Literally screaming for people to stop warming up their frozen engines every time the car is idle. It seems to us that the information is worth attention as a topic for discussion. Therefore, we present it for our readers.
The harsh winter conditions are challenging for your car, but you can make them even more challenging if you spend some time warming up the engine each morning when starting your car before driving. If so, then you, another of the many drivers who think it is important to warm up the car's engine at idle speed, and this is important in order to protect the engine during the cold season. that will do more harm than good!
This is how this article-advice begins categorically. Go ahead. Approx. the author.
We spoke with mechanical engineer and former drag racing driver, Stephen Chiati, about this pervasive myth that you need to warm up your car in winter.
For the past 26 years, Chiati has worked - mostly in gasoline engines - and currently oversees all work on internal combustion engines at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois.
Going straight to the point, Chiati explained that when idling in the cold, the car not only consumes more fuel, but also during this flushing occurs, cleansing of oil, critical components by which the engine actually works, namely from the cylinders and pistons.
At this point of reading, it became clear that this theory is something new, and it is worth listening to it. So I continued reading and found out interesting points.
Theory. Why it is not advisable to warm up the engine in winter
Under normal conditions, it runs on a mixture of air and fuel vapors, gasoline in our case. When the mixture enters the cylinder, the piston compresses it, at a certain moment, a spark jumps, which ultimately leads to the combustion of fuel, setting the engine in motion.
But when it's cold outside, it will evaporate worse. The car itself initially compensates for this by adding more gasoline to the air mixture - which as any experienced motorist knows is called a "rich fuel mixture", and this is where the problems begin.
"This is a problem because you are actually adding extra fuel to the combustion chamber to burn it, and some of it gets on the cylinder walls, more than is necessary," explained mechanical engineer Stephen Chiati. "Gasoline is an excellent solvent and will easily wash off a thin film of oil from the cylinder wall if left idling in cold conditions for extended periods of time."
Over time, the cleaning properties of fuels can "have a detrimental effect on lubricants and the life cycle of things like piston rings and cylinder liners," which are critical to the performance of the cylinder-piston group, to the proper operation of the engine.
Outcome: Contrary to popular belief, warming up your engine and idling in cold weather will shorten the life of your engine.
As can be seen from a short theoretical excursion, gasoline, when certain conditions are created, is a serious enemy of some engine elements. In fact, there is a grain of reason in this. In theory, everything is correct. But what practical advice would an American mechanical engineer give?
Simple solution for engine protection
Fortunately, your car is not running on a rich mixture throughout the winter. This only happens when the engine is cold. As soon as your engine warms up to +4 degrees Celsius, the car returns to its normal fuel consumption rate.
Are you probably confident that you are effectively and safely warming up the engine at idle speed? , the engine is still cold.
"Idle will take too long to warm up the engine to operating temperature, and until that happens, the engine brain will continue to send a rich mixture of fuel into the cylinders to ensure that there is enough fuel in the cylinders for proper vaporization and combustion."
The quickest way to warm up an engine is to use it for its intended purpose, in other words, drive it!
Many will object, but how can you immediately drive in a cold car ?! In subzero temperatures, all lubricants, oils and technical fluids (transmission oil or fluid in the hydraulic booster, for example) are very cooled, therefore they cannot perform their working functions or protection functions at 100%.
As an example, the article describes the operation of the hydraulic booster on an unheated car. They say that the liquid in it is cold, which means it is thick, which means that the hydraulic booster will not work correctly and may even fail. Is not it? To which Stephen replies, everything will be fine and here's why ...
You will warm up the oil faster when it starts to "work" and overflow in the system, if the car starts to drive slowly a short time after starting the engine. Stephen replied that it is enough to warm up for 30 seconds or 1 minute, and you can hit the road.
Unfortunately, no temperature limits were provided. After all, going to -25 is not the same as starting at -5. But most likely the temperatures do not drop below -10, -15 degrees, so the authors of the article did not have any questions about this.
Yes, you will feel that the car will behave a little differently, it will be all too smooth in its operation, "rubber". But the same feeling will arise with the usual long warm-up of the car in the cold.
Again, it is logical that a car does not only consist of an engine, it also contains a lot of useful and important parts. All rubbing or rotating surfaces are lubricated, which, like the oil in the engine, thickens and, in a cold state, temporarily loses some of its protective capabilities. These parts also have to get the job done to disperse the lubricant. It can only be done in motion.
