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Прогрев двигателя зимой: сколько топлива тратится и как сократить расход — полезные советы
Many drivers warm up their engines in winter to protect them and keep their bodies warm. But how much fuel is needed to preheat them and can this be done more economically?
The issue of engine warming up is especially relevant in winter, when frost forces most drivers to wait for a comfortable temperature before driving. This habit is not accidental. This is due to the fact that engines of older models required preliminary heating for proper operation in cold weather. Today's cars are equipped with modern electronics, and the thermal gap itself is minimal. However, many understand that in winter fuel consumption still increases by 10-20%, and warming up plays an important role here.
To understand how much fuel is spent on warming up, we conducted an experiment on a budget car with a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine at a temperature of -20°C. Like many owners of cars with automatic start, we started the engine for 15 minutes. Only the heater worked at the first speed, during which time the engine warmed up to +52°C. Fuel consumption was measured after preliminary warming up. It was found that in 15 minutes the engine consumed 550 ml of gasoline.
This is a significant expense, especially if you warm up your car twice a day. But there are ways to reduce this expense without giving up your warm-up.
Reduce the warm-up time. There is no need to raise the coolant temperature above +50°C. +20°C is enough for safe engine operation. At this temperature, warm air is already felt in the cabin and the load on the engine is minimal. The optimal preheating time is 5 minutes, not 15 minutes.
Use air recirculation. Turning on the recirculation mode helps keep the air in the cabin warm, speeding up the engine warm-up. Measurements show that recirculation allows the engine to reach a comfortable temperature 20% faster and saves fuel.
Please note that engine warm-up is a procedure that allows you to reach the optimal operating temperature of the engine before driving in cold weather. For modern cars, a 5-minute warm-up at a coolant temperature of about +20°C is considered optimal, which allows you to minimize the load on the engine.
Earlier we discussed how to prevent your windshield wipers from freezing.