Tips When Starting Your Car in a Freezing Temperature

Gosh, it is freezing out there!

Winter morning is such a struggle. You still want to cuddle up in bed and stay home. The reality is that you have to jump out of bed, have a quick shower, and drive to the nearest drive-in to eat something before working. Oh, how you want to have a day off for yourself!

Unavoidably, you and your car just need to deal with the cold winter weather. Before you try anything, know the reasons why your car struggle to start when it is cold.

1. Car batteries have fewer electrical current as the chemical reaction has been sluggish under the prevailing weather. It just does not perform right away compared to a warm weather. This is the reason is why starting your car could be difficult.
2. Just like the car batteries, the engine oil is likewise affected by the weather. The coldness makes the engine oil becomes denser and therefore it will have a hard time for it to surge around the engine. It makes pushing throughout the engine block and the battery receives this extra pressure. Hence, its power has decreased which makes starting your car becomes very difficult.
3. In the unusual event when moisture is present in the fuel lines, the coldness can result to the fuel’s obstruction, which results to the engine not to work. The thing is, the fuel lines are lean and could easily have clogged by the ice. So, for those vehicles that use diesel, drivers should remember that diesel freezes in such a weather. This results to a lengthy time to provide when you start the vehicle.
4. Starting problems is not for all drivers. Old vehicles has a carburettor, which is vulnerable to freezing weather, because of their tiny nozzles which can easily be blocked and does not permit moisture to disappear that results to a build-up of ice. Current cars do not have carburettor, so those who owns vehicles created in the past 20 years, you will have no concern in this matter.

Having said that, let us move on to the useful tips to help your car start during winter.

• First on the list is to turn off everything! Turn off your electronics such as heater, radio, headlights, defroster, and windshield wipers.
• Start your car. Put the key, turn it, and hold. Let it stay that way no more than 10 seconds so it will flood the engine or overheat. If the engine does not start, do not pursue. Instead, let it rest a bit and then start your car again.
• Try again. If it seemed that your engine tried to start but it is not the usual normal timing, then stop and afterwards, try again. If still after many attempts, take off the battery from the car and warm it up. When you think it has become warm enough, put it back in your car and try starting again.
• Go for jumping. If taking off the battery is difficult for you, then opt for jumping the battery. If you do not know how to do it, ask someone to teach you or research in YouTube.

To avoid engine problem during freezing weather, these are the things you need to do:

• Take a look at your battery. Make sure it is in good condition. Have it tested if it is ready for cold weather.
• Protect your car by parking it inside your garage. If not, park under a tree, carport, or a building. This will make it safer from foreign elements.
• Heat it up with a battery heater.
• Maintain the oil flowing so it will go to the important sections of the vehicle.
• Maintain the water out by adding a dry gas addition that takes away the water from the gasoline so that the fuel lines will not be frozen.

If you notice any other problems on your, please contact Chaney’s Collision Center right away. You can even schedule a vehicle pick-up, Chaney’s Collision Center will send someone over to your doorstep. To do this, call the Chaney’s Collision Center hotline at (623) 915-2886.