Thus, the beginning of the movement in advance (MAIN IMPORTANT AND ACCURATE MOVEMENT) will be able to warm up the engine and accelerate the oil in the gearbox, grease in the CV joints, hubs and other parts of the car.
Stephen Chiati's conclusion: the time for warming up the engine should be given exactly as much as you need to clean the windows of your car from snow and ice.
Don't drive the horses!
This point in the American article is highlighted. As we said, a little higher, the load should NOT be given on an unheated car.
Be careful with the operation of the gas pedal immediately after leaving. Your engine will take a certain amount of time to warm up to operating temperature. It usually takes 5 to 15 minutes while driving a car to reach the working range. If you immediately press the gas pedal to the floor, nothing good will happen to the engine, it will experience serious loads, which, if systematic occurrences, can lead to premature breakdowns.
Plus, a warm engine will increase fuel consumption and overall your car will run at least 12% less efficiently.
Therefore, do not try to rush a cold car. You will get nothing but increased fuel consumption and wear.
We remind ourselves once again, in warming up NEED ALL CAR ELEMENTS, so even if, as usual, you warm up the engine at idle speed, almost to the ideal operating temperature, the speed of your movement for the first few kilometers on the road should ideally not exceed 40 km / h - 50 km / h. It is especially important to keep an eye on the gear changes to avoid damage to the gearbox.
The roots of the myth about "compulsory warm-up of the engine in cold weather"
Some myths are tenacious, the obligation that the car needs to be worked out in cold weather is no exception. The myth originated in the days when car engines were powered by carburetor systems.
Until 1980, carburettors were the primary fuel supply system for the engine. A little later, more sophisticated electronic fuel injection systems began to develop.
The key difference between power systems is that electronic fuel injection has a sensor that constantly supplies the correct air / fuel mixture to the cylinders. The carburetor machines did not have this important gauge.
The motor will be fully warmed up when all its parts and working fluids reach operating temperatures, that is, at a fixed operating mode, they will stop changing. The coolant warms up most quickly - this is the process that we see by changing the position of the arrow on the temperature gauge. With it, the parts of the upper part of the engine (pistons, cylinders, head) are warmed up - the pace is practically the same. But the oil in the pan heats up much more slowly. How is this visible? Anyone who has an on-board computer probably noticed that even after reaching the normal temperature of the coolant, fuel consumption at idle may decrease for some time. This is precisely due to the slow heating of the oil. And finally, the catalytic converter heats up for the longest time, and with it the toxicity of the exhaust gases reaches the operating level. But all warm-up rates depend on the engine operating mode.
MOVEMENT RESISTANCE
Why doesn't the motor like frost? The main reason is that any engine oil thickens in the cold. And at certain temperatures it can stop flowing altogether. Mineral oils - already at minus 20 ... 25 ° С, the best synthetics - at minus 45 ... 55 ° С. As a result, the friction units work "dry", the power of mechanical losses, which require excess gasoline, increases sharply. But when will the motor reach the normal level of mechanical losses faster? Should you stand and warm yourself or if you go on the road right after starting? This will answer the question of savings - after all, unnecessary losses require additional fuel.
Let's check how much fuel a conventional injection engine eats with the same mileage, but different warm-up algorithms. A little about the patient. Pure "European" 2005 release, 1.6 liters of working volume, declared as Euro-4. He spent his entire adult life in Russia, but apart from technical maintenance, nothing was done there. So, there are three warm-up programs. The first option is "old-fashioned": completely warm up the engine and only then go. The second - according to the instructions of modern cars: "let it go and go." And the third one is the one that can most often be found: they started up, brushed off the snow, waved a shovel (in general, they took the time), and we warm up the car already on the trip. On the street - minus 15. The battery is good, in the pallet - expensive synthetics. Mileage - from parking to work: it is about 5 kilometers, and without traffic jams! You can dream ...
