Brrrr. Unless you live in the far reaches of the sun belt you’ve experienced a wet and or snowy cold winter. Global warming may indeed be a factor that haunts our planet, but it has done nothing to stop cold winter mornings when car engines just don’t want to turn over. If you’ve been experiencing difficulty in getting your vehicle to come to life, consider the tips below.
For vehicles with carbureted systems, approach the warm up this way:
* With one quick movement, push down the accelerator pedal to pull gas in the carburetor.
* Switch off the car ignition and count to sixty.
* Again press down the accelerator pedal (all the way to the floor), turn on the ignition and hold for no more than ten seconds.
* Don’t try pumping the gas pedal. If your engine still will not crank you may have a low or dead battery.
If you have a vehicle with fuel injection:
* This type of system does not require that your push down the accelerator. This priming action will be done by the electronic fuel pump.
* If there’s no sound of cranking, check your owner’s manual for their suggested procedures.
No matter what kind of systems is in your vehicle, if you can smell gas fumes that will mean your engine is flooded.
General tips for starting any type of vehicle:
* All electrical components should be turned off; that includes lights, radio, heater, wipers, etc.
* Never rev the engine by holding down the gas pedal. Your vehicle needs to warm up slowly or you can experience injury from hard acceleration.
* If you want the vehicle to warm up by letting it run for a while, open the garage door. Carbon monoxide fumes can be fatal, even to those not in the garage but inside the attached house.
Suggestions for cold weather situations:
* Be sure to use anti-freeze. This fluid helps to eliminate the opportunity for the fuel line to freeze.
* The gas tank should always be at least half full.
* Protect the vehicle from the harsh weather. If you don’t have a garage, pull it as close to a building as possible to cut down on wind.
Even better, if you are having a hard time with your vehicle this winter, then go see the friendly folks at Otto’s, your Philadelphia area BMW dealer. They will be happy to put you behind the wheel of a reliable new or used car.
Cold Weather and Your Car
For vehicles with carbureted systems, approach the warm up this way:
* With one quick movement, push down the accelerator pedal to pull gas in the carburetor.
* Switch off the car ignition and count to sixty.
* Again press down the accelerator pedal (all the way to the floor), turn on the ignition and hold for no more than ten seconds.
* Don’t try pumping the gas pedal. If your engine still will not crank you may have a low or dead battery.
If you have a vehicle with fuel injection:
* This type of system does not require that your push down the accelerator. This priming action will be done by the electronic fuel pump.
* If there’s no sound of cranking, check your owner’s manual for their suggested procedures.
No matter what kind of systems is in your vehicle, if you can smell gas fumes that will mean your engine is flooded.
General tips for starting any type of vehicle:
* All electrical components should be turned off; that includes lights, radio, heater, wipers, etc.
* Never rev the engine by holding down the gas pedal. Your vehicle needs to warm up slowly or you can experience injury from hard acceleration.
* If you want the vehicle to warm up by letting it run for a while, open the garage door. Carbon monoxide fumes can be fatal, even to those not in the garage but inside the attached house.
Suggestions for cold weather situations:
* Be sure to use anti-freeze. This fluid helps to eliminate the opportunity for the fuel line to freeze.
* The gas tank should always be at least half full.
* Protect the vehicle from the harsh weather. If you don’t have a garage, pull it as close to a building as possible to cut down on wind.
Even better, if you are having a hard time with your vehicle this winter, then go see the friendly folks at Otto’s, your Philadelphia area BMW dealer. They will be happy to put you behind the wheel of a reliable new or used car.