The engine will be fully warmed up when all its parts and working fluids reach operating temperatures, that is, with a fixed mode of operation, they stop changing. The coolant warms up the fastest - this is the process that we see by changing the position of the arrow on the temperature gauge. It also warms up the details of the upper part of the engine (pistons, cylinders, head) - the pace is almost the same. But the oil in the pan heats up much more slowly. Where is this visible? Anyone who has an on-board computer has probably noticed that even after reaching the normal temperature of the coolant, fuel consumption at idle may decrease for some time. This is just due to the slow warming up of the oil. And finally, the converter heats up the longest, and with it the toxicity of the exhaust gases reaches the working level. But all warm-up rates depend on the engine operating mode.

RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT

Why doesn't the engine like frost? main reason that any motor 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 increases sharply, which require excess gasoline. But when will the motor quickly reach the normal level of mechanical losses? If you stand and warm yourself, or if you go on the road immediately after launch? This will give an answer to the question of economy - after all, extra 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. Net "European" 2005 release, 1.6 liters of working volume, declared as Euro-4. He spent his entire conscious life in Russia, but, apart from Maintenance, nothing was done in it. So, three warm-up programs. The first option is "grandfather's": fully warm up the engine and only after that 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 pulled 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's 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 flow rate drops to 1.9 liters, after 10 minutes - to 0.9 liters. At the same time, visible changes in on-board computer end - the arrow on the temperature gauge does not even crawl up to 50 degrees and gets up tightly. For reliability, we wait another 10 minutes - fuel consumption decreases to 0.8 l / h, which is still more than the usual 0.6 observed when the entire engine is fully warmed up. best result can not be reached - let's go! We are driving in fixed mode, third gear, 50 km/h, there are no traffic lights on the road. Consumption on the computer - 6.4 ... 6.6 l / 100 km. In total, they spent 0.45 liters on warming up, about 0.33 liters on the road. Total - about 0.8 liters.

Option 2- sat down, wound up and immediately drove off. The car did not like it very much, and for a start it gave out a flow rate of more than 10 liters. Then he began to decline rapidly, but due to a short run, he did not crawl to the previous 6.5 - he stopped at 6.8 liters. Total spent only 0.45 liters. Plus saving 20 minutes of precious time. Savings, it seems, are there, but it seems impressive only at low runs.

Option 3- after starting, the engine was warmed up for 5 minutes, while the ice was scraped off the windows. We started with an idle consumption of 1.3 l / h. The beginning of the run 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 the first, but slightly worse than the second.

IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

It is clear that the unwillingness of automakers to warm the car is not caused at all by concern for our wallet. The main argument is ecology. After all, modern toxicity standards Euro-4 and above impose severe restrictions on the content of toxic components in starting modes and during the warm-up period. So let's see what will happen to the toxicity before the neutralizer (in professional slang it is called "raw") and after (this is "dry" toxicity).

So, the "raw" toxicity during cold start is very large. The reason is the need for a sharp enrichment of the air-fuel mixture. The fuel should be evaporated, and with a large "minus" on the street, it does not 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, much more gasoline must be poured. 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 must be high, and the composition of the mixture must be stoichiometric, that is, there must be exactly as much air in it as is necessary for complete combustion of the fuel. Otherwise, the efficiency drops sharply.

It is curious that at low temperatures during the warm-up process, a higher concentration of toxic components can be observed behind the neutralizer than at the inlet! Where? Most likely, this is the unburned gasoline on the first start-up cycles - it "sits" on the cells of the active element of the catalyst. As it warms up, the efficiency of work increases, and, finally, the hot catalyst, with the working composition of the mixture, crushes almost all toxicity. In other words, in starting conditions and during warm-up, if a modern externally heated catalyst is not used, the toxicity of an engine with a converter will not differ much from its earlier counterpart, which does not have one. Therefore, the main task is to bring the temperature of the active zone of the catalyst into the operating range as soon as possible.

The converter is heated by the flow of exhaust gases, and the faster, the greater their consumption and temperature. But when the process has begun in it, it begins to warm up itself - the afterburning of toxic components proceeds with the release of energy. Therefore, the temperature in the active zone of the operating catalyst is higher than that of the exhaust gases. And our experiment showed that even at normal temperature in the box, at the minimum speed mode idle move, the neutralizer does not enter the operating mode! Especially in the cold. Therefore, it will not work to suppress toxicity in the warm-up mode, if you warm up the engine in the parking lot: it means you need to move.