So, option 1. Let's start. The tachometer needle is set at 1200, the computer shows an instantaneous fuel consumption of 2.5 l / h. After a minute, the consumption drops to 1.9 liters, after 10 minutes - to 0.9 liters. At the same time, the visible changes on the on-board computer end - the arrow on the temperature gauge does not even creep up to 50 degrees and gets up tight. For reliability, we wait another 10 minutes - the fuel consumption is reduced to 0.8 l / h, which is still more than the usual 0.6 observed when the entire engine is fully warmed up. The best result cannot be achieved - let's go! We are driving in a fixed mode, third gear, 50 km / h, there are no traffic lights on the road. Computer consumption - 6.4 ... 6.6 l / 100 km. In total, we spent 0.45 liters on heating, and about 0.33 liters on the road. Total - about 0.8 liters.
Option 2- sat down, started up and drove off immediately. The car did not like it very much, and for a start it gave out a flow rate of more than 10 liters. Then it began to decline rapidly, but due to a short run to the previous 6.5 it did not crawl - it stopped at 6.8 liters. In total, only 0.45 liters were consumed. Plus saving 20 minutes of precious time. There seems to be savings, but it seems impressive only at low runs.
Option 3- after starting, the engine was heated for 5 minutes, while the ice was scraped off the glass. We started with an idle flow rate of 1.3 l / h. The start of the race was marked by the figure of 7.6 l / 100 km, by the end of the race they returned to 6.6. Total, taking into account the mileage - 0.55 liters. Better than in the first option, but slightly worse than in the second.
ENVIRONMENTAL BLOW
It is clear that the reluctance of automakers to warm up the car is not caused by concern about our wallet. The main argument is ecology. After all, modern toxicity standards Euro-4 and higher impose strict restrictions on the content of toxic components at start-up modes and during the warm-up period. So let's see what happens to toxicity before the neutralizer (in professional slang it is called "raw") and after (this is "dry" toxicity).
So, the "raw" toxicity during a cold start is very high. The reason is the need for a sharp enrichment of the air-fuel mixture. The fuel must be evaporated, and with a big "minus" on the street, it doesn't really want to evaporate. And the air enters the cylinders cold, dense. This means that in order to compensate for the low volatility of the fuel and the low air temperature, it is necessary to pour much more gasoline. And what has not evaporated or has already evaporated in the process, flies into the pipe. "TseO" and "TseAshi" - well, very big! And catalytic converters should crush them. But the trouble with most modern converters is that they work effectively only in a narrow range of temperatures and mixture composition. The temperature should be high, and the composition of the mixture should be stoichiometric, that is, there should be exactly as much air in it as is necessary for the complete combustion of the fuel. Otherwise, the efficiency drops sharply.
It is curious that at low temperatures during the heating process, a higher concentration of toxic components can be observed behind the neutralizer than at the inlet! Where? Most likely, it is gasoline that is unburned during the first start-up cycles - it "sits down" on the honeycomb of the active element of the catalyst. As it warms up, the efficiency of work increases, and, finally, a hot catalyst with a working composition of the mixture crushes almost all the toxicity. In other words, in starting modes and during warming up, if a modern catalyst with external heating is not used, the toxicity of an engine with a neutralizer will not differ too much from its earlier counterpart, which does not have one. Therefore, the main task is to bring the temperature of the catalyst core into the operating range as soon as possible.
The converter heats up from the flow of exhaust gases, and the faster, the higher their flow rate and temperature. But when the process has started in it, it begins to heat up itself - the afterburning of toxic components goes with the release of energy. Therefore, the temperature in the active zone of a working catalyst is higher than that of the exhaust gases. And our experiment showed that even at normal temperature in the box, at the mode of minimum idle speed, the neutralizer does not enter the operating mode! Especially in the cold. Therefore, suppressing toxicity in the warm-up mode, if the engine is heated in the parking lot, it will not work: it means that you have to move.
What's the difference in emissions? The initial CH content is very high, under 1000 ppm, which, however, is to be expected. As the engine warms up, it begins to slowly decrease. But even after 20 minutes of warming up, when the coolant temperature has already reached the operating level, the content of residual hydrocarbons remains high - about 180 ppm. something has warmed up, but the neutralizer is cold, it works ineffectively.
Now we try to warm up the motor immediately under load, simulating the second heating option. The beginning was the same, but the pace was different: at the end of the race, the exit was recorded somewhere around 15 ... 20 ppm. The neutralizer is working! It seems that there is an answer ...
