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Preparation of the car for winter

If you have not prepared for her own car - in a hurry. We do not insist that all our tips and tricks you perform yourself. If you do not want to mess around - there are service stations and masters-professionals. But, you should know exactly what needs to be done with the car, clearly explain it to the master, and sometimes to see to it that everything is done right.

Bus

Snow and ice do not go barefoot - the car for the winter, too, need to change s. About winter rubber we wrote repeatedly, therefore only briefly recall the main points.

Winter tires are designed with markings M + S (Mud + Snow - "Mud + Snow"), Winter ("Winter") or W. These inscriptions are sometimes accompanied by icons in the form of snowflakes and clouds.

It is better to choose tires narrower than those on which you drive in the summer - of course, within the allowable size for your vehicle range. Protector must push snow and mud porridge to a firm covering, and narrow tires cope with it better.

Undesirable winter ride on all-season tires - the ones that are marked indexes AS (All Seasons - "All seasons") or AW (Any Weather - "Any Weather").

"Winter" possibilities at them frail; all-season in the full sense of the word can be considered only if it is a little snow in Europe, rather than Russia. The above is less about tires for off-road vehicles. It is in all-season performance significantly "more winter", than the passenger. If you have an SUV, and the AS AW winter - this is acceptable. But, of course, worse than the M + S or Winter.

Spike tires on ice and snow keep better than studless. But on pure asphalt at braking on thorns the probability of blocking the wheels skidding and braking distances increase: steel thorns not bad slide on asphalt. The danger lies in the fact that drivers blindly trust in thorns and, braking on asphalt, expect from them the same death grip, as well as on the ice. By the way, non-studded winter tires of new generations on a slippery surface behave practically not worse than the spike.

Some put the winter tires only on the drive wheels. And on the left led ... summer. Do not do that, it's dangerous. On slippery roads drift potential studless pair of wheels is very high, even in relatively harmless situations - too different coefficients of adhesion and resistance to lateral withdrawal.

Not shipuyte bus anywhere. It is a process responsible, demanding the good equipment and specialists. Skewed, not enough or too drowned in rubber spikes increase tire wear. And, of course, does not contribute to safety.

Engine

The main problem in the winter - a cold engine start. Most often it occurs in gasoline engines, but in a strong frost it can face and the owner of a car with a fuel-injected engine. The reasons are known - the thickened oil, drop in battery capacity and bad evaporation of gasoline. Oils and batteries will be considered separately, but in the meantime - a few words about the experience of countries with a cold climate, which are widely used pre-start electric heater - a sort of "kipyatilnichki" in the engine cooling system. I rode up to the house or to the office, stuck a fork into an electrical outlet, turned on the timer ... By the necessary time the engine is warmed up, and some designs provide also salon warming.

Electric heating device for several years and are presented in the Russian market. The most popular Finnish heaters which can be equipped with timers. Cost with installation - about $ 250. For about $ 100 you can buy a domestic production heater (for VAZ models and "Volga"), but the timer is not provided for him.

The main disadvantage of electric heating is that your home or office need to have a special plate with a rosette. It Finns well, and we have the corresponding infrastructure if will appear, not soon and not everywhere. Another solution - an independent heater on liquid fuel, which is also built into the engine cooling system and works on the principle of the boiler. It serves as fuel for gasoline or diesel fuel, depending on what your car engine is running.

In the Russian market autonomous heaters manufacture Eberspacher, Webasto, and also products Schadrinskogo Auto Aggregate Plant (SCHAAZ).

Install the heater can be at special stations, which are already quite a few in Moscow and across Russia. Warm-up time - no more than 15 minutes, is thus spent only 200 grams of gasoline or diesel fuel. Such heaters (besides the timer) can be equipped with a remote control device. The cost of stand-alone heater in the Russian market - about $ 1,000.

The benefit of heating systems consists in the fact that in their application increases engine life. For information: each engine cold start at 20 ?� C is equivalent to a run of 800 km. By the way, according to modern views the engine reaches operating temperature more quickly, and it will wear less if after start-up does not stand still and start moving as soon as possible, avoiding, of course, unnecessary load on the engine.

Butter

Changing the oil produced in relation to the running car, not the season. But as change oil on the average once every six months, why not do it in the run-up to winter?

The vast majority of modern motor oils - in varying degrees - all season. It is believed that it is necessary to fill in what is prescribed by the manufacturer in the instruction manual. But there are different winter - warm and slushy-and vigorously-frosty. And it is not clear whether the manufacturer assumed that its car will be used in conditions of the Russian winter, and that the oil would need "colder".

If you decide to deviate from the instructions when choosing oil, you can use simple method to determine its temperature suitability - for secure. We call this method "rule of 35".

The marking engine oil should include the designation of its class on a scale of viscosity SAE. For example: 15W-40. This means that the oil viscosity at minus temperatures meets the requirements for winter oil grade 15W, and at plus - for the summer oil class 40.

