How to drive in winter so as not to spoil the car?
At low temperatures, an automobile engine is subject to accelerated wear and costly breakdowns. Unfortunately, the driver contributes to the occurrence of many of them himself, by improper use of the car.
Many drivers, when starting the car after a cold night, try to speed up the warm-up of the engine by pressing the gas pedal down. Mechanics warn that this is a bad habit that harms neither the car nor the environment.
- Yes, the oil temperature will rise faster, but this is the only benefit of such driver behavior. This should not be done, because then the piston and crank system of the engine suffers. Simply put, we accelerate its wear. Cold oil is thick, the engine has to overcome more resistance during operation and is more prone to failure, explains Stanisław Plonka, an auto mechanic from Rzeszów. He adds that when the car is idling, it heats up very slowly, and when the driver sweeps it out from under the snow, most often you will not catch the temperature. This will be done much faster while driving when the engine is running at a higher RPM. “In addition, you need to remember that such a warm-up of the car in the parking lot is prohibited by the rules and the police can punish you with a fine,” says the mechanic.
Temperature monitoring
At low temperatures, some drivers close the engine air intakes. Do this with the help of additional valves or homemade cardboard or plastic covers. Target? Faster engine warm-up. Stanislav Plonka argues that if the engine is running, such actions can do more harm than good. – The thermostat is responsible for maintaining the correct engine temperature. If the cooling system in the car is working properly, then it will easily cope with the heating of the engine, and then make sure that it does not overheat. Clogged air intakes disrupt the operation of this system and can lead to overheating of the drive, and then it will have to be overhauled, says the mechanic. He recalls that using the car in cold weather requires the use of a clotting-resistant coolant. Therefore, if someone flooded the coolers with water in the summer, they will definitely replace them with a special liquid in the winter. Failure to do so may result in engine damage.
Watch out for holes
When driving in winter conditions, the suspension suffers greatly. Mostly because of the holes that fall out in the asphalt. Covered in snow or puddles, they are a trap that can easily damage your vehicle.
- Hitting such a hole at high speed can lead to many malfunctions. Very often, the rim, shock absorber and even the pendulum are damaged. According to auto mechanic Stanisław Płonka, especially in older cars, the spring can break.
