If it was decided to put the car into storage, the necessary preparatory operations should be carried out:
1. The car must be thoroughly washed. The layer of dirt contains a large amount of moisture, while in some places this moisture almost never dries out, creating ideal conditions for the development of corrosion. To wash the car, it is necessary to choose a dry and preferably also a warm day, because before preserving the car, it must not only be completely washed, but also dried thoroughly. Car shops sell a large number of preservatives for the body, each of which is accompanied by instructions for use.
2. It is also necessary to preserve the engine. If you just leave it for a few months, it can lead to disastrous results. With sharp fluctuations in temperature and humidity characteristic of our climate, moisture condenses in the engine cylinders, which leads to corrosion of the cylinder mirror with corresponding consequences. In this regard, the engine needs additional lubrication to protect against environmental influences. To do this, unscrew the spark plugs (in petrol engines) or glow plugs (in diesels), pour about 20 cm3 into each cylinder of a warm engine3 engine oil (preferably warm too), then turn the crankshaft 15-20 revolutions.
3. The openings of the air filter and muffler must be plugged, for example with an oiled cloth, to block the ingress of moist air into the engine.
4. It is recommended to fill the fuel tank to the top - this will help prevent corrosion in the tank. In addition, it is necessary to plug not only the cork, but also the vent.
5. The car should be installed on stands so that the wheels barely touch the ground - so the tires that are in the same position when the car is parked for a long time will not acquire permanent deformation.
6. If the car is in the garage, then it is not recommended to cover it with a tarpaulin - moisture can accumulate under it, which contributes to the development of body corrosion. If it is not possible to store the car in a garage, to protect it from atmospheric precipitation, the car must be covered with a tarpaulin, after placing wooden bars under it at certain distances so that the tarpaulin does not directly touch the surface of the body.
If it was decided to continue operating the car, it is also necessary to prepare for the winter and adhere to some rules for storing and using the car
1. First of all, you need «change shoes» automobile. Driving with summer tires in winter is an unjustified risk (according to statistics, after the first snow falls, the number of road accidents increases six times due to the fact that most car owners simply did not have time to change tires).
2. Car washing in winter should be carried out at stations specially designed for this purpose. Self-washing of the car, piled, can lead to freezing of the locks and handles of the car, as a result of which access to the car will become more difficult; secondly, freezing of door seals is possible, this is fraught with the fact that they can be completely torn out of the body when opening the doors; thirdly, when washing a car in the cold, the paintwork of the car can be destroyed, leading to the formation of microcracks that are not visible to the naked eye, which in the future are quite capable of developing into serious defects and contribute to corrosion of the body. The opinion that the car in winter does not need to be washed at all is wrong. Dirt and snow accumulating on the car body, especially in combination with the reagents used on the roads to thaw ice, greatly favor the occurrence of body corrosion. It is recommended to periodically not only wash the car thoroughly, but also cover the paint layer with wax, and lubricate the door locks with special silicone grease.
3. Starting a car engine in winter deserves special attention. At a negative ambient temperature, starting the engine is primarily hindered by strongly thickened engine oil in the crankcase, bearings and on the inner walls of the engine. It takes a lot of starter power to overcome the resistance exerted by thickened oil on engine parts. In addition, it is at this moment that a significant part of the total engine resource is consumed, because the parts are rubbing absolutely without lubrication. In addition to thickened oil, starting the engine is hindered by a decrease in the power developed by the starter due to the fact that a frozen battery is not able to supply sufficient current. The next reason is the insufficient volatility of the fuel and, as a result, the impossibility of creating a high-quality air-fuel mixture. In diesel engines, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the paraffin contained in diesel fuel settles on the walls of the fuel lines, which leads to difficulty in supplying fuel to the engine.
Modern car engines are equipped with everything necessary to ensure a confident start of the engine at an ambient temperature of minus fifteen degrees. Diesel engines even have a special engine preheating system. However, even after the engine has started, it is not recommended to start driving immediately. It is necessary to let the engine warm up enough, this will significantly extend the life of not only the engine itself. but also the transmission, since after warming up all parts will be lubricated accordingly, and there will be no resistance to rotation due to the thickening of the lubricant.
At temperatures below minus twenty degrees, additional measures must be taken to ensure that the engine starts. These days, you should try not to let the engine cool for more than 4-5 hours, and remove the battery from the car and take it with you into the room - thanks to this, when you start the engine, it will work completely. If the battery is still on the car, before starting the engine. to protect the battery plates from damage at high current, it is necessary to warm up the electrolyte by turning on the headlights for 10-15 seconds. Switching on a battery with a cold electrolyte immediately at full capacity will significantly reduce its service life.
There is an opinion among some car owners that starting the engine can be facilitated by diluting the thickened oil in the crankcase with gasoline. This practice is fraught with the fact that at one fine moment the engine may simply jam, and the cost of its overhaul is unlikely to cover the possible costs associated with starting the engine with thickened oil. If the vehicle is operated in a climate zone where severe frosts are predictable and prolonged, it is recommended to replace the engine oil in advance with a low viscosity winter oil. Refer to the relevant section of this manual for recommendations on oil viscosity selection
4. In order to open a frozen car lock, it is recommended to use specially designed aerosols or glycerin. In addition, a key warmed up with a regular lighter can help. Some care must be taken not to burn yourself or damage the key.
5. In winter, it is not recommended to put the car on the parking brake - after a long parking, the brake pads can freeze and the car simply will not be able to move. It is recommended to put the car in either reverse gear or first gear.
6. It should be remembered that when driving a car in winter, it is necessary to maintain a large distance. No slippage and sudden braking are allowed - all movements must be smooth and measured. You should be especially careful when driving behind trucks or buses - due to their greater weight, they have a higher coefficient of adhesion of the wheels to the road compared to cars. which means that the behavior of vehicles on the same road surface can vary significantly.
7. It is recommended to have additional equipment in the car used in severe weather conditions: snow chains, tow ropes, a flashlight, a bag of sand, a shovel, jumper cables for starting the engine from an external power source, a glass scraper, work gloves, bedding on land, etc.