How to drive a gas car in winter? LPG facts and myths

Driving a car on gas saves a lot of money - after all, a liter of LPG is almost half the price of gasoline. However, the gas installation requires regular checks and maintenance, especially before the winter season. Negative temperatures reveal malfunctions that do not make themselves felt on warm days. So what should be checked in a gasoline car before winter and how to drive it to save the engine? Read our post!

What will you learn from this post?

• What to keep in mind when driving a gasoline car in winter?

Shortly speaking

Driving a gas powered car is much cheaper than driving a petrol or diesel car, but it does require some skill. First of all, a petrol car should always be started on petrol. It is also important to maintain the correct level of fuel in the tank - riding on a perpetual reserve can lead to fuel pump failure.

An efficient battery is the basis

The first element that starts to fail when it gets cold is the battery - and not just in cars with a gas system. If you regularly have trouble starting your car in the morning, or if your battery is over 5 years old (which is often the acceptable battery life limit), check its condition. You can do it with simple meter... If the charging voltage is less than 10 V when starting a cold engine, the battery must be replaced.

Frequent discharge of the gasoline car battery can also be a sign electrical system malfunctionscaused by a short circuit or damaged wire insulation. Before you burn your battery, have a look at your electrician. Use to charge the battery instead rectifiers with microprocessor (eg CTEK MXS 5.0), which automatically controls the entire process and protects the electrical system from arcing or polarity reversal.

Start the car on gasoline

In cars equipped with the XNUMXth and XNUMXth generation gas installation (without controller and temperature sensor in the gearbox), the driver decides when to switch from petrol to gas. In winter, especially on frosty days, give the engine a little more time to warm up - start the car on gasoline and switch to LPG only when the engine reaches the same speed and the correct operating temperature.... In cars with gas installations of a higher generation, the power change is controlled by the on-board computer, which forces the start and the initial stages of work on gasoline.

Do not run on gasoline in reserve

LPG vehicle owners often assume that because they have invested in a gas plant to save on fuel, they can keep the frequency of refueling to a minimum. This is wrong thinking running on an infinite reserve harms the engineso that what they manage to save on gas station, they will spend on a locksmith. And with a vengeance! If the fuel tank contains no more than a few liters of gasoline, the fuel pump does not cool properly, and this quickly leads to its failure. Consumption? Quite a lot - the prices for this element start from 500 zł.

In winter, another problem arises. The low fuel level causes water to settle on the inner walls of the tank, which then flows into the gasoline. It causes problems with starting the engine and its uneven idling and low speed... If there is a small amount of gasoline in the tank and it is not used regularly (because it saves gas!), It may turn out that the vast majority of the fuel consists of water.

Replace filters regularly

To ensure that the gas installation in your car works flawlessly, regularly replace air filters and gas filters of liquid and gas phases... The first affects the preparation of the appropriate fuel-air mixture. When it is clogged, it does not allow enough air to pass through, resulting in higher gas consumption while reducing engine power. Filters for liquid and volatile phases purify gas from impuritiesprotecting all components of the gas system from damage and premature wear.

Check coolant level

Although problems with the cooling system most often occur in the summer, owners of gas-powered vehicles should also check its condition in the winter. The most important thing is checking the coolant level regularly... In cars with a gas engine, it affects the vaporization of gaseous fuel in a reducer-evaporator, which is responsible for converting the fuel from liquid to volatile form. If too little coolant is circulating in the system, the reducing agent will not heat up properly, which can cause problems with the power supply to the engine and damage to components such as injectors or spark plugs.

Driving with LPG saves you a lot of money. Remember, however, that gas supply can adversely affect engine performance, especially in winter. On avtotachki.com you can find accessories to help you take care of your car in winter, such as chargers, filters or coolant.

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