What is the difference in emissions? The initial content of CH is very high, under 1000 ppm, which, however, is expected. As the engine warms up, it begins to slowly decrease. But even after 20 minutes of warm-up, when the temperature of the coolant has already reached the operating level, the content of residual hydrocarbons remains high - about 180 ppm. - it warmed up, but the converter is cold, it works inefficiently.

Now we are trying to warm up the motor immediately under load, simulating the second warm-up option. The beginning is the same, but the pace is different: at the end of the race, the output was somewhere around 15…20 ppm. The neutralizer worked! It looks like 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 in “peeps”, but in grams and kilograms! That is, these concentrations must be multiplied by the consumption of exhaust gases. At idle during warm-up, it was about 15 kg / h, but when driving, if taken on 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 a number 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 went - gave an even greater reduction in the absolute emission of CH: up to 2.1 grams. By the way, in this variant, when driving over 5 km, we threw out a little more than a gram of CH, which is close to the Euro-4 standards.

The figures are very indicative and generally understandable. When driving on a cold engine, we work for a long time at high toxicity, while the consumption of exhaust gases is high. And blowing the converter with cold air while driving also slows down its warming up. When warming up in the parking lot, the converter does not reach its normal mode, but when you start driving at high costs, it quickly begins to effectively extinguish toxicity. And with a short initial warm-up, the engine doesn’t have time to pretty much “harm” even in the parking lot, and when warming up in motion, it works much better: after all, it has already gained some kind of temperature. Here is the result.

But what we did not take into account. A car stinking in a parking lot envelops the space around it with a cloud of smoke, and it is disgusting to live there ... And a moving one, as it were, blurs its “good” over space. Globally - it turns out comparable, and at a single point - the damage from one moving car is several times less. But after all, one or two carriages are puffing at the same time in the parking lot, and crowds of them 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 warm-up. Not so long ago, a bearded professor from the screen convinced people that one cold start is equal to 100 km of run! Of course, he 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 of 20 to 200 km is more fair: the main thing is the trend. And it is important that movement without warming up does not allow engine parts to prepare to receive heavy loads. They have a bad time - and not only bearings.
There is such a detail in the motor - a piston, and grooves are cut on its side surface so that piston rings put. So, these grooves are the most sensitive to loads and are the first to collapse when they become excessive. And this is exactly the situation here. If you immediately start and even skid a little, getting out of a snowdrift, the load on the motor will immediately become large. Heat flows from the working fluid quickly heat up the piston bottom, and the groove zone touches the cold cylinder, which is slightly warmer than antifreeze. There are large temperature differences, and with them - exorbitant stresses. And a piston without grooves is no longer a piston ... And the better the engine warms up, the less danger of such a disaster.

But what about automakers? They know everything, but frankly, they don't care. The motor must move guarantee period, then be sold and sent somewhere in the third world. Otherwise, the market will overstock. Recommendations dance from there - ecology is primary, savings are also somewhere out there, and the resource - who is interested in it?

STILL WARM!

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 on loads and well protected from wear. By the way, in fact, we most often follow this recommendation: the engine heats up while the windows are scraped off and snow is swept away ...

And one more thing ... Suddenly you have to rev sharply on a completely cold engine - you never know how the situation on the road will turn out? And here it’s easy to fly into a very bad situation - the valves can hang and meet the piston, or the liners will turn

Most of our country is located in latitudes where the temperature in winter drops below zero, sometimes significantly. The operation of vehicles at this time, as a rule, does not stop. It is generally accepted that in the cold, a car engine needs a certain warm-up, although there are opponents of such an action. What is the actual situation, is it necessary to warm up the engine in winter, if so, why, and how to do it right?

Modern cars

Today, petrol and diesel cars equipped with engines with a complex fuel supply system equipped with injection injection. If we compare them with the engines of carbureted machines, the power units have undergone many changes. Injection engines are more technologically advanced, they have an advanced fuel supply mechanism, the materials themselves from which engines are made have changed, oils, coolants have also evolved.

How the injector works:

A serviceable one in sub-zero temperatures normally works normally immediately after start-up, that is, theoretically, it is permissible to start movement immediately. But many car owners believe that engine warm-up is needed - from a small one, for a couple of minutes, to full, with the engine reaching operating temperature.

