The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
My car is a problem to start in the cold. I sometimes have to jump start because it cranks for a long time . . .
Cold start problems are common in winter but it should not be as bad as to the point of jump-starting. There are things you need to do to prepare your car for winter. You need to prepare your car as well because cars just like people get cold.
The type of oil used in your engine, the condition of your battery, spark issues and or fuel delivery problems can make your car hard to start on a cold morning. The general condition of the engine as well can cause problems if the engine has seen better days.
A car battery works harder in winter. Engine oil gets thicker as the temperatures drop, consequently making it harder for the engine to turn. If the battery is weak then it may discharge before the engine starts. Sometimes we may not know that our batteries are weak until the winter comes. Before winter always get your battery checked to make sure it’s in tip top condition. Most battery shops offer this service free. Generally batteries tend to work at their worst in winter so make sure your battery is in good shape.
Some cars run accessories that drain the battery over time. Make sure that your car isn’t draining the battery when stationery or it will be hard to get enough current to start the car when you need to. If all is well with the battery, also check that your car is charging the battery as well as it should.
Since oil thickens when it’s cold, it flows harder on cold mornings. You will find that synthetic oil makes engines perform better than conventional oil.
Synthetic oil is artificial oil with chemical advancements. Synthetic oil performs better in cold temperatures and in hot temperatures. That is why it is recommended for high performance racing engines. It flows easily, it’s more slippery and it’s the best for the cold weather. Apart from better performance in the cold, it also prolongs the life of your engine. If you are to shift to synthetic oil you will get more benefits even though synthetic oil is almost twice more expensive than conventional oil.
Engine condition can also make it very hard to start a car in winter. If by any chance your plugs are oiling you should fix your engine. Oil deposits eventually form an insulative layer on the plug tips, rendering them useless in their mission of ignition. Oil deposits from worn rings or leaking valve seals or guides will eventually cause such problems. You could temporarily check the condition of the plugs and clean them if you can, but it’s only a temporary measure.
Diesel cars are always harder to start and they need a strong and powerful battery that delivers enough power for heating and starting the car up. If the battery is all good then you may need to check other things like the fuel pump and heater-plugs.
Older cars with carburettors are usually prone to these problems of cold starting mainly because it’s all old mechanical technology. Newer cars do not normally give so much of a problem if the battery and engine are in good shape.
If your car still won’t start and all these are in good shape then it’s time to do some witch hunting, remember for an engine to start up it needs air, fuel and the spark. Air is almost always there unless you have a badly clogged air-filter. Fuel isn’t always there. When fuel pumps fail, your engine wont get fuel or it may get it with insufficient pressure. Cars with fuel injection use high-pressure pumps. When they start failing you may need to crank your car more than normal until it starts. Most mechanics will know how to check for these problems. Spark on the other hand may not always be there, it could be a bad ignition coil or distributor. All these become worse in cold weather because it naturally is harder for an engine to start in the cold, it is even worse when all things aren’t equal. Till Next Time, Happy Motoring!
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