Tips for starting diesel cars in cold weather

Cold weather and low outdoor temperatures are the “enemies” of cars using diesel engines. The inherent “disease” is that it is very difficult to start and takes a long time to start.

If your car is difficult to start, stay calm and find out the cause and learn how to fix it.

Don't worry, it's a common "disease"

The starting principle of diesel engines itself makes diesel vehicles very difficult to start in winter or when it is cold. Unlike gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles do not use spark plugs to ignite the mixture of gasoline and air, but use heat from compressed air to burn oil when the oil is pumped into the combustion chamber. This means that the higher the air temperature, the easier the engine starts and vice versa.

Cold air will make the oil easy to freeze. The freezing point of diesel according to TCVN standard is less than or equal to 6 degrees Celsius, but in reality at about 8-9 degrees Celsius, the diesel layer precipitates on the surface of the oil filter, forming a film, covering the entire filter surface, reducing the amount of fuel supplied to the combustion chamber, leading to the engine stalling immediately even if it starts. This is the main, common cause of difficulty starting the car.

Auto repair technicians also believe that low temperatures make lubricating oil thicker, reducing its lubricating ability, increasing resistance, and causing a lot of effort to start. In many cases, the car is difficult to start, or cannot be started because the engine has not reached the required rotation speed, the battery is dead.

Good car care, good start

In the long run, to reduce the risk of the car not starting on cold days, you should pay more attention to your car by regular maintenance. Before each cold spell, add or change the engine oil and coolant to ensure the car does not lack oil and coolant and operates well.

First of all, you should use low viscosity oil, specialized for cold conditions, such as MOBIL GOLD 0W40, TOTAL Quartz 9000 5W40... These oils have stable additives and low viscosity to help eliminate oil clumping when first starting.

Additionally, you can add antifreeze to the coolant to help lower the freezing point of the water. If the oil filter is due for replacement, you should also replace it immediately. A clean filter also helps the oil circulate better. During the winter, you should also check and maintain the battery to ensure that the power source is always strong enough.

Little "tip" to make the machine "explode" immediately

By understanding the cause of the phenomenon of diesel motorbikes being difficult to start in cold weather, you will easily find a solution yourself without having to take it to the garage.

The first thing that anyone can do is to turn on the ignition several times to preheat the air. Insert the key into the ignition, turn the key to the ON position, wait for the preheat indicator light (yellow spring) to turn off, then turn the ignition key to OFF. Do the same about 4 to 5 times depending on how cold it is, then start the engine immediately, the engine will start easier. When the engine has started, do not step on the gas immediately, let it idle for a while, gradually increase the gas before starting.

If the weather is too cold, you can use boiling water, slowly pour it into the high-pressure pump area and fuel filter to gradually increase the fuel temperature, making it easier for fuel to circulate and evaporate. If necessary, remove the oil filter for cleaning. In addition, you can also consult car manufacturers and garages to equip additional fuel heaters, making it easier to start the car on days when the temperature is too low.

Note: Do not add gasoline or kerosene to diesel fuel to prevent freezing. This will make the fuel less flammable and may even damage the engine.

According to VNN