Technical manuals for injection vehicles basically state that warming up the engine before driving is not necessary. Car manufacturers argue this for several reasons:

• engines are made from quality materials well tolerated "minus" overboard;
• technical fluids are made taking into account weather conditions (the main thing is to fill the engine with correct oil!), and allow you to start moving in a gentle mode immediately;
• when driving at low speeds, the fluid and the engine warm up evenly.

The engine resource, according to representatives of the automotive industry, does not suffer much at the same time.

This is partly true - technology does not stand still, engines are constantly improving. But there is another factor, because of which automakers are against warming up the engine.

Interestingly, one of the reasons for such statements is the influence of regulatory authorities on the auto industry, including environmental protection services. It is known that warming up the engine at idle takes longer than in motion, more fuel is consumed, and the amount of harmful emissions also increases. And the catalytic converter, which should neutralize those, is included in the work only when a certain temperature is reached. Therefore, it is proposed to warm the engine on the go, as it is less harmful to nature.

In some states, legislation has been introduced to regulate this issue. So, in a number of European countries there are bans on:

• long engine idle;
• warming up the engine or long periods of inactivity in parking lots and within residential areas.

If the police find a violation of the ban, the car owner will face a large fine.

When considering these laws, it should be borne in mind that:

• the Russian Federation has not yet adopted similar, strict environmental standards for engines;
• natural conditions are often more severe;
• the main task for many motorists is to keep the engine in good condition, since the car in our country continues to be, to a certain extent, a means of luxury, and overhaul(or car replacement), unlike the current one, is not available to all car owners.

Interesting: in the regions of the Far North, where temperatures drop below 50 degrees in winter, turning off the engine is tantamount to the death of the power unit: it is very difficult to “revive” a frozen engine with iced liquids, especially if there is no warm box. Therefore, in especially cold seasons, cars are not jammed there for days and weeks. The vehicle must be specially prepared to withstand such a long operation without interruption in extreme conditions.

Arguments "for" warming up

The ideas of supporters of warming up the engine can be expressed in the following list:

1. Warming up prolongs the life of the engine. In addition to viscous oil, there is such a thing as thermal contraction of the metal: in the cold, it contracts, and the gaps between the metal components of the engine increase. The oil, remaining thick, does not allow creating the necessary pressure in the line, and the engine parts are in a state of oil starvation for some time, which causes increased wear, which increases even more if you start moving immediately. There is an opinion that one cold start engine is 100 km. normal mileage.
2. Difference between engine oil and engine coolant temperatures. So when the cool in car engine warmed up to the optimal 90 degrees, the engine oil is still relatively cold (about 50 degrees), and it will take time for it to reach operating temperature. And the latter is critical for the normal operation of the internal combustion engine, so it is better to wait and warm up the engine in winter to a temperature of at least 4-5 degrees.

Arguments against"

Supporters of the decision to stop the practice of warming up the engine argue their position with the following arguments:

• Manufacturers recommendations - car manuals advise you to go right away, and many prefer to stick to this.

The basis of the opinion why it is impossible to warm up car engines in winter is the assumption that the manufacturer would never deliberately indicate something harmful to the vehicle in the instructions, especially if it concerns well-known and large car brands. After all, an accelerated failure of the engine leads to its repair under warranty, which is unprofitable for the plant.

This is true, but in part. If you look closely at the terms of the car warranty, often it is only 100-150 thousand km. run. And such a mileage is able to drive without major breakdowns, even a car that is operated in harsh conditions. There are situations when there is a separate guarantee for engines, but even here, in the event of a breakdown, it will be difficult to prove that it was the line in the manual with the recommendation not to warm the engine that was to blame.

There is an opinion from the field of “conspiracy theories” that automakers deliberately advise not to warm up the engine in order to force motorists to make repairs, purchase spare parts, etc. Certainly, modern machines not engineers, but marketers, and the principle of “programmed failure” has successfully migrated from the automotive industry to many areas. But still, this seems unlikely, since they will simply stop buying equipment that breaks down quickly, because a car is not a kettle, and is purchased for several years. If the engine starts to frankly “crumble”, they will simply get rid of the car, and the model will receive negative feedback affecting the reputation of the brand as a whole.

• The quality of engine materials and oils.

This point was discussed above - it is believed that the metal of engines, other components and liquids are adapted for a “cold start”, the main thing is not to “turn” the engine immediately, moving smoothly, and there is no need to warm up the engine even in winter before the trip.

