A passenger car undoubtedly improves the quality of life - increased mobility and comfort allow you to move quickly without inconvenience. Therefore, immediately after purchasing a car, the question arises: how to increase the service life of the vehicle so that it lasts a long time and does not require large expenses?
Economically savvy car owners initially calculate how much it will cost to use the car. And this is not only fuel, but also a seasonal set of tires, consumables, and inevitable maintenance. In a word, proper operation of the car assumes that costs will be moderate while the car is running.
In what situations will you urgently need a car operating manual?
The first situation to remember is a lack of understanding of the machine's functions. If the driver is poorly aware of what his vehicle can and cannot do, he will not be able to operate the vehicle normally and will not have complete safety and complete confidence in the trip. There are other features when you cannot do without an instruction manual. If you need to install a new timing belt or change the oil in your car yourself, in a modern car you won’t even be able to do it without the help of instructions. Without an explanation of the features of the engine compartment, you will not be able to drain the old oil, let alone fill in new oil safely and correctly. The following situations are also possible in which it is difficult without instructions:
- independent vehicle maintenance, replacement of some consumables and parts, correct installation and monitoring of sufficient quality;
- purchasing spare parts and materials for your car in the store - the instructions will help you choose the best factory or analogue parts;
- performing independent repair work after minor damage to the chassis or parts of the engine compartment, component replacement of spare parts;
- determining the function of a particular switch, lever or button, using the full functionality of the car you purchased;
- realizing all the capabilities of the machine in operation, using the functions that the manufacturer has offered for a comfortable and safe trip;
- clarification of the features of a particular unit; the book indicates the technical characteristics of exactly those components that are installed in your car model.
You will get a full understanding of what kind of car carries you after reading the main features of the book. However, the instruction manual is not required to be read. There are dozens of situations in which it is difficult to do without it, but this does not mean that this element of the driver’s set of documents from the passenger compartment is irreplaceable. If the book was not given to you at the showroom, you can easily write a letter directly to the manufacturer or official dealer in Russia stating that the book was not available. It is enough to indicate the VIN code of your car in the letter, a normal company will send you a book with the necessary data for free.
Additional useful situations for using the instructions
Manufacturers recommend reading the operating instructions from cover to cover. While reading, you will really find unexpected features of the operation of this or that unit, you will be able to understand the functioning of all the additional devices and delights of the configuration. Only after reading these instructions can you fully use the expensive add-ons that you yourself ordered in the salon due to their wide distribution. Today you can quite easily get information from other sources, but the official book has many advantages that you will understand while reading this instruction:
- this book was printed by the manufacturer, which means that the brand bears full responsibility for all the information in it;
- the company offers only those tips and recommendations that actually work, otherwise the manufacturer would have gone bankrupt long ago;
- there are many different troubles for which information needs to be found as quickly as possible, instructions will also help here;
- by reading some sections of the official instructions, you can develop the desired style of driving this car for maximum fuel economy;
- Following the advice given in the book will significantly increase the service life of all expensive components and assemblies of the machine;
- Using the book when carrying out some work on the car is mandatory, because otherwise the company will not guarantee you a high quality trip.
You can get the information you need on the Internet, but often it will not be original. Therefore, it is much better to use the factory instruction manual. There is no need to throw away or give this book away; it has a lot of useful data and can help you out during certain periods of your driving life. Interestingly, many drivers carry the operating instructions with them in the glove compartment. This allows them to always have access to the information they need. True, such a book takes up a lot of usable space, so you can find a more convenient place to store it. But having such a consultant always at hand is quite pleasant and appropriate.
Attachments
The operation of attachments in winter also has important features. It must use working fluid (RW) of winter grades (domestic oil MG-15V and foreign analogues Esso Univitij 43, Mobil fluid 93, BR Energol HLP 20), which freezes at a temperature 20...30 °C lower than the ambient temperature. After warming up the engine, before starting work, it is necessary to warm up and check the operation of the hydraulic equipment, mainly the hydraulic cylinders, by making several movements of the rods without load. It is necessary to promptly replace the hydraulic drive filter element. If it is possible to conduct a laboratory analysis, you should ensure the purity of the gas, since according to TU 38.101479-00 the content of impurities in it should not exceed 0.005% by weight.
On some machines (for example, dump trucks, garbage trucks), the hydraulic system does not operate constantly, but periodically, and there are quite long breaks between its activations. In this case, in severe frost, the oil thickens significantly, and the oil pump is not able to pump it through the system. To bring the hydraulic system into working condition, drivers spend up to 10 minutes: turn on the hydraulic pump and wait until the oil in the system warms up enough from its operation. Only after this the hydraulic system begins to work normally. To avoid problems, many drivers do not turn off the hydraulic pump at all at temperatures below -15 °C, then the oil constantly circulates through the system, and its temperature is sufficient for operation in any frost.
How to use the car's operating instructions?
There are literally hundreds of different cases where having an official book on your car can save you hours of time and fulfill the tasks of a wonderful assistant. The manual helps better than the Internet, because it knows literally everything about your car. You can find both unusual solutions to simple problems and advice on what to do in difficult and not very pleasant situations. It is necessary to remember that the company is well aware of the childhood diseases of the car, paying special attention to them in the instructions. Therefore, it is best to use the official book provided to you at the salon as follows:
- read briefly all the sections that give advice directly on operating the car and using its important functions;
- also read those parts of the book that especially attract your attention with meaningful and interesting titles and questions that interest you;
- then consult the book when purchasing parts or when choosing a service where you can service the car;
- when controversial issues arise when choosing tires, batteries and other parts for your car, use the help of the book;
- If you have a problem on the road, the on-board computer displays a certain code or word, decipher the problems using the instructions.