Remember number 35. If you subtract from it, "winter" index of viscosity grade, in this example, 15, you get a quantity called the limit temperature pumpability, t. E. The temperature at which the oil will still flow.

35 - 15 = 20. This means that oil 15W-40 can be used at temperatures down to -20 ?� C.

Accordingly, the smaller "winter" index of viscosity grade, the oil is "cold." 10W - to -25 ?� C; 5W - to -30 ?� C.

This is the "rule of 35". Simple and useful.

Battery

Hit the frost, and the accumulator still yesterday vigorously Steep starter, he refuses to do it flatly. No wonder - when you charge it the last time?

If the battery is relatively young (3-4 years), in anticipation of the winter it is enough to wash the outside, clean the terminals and fully charged - if the vehicle is continuously operated in the city, the battery probably far from nominal. If the battery is old and up to rated capacity does not charge me without hesitation, otherwise the winter he'll probably let you down - capacity and so strongly decreases with decreasing temperature, but there is also an increased energy consumption - heating, heated seats, lights, wipers, rear window heater. ..

By the way, in the opinion of experts, the average "grade life" accumulator makes about twelve months, then begins a gradual withering. And the sales peak of starter batteries, according to sellers, is necessary just for the autumn.

Times when the automobile owner was knocked down in search of a new battery is long gone - from a variety of brands and models on the shelves dazzled. How to choose - a personal decision. We note only that the market is now possible to allocate two price groups - batteries valued at over $ 60 (normally $ 100), for example, "Bosch", "Steco", "American", "Fiamm", and batteries for under $ 60 ("Mutlu "," Inci "," Centra "," SAEM "and t. d.).

Higher prices of batteries of the first group are determined by more sophisticated technology of their production. These batteries are generally classified as non-performing. Special types of electrolytes and tight execution of such batteries increase resource exploitation and provide high traction currents guaranteeing steer the engine even at strong frosts. Leading manufacturers currently mandatory use technology packaging plate, thereby avoids a short circuit of the battery in the event of their destruction.

Cheaper batteries require periodic maintenance - check the density of the electrolyte and the measurement of its level. Recall that the density of the electrolyte for the winter period should be not less than 1.29.

Often when buying a new battery try to choose its capacity more if only has got to the place reserved for her. But capacity - not the main thing. More importantly starter current, which allows the battery. After all, even the battery with a large capacity, the figure (due to the high internal resistance) may be lower than that of the battery with a smaller capacity. In addition, the battery with more capacity require a higher charging current, which is a generator of your car will not provide, and the battery during operation will be discharged more and more that is pitiable will affect battery life.

By the way, if you buy the battery different from regular, pay attention to the location of its findings - across the batteries "reverse", to which the terminal wire of your car may not reach.

Ignition system

If you have a new car of foreign manufacture, and with a fuel-injected engine, then you can not read. But if the machine is used, with the carburettor motor - then business another. Actually, the power supply system and ignition are not connected. But on modern engines with injection will not meet the ever-memorable mechanical spreader or breaker contacts. And gasoline - as much as necessary. And not to potter then on a frost, contacts should be cleaned, a distributor cover - too (and should be replaced). Even better - to replace classical system of ignition on electronic (if still have car owners, who did not).

Do not forget the high-voltage wires. After a couple years of driving on our "salty" roads they are desirable to change and better - on wires with a silicone shell that are less sensitive to temperature. Furthermore, they do not frost is formed, which is often caused by lack of spark. By the way, the banal cause ignition problems can be corroded or bad tighten battery terminals.

Separately - about candles. Usually them change through 15-20 thousand. Kilometers, ie. E. Once a year and a half (we do not take cutting-edge, can withstand 100 thousand. Km or more). It is not necessary to save on candles - calcined, clean and adjust the gaps. Change at least once a year - it's inexpensive. And put it on the eve of the new winter. Fuel system

Often it is the cause of poor performance of the engine in winter. And all - of the fuel accumulated in the condensed water tank. If the tank has a drain plug, drain the water can be a - if not "neutralize", using so-called "propellants moisture." Almost all the leading manufacturers of car chemicals present in the Russian market (STP, Loctite, WynnHs, Aspokem), offer similar preparations which are filled into the fuel tank and gradually purify the power supply system.

It is advisable to put a new fuel fine filter, clean the carburetor, and if the motor has injection system - to ensure cleanliness of the injectors.

Owners of diesel cars, especially if the machine previously operated in a country with a mild climate, it is necessary to take care about the equipment of fuel system by special devices of heating. Practice shows that the diesel engine to start at -20 ?� C can be difficult, since the fuel loses fluidity (how much "winter" solar oil is that we sold in the winter - we can only guess). One of effective measures - application warmed toplivoprivodov and filters. This diesel engine can start up even at -40 ?� C. The heating is carried out elements that are powered by a regular battery.