• Reduced fuel consumption.

The argument is obvious: the less the car idles, the less fuel the engine will burn. In addition, emissions of harmful substances will also decrease.

• The engine heats up faster while driving.

This is true, any car owner can verify the correctness of the statement in practice. Under moderate load, the engine will reach operating temperature much faster. What is especially true if not preheating atelya, creating a comfortable, and for the driver in the cabin in advance. But it is still not recommended to start off immediately in the cold.

• Incorrect operation of the engine ignition in cold idling.

Modern engines equipped with electronic sensors are also guided by the outboard temperature, adjusting the ratio of air and fuel supplied to the engine. In a cold engine, gasoline evaporates worse, and the fuel mixture is not optimal in composition. To compensate for this, the engine ECU gives a command to add gasoline to the combustion chamber until the engine warms up to at least 4-5 degrees.

It turns out that with a long "idle" warm-up, the engine gains temperature more slowly, while not being under load. At the same time, excess fuel does not burn out, settling on the surfaces of the engine cylinders, which can later cause various problems, including in the lubrication system. Especially harmful is the regular "cold" warm-up until the engine reaches full operating temperature.

carbureted cars

The myth about the need for a long "full" warm-up of the engine came from an era when all cars were carbureted. The power supply system of such an engine is simpler: the composition fuel mixture does not change electronically "on the go" in accordance with the readings of the sensors, but is set by the carburetor setting. And until the engine reaches operating temperature, the quality of the fuel mixture remains suboptimal, the power plant is unstable, with failures, and may even stall. This is where the common myth comes from that any car needs to be warmed up completely, and only after that start moving.

There are fewer and fewer vehicles equipped with carburetors, but they still go on Russian roads, especially for samples of the domestic auto industry.

Scheme of work:

Important: the engine, where the mixture is regulated by the carburetor, must be warmed up in the cold.

So is it worth warming up the engine

From all of the above, we can conclude: if you have a car with a carburetor engine, you need to warm it up until the engine reaches normal temperature, and, preferably, outside winter period. Is it worth warming up a car engine in winter if it is a gasoline injector or a diesel engine?

Modern cars do not need a long warm-up: it is enough to let the engine run for 5-15 minutes (and in winter this is just enough to shake the snow off the car and wipe the headlights). The engine will warm up a little and slightly drop the speed from “warm-up” to close to normal, the oil will also become less viscous and will be able to provide the proper quality of lubrication. After that, you can gently start moving without overloading the engine unnecessarily in the first minutes.

Diesel engines

The issue of warming up diesel engines is separate, due to the characteristics of diesel fuel. Car owners with power plants know that in the cold it is more difficult to start a diesel engine than a gasoline one. This difficulty arises from the tendency of diesel fuel to thicken in the cold: it becomes viscous, poorly sprayed by engine injectors and ignites reluctantly.

There are several varieties of DT:

• summer diesel fuel designed for air temperatures from 0 degrees and above;
• winter, suitable for work in conditions up to -30 degrees;
• arctic, for the extreme cold of the Far North.

Most startup problems diesel engine car owners with such are associated with wrong choice varieties of diesel fuel: in winter, summer fuel is poured into the tank.

To facilitate starting, there are pre-heating systems (“webasto”, etc.) that allow eliminating many “winter” problems with diesel engines. At the same time, it is important not to forget to pour the correct grade of diesel fuel into the tank.

Important: similar systems are offered for injection and carburetor engines, their use can also be useful.

The device of the Webasto system:

The rest of the technique is standard: you need to let the engine run for a few minutes, and if everything is in order, you can hit the road. Some rules for warming up the engine are set out below.

Warm-up rules

Car owners have empirically deduced several rules regarding how much to warm the engine:

• at temperatures from 0 to +5 degrees, it is enough to warm the engine for 1-2 minutes. Glasses in such conditions do not have time to freeze, so there is no need to wait for the stove to reach operating temperature in order to heat the interior;
• from 0 to -10 it is worth warming up the engine for about 3 minutes. Technical fluids and engine metal will warm up to the minimum temperatures allowed for movement, but it may take more time to heat the interior;
• from -10 to -20 - it should take 3-5 minutes to warm up the engine. The windows of the car can freeze, and they should also be warmed up. Therefore, after warming up the engine, you need to turn on the stove and provide heat in the cabin to defrost the windows.

