First, warm up the vehicle. Many of us in the south tend to ignite and go, whether in winter or summer, because this can avoid wasting fuel by idling, and can also prevent the increase of carbon deposits in the engine caused by long-term idle preheating.
If you think about it, although many people think that short-term idling will not produce too much carbon deposit, but the carbon deposits will continue to accumulate in the process of our daily use of vehicles, adding 10 minutes of idle time every day, which is 60 hours in a year, and 180 hours of idle time in three years.
Not only does that 180 hours waste a lot of fuel, but long idle hours can also cause a lot of carbon deposits in the engine. Even if a three-year-old vehicle is still new, the engine has accumulated a lot of carbon deposits, and in the long run, the problem of carbon deposits in vehicles will be worse in the long run. Such a vehicle is less powerful to drive, and fuel consumption will also increase.
On our side, the way of warming the car is actually not too cumbersome. After all, there is no snow all year round, and even at the coldest time the temperature is only five or six degrees. Therefore, our principle of warming the car is to wait for the engine oil to fully lubricate the engine before starting. This process usually completes in about 30 seconds.
However, in the cooler parts of the north, it takes a little longer to warm up. My advice is that after starting the engine, as long as the gearbox is not in cooling protection, you can idle in place for about 5 minutes or so, regardless of whether the revs drop or not, you can hit the road straight away.
If the revs do not drop, it is because the engine water temperature has not yet reached the required level, and the vehicle computer will inject more fuel to accelerate the engine to the optimal operating temperature, which will not affect normal driving.
The second is maintenance. Performing maintenance on time is key to keeping your vehicle up and running. If maintenance is not carried out on time, or if it is not maintained properly, the vehicle may be scrapped early. This is not alarmist.
If the engine oil is used improperly, the use of inferior engine oil in order to be cheap will lead to abnormal wear and tear of the engine, and a large amount of sludge will be generated inside, hindering the normal operation of the engine. As a result, the fuel consumption of the engine increases, and the weakening of power becomes a problem.
When choosing an engine oil, you can't just look at the cheap, cheap oil may hide defects in the short term, but after a few years of consistent use, you will find the difference between your car and others. Others may only spend 5 cents, while you may have to pay 6 to 7 cents, and it can feel like a beating at idle.
In the cold northern winter, it is necessary to carefully choose an oil suitable for extremely cold environments, especially one with better flow at low temperatures, so as to avoid the problem of ignition difficulties when starting the engine in cold weather. Usually, motor oil is marked with a string of numbers, such as 5w-30, just pay attention to two numbers.
The lower number in the front indicates the fluidity of the oil in a low temperature environment, while the larger number in the back indicates the viscosity of the oil. Different models have different viscosity requirements for engine oil, so be sure to consult the vehicle owner's manual.
For residents in the south, if you go to cold areas such as the Northeast, it is important to change to the 0W model, which flows better at low temperatures. And in my case, there is no need to worry too much, the 0w and 5w engine oil can be matched at will, as long as the viscosity of the oil is moderate.
Secondly, it is necessary to use the car air conditioner correctly. The power of the on-board air conditioner accounts for about 10% of the engine output, especially in the low-speed driving state, the output of the engine is limited, while the power of the on-board air conditioner remains the same, which may lead to the situation that the car is not powered at low speeds.
In the cold winter months, many people are prone to errors when using heaters and air conditioners, which can lead to increased fuel consumption, weakened power, and even mistaken belief that the vehicle is malfunctioning. In fact, when using warm air in winter, simply turning off the compressor can reduce fuel consumption while ensuring that the engine has enough power. The switch of the on-board air conditioning compressor is the AC button in the car, and turning off this button will not affect the normal use of the heater.
After stopping the use of the air conditioner in winter, be sure to switch the cycle mode to the internal cycle. In the external circulation mode, there is a passage in the engine compartment that leads to the interior of the car. When the car is in use, the engine gets warmer and the interior of the car warms up accordingly, which can cause trouble if a mouse, cat or other critter gets into it.
These three points are essential for winter driving, reducing fuel consumption and creating a better driving experience. If you don't do these three things well, your vehicle may have problems such as increased fuel consumption and decreased power after three to five years. This is not alarmist, but the experience of many experienced drivers, and novice drivers must learn from it.