Recommendations for starting the engine in severe frost

The main problem in winter is starting a cold engine. More often it occurs in relation to carburetor engines, but in severe frost, the owner of a car with an injection engine may also encounter it. The reasons are known: thickened oil, a drop in battery capacity and poor evaporation of gasoline.

One of the solutions to this problem is the installation of electrical devices for heating the liquid of the engine cooling system (preheaters).

The main disadvantage of electric coolant heating is that a house or office needs to have a special shield with a socket. The way out is an autonomous liquid fuel heater, which is also built into the engine cooling system and works on the principle of a hot water boiler. The fuel for it is gasoline or diesel, depending on what your car's engine is running on.

The benefit of heating systems also lies in the fact that when they are used, the engine resource increases. Each start of a cold engine at -20°C is equivalent to a run of 800 km. By the way, according to modern views, the motor will reach operating temperature faster, and its wear will be less if, after starting, you do not stand still, but start moving as quickly as possible, avoiding, of course, excessive load on the engine.

Attention! The installation of engine cooling system heaters should only be carried out at authorized service stations.

The procedure for starting the engine without a preheater in severe frosts is practically the same as the usual one. We can only recommend the following preparatory operations to facilitate starting a cold engine.


1. If the car has been standing for more than one night, after turning on the ignition, before starting the engine, wait 3-5 seconds so that the electric fuel pump has time to increase the pressure of gasoline in the power supply system to the working one.

2. The capacity of the battery in severe frost decreases, and the energy consumption for cranking the crankshaft of an engine with thickened oil is much greater. In order to prolong battery life, turn on high beam for 30-60 seconds using the stalk in light signaling mode before turning on the starter. Due to the passage of a small current in the battery, chemical processes begin and its ability to deliver energy increases significantly.

3. If the engine does not start on the first try (starter worked 5–10 s), the second can be taken no earlier than after 30 s. If the engine does not start on the third attempt, it is necessary to look for malfunctions in the power and ignition systems.

Note. Do not try to start the engine by towing in severe frost. With this start-up, the timing belt often jumps, resulting in an expensive engine repair.