But not everything is so simple! We looked at the relative concentrations of toxic components, but we breathe in their absolute values, that is, not "pee-pee-emami", but grams and kilograms! That is, these concentrations must be multiplied by the exhaust gas consumption. At idle, when warmed up, it was about 15 kg / h, but when driving, if you take an average, it will be about 80! We multiply one by the other and we get: when warming up in the parking lot, along with the further road, we rewarded nature with the amount of grams of residual hydrocarbons, almost twice as much as when driving immediately after launch (4.5 grams versus 2.8).
But the third option - when we warmed up a little, and then drove off - gave an even greater decrease in the absolute CH emission: up to 2.1 grams. By the way, in this version, when driving 5 km away, we threw out a little more than a gram of CH, which is close to the Euro-4 standards.
The numbers are very revealing and generally understandable. When driving on a cold engine, we work for a long time at high toxicity, while the exhaust gas consumption is high. And blowing cold air around the neutralizer while driving also slows down its warming up. When warming up in the parking lot, the neutralizer does not reach the normal mode, but when you start driving at high flow rates, it quickly begins to effectively extinguish toxicity. And with a short initial warm-up, the engine does not have enough time to "harm" even in the parking lot, and when it warms up in motion, it works much better: after all, it has already gained some temperature. Here is the result.
But what we did not take into account. A stinking car in the parking lot envelops the space around itself in a cloud of smoke, and it is disgusting to live there ... And the moving one, as it were, washes out his "goodness" in space. Globally - it turns out to be comparable, but at a single point - the damage from one moving car is several times less. But one or two carriages are puffing at the same time in the parking lot, and crowds are crawling along the road ...
DEATH TO THE MOTOR ...
Only the lazy did not write about the fact that it grows sharply during start-up and warming up. Not so long ago, a bearded professor from the screen convinced people that one cold start is equal to 100 km of run! He, of course, knows better, but we would never give such EXACT figures - they are completely different. And the motors are different, and the temperatures overboard, and the oils poured into the sump, and the mileage with which they are compared, can also be either outside the city or in city traffic jams. Therefore, in our opinion, the equivalent from 20 to 200 km is fairer: the main thing is the trend. And it is important that the movement without warming up does not allow the engine parts to prepare for receiving heavy loads. They are doing badly - and not just the bearings.There is such a part in the motor - a piston, and grooves are cut on the side surface so that the piston rings can be installed. So, these grooves are the most sensitive to loads and are the first to break when they become excessive. And here is exactly the situation. If you start right away, and even skid a little, getting out of the snowdrift, the load on the motor will immediately become large. Heat flows from the working fluid heat up the piston crown quickly, and the groove zone touches the cold cylinder, which is slightly warmer than the antifreeze. Large temperature fluctuations arise, and with them - exorbitant stresses. A piston without grooves is no longer a piston ... And the better the engine is warmed up, the less the danger of such a disaster.
What about automakers? They know everything, but they honestly don't care. The motor must go out of the warranty period, then be sold and shipped somewhere in the third world. Otherwise, the market will be overstocked. From there, recommendations dance - ecology is primary, savings are also somewhere out there, and a resource - who is interested in it?
EVERYBODY WARMING!
We believe that the third option is the most preferable. And in terms of fuel economy, it is acceptable, and in terms of toxicity, it is generally the best. The preheated engine is ready to take loads and is well protected against wear. By the way, in fact, we most often follow this recommendation: the engine heats up while the glasses are scraped off and the snow is swept away ...And one more thing ... Suddenly you will have to accelerate abruptly on a very cold engine - you never know how the situation on the road will turn out? And here it is not difficult to fly into a very bad situation - the valves can hang and meet the piston, or turn over
The motor is the heart of any vehicle. It is thanks to him that the most basic function of any car is accomplished - movement. Taking care of your engine and using it correctly will preserve its service life. In this article, we will talk about such a phenomenon as warming up a car engine, how long it takes to do this in winter and summer, and what revolutions are permissible during warming up.
Do you need to warm up the engine?
Every morning, a large number of drivers leave their homes, get into their cars and start the engine for a certain period of time. Everyone has known for a long time that before starting to move, a car engine needs to be warmed up, but not everyone knows why.