Important: do not turn on the stove at the same time as starting the engine! This will only increase the overall warm-up time.

• at temperatures below -20, it is necessary to warm the engine for 5 minutes, the specific time is determined individually, depending on the age and condition of the car. The more powerful the stove and newer machine the faster it warms up. On average, the engine heats up in about 5 minutes, the interior in 10.

After the start of the movement, it is impossible to sharply gas, “turn” the engine and give it heavy loads during the first 2-3 kilometers of the journey. Only after complete and, most importantly, uniform heating, obtained already in the direction of travel, the power unit will be able to adequately perceive such actions, but if they are taken before, the metal parts that have not expanded completely after freezing will experience increased wear, the engine life will decrease.

An important note applies to other components of the machine. So, even if the engine received heating before starting to move, other elements (gearbox, steering mechanism parts, brake system) are still cold, and heat up already during operation. Cold damages the transmission, suspension, damper performance, tans rubber parts (including tires!) and seals, and all of them take some time to heat up. It is also necessary to start moving slowly and carefully for this reason - so as not to cause wear and sudden breakdown of other components of the machine.

On vehicles with before starting off, it makes sense to “warm up” the gearbox a little, switching the gearbox modes 1-2 times in turn with a delay of 2-3 seconds in each. This will help warm up the transmission oil and automatic transmission components, facilitating their further work.

• if the car is equipped with a hydraulic booster, this will disperse the power steering fluid in the system;
• in the case of an electric booster, the engine will receive additional load through the generator and warm up a little faster.

findings

So, the answer to the question of whether it is necessary to warm up the engine before a trip is still positive: yes, warm it up! But not for long, especially if it's modern vehicle with injection engine Long idling harms the engine no less than starting from a place “to a cold one”, and a slight warm-up with a slow and careful ride without “spinning up” to high speed will help the engine to quickly reach the optimal mode, saving the resource. It is desirable to warm up old carburetor engines longer, until they fully reach the operating temperature zone.

Turning on the stove at the same time as starting the engine in the cold is not worth it, this will significantly increase the total warm-up time. A good help to the car owner will be the engine preheating system, launched according to a schedule or remotely, by pressing a button on the key fob. It will ensure that the car is ready to drive, for example, while the driver is getting ready to leave the house, thus reducing the time spent on warming up the engine.

For diesel cars be sure to use diesel fuel that matches the season.

This is what many owners of new cars do, believing that for modern engines that are filled with synthetic oils, it does not matter what season it is, and there is no difference - even plus twenty on the thermometer, even minus.

Meanwhile, even high-quality synthetic oil becomes more viscous at low temperatures; semi-synthetic and hydrocracking oils thicken even more. The pumpability of oil through the system is reduced, which is why a cold engine has to work in conditions of lubrication deficiency. First of all, the cylinder-piston group, crankshaft and crankshaft bearings suffer from this. camshaft as well as turbines. The insufficient thickness of the oil film leads to the fact that metal-to-metal friction occurs in the parts, provoking their accelerated wear. This also applies to gearboxes, especially automatic ones, since transmission oils in the same way, they become more viscous at sub-zero temperatures.

When a cold engine is idling and the gearbox is in neutral (“parking”), the deteriorated pumpability of the oil causes minimal damage, which is inherent in the design. But if, immediately after starting the engine, you start moving, especially in an “aggressive” manner, with sharp accelerations, then with a lack of lubrication in fast moving parts, “abnormal” destructive friction will occur, “eating up” the motor resource.

The second extreme: "the longer you heat - longer without repair"

This opinion is common among owners of cars with already solid mileage, as well as among many drivers with great experience who started back at Soviet cars, in the engines of which it was poured mineral oil a la "M-8".

From the standpoint of creating the most gentle mode for rubbing engine parts operating with a lack of lubrication, this approach is absolutely correct, even for new cars. However, prolonged (over 5 minutes) idling of the engine also causes problems, especially when this happens constantly.

In an engine running “at idle”, the fuel-air mixture is over-enriched and does not burn out completely, which causes increased carbon deposits in the combustion chamber, as well as on spark plugs for gasoline and “oiling” of injector nozzles for diesel. For an already warmed-up engine (a car standing in a traffic jam), although this effect is present, it is not so pronounced and is provided constructively. However, in a cold engine, which warms up very slowly in severe frost “at idle” (especially a diesel engine), soot is formed in the cylinders much more actively. That over time will also worsen the operation of the motor and require repair.

