cables. Thanks to them you can quickly start a car. Help you can have not only an acquaintance, but also any kindly driver, passing by you. If the car can be started using the "smoking" method, it can safely go on. But it is worth noting that it is not necessary to muffle the engine immediately after ignition. Give the battery fully "saturated" with electricity, having traveled at least 5 kilometers. And it's best to let the engine run for about an hour. In this case , the battery will uniquely resume its charge and the next start will give a normal starting current.

Use of additives and antigels

So, at us the machine has frozen . How to get it, if there is not a suitable car nearby, from which it would be possible to "light" it? In that case, welcome to the world of additives and anti-geese. Fortunately, finding them is not difficult even in small towns. Often motorists prefer such well-known manufacturers, as "Liqui Moli", "Hado" and "Castrol". Due to their composition, they do not allow paraffin, which is contained in diesel oil, to multiply in full. The fact is that with a decrease in temperature this fuel begins to grow turbid, forming a special precipitate. Because of it, the diesel does not enter the combustion chamber, getting stuck in the filter walls.

We also note that additives and antigels do not dissolve paraffin in liquids, they only retard its growth with the next lowering of temperature. But, as practice shows, this is quite enough to start a diesel engine at a 40-degree frost. However, for this you need to know how to properly use the antigel. And it is poured into the tank at a temperature above 0 ... + 1 degree Celsius. In this case, the tool brings real benefits to the engine.

Nuances of antigels

Modern automakers do not recommend the use of additives in fuel. This applies to engines such as TDI, HDI and CDI. This prohibition is explained by the complexity of the design of fuel equipment. But motorists say that with accurate and moderate use, the additive does not cause any harm to diesel installations.

When using anti-gels it is important to pay attention not only to the temperature of the environment, but also to the proportion in which it is necessary to add liquid to the tank. This information is indicated by the manufacturers on the labels.

What if the diesel has already frozen?

How to start a car in winter if the fuel has already frozen? Of course, already frozen diesel, full of paraffins, it is impossible to "revive". The only way is to pour it into a canister and heat to a temperature of 60-70 degrees Celsius. Then add a few milliliters of anti-gel and pour the resulting substance into the tank. But before you start the car in winter, motorists advise to pre-install a new fuel filter.

Detailed about kerosene

Drivers with experience do not trust different novelties in the form of anti-gels and additives and usually prefer to dilute the diesel fuel with kerosene. In practice, the result is the same, and this method can be used not only on older engines. Kerosene has a high lubricity, so it does not harm the fuel system . Experts recommend to dilute diesel fuel with this fuel in the proportion of not more than 30 percent, that is, for 100 liters of diesel fuel, a maximum of 30 liters of kerosene.

Petrol

But this kind of oil products should be completely eliminated from the list of used "heaters" for diesel engines. The fact is that gasoline, unlike additives and kerosene, does not have lubricity. And this means that during the engine operation, the injection pump will pump the liquid "on dry". Therefore, before you start a diesel in this way in a frost, remember that the repair of fuel equipment can cost from 200 to 500 euros. In extreme cases, it is recommended to dilute petrol with oil.

Glow plugs

Before you start a diesel in winter, you need to carefully warm the candles. How to do it? To start, you need to turn the ignition key, then wait until the lamp on the instrument panel appears as a spring. Most often it is yellow or red (see it in the photo below). After a couple of seconds, it disappears, informing that the fuel has warmed up sufficiently. After this, return the ignition key to its original position. To fully warm up the glow plugs, repeat this procedure several more times with an interval of 2-3 seconds. The fact is that foreign manufacturers do not quite know with what low temperatures their vehicles in Russia, especially in the northern regions, have to face. The fuel mixture during this period is simply not able to warm up properly, so repeat this procedure with turning the key more than once.

Also, before starting a diesel in the frost, it is recommended not to remove the machine from the transmission, but to squeeze the clutch to the stop (it concerns the cars with a manual gearbox). The fact is that in winter, transmission oil has the property of stagnating, that is, removing the machine from the transmission, you force to slide the discs and gears without lubrication.

The car froze. How to get it "from the pusher"?

Unfortunately, this method can not be used on cars with such engines.
The reason for this is the timing belt, which can tear or jump over several prongs ahead. Therefore, any attempt to start a diesel engine "from the pusher" in most cases turns into an expensive repair.

Tips for the future

Of course, it is best to prevent these cases. For this we recommend:

1. Leave the car in the garage. Ideally, the highest and stable air temperature is in underground types of premises. But if you do not have such a garage, try to insulate the gate with the usual one. A car stored in such a room is not only protected from freezing of fuel, but also not exposed to external factors (in the summer it's rains and direct rays of ultraviolet radiation).
2. Always refuel with high-quality fuel. Of course, the offers of fueling at cheap gas stations seem tempting, but in winter time it makes sense to look for stations of only large networks. With regard specifically to diesel fuel, all gas stations in the period from December to February should sell only the winter variety of diesel fuel, which does not freeze at a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius.
3. If possible, store the battery at home. Even if your car is stored in a garage, it still makes sense to rent a battery for the night. A warm battery will ensure reliable starting of the engine even at the lowest temperatures. And before you start a diesel in a frost, do not neglect the unnecessary check of the battery charge. If it is less than 12.5 volts, connect it to the memory for 1-2 hours. In cold weather, the charge of the battery should be slightly above the norm, that is, on the order of 12.5-13.5 V.

So, we found out how to start a diesel in the winter. We hope that the above tips will be useful to you. Good luck on the roads!