First, let's try to figure out what happens to the engine after it has completely cooled down and what happens to it after the first start. So, leaving the car under the window for the whole night, the following picture occurs. If the time of action is summer, then the engine compartment and the metal cool down, the intake system of the car also loses its operating temperature, in addition, condensation forms in it. The pressure in the fuel system also decreases.
Aside from the intake and exhaust system, any oil accidentally deposited on engine parts flows down into the sump and does not remain on the tops of the engine.
All this contributes to a decrease in the efficiency of the engine, and reduces its resource during the start-up process. In addition, in winter, not only cooling occurs, but also icing of the intake and exhaust systems, which prevents the normal supply of fuel and the release of exhaust gases. Condensate can be found not only in the collector, but also inside the cylinders. Now is the time to find out what happens while the engine is warming up.
During the start-up process, the motor starts to run almost dry. is gradually restored and the parts begin to be lubricated completely. This means that the crankshaft will rotate much better, as this reduces friction between various parts.
The fuel system is pumped independently or manually. To do this, a lot of pressure is created in it, and the level of gasoline in the air-fuel mixture increases significantly. The motor goes into high speed mode, where it reaches operating temperature much faster. Ice from the walls of the intake and exhaust manifolds begins to disappear, after which the heating process is accelerated.
What will happen if you do not warm up the engine
What will happen if you drive an unheated engine? First, the engine will immediately receive an unwanted load, which is accompanied by dry friction, ineffective fuel supply and exhaust gas release. Carburetor cars in this mode simply start to stall, so they immediately completely close the air damper on them. As for the injection ones, they may well continue to work in this mode. A ride on an unheated engine is accompanied by dips when you press the gas pedal. In some cases, even lumbago is felt, which can easily knock down the ignition. At the same time, fuel consumption increases, and power is noticeably lost.
Warming up the engine is needed in order to bring the lubrication system and the fuel supply system to full working condition and, thereby, to ensure the normal functioning of the engine.
How long should the engine be heated in winter and summer?
The engine warm-up time, each driver chooses for himself. This time will depend on his patience, as well as on the characteristics of the engine. almost always warm up longer than injection ones. This is due to their inability to operate until the idle speed becomes stable.
For economical and efficient engine warm-up, it is recommended to use the following time. Start the engine with the choke fully closed and retract it until the RPM is stable. Then you can choose two ways for yourself. The first is to start moving after the temperature arrow reaches 50 degrees Celsius. The second is to gradually reduce the suction until the motor starts its normal operation without it. The warm-up time, in this case, is usually the same.
It should be borne in mind that when working with increased suction, the engine consumes more fuel, but it also warms up much faster, and with economical use of this device it consumes less fuel, but it also warms up much longer.
Injection engine has other heating features. They can be roughly divided into winter and summer time. The fact is that in such motors, the computer itself determines the engine warm-up time and gives the following signs characterizing the full readiness of the engine: a signal on the on-board computer and a decrease in engine speed. The second symptom is the most relevant.
In the summer, after the engine speed has subsided, you can immediately start driving. This usually happens within 2-3 minutes. In winter, the operation of the car is permissible, after an exposure of 1-2 minutes after the revolutions have subsided. This will be considered the engine warm-up time.
Permissible rpm when the engine is warming up
It is impossible to give a load to an unheated engine. That is why, you need to know exactly what revolutions are allowed to be used during the preparation of the engine for operation. Most often, this is true for carburetor cars, since the injection engine "knows" itself when and how many revolutions should be.
So, before starting the carburetor engine, the suction is completely pulled out. As soon as the engine starts, the rpm will be at 2000 rpm. Now you need to reduce this value to 1500. Gradually reduce the suction and if the speed is unstable, then close the damper to the required level. As soon as the tachometer needle rises slightly, and the revolutions increase, then the damper must be opened until the revolutions begin to be on the verge between unstable and stable. It can be 1200 and 1300 rpm.
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04.12.2017, 22:49 70049 1 Assembly of Motorists
One of the most discussed topics among motorists is necessity. This question is relevant for power plants with turbine and "aspirated" equally. Almost all drivers are divided into two camps - those who warm up the car, and those who consider it a waste of fuel and time.
To the question whether it is necessary to warm up the diesel engine in winter manufacturers today give an unambiguous answer - "heating the internal combustion engine is not required." It is worth understanding what this statement is based on. Why used to be the same manufacturers advised to warm up the motors, but now they have dramatically changed their point of view.