Golden mean: "5 minutes, 2,000 revolutions"

As recommended by service station technicians and park maintenance engineers cars, you need to follow the rule of "golden mean". You should not immediately go as soon as the engine starts, just as you should not try to warm it up to 90 degrees in the parking lot.

The best option « winter operation»: warm up the engine for 3-5 minutes and then drive without sharp accelerations, without spinning the motor over 2,000 rpm, until the engine warms up to 80-90 degrees. (It was this method of warming up that was recommended to us by service specialists official dealers specifically Mazda and Volkswagen.)

Hello, dear fellow motorists. The question of warming up the engine has always been quite acute, and especially with the onset of winter cold. There are both opponents and supporters of a long warm-up, and they give quite strong arguments. And how not to get confused here, especially for a novice driver. I do not want to say big words, but my education and experience in operating cars allow me to express my opinion on this topic. Your attention to the answer to the question: do I need to warm up the engine in winter?

We will not be guided by rumors and first of all we will open the instruction manual for any modern car. What is written there? And there it is written in black and white that the car engine does not need to be warmed up.

Having voiced this information, the manufacturer does not in any way worry about the resource of your car. No, in principle, he doesn’t care how long the engine of your car will go 300 or 320 thousand km, since by this time the warranty will end a long time ago. The manufacturer pursues selfish goals:

• Specify the lowest possible fuel consumption per 100 km, because when you are standing, fuel is consumed, and the mileage is not added.
• Satisfy the environmentalists. Modern Euro standards severely limit the content of toxic substances during the start-up and warm-up of the internal combustion engine. And here the first batch is played by a re-enriched working mixture, that is, the mixture that contains gasoline in large quantities. As you know, it is not gasoline itself that burns, but its vapors. In severe frost, gasoline does not really want to evaporate and the air from the street enters the cylinders cold, which means with a high density. The following situation develops, in order to compensate for the low volatility of the fuel and the high density of air, more gasoline has to be supplied to the cylinders. And what is not completely evaporated - flies "into the pipe".

The second opinion is diametrically opposite - the engine must be warmed up until the arrow leaves the blue zone or reaches operating temperature at 90 degrees Celsius. Just when the arrow rises to operating temperature, the engine is fully warmed up, and you can hit the road.

I can immediately point out the inaccuracy in these arguments. Recall what temperature the arrow shows? Coolant temperature. It must be remembered that for the power unit more important parameter is the oil temperature. Its fluidity and pumpability through the lubrication system depend on how warm it is, and this, in turn, affects the formation of an oil (protective) film on rubbing parts.

Coolant and oil temperatures differ quite significantly. As studies show: when warmed up to 90 degrees, the oil gains a temperature of only about 40–55.

By no means do I want to say that there is no need to warm up the car, but I want to emphasize that raising the arrow to operating temperature does not at all indicate that the power unit has completely warmed up.

Carburetor ICE

For carburetor engines, the first option will not work, here you can’t do without warming up. Even if closed air damper, as a result of which the speed will rise, and a mixture enriched with fuel will be supplied to the cylinders, the engine will still work unstably.

Therefore, the verdict is unequivocal, on machines where such an atavism as a carburetor is in the power system, the internal combustion engine is subject to mandatory warm-up. Warm up until the engine starts to run steadily.

And here it is better not to take risks, but to carve out additional time (usually 10 minutes is enough) to warm up the engine. Since if the engine stalls on the road, then there will be little pleasure, and even more vacuum booster brakes, works due to the vacuum inside the cylinders. We have the following picture, if the engine has stalled - there is no vacuum and try to push the brake pedal when there is a strong “minus” on the street: brake fluid thickened, the seals of the main and slave cylinders were hardened ...

Injection ICE

Unlike about carburetor engine injection engines have become more technologically advanced, namely, they have received electronic system engine management, which itself selects the optimal composition of the working mixture, which allows the engine not to “stall in the cold” and warm up faster.

Also in modern power units high-tech oils are used with the appropriate type of motor and tolerance, which reduce friction in loaded nodes.

