The serviceability of the battery is of great importance when operating a car in winter. If the age of the battery installed in the car is 2-3 years, then before winter it is enough to wash it from the outside, clean the terminals and fully charge it (if the car was constantly used in the city, the battery charge is far from nominal).
Note: If the battery does not charge to its rated capacity, it should be replaced.
According to experts, the average duration «full life» The battery life is about 3 years.
Buying a battery is not a problem these days: there are a large number of brands and models available in stores. Which battery to choose is a personal matter. It should be noted that there are two price groups on the market today: batteries costing over $60 (usually up to $100), such as Bosch, Steco, American, Fiamm, Varta, and priced below $60 (Mutlu, Inci, Centra, SAEM, etc.).
The higher prices of batteries of the first group are due to the more advanced technology of their production. These batteries, as a rule, belong to the category of maintenance-free. Special types of electrolytes and hermetically sealed design of such batteries increase their service life and provide high starting currents, guaranteeing the crankshaft rotation of the engine even in severe frosts. Leading manufacturers now necessarily use the technology of plate packaging, as a result of which, in the event of their destruction, it is possible to avoid a short circuit of the battery.
Cheaper batteries require periodic maintenance, which consists of checking the density of the electrolyte and measuring its level.
When choosing a battery, pay attention to the following parameters:
- capacity, Ah. According to the operating instructions (depending on the vehicle configuration) it should be 44, 55,60 or 66 Ah. It is permissible to use batteries with a capacity slightly less or slightly greater than that used in the car. Too small a capacity will create problems with «winter» when starting the engine, if the capacity is too high, the generator will not provide a full charge of the battery and its service life will be greatly reduced:
- starter discharge current, A (according to DIN 43 539 standard). The higher its value, the better, especially during winter operation. This guarantees that the starter will turn the crankshaft at a high enough speed, and if the engine does not start on the first try, you will have a chance to make a second and third.
Helpful tips:
- Do not buy batteries from southern manufacturing countries: there are no frosts there and their starter discharge current may be significantly lower than that of batteries adapted to the conditions of the Russian winter.
- When buying a battery, be sure to find out its manufacturing date. Batteries are perishable goods, they do not like long-term storage in inactivity. Often, a cheap but fresh battery is superior in its characteristics and durability to more famous expensive counterparts that have stood on the store shelf for several years.
When buying a battery that is different from the standard one, pay attention to its size and the location of the terminals: buy a battery with the same polarity as the old one, otherwise your car's wires may not reach the terminals.
The density of the electrolyte of a fully charged battery may differ from the nominal value by no more than 0.02 g/cm³ (Table 15.1).
Temperature correction to hydrometer readings when measuring the density of an electrolyte
Table 15.1
Electrolyte temperature,°C | Correction, g/cm³ |
-40...-25 | -0,04 |
-25...-11 | -0,03 |
-10...+4 | -0,02 |
+5...+19 | -0,01 |
+20...+30 | No |
+31...+45 | +0,01 |
The most accurate way to determine the state of charge of a battery by the density of the electrolyte is to measure it at a temperature of +25°C (Table 15.2).
Electrolyte density at 25°C, g/cm³
Table 15.2
Climate region (average monthly air temperature in January,°C) | Time of year | Fully charged battery | The battery is discharged | |
by 25% | by 50% | |||
Very cold (from -50 to -30) | Winter | 1,30 | 1,25 | 1,22 |
Summer | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | |
Cold (from -30 to -15) | All year round | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 |
Moderate (from -15 to -8) | Same | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 |
Warm and humid (from 0 to +4) | » | 1,23 | 1,19 | 1,15 |
Hot dry (from +4 to +15) | » | 1,23 | 1,19 | 1,15 |
When checking the battery with a special load plug, the readings of the built-in voltmeter should be 12.5-12.9 V with the load disconnected and not fall below 11 V under load for 10 s. Such a battery will serve for a long time and reliably.
If the battery is still discharged due to unsuccessful engine starts, you can use cables to «lighting up» with contact clamps of the type «crocodile». When purchasing, it is better to choose cables designed for heavy loads (from 200 A).
Using a less viscous winter motor oil makes starting a cold engine much easier. The international classification SAE J300 contains six classes of winter oils. The designation «winter» classes have a letter «W» («winter» - winter).