Many car engine manufacturers claim that their products are so advanced that they work flawlessly even without warming up. They begin to explain that earlier both engines were primitive and mineral oil, that scientific and technological progress does not stand still. Well, they don't say about the water that it was wetter.
Where is the dog actually buried? First, it is not profitable for manufacturers that the engine runs longer than the warranty period. The sooner the car becomes unusable, the sooner the owner will buy a new car. Parts sales and repairs are additional sources of income for corporations. Why miss this profit? Therefore, it is profitable for manufacturers to tell fables that "ultra-reliable" modern diesel engines do not require warming up.
The second reason why experts from large companies do not advise warming up engines is environmental concerns. During the time the diesel is warming up, a large amount of exhaust gases are emitted into the atmosphere. In cities, it is not uncommon for the owner to warm up the car for 30 minutes to drive 10 minutes to work. In Europe, environmental safety issues are ahead of economic feasibility. We have the opposite. We are not saying this is good or bad, we are just presenting the facts.
Interestingly, the same experts confirm that the main wear of engine parts (about 75%) occurs during a cold start. That is, they know that it is not useful for the motor to work while it is cold, but they do not advise to heat it either. Wonderful and incomprehensible.
The theory of warming up a diesel engine in winter
Engines are made of metal. Pistons are usually made of light aluminum alloys, cylinders are made of steel or cast iron. When heated and cooled, these parts expand or contract, respectively. All engine components are precision-crafted to maintain a minimum piston-to-cylinder clearance. This is the key to efficient use of fuel energy.
When the engine is cold, the piston-to-cylinder clearances are out of design. Until the temperature rises to the operating level, the motor does not operate in the mode provided by the manufacturer. If full load is applied, wear on the parts will increase, resulting in a shorter working life or an accident.
In addition to the thermal expansion factor, there is another problem. Oil viscosity. This parameter greatly affects the operation of the engine. If the grease thickens in the cold, it cannot fully lubricate the parts, which leads to an increase in the friction force in all pairs. Wear increases dramatically if the engine is running under load.
Obviously, driving with a cold diesel engine is not a good idea. Another question arises:. Can this be done at idle? What is the optimal duration? Let's figure it out together.
How long does a diesel engine need to warm up in winter
There is no consensus among the "diesel breeders" on this matter. In this camp, they argue about how much to warm up a diesel engine in winter as well as among the owners of cars with gasoline engines.
Warm up to victory
Some car owners are sure that diesel engine necessary warm up at idle speed until the coolant temperature rises to 70 ° C. Another option is until the rpm drops to idle. The feasibility of this approach seems questionable. Let's figure it out.
Due to the design features, a diesel engine heats up less at idle than a gasoline engine, and the whole car warms up worse. To achieve a noticeable rise in temperature in winter have to do warming up the diesel engine within 30 - 40 minutes. During this time, a noticeable amount of fuel is consumed. For example: a three-liter diesel engine will “burn” about 200 ml of fuel in 20 minutes of warming up at idle speed.
A noticeable increase in the temperature of the power plant occurs in the first two minutes after launch. Further progress is quite insignificant. Should you waste fuel and time for a small improvement in performance? Doubtful.
Warm up, but without fanaticism
Other drivers to the question “ how to warm up a diesel engine in winter", Answer briefly and clearly:" wisely. " In their opinion, it is enough to let the engine run for a couple of minutes to warm up the oil in the crankcase, and then start moving. The main thing is not to give the engine full load until its temperature rises to the optimum level. This indicator can be monitored by the coolant sensor.
Supporters of this method warming up the diesel engine in winter believe that in motion the engine warms up faster. Also, when the car is moving, the transmission and chassis are heated more actively. Everything looks reasonable.
Objectively: how to properly warm up a diesel engine in winter
From a technical point of view, warming up the diesel engine in winter vital. Taking into account the technical features and mechanics of the car's systems, you can figure out how to warm up diesel engines.
The engine should be started at subzero temperatures with full fuel supply. The clutch is depressed. The started engine warms up for two to three minutes. The crankshaft speed rises gradually to average. When the device shows that the coolant has warmed up to 40 ° C, it means that the motor is ready for loads.