Therefore, for owners of injection engines, I propose the following algorithm of actions:

Despite the fact that automakers do not recommend prolonged warm-up at idle, remember - they are pursuing selfish goals (environmental). In our country, not everyone is worried about this. Remember thirty-year-old KamAZ trucks flying on our roads and releasing kilograms of soot on passers-by. It’s better to warm the engine and it obviously won’t get worse from this, but if you are limited in time, then you can start moving after 1 minute, we set aside this time for the oil to splatter in the engine, that is, it gets on all rubbing parts. Naturally, the first kilometers in this case should pass without sudden acceleration and it is advisable not to increase the speed above 2000–2200 per minute.

Also, prolonged warming up makes it possible to obtain warm air from the air vents, and, accordingly, the ability to melt the ice on the windows, which has a positive effect on visibility.

Separately, I would like to say a few words about turbocharged engines. These engines provide high traction and speed properties of the car with a small working volume. Since the working volume is small, the losses involved in heating the unit and, accordingly, heating the coolant are also not large, and it can take a very long time to wait for the turbocharged internal combustion engines to warm up at idle.

Warming up cars with automatic

In addition to the engine itself, the transmission and chassis. The oil in the box, when the internal combustion engine warms up at idle, almost does not heat up, and gains operating temperature only after 20-30 km. run. This is especially critical for designs that include a torque converter ().

To warm up the oil in the machine, you need to move the selector to position D (with your foot on the brake pedal) and wait 2-4 minutes.

Possibility of being fined

In some developed European countries, there are legislative norms prohibiting prolonged idling of the engine. It turns out that in winter, standing car it is necessary to freeze, and in the summer to bathe without air conditioning.

But this is in Europe, and in most regions of Russia, an alarm system with auto start or an autonomous heating installation is not a luxury at all, but a winter necessity. Although the use of autorun in a residential area is not always legal.

If you open the text of the traffic rules, then there, in paragraph 17.2, it is written in black and white: "Parking with a running engine is prohibited in a residential area." Accordingly, if there is a clause of the rules, then, accordingly, there is a fine for its violation.

Part 1 of Article 12.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the driver faces a warning or an administrative fine of 100 rubles.

Therefore, if the fact of parking is fixed, i.e. the movement is stopped for more than 5 minutes, then the traffic police can write out a protocol. By the way, such operations are periodically carried out in microdistricts of large cities.

In the text of a rather long story, almost every car owner will find for himself the answer to the question of warming up or not warming up the car engine. All trouble-free winter operation of the car, see you soon.

Disputes on the topic of whether or not to warm up the car engine before the trip do not subside among motorists. Is it really necessary to warm up? If yes, what is the best way to do it? Is it necessary to warm up the engine in summer? Or just in winter? What are the dangers of driving with a cold engine? Let's try to figure it out.

The majority of motorists claim that it is necessary to warm up the car engine before a trip. But here are the instructions for modern cars on the contrary, argue the opposite. And to be absolutely precise, they assume a method of warming up the engine “on the go”, and it is specifically stipulated that warming up the engine “in the old fashioned way” at idle is not recommended.

Do I need to warm up the engine

The main arguments cited by opponents of engine warm-up:

• When warming up at idle, the environment is harmed, since at this time an over-enriched mixture is formed, which does not completely burn out.
• Excessive fuel consumption resulting from the first point.
• Modern materials and technologies used in the automotive industry allow you to start moving "without grandfather's fears".
• Depreciation of parts of the exhaust system, primarily the exhaust gas converter, as well as increased pollution of candles, and suboptimal oil heating.

However, let's still try to figure out exactly what processes occur inside a cold engine during start-up, looking at the engine "from the inside".

Despite the increased unification that almost all manufacturers strive for, car engine parts are made of various materials and this cannot be avoided.

Schematic representation of the engine internal combustion So:

• Piston group bearing the main load.
• An engine lubrication system that supplies oil to moving parts.
• A fuel supply system that supplies fuel in the amount necessary for operation.
• System of release of the fulfilled gases.

cylinders piston group made mostly of steel and its derivatives. Pistons, cylinder blocks, attachments are usually made from aluminum alloys. The connecting rod bearings are composed of steel and aluminum in proportions.

Now, taking into account this knowledge, as well as the laws of physics that no one has canceled, let's look at the processes occurring in a cold engine.

As you know, with decreasing temperature, metals tend to shrink, and the lower the temperature, the greater the compression ratio, and it (the coefficient) is individual for each metal separately. Or more simply, at the same temperature, steel and, for example, aluminum will shrink and expand in different ways.