In moderate climates, it is permissible to use all-season ones in winter (universal) motor oils that are now widely used (Table 15.3).
Characteristics of winter oils.
Table 15.3
SAE class | Minimum temperature,°C | ||
pumping with an oil pump | crankshaft rotation | ||
0W | -35 | -30 | |
5W | -30 | -25 | |
10W | -25 | -20 | |
15W | -20 | -15 | |
20W | -15 | -10 | |
25W | -10 | -5 |
When buying oils, especially imported ones, you should be wary of counterfeits, so it is best to buy oils in specialized stores that provide certificates for the product.
Helpful tips:
- Remember that with intensive city driving, oil change (and, accordingly, the oil filter) must be carried out in strict accordance with the vehicle's factory operating instructions, reducing the replacement frequency by 20% every 50 thousand km (starting from 100 thousand km). When switching to another brand of oil, flush the lubrication system.
- The cooling system of your car's engine uses a special low-freezing liquid - antifreeze (an aqueous solution of alcohol, glycol and glycerin with the addition of special additives).
Warning. It is strictly forbidden to use water in the cooling system in winter. This is because when the heater fan is turned on at full power, the circulation of water through the radiator may completely stop and the water in the radiator will freeze right while driving. When the car stops, there will be no circulation through the radiator and the engine «will boil». In addition, during long-term operation of the cooling system on water, scale forms in places of strong heating, which conducts heat poorly. Scale formed in the cooling system in one place narrows the flow section of the channels, and in another place, due to corrosion, on the contrary, increases them, this disrupts the uniformity of heat transfer, causes local overheating and can lead to deformation of the cylinder head.
Often the fuel system becomes the reason for unsatisfactory engine operation in winter. And all because of the water condensate accumulated in the fuel tank. Almost all leading manufacturers of auto chemicals (STP, Loctite, Wynns, Aspokem) offer preparations poured into the fuel tank. They gradually clean the fuel system. It would not be superfluous to replace the fuel filter and make sure the engine injectors are clean and in good working order.
The most common causes of problems with the starting system can be corrosion or poor contact at the battery terminals.
The operating instructions prescribe replacing the spark plugs every 30 thousand km. But, given the experience of carrying out repair work, it is better to do this every 20 thousand km or more often if the car is very intensively used in a large city or on gasoline of dubious quality. It is better to use spark plugs approved for use in the engine by the manufacturer of your car.
During the winter period of car operation, the body is exposed to maximum corrosion, so its anti-corrosion treatment is highly desirable. However, according to the employees of some authorized service stations, for a number of new foreign cars, especially with a galvanized body, factory treatment is quite sufficient.
Anti-corrosion treatment requires strict adherence to technology, and although almost all manufacturers of protective materials produce them in packaging for household use, it is still preferable to carry out the treatment in a specialized service center. It is worth finding out in advance what technology it is carried out by. In any case, before applying a protective coating to the bottom and arches, the car must be cleaned of dirt, washed and thoroughly dried.
Winter operation, especially on «salted» streets of large cities, greatly increases the corrosion of body parts. Regular washing in winter is necessary if the car is stored outside, and absolutely necessary daily if the car is stored in a warm garage. Water washes away salt well, and a layer of wet dirt dries for a very long time, increasing the harmful effect of salt on the paintwork of the body. As a last resort, wash the car more often during a thaw, and before the cold weather, wash and wipe dry, ideally dry in a warm room. Before starting winter operation, be sure to carry out additional anti-corrosion treatment of the body. Such treatment is best carried out in a specialized car service using special protective equipment and technologies. There are two types of anti-corrosion treatment: treatment of the bottom and hidden cavities of the body and treatment of the paintwork of the body. The latter can be easily done independently. It includes washing, drying and treatment with special protective compounds based, as a rule, on wax or silicone. If you find deep scratches when treating the body, treat the exposed metal with a rust converter (modifier).
The correct choice of tires for use in winter allows you to improve road safety. Using a car in winter on summer tires is extremely dangerous and therefore unacceptable. Tires intended for use in winter, according to the tread pattern, can be divided into the European type (the tread pattern consists of individual blocks or blocks connected into a rib) and the Scandinavian type (the tire tread pattern has a large distance between small blocks, which allows the contact patch to be cleared of loose snow).