These are the simple ways to use this useful book that experienced drivers call. It is better to always have these instructions with you than to regularly find yourself in unpleasant situations. Interestingly, only with the help of original instructions can you find real answers to your questions, creating comfortable conditions for the trip. Sometimes non-original documents on using a machine force you to go through a considerable range of various troubles before the real problem is determined or a problem is found. Therefore, you can only trust information from the manufacturer. As you know, the most difficult moments of car operation occur in the cold winter.
Warming up the car in winter
After the car door is open and you are inside, you can start starting the engine. You can do snow removal while the car is warming up.
How to properly warm up a car in winter? The first thing you need to do before starting a cold engine is to warm up the battery. To do this, turn on the high beam headlights for 10-20 seconds. The electrolyte will warm up a little under load and the battery will be ready to start. Turn off the high beams, let the battery recover for 30 seconds and you can try to start the engine.
On cars with a manual transmission, you need to depress the clutch so that the starter does not turn the frozen gearbox along with the engine crankshaft. When the engine starts, you do not need to immediately release the clutch, it is better to wait a minute or two, and then release it slowly so that the thickened oil in the gearbox gradually warms up. If the engine does not start the first time, the next attempt can be made after 2-3 minutes - you need to give the battery time to recover. You can rotate the starter for no more than 15-20 seconds.
In general, up to a frost of -10-15 degrees, any modern car should start without hassle. Here are a few reasons that can make it difficult to get started.
- Malfunction of the ignition system or current leakage through high-voltage wires. Current leakage can be caused by elementary dirt in the engine compartment. Dirt is electrically conductive, and often causes the spark to go in an unknown direction. This also applies to the wires themselves. Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the ignition coil.
- Oily spark plug electrodes or incorrect gap. The problem is solved by cleaning and calcination. This procedure must be done during pre-winter preparation .
- The carburetor engine has incorrect adjustment of the carburetor trigger - adjustment will be required.
- Injection engines may require injector cleaning over time - you must visit a service station.
- The battery is partially or completely discharged. In winter, an increased load is placed on the car battery: cold starts, operation of the heater, external lighting devices, music, etc. The battery does not have time to charge from the on-board network, so it is periodically necessary to recharge it with a charger.
After the engine has started and warmed up a little, you can turn on the heater to warm up the interior. In this case, it is recommended to first direct the air flow inside the cabin. Let the air in the cabin warm up a little, and then you can direct it to the windshield. This will eliminate the appearance of microcracks in the seal between the glass and the body.
When the glass is clear of frost, you can start moving. Under load, the engine, and at the same time the entire car, will warm up faster than at idle. For the first half a kilometer, try to move no more than 40 km/h. What is it for?
First, the engine needs to warm up properly to operating temperature. Operating oil temperature is 85-90 degrees. You can speed up the warming up process: cover the radiator from the outside with a special insulating apron or a piece of cardboard; Cover the engine itself with a heat-protective cape or felt. Felt is a non-flammable material, moreover, proven by practice in the northern regions. The engine will warm up faster and retain heat while parked longer.
Secondly, during overnight parking, car tires and shock absorbers also freeze. Tires lose their grip and regain them, i.e. warm up after 2-3 kilometers of running. Therefore, you need to start driving with extreme caution, especially since everyone is rushing to work in the morning. Shock absorbers, like rubber, need to warm up.
Let's sum it up
The operation of each vehicle affects its resource, causes potential breakdowns and causes costs for the driver in the future. It is better to use the manufacturer’s advice, which will help you save significantly on these costs. It is the capabilities of the official instructions that will allow you to perform all driving processes as required by the manufacturer. Often, even when choosing some peripheral parts, you will end up with a rather complex situation that will force you to turn to the factory documents. The instructions contain special sections that will help you easily select the appropriate battery and other peripheral parts.
It must be remembered that it is the ability to obtain official data that allows you to operate the car without problems and receive certain benefits from its use. Often, after reading a book with instructions, drivers notice a decrease in consumption due to compliance with certain rules, as well as a decrease in oil consumption to the level specified in the instructions. There are dozens of different aspects in which the official instructions will help you. Do you keep the book that was handed to you at the dealership when you bought a car?
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Safety precautions
It goes without saying that you should not short-circuit the output terminals - there is no fuse inside the battery. The short-circuit current of the batteries is very high and leads to melting of both the object that caused the short circuit, as well as the borns and the plates themselves. This can lead to burns and even fire. In the best case scenario, this will lead to a rapid loss of battery performance due to warping of the plates. At worst - to instant failure. And, if a fire occurs... Therefore, work near the battery very carefully, avoiding falling metal objects. Do not seal the battery under any circumstances and do not allow the gas outlets to become clogged - this could result in the housing being destroyed (rupture). Do not overheat the battery. Maximum temperature +55 °C. And do not subject it to mechanical stress (shocks, etc.). Do not allow the plugs to loosen on their own and the battery to be attached to the car. Be careful when unscrewing plugs. Splashes may fly out of the holes, not of champagne, but of electrolyte (sulfuric acid aerosol), which will lead to chemical burns. If this happens, wash it immediately!! Do not use open fire near the battery. And do not remove the terminals from the battery while the engine is running. This will lead to failure of electronic equipment, because you will turn off the wonderful filter - AB. And the last thing...
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