Warming up the car in winter is a common thing that many people consider a tradition before the trip. This has been the case since time immemorial, when the capabilities of the internal combustion engine were limited compared to modern counterparts.
Today, many people believe that a modern power unit can start working without heating, as electronics optimize its operation, adapting to current conditions.
Others wonder if it is necessary to warm up the car engine in the winter, but do not stop doing it for fear of malfunctions.
The third category of motorists is convinced that it is necessary to do it, after all work of the motor at optimum temperature prolongs its service life. Therefore, they do not think to heat or not the car in the winter, but just do it, albeit not always correctly.
Consider why you need to heat the power unit to operating temperature and how to do it right. In particular, you need to know how long it takes to warm up the car in winter to achieve optimal engine performance.
Why warm the car at low temperatures (winter)
The answer to this question is that warming up the engine of the car in the winter is necessary because of increase in viscosity of technical liquids at minus temperature. These are mainly lubricants in the environment of which the crankshaft operates. If there is oil in the crankcase since the summer, then when the ambient temperature drops, it thickens quickly, and the starter can not turn the crankshaft to start the engine. For this reason, with the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to change the oil to the winter type, which is created for low temperatures, or always use all-season oil with the optimal viscosity, which retains its properties at a large temperature difference. But the problem is not even in this, because the power unit is always run on the cold, and in its subsequent work that occurs without proper heating. The answer to our question is quite simple.
Definitely necessary, because even all-season oil thickens when cooled, but not so much as to prevent the engine from starting. This complicates the operation of the oil pump, the intensity of which depends on engine speed. If the power unit is immediately loaded, the pump oil will try hard to suck up the thickened oil, thus working on the force. Here is the answer to the question of whether to warm the engine in winter. Definitely needed to maintain good engine performance.
If the operation of the engine on a cold on-board computer can be optimized, with an oil pump this will not work. It will only work properly after the engine has warmed up to operating temperature. And here by itself there is a question of how correctly to warm up the car in the winter. We will try to answer it below.
How best to warm up the car in winter
Based on the above, it becomes obvious that it is necessary to warm up the power unit with a minimum load. The problem for many is that they do not know how long it takes to warm up the car in winter, and to speed up this process, use the accelerator to supply the combustible mixture in larger quantities. The engine speed increases, but the lubricant does not heat up as quickly as desired.
Another reason why everyone wants to warm up the car engine in winter as soon as possible is the desire to sit in a warm cabin. But it takes 15-20 minutes to heat it up, if you turn on the oven immediately. This is impractical, because the coolant is not yet heated, and the furnace fan will take away the available heat to heat the cabin. Because of this, the increase in engine temperature will be slower. You need to know how much to warm up the engine in winter, and then in five minutes to raise the temperature in the cabin to the desired level.
Many believe that you should start moving only after the engine reaches a temperature of 85-90 degrees. But it is optimal, not working. The movement can be started at a temperature not lower than 50 ° C, but the engine should not be loaded until it reaches 90 degrees. After that, you can go into intensive operation, allowing the car to fully realize its potential. If you turn on the stove after the engine is fully warmed up, the cabin warms up for five minutes, as the coolant will have a high temperature.
How long does it take to heat the car in winter
Above we have considered the question of whether to warm up the car in winter and what will be the consequences if you do not. It should be added that it is recommended to warm up the power unit even in summer. Also, now we know how to warm up the car engine in winter so that it heats up and the cabin is warm. If you follow these rules, the power unit's temperature will rise faster. Now consider exactly how many minutes you need to warm up the car in winter, depending on the ambient temperature:
Do I need to heat the car in winter at a temperature of + 5-0? Of course, but for modern cars 1-2 minutes are enough for the power unit to reach operating temperature. Then you can go at a low speed until the engine temperature rises to the optimum level and you can turn on the stove.
Warm up the engine in winter in an ambient temperature range of 0-10 degrees? Naturally, but the time should be increased from 2 minutes to 3 minutes, because at this temperature, the technical fluids heat up more slowly.
How much do you need to warm up the car in winter when it is -10-20 ° C outside? At this temperature, the glass may freeze, and until they warm up, driving is impossible. To thaw them, it is recommended to idle the engine for 3 minutes and then turn on the stove. In 2-3 minutes it will cope with icing of glass. Thus, at this temperature, the machine takes 5-6 minutes to warm up.
How much do you need to warm up the car in winter at a temperature less than - 20 ° C? In this case, it will take about five minutes to warm up the engine and about the same amount of time for the cabin. So in ten minutes you can sit in a warm cabin and move the car at any speed, as the engine will be ready for loads.
Now that you know if you need to warm up the car in the winter, as well as how to do it, you can follow the rules listed above to avoid rapid wear of parts of the power unit. This simple method saves on engine repair, because a careful attitude to it helps to ensure that the parts last for the period stated by the manufacturer without damage. In order not to waste time waiting for the car to warm up, it is recommended to install an alarm that allows you to use the remote control to start the engine remotely. This will allow you to start the engine while still at home, and appearing near the car in ten minutes to sit in a warm cabin and immediately start moving.