Some manufacturers produce all-season tires that are suitable for use in both winter and summer conditions. However, they are usually inferior in performance to specialized tires and are a compromise for the lazy. Such tires are more difficult to manufacture and, therefore, are significantly more expensive than seasonal ones.
Sometimes there is an inscription on the tires «AN season» (all seasons) or «AN weather» (any weather). When buying, you need to take into account that these tires may be produced for hot countries, where winter colds remain at around 0°C: naturally, such tires are not suitable for our winter.
Make sure that the tires you buy comply with international and Russian standards. Tires that have passed certification are marked with the letter «E» (which indicates compliance with European standards) or an inscription «DOT» (which indicates compliance with American standards), and sometimes they have both of these markings on them.
When driving a car in winter in urban conditions, where snow and salt slush is more common on the roads than compacted snow or ice, it is better to use winter tires without studs: they are lighter and have lower rolling resistance compared to studded tires.
Note: It is important to know that studless tires have worse grip on icy roads, but on wet asphalt they have undeniable advantages in terms of braking distance compared to studded tires.
Helpful advice: If you use studded tires, be sure to change them as a set, and do not limit yourself to just the front pair of wheels for the sake of economy, as this dramatically increases the likelihood of a front-wheel drive car skidding.
Warning: Do not forget that in accordance with the requirements of the traffic regulations, when using studded tires on a car, it is necessary to place a triangular warning sign with the letter on the rear window «Sh». This will help drivers behind you to keep the correct distance, taking into account your car's greater braking capabilities on slippery surfaces.
Before the onset of winter, you should check the windshield wipers, blowers and glass heating - they must be in good working order.
Defective windshield wipers that leave matte stripes on the glass reduce not only the comfort of the ride, but also the safety of the road. When purchasing windshield wipers, try to choose wipers recommended by the manufacturer and meeting the following requirements:
- thoroughly and evenly cleans the entire surface of the windshield and rear window glass from various types of dirt;
- have sufficient wear resistance;
- When the brushes are in operation, there should be no scratches left on the glass surface.
For winter use of the car, you can purchase special brushes, the hinges and rocker arms of which are protected from icing by a rubber cover.
Warnings:
- In order to prevent the loss of mobility of the wiper blade hinges in winter, these tires are probably manufactured for hot countries where winter colds are around 0°C: naturally, such tires are not suitable for our winter.
- Make sure that the tires you buy comply with international and Russian standards. Tires that have passed certification are marked with the letter «E» (which indicates compliance with European standards) or an inscription «DOT» (which indicates compliance with American standards), and sometimes they have both of these markings on them.
- When driving a car in winter in urban conditions, where snow and salt slush is more common on the roads than compacted snow or ice, it is better to use winter tires without studs: they are lighter and have lower rolling resistance compared to studded tires.
Note: It is important to know that studless tires have worse grip on icy roads, but on wet asphalt they have undeniable advantages in terms of braking distance compared to studded tires.
Warnings:
- In order to prevent the loss of mobility of the windshield wiper hinges in winter, it is not recommended to dilute the antifreeze windshield wiper fluid with water, since the wipers cool down much faster than the windshield, and water that gets on them can freeze.
- Dirt and sand should be washed off the wiper blade joints regularly with water.
- To avoid excessive wear on the wiper blades, do not turn on the windshield wiper in winter until the heater has warmed up the entire glass and melted the ice on it.
When preparing a car for operation in the winter, you should carefully inspect the windshield. In the first frost after the autumn rain, even a small chip on the windshield will turn into a full-fledged crack. Existing repair technologies allow you to eliminate such a defect without removing the glass. This is easier and cheaper than replacing the glass.
Another one «winter» problem - fogging of glass. If the ventilation system is working properly, it rarely occurs, but we recommend that you purchase special anti-fog liquids, which are enough to apply to the glass once a week.
Helpful advice. The windows of a car with a dry interior fog up much less. Therefore, in winter, put special absorbent disposable mats on the floor of the interior and replace them after each trip. In extreme cases, old newspapers, which absorb moisture well, can successfully serve as mats.