The cold weather arrives and our car finds it hard to start. Should we worry about that?
In general when the winter comes a car can have problems starting. Nevertheless we don’t have to be necessarily concerned as it could be the normal behavior of the car in low temperature.
Which could be the problem?
ELECTRICAL ISSUE
In the low temperature the conductivity of electric circuits decreases and it means more difficulties during the start-up.
In particular we can have problems with the initial power battery supply and with the spark plugs conductivity.
FOR DIESEL ENGINES…
In case of diesel engines we are going to face more problems related with the cold.
In fact the engine is started up with a blast for compression of air and fuel inside the cylinder; then with cold weather the air contained in the cylinders will be denser and it will apply a lower inner pressure. It means that the pistons will take longer to reach the optimal pressure.
Another aspect that reduces the pressure inside the cylinders is the less thermal expansion of metals in the low temperature that causes a higher air dispersion.
In case of engines with a high mileage, more worn, the previous problems will become more important.
Moreover we could have problems related with the preheating plugs. They have the role of heating the air that is inside the cylinders in order to make easier the first blast. In case we have worn plugs we’re going to face problems during start-up.
Finally we have to consider that in low temperature the diesel could freeze but usually in the car are available devices for avoiding it. In fact in many cars inside the diesel filter there is a system for unfreezing the fuel. In case this system is broken we will face further problems.
For all this reasons reported the time for starting up the car could be higher and it could cause an overloading for the starter motor.
SUGGESTIONS
It can be useful to keep the car in a sheltered environment for not exposing it to the tough weather
For diesel cars from time to time is necessary to check out the preheating plugs.
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