How to Start Your Car on a Cold Morning

Cut Lem — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:39:15 +0000

Why will your car not start in the morning?

Synthetic oils are improving all the time but there is still one problem that oil refiners have not been able to conquer – making engine oil more effective at lower temperatures. See it like this:

Premise 1: Oil becomes thicker in cold temperatures.
Premise 2: Engine parts do not move effectively without the lubrication oil offers.
Conclusion: In cold weather, your car is harder to start.

What your car also needs to start is fuel (petrol/diesel). Petrol cars use an ‘ignition compression’ method to start whilst diesel cars compress the fuel to ignite it. Petrol (and diesel) is oil that is refined to a higher spec so when it is cold, petrol contracts just like oil does – it becomes thicker. This is why some people will only buy fuel at night when it is colder! Old cars have a manual choke which allow you to judge how much more fuel your engine needs whereas, newer cars have an automatic choke that do this for you.

So now we know the basics behind why your car finds it hard to start on a cold morning, we can now discuss methods to make it start.

Tips for making your engine turn over on a cold morning

- A little sun light can warm your battery up. If you have the time and the sun is out, you can put your car in direct sunlight. Open the bonnet and leave it for 10-15 minutes.
- Be careful not to flood your engine with fuel otherwise your car definitely won’t start. If your engine won’t turn over the first time, don’t keep turning the key or holding it in position to hear the engine go chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug! Instead, turn the key for a maximum of five seconds and leave 30 seconds or more before trying again.
- Have your car serviced regularly. Change to a winter-grade oil if at all possible.
- Turn all of your electrical accessories off in the vehicle. So this means no lights, heater, wipers, and radio – anything that requires battery power should be switched firmly off.
- Don’t touch the accelerator when the car is either trying to start or has just started. You will cause damage to the parts as the oil is still thick and working its way around the engine.

And finally…

Stay with the car whilst you’re warming it up – thieves target car owners on cold days so don’t warm your car up for it to be stolen.

Source:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Start-Your-Car-on-a-Cold-Morning&id=3286831

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Make Your Car Run Longer And More Fuel Efficient

Cut Lem — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:39:36 +0000

Caution is the key to saving money when you happen to own a car. This caution saves money on the car itself, repair bills, and even gas to keep it running. You must keep your engine tuned up. Your fuel efficiency can be cut by thirty percent when you have an un-tuned car. Obviously, this leads to less cash in your pocket. Always follow the maintenance guidelines provided by the manufacturer. Replace your fluids and filters regularly.

Though repairing and maintaining your car doesn’t always fit in your schedule, you must make time for it to ensure your car’s longevity. If the car dealer is charging far too much for a tune-up, get a second opinion at a decent local car repair shop. These shops can often meet your repair demands at a much lower cost than the dealer.

These regular tune-ups not only keep your car running well, but they’ll help when you’re ready to exchange it for a newer car. A car that idles correctly equates to a better deal for you later. Ensure that your tires are inflated correctly. Keeping them under-inflated wastes gas. It makes the engine work twice as hard to run the car. Wheels that are out-of-alignment (as evidenced by reduced tread or vehicle pulling) make the engine work harder as well. Over-inflated tires are dangerous. Always maintain the correct pressure.

Drive with ease. Avoid jerky accelerations and bumpy roads wherever possible. Doing this maintains the integrity of the suspension. Cruise control on the highways can keep you at a steady pace and save gas. Avoid a ton of idling time. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends and family. Today’s cars are made to warm-up rapidly, so there’s no reason to start the car up half an hour early on cold mornings.

Also, as gas prices fluctuate daily, you may want to know a few tips on how to make your car more fuel efficient, at least for the long run.

Do not waste valuable fuel by leaving your car idle, before you drive off after cranking up your car. Although idling for a while is customary for many individuals, it is just a waste of time, fuel and money.

Avoid using the brakes when not necessary as drivers who use this little tip has been proven to save around thirty percent more gas than the drivers who use the brake too often and even when it is just possible to change the lane or slow down.

A very efficient way to start saving fuel is by switching off your engine if you are stuck at a traffic jam or somewhere else for 10 minutes or so. Such smart moves will save a lot of fuel cost over time.

A good amount of fuel is used up each time you start your car, so keep your car running if you have to wait for 5 minutes or so in a traffic signal as it will burn less fuel than turning on the car again.

Although this is not so popularly and may come as a total surprise to some of the drivers, a properly inflated tire can actually save a lot of fuel. Do check up on your tires regularly to keep them properly inflated at all times.

These are a few quite simple but effective tips which will save you money and time through greater fuel efficiency of your car and make your car last longer, which is if they are followed properly and regularly.

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How to Start Your Car on a Cold Morning

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Make Your Car Run Longer And More Fuel Efficient

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