Few Adjustments to Keep Your Car Engine Intact In Cold Weather

However, let's first understand why a vehicle, especially a car, struggles to start in extreme cold weather.

Why does a car’s engine hesitate to start in cold weather?

Winter usually comes hard on engines. One major cause is the reduced capacity of engine oil to flow through the system. In simple terms, engine oil usually gets thicker in the winter and takes longer to circulate throughout the engine as compared to the summer. Your car’s engine never had that smooth lubrication in the winter, especially in the mornings. Excessive friction would not be good for your car.

On the other hand, the car batteries do not like winter either. The battery can lose up to 50 percent of its charging capacity in a night due to the cold. However, this is not the case in the summer, therefore, you usually do not have much trouble starting a problem. However, you cannot avoid running your car in winter, but some improvisation definitely would help you to deal with issues such as failed starting or even engine problems due to excess friction that can lead to an expensive car engine repair.

Try to avoid long cranking while turning over your car

In winter, fuel usually takes extra seconds to travel to the engine, therefore, there is always a constant need to crank up for more than ten to fifteen seconds and the engine is also in a cold state. A long crank, however, might get you the desired result. But, such events are not good for the starter, as it requires tons of power in a very short period to turn over the engine. Being a tiny yet powerful motor, the frequent long cranking may damage the starter.

However, if the engine refuses to start, you do not need to press the accelerator. If your car’s engine cranks but there is no sign of it turning over, give it some time so that fuel can travel to the engine properly. For multiple attempts, give the starter enough time to cool down. Do not let your vehicle crank for more than a few seconds or for more than ten seconds frequently. Excessive cranking is not so good for batteries either, as they might lose their current too easily. If you are dealing with such a situation more often, this is an instance of flat battery.

Service My Car offers hassle-free car battery replacement at very affordable prices.

Hold on to your car key in the on position sometime before turning over your engine

Today’s cars do not need to settle down before turning over their engines. However, there is no problem giving a car some time (in the on position) before turning the key to start the engine, just for a few seconds.

Why is it necessary for you? Actually, in modern cars, you are allowing the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to inspect the whole system, including the external temperature, so that it can make smart changes. It just takes a few seconds for everything to settle down and prepare your car’s engine.

Keep most accessories off, especially in the winter

Electronic accessories, such as climate control or a stereo, need electricity, however, the alternator is the primary source of supply while the engine is running. On the other hand, the battery takes on the load of supply in case the engine is off.

However, the battery itself tends to lose its capacity overnight, and the active accessories can make it lose more. Therefore, it is necessary to turn off the majority of accessories for the night or even just before turning your car’s key. Though the battery might have less power, all its power would be available to start your car. And once your car is started, you can enjoy the service of electronic accessories.

Just keep your car engine running for some time before heading ahead

After you have successfully started the engine, you mostly look forward to driving immediately, considering the extreme cold. However, there is no problem driving your vehicle in such a way unless you have to wait for the defroster to complete its job and clean the windscreen.

But the best thing to do is to avoid driving instantly, not just in the cold but in every other temperature as well. You should not put your car’s engine into action unless it attains the optimal temperature. Though engines can manage lower RPMs or every day commutation but, when it comes to cruising on the highway or trailing some load, the engine needs some warm-up initially.

 Keeping your car’s engine well-maintained in winter is up to you, it requires a few adjustments. Besides, you should also take care of routine car maintenance when you expect optimal performance from your vehicle. Service My Car assists you in keeping your car in great shape in any season, whether it is winter or summer. However, you can book a car service or order a car repair on our website or app anytime.