To make it easier to start the diesel engine, you need to turn on the glow plugs several times. These adaptations are built into the design of modern diesel powertrains. They help warm up the air entering the combustion chamber. In a diesel engine, ignition occurs as a result of heating a fuel-air mixture that is highly compressed in the cylinder. Preheating the air will make starting easier.
What do we get when performing such an algorithm for warming up a diesel engine? In the first two minutes after starting the engine, the oil in the crankcase heats up enough to fully lubricate the cylinder-piston group. Smooth start of movement helps to warm up the transmission lubricant, "develop" the suspension. The diesel warms up faster on the move. Fuel consumption is reduced. After 5 minutes of movement, you can turn on the heater of the cabin, which will accelerate the heating of the engine.
From the point of view of the operation of the engine, "hodovka" and other systems of the car, this method is the most logical. Practical observations show the effectiveness of this method. The Gentle Start Mode helps to protect the diesel engine from damage in freezing weather.
How to warm up a diesel engine with a turbine in winter
Recommendations for turbocharged diesels are no different from those for atmospheric counterparts. In the same way, you should start the engine, warm it up for a few minutes, and start driving at low rpm in first gear. Warm-up time on the move - about 5 minutes, during this time, use no higher than third gear. Control the diesel engine warming up by the coolant temperature.
The use of special pre-heaters gives a good result. Also, it will not be superfluous to make life easier for your engine by using special additives - antigels. They prevent diesel fuel from thickening in freezing temperatures. Many car owners have difficulties with starting diesel engines precisely because of the thickened fuel. It is especially difficult in winter if the car is filled with summer diesel fuel.
We tried to give a complete answer to the questions why and how to warm up a diesel engine in winter... We hope you can draw the right conclusions to protect the "heart" of your car from breakdowns on frosty days.
An exciting question for all motorists for many years to warm up or not to warm up the engine. The debate on this sensitive topic will continue as long as there are cars with internal combustion engines on earth.
There are two diametrically opposed camps who defend their innocence hoarsely. We will try to consider the arguments of each side and bring our reasoning to a common denominator.
Why is it necessary to warm up the car engine?
First of all, you need to find the starting point from which it all began. No, we will not seek the truth in the days of the first internal combustion engines. Let's go back literally 30 - 35 years ago. Times of progressive ideas and designs in the automotive industry. And although the innovative multipoint injection system has already been actively implemented by major car manufacturers. Yet the overwhelming majority of cars of those years were equipped with a carburetor power system, especially in the territory of the former USSR. Probably not many will remember, but many will appreciate these wonderful devices with mechanical air damper adjustment. A poorly adjusted carburetor caused a lot of trouble for the car owner, and especially in the winter period of operation.
It is from those times that there has been a steady opinion, to this day, supported by many craftsmen and motorists, that warming up the engine is necessary. Because the choke-regulated air damper directly influenced the number of engine revolutions, and in winter, on such cars, while the speed drops to stable operating values, which means the engine warms up, it is not advisable to start driving. The load on the engine and the box of the car will be too great.
And now a reasonable question arises: - "It was so long ago, but now, in our time, what has changed?" A generational change has taken place, new electronic injection systems have been successfully implemented and introduced, which, without human intervention, independently regulate the flow of the fuel-air mixture into the cylinders. Thus, reaching a stable operating speed of the engine is much faster and less painful for the engine as a whole. This means that the beginning of the movement can occur much earlier.
Moreover, almost all manufacturers of modern cars strongly advise against warming up the engine in the vehicle operating instructions. Focusing on indicators such as an increase in toxicity at the time of warming up, as well as an increase in fuel consumption.
Warming up the car engine in winter.
It would be possible to agree and completely trust the car manufacturers, if the factor that our cars are operated not only at a positive air temperature outside the window was not taken into account. The winter period of operation is additional time for preparing the car for movement. While the snowdrifts are being dug out after the grader and the snow is swept away from the body, the engine threshes at idle - this is the winter warm-up. At the end of all work, we already sit in a relatively warm interior and observe the coolant temperature arrow almost at our legal workplace, we can move. But what happens inside the engine during this period, what does the engine experience when it warms up without moving, i.e. without load. From the very first moment of start, the engine control system raises the speed, enriching the mixture well (you probably noticed that the exhaust smells strongly of fuel at this moment), naturally, part of the fuel, not having time to burn, flows down the cylinder walls into the sump where it mixes with the engine oil. Along the way, the fuel, flowing into the pan, washes off the oil film from the cylinder walls, the result is dry friction in the cylinders. Naturally, wear increases sharply. The rich mixture will also give an increased load on the catalyst and create ideal conditions for the formation of deposits on the injector nozzles and inlet valves. Thus, closer to spring we will get a well-formed layer of carbon deposits, which will greatly change the behavior of the engine.