Consumption of current is about 5A, the inclusion of heaters for 5-10 minutes on the capacity of the battery has almost no effect.

Body

Winter - not the best season for the car, especially when you walk on the streets, heavily sprinkled with salt. During this period the body to the fullest extent subject to corrosion, and corrosion of its treatment is highly desirable. However, according to some employees of authorized service centers for a number of new cars - especially with galvanized body, the factory processing is sufficient. But if you have, say, new Skoda (not to mention the domestic passenger car), the experts recommend to spend full anticorrosive processing of the bottom, wheel arches and body cavities.

It is useful to install and wing flaps.

The cost of these services complex averages $ 250-300 and depends mainly on the type of applied protective agents. They are in our market is now represented by a lot. But first of all we should probably pay attention to those which apply in countries with climates similar to ours. It may be Finnish Mercasol AL with aluminum additives, Swedish Noxudol on the metallized basis, Canadian Rust stop or Tektyl.

Anti-corrosion treatment requires strict observance of technology, and although almost all manufacturers of protective materials let them into the packaging for domestic use, is still preferable to perform processing in a specialized service center. It is necessary to find out in advance, on what technology it produces. In any case, before applying the protective coating on the underside of the arch and the machine must be cleaned of dirt, washed and dried thoroughly.

As anticorrosive processing you do for a few years, it is better to sit in a car outside and personally observe the process.

Winter - hard test for body paint. Sudden temperature changes, snow mixed with salt, ice crust - all this leads to the appearance of micro-cracks in the paint. The surface of the body can be protected with a special compound suitable for use at low temperatures, for example, Plus Teflon or Color Magic. Treatment with these drugs is carried out about once a month - after obligatory washing machine and drying it.

The question of where to keep the car in the winter, in fact, is usually not worth it - those who have a garage, keep it in the garage, those who do not - on the street. Oddly enough, in terms of preservation of the body (from corrosion, not from theft), between trips and overnight is best to leave the car on the street - with a cold body corrosion process goes more slowly. In cold garage of heat allocated car is enough for it to be a little warm, and melting snow with salt some time actively do the dirty deed. Well, in a warm garage, even if you carefully washed the car from salt from below, it will stand all night wet ...

Glass

Visibility - is not only comfort, but also safety. Therefore, I need hardly say that the windshield wipers, air cooling and heating of glasses should be serviceable. Brushes, leaving on glass matte strips, throw out safely. But buying new, try to choose a brand - Bosch, ITE, Champion ... Inhabitants of northern regions can try brushes with heating, are connected to the onboard network - they are not so long ago appeared on the market.

Another element of active safety - the side mirrors. In the winter they have to be cleaned on a daily basis by an ice crust or snow. This straying their initial installation that delivers additional efforts. If you have a spare $ 250, you can install mirrors with electric and electric drive, which will make communication with the car more pleasant.

Now directly on the glass. Their survey is better to entrust a specialist, but also his personal control not hurt. After all, even a small stone chip on the windshield in the first frost of autumn, after the rain turned into a full fracture. Existing technologies of repair allow to eliminate similar defect without removing the glass. It is easier and cheaper than replacement glass - repair (removal of the crack) 10 cm will cost $ 50, and the new glass and its "insert" - at least $ 350.

Another "winter" problem - misting. When a working ventilation system is rare, but ... the use of fluids helps defogger, for example, Anti-Fog or Never Fog, which needs to be applied on the glass once a week.

Consumables

All supplies, including antifreeze and hydraulic fluid in the drive brake and clutch have their service life. If there is any doubt - do not need to select a portion of brownish or green with age antifreeze from the radiator and put it on trial in the freezer. Replace antifreeze. And do not skimp by buying doubtful preparations without labels and certificates - more expensive cost.

No less carefully, and should be treated to a choice of ice-washers of glasses. It is in the countryside at -20 ?� - dry and pure snow under wheels. In Moscow, even in a strong frost - a dirty fat swill which brushes willingly smear on the glass, turning it into an opaque whitish film. Therefore, the stock liquid in the washer tank - an indispensable condition for safe driving. But buying a liquid with a freezing point of -20 ?� C, do not flatter yourself and do not try to dilute it, even if the street is -10 ?� C. The practice shows that in the course of the liquid with a freezing point of -40 ?� C freeze on the windshield even in cold desyatigradusny if the glass is not heated (again the question of the health of the system of ventilation and heating).

Freezing the washer liquid, typically contain additives which effectively remove dirt and clean glass. Some of them, however, excessive foaming, and they are a lot better than cheap vodka which last winter many preferred to pour into the tank. From it only a smell in the cabin of combat, and it cleans glass badly ...

Well, that's about all. If you follow at least some of these recommendations, your car this winter will feel better. And you with him.