For the bulk of engines, the optimum operating temperature is 90-95 ℃, and therefore, all the gaps of the rubbing parts of the engine are designed to operate at this temperature. Starting a cold engine, in particular in winter at low negative temperatures, forces the rubbing parts to work with increased voltage precisely because of the difference in the expansion coefficient. And the increased load leads, respectively, to increased wear.

Yes, of course, the necessary tolerances are structurally laid down to ensure a “cold start”, but the guarantee for the operation of the engine is not lifetime! For most models, it is up to several tens of thousands of kilometers or no more than 3 years. Moreover, all of the above is relevant for new cars that have just left the assembly line.

So, the engine is running, but not yet warmed up to operating temperature. The oil and technical fluids that ensure the operation of the car at negative temperatures have an increased viscosity, which leads to their lower fluidity, or, simply put, cold oil enters in smaller volumes to rubbing parts, which again increases wear. And an increase in engine speed when starting off increases this wear by an order of magnitude.

The vast majority of automakers limit the speed during warm-up, which by itself speaks of its necessity!

Warming up the engine in summer

Summarizing all of the above, it can be argued that the engine needs to warm up. But does the engine need it in summer or only in winter? After all, in summer the engine oil does not thicken, technical fluids are normal ...

Yes, in summer there are more gentle conditions for starting the engine, but, as mentioned above, for optimal performance the engine needs a certain temperature. And if in winter the engine warm-up can last 5, and 10, and 15 minutes, depending on what temperature is “overboard”, how long the car has been standing, outdoors or indoors, and so on, then in summer this time, of course, is significantly decreases. And warming up is more like the one mentioned “warming up on the go”. But the initial warm-up at least to an engine temperature of 40–50 ℃ or to a decrease in idle speed in the presence of an automatic machine is necessary!

Warming up the engine of an injection car

Almost all cars equipped with an injection power system have a warm-up automatic that automatically sets the idle speed set by the manufacturer. However, there are some nuances, the observance of which will reduce the load on the engine and ensure a confident start of the engine.

Starting is a prerequisite for a good spark and enough fuel to ensure good operation. battery. In winter, at low temperatures, it will be “good tone” to warm up the battery electrolyte by turning on the headlights for 20-30 seconds, which in turn will increase the time during which the battery can deliver maximum current.

To ensure a “cold start”, it is necessary to turn off all extraneous electrical appliances (radio, heater fan, etc.) and squeeze the clutch, if any. mechanical transmission, then start the engine.

No need to press the gas pedal! The starter itself will set all the necessary throttle settings and enrich the mixture in the required amount.

After starting the engine, slowly, smoothly, but surely, the clutch pedal is released. It is worth noting that this item is not relevant for owners of "machines".

Warming up a carbureted car

Starting and warming up carbureted car distinguished by the need manual control throttle and fuel enrichment (if the car's carburetor does not have an automatic starter).

To start the carburetor engine, the “choke” button (lever) is pulled out, the clutch is pressed, after which the engine is started directly. At working system ignition, after the first unsuccessful start, some additional fuel may be required, which is supplied to intake manifold car by vigorously pressing the gas pedal.

As in the case of an injection engine, after the engine picks up speed, the clutch pedal is released, and the number of revolutions during warm-up is adjusted by "choke". Optimal RPM when warming up the carburetor engine, they are 1200–1500 rpm. The readiness for a trip of a carbureted car is indicated by the fact that the "choke" is completely drowned, and the engine responds to the gas pedal without failures.

Diesel engine warm-up

A diesel engine, unlike a carburetor, requires full warm-up before starting to move under load, which is dictated by its design (smaller gaps between the cylinder walls and pistons, significantly higher compression provides higher loads on the piston system as a whole).

Confident starting of the diesel engine is ensured by the presence of special fuel heating plugs, which are switched on before the starter is started, and the fuel that falls on them evaporates more actively.

To start a diesel, if available mechanical box gears, the clutch is again depressed and the ignition is turned on. Most diesel vehicles have an indicator light to show the status of the glow plugs. After the lamp goes out, you can start the engine.

At low temperatures, it is useful to turn the ignition on and off several times in order for the glow plugs to create a favorable starting temperature inside the combustion chamber.

Controls the heating diesel car automatic, so driver intervention in this process is not required. After the diesel picks up the speed necessary for warming up, the depressed clutch pedal is released.