For a final understanding of the scale of this event, let's break it down into pros and cons.
The advantages of warming up the engine:
⦁ During the warm-up period, the vehicle interior has time to warm up slightly.
⦁ The car windows are partially defrosted.
Cons of warming up the engine:
⦁ The engine is running with increased catalyst load.
⦁ A rich mixture at idle without load contributes to the increased formation of deposits on valves, nozzles, and the bottom of the piston.
⦁ The resulting deposits will affect dynamics and power over time.
⦁ The increase in carbon deposits worsens mixture formation over time.
⦁ Unburned fuel flowing down the cylinder walls reduces the lubricity of the engine oil, which causes increased wear.
⦁ Unburned fuel, falling into the sump, oxidizes the engine oil, which leads to its degradation.
In the dry residue, we get that there is no practical need for heating, only additional fuel is spent. Warming up the car on the spot is harmful to the engine and the environment, the instructions of the automakers are correct. It is necessary to warm up the engine while driving. It is quite natural that warming up in motion occurs much faster than in a stationary car. Consequently, the total wear is less. Much less harmful substances are emitted into the atmosphere. Hot oil begins to perform its functions faster and in full.
Warming up the diesel engine.
The situation with warming up a diesel vehicle is slightly different. And the main difference is that the engine does not heat up at all when the engine is idling. To warm up, a diesel engine needs a load that can only be obtained while driving. Prolonged warming up will not add warmth to the passenger compartment, nor will it increase the operating temperature of the engine. But it will increase the load on the particulate filter due to the suspended formation of soot. Engine oil will also suffer from more fuel entering the sump.
Correct engine care.
Even taking into account all of the above, it is not possible to completely exclude the heating of the car. And the harsh operation of the metropolis and traffic jams will only add a load on the fuel system and the exhaust gas neutralization system. In this mode, neither the engine nor the fuel system will be able to recover on their own. How can you help your car not to accumulate an avalanche of problems, but to maintain the declared characteristics? Liqui Moly has answers to such questions.
Liqui Moly has a wealth of research and practical experience in the use of additives. Technical experts recommend not to bring the car to a deplorable state, but to use preventive measures:
For cars with a gasoline engine, periodic use of additives that cleanse the fuel system is recommended. Effective injector cleaner Injection Reiniger Effectiv art. 7555 will gently remove contamination from injectors and combustion chambers under severe operating conditions and the initial symptoms of fuel system contamination. Removes carbon deposits, tar and reduces the emission of harmful substances
To reduce the load on the gasoline engine catalyst, technicians recommend Catalytic-System Clean Catalytic-System Clean Art. 7110. This is a special agent for cleaning the catalyst system of a gasoline engine. Cleans catalyst, injection system and combustion chamber. It allows you to quickly and effectively remove carbon deposits, tar and deposits. Reduces fuel consumption and harmful emissions.
For cleaning the inlet valves of multipoint injection systems, recommendation for the Ventil Sauber valve cleaner art. 1989. The additive effectively removes deposits from valves. Removes carbon deposits from injectors, carburetor and intake tract. This contributes to the normalization of engine operation: confident start-up and stable idle speed.
For vehicles with a diesel engine, for cleaning the diesel fuel injection system, Liqui Moly technical experts recommend using Diesel Spulung Diesel System Cleaner art. 1912. It is a highly effective agent for diesel fuel, cleansing injectors from carbon deposits and deposits. The use of the additive also protects the fuel system from corrosion, improves engine parameters by increasing the cetane number and improving the fuel combustion process.
To reduce the load on the diesel particulate filter, the use of Diesel Partikelfilter Schutz additive art. 2298 will help reduce soot formation in the combustion chamber and also minimize the amount of soot entering the filter.
