User:Elipanter/Cold Weather

= Affects of Cold Weather on Combustion Vehicles =

Exterior:
While there is no doubt that the invention of the automobile has lead to the world that we have created,

there are many features of the modern vehicle that are affect when exposed to extreme conditions.

Windshield:
On most vehicles the windshield is the largest exposed singular piece. Due to the laws of thermodynamics the materials that the car is made of are warmer than the air around it. This causes water (often in the form of snow during the winter) when in contact to the glass to form into water. The water is now on the window. After time and low temperatures the water reforms into small ice crystals and thus forms a thin layer of ice on the window. While this process occurs on all of the windows on some vehicles on the rear windshield there are small insulated wires that when activated, Conduct heat and start the process of warming up the glass to a temperature that will not allow ice crystals to form. While this is a convenient feature it only applies to the rear. Due to the fact that the small wires that enable this process are unable to be applied to the front windshield because it would negatively affect the passengers visibility. The windshield wipers are another part that can be frozen to the windsheild. This can be a problem because they can be used to clear snow and ice off if the conditions are moderate.

Doors:
While a layer of ice forming on the windshield is an inconvenience a vehicle is constructed to a lot of different parts that all can be affected differently. Another commonly affect part of the car is the door. As snow hits the vehicle and turns to water it then drains down the car and finds it way into the cracks between the pieces. Again as the temperature either drops or continues to be below freezing the materials that are covered in water can be affected. The doors which are connected with rubber tubing have a tendency to stick together make entering the vehicle difficult. The handles of the car are another part that can be affected. The freezing temperatures cause the plastic that construct the handle as well as the mechanical parts to be frozen into position and difficult to separate. It is possible for both the door to be frozen to the handle and the handle to be frozen to the door.

Solutions to Exterior Problems:
Windshield:There are a few ways to combat the cold weather in terms of protecting your windshield. The first and simplest approach is to park leave your car in a protected space such as a garage or a parking garage. At a minimum this will stop snow from accumulating on your car and can eliminate possibility for ice to form on your windshield. The confined space and cover keeps the air surrounding your car at temperature that is on average higher then the outside air which lessens the affects of the cold weather. A very real possibility when expecting poor weather is that there is no available space to put the vehicle to be covered. In this case there are other options available. One option is too apply a windshield cover which is product that is designed to cover the entirety of the windshield. This prevents snow and ice from forming on the windshield in the case that it does form the product is intended to be removed therefore taking anything that has accumulated on the windshield to be removed as well. Sometimes there are no ways to prevent your vehicle from being exposed to the elements and snow and ice will form on your car. In this situation there is hope. A very common fix to this problem is to employee an Ice Scrapper. This product is a plastic stick that has a blade which perfectly forms to the slope of the windshield. The user will position the scrapper flush to the glass and begin to scrap debris off the windshield. Another helpful tip is to start the car if you are able to get into the vehicle. Then turn the heat up as high as it will go. This will help raise the temperature of the glass from the inside and will begin to melt ice and snow on the exterior side of the glass. Having snow on your car is something that most people will deal with in their life. Due to this there are a lot of misconceptions regarding ways to quickly remove snow from your car. A very common misconception is to put boiling water on the covered area of glass to quickly remove the ice. This is a very poor decision the rapid change and expansion of water molecules could change at a rate that the glass cannot handle which can cause cracks or even complete destruction of the glass. In the event that your are worried that the windshield wipers will be frozen to the car, if possible before the weather worsens pull the wipers away from the glass. This is a position that that they are designed to go in for this exact purpose and they will not be frozen if left in this position.

Doors:

Having the doors or door handles frozen and unable to be used is different to removing snow from the windows. Therefore it requires different solutions. One popular way is to use a hair dryer and gently apply the hot air to the edges of the door. This will effectively melt the ice. This process will work for the door handles as well. If there is not a hairdryer on hand then a lighter could be used effectively. In the event that that is not available you could potentially use your breath to slowly reheat the parts of the door.

Engine:
A combustion engine is an accumulation of many different parts and moving pieces. This makes it very effective but also can be negatively affected by the cold. A combustion engine is powered by heat and needs heat to operate properly when put in extreme cold there are situations that can arise if not dealt with can cause long term issues with the engine. An engine is made up of a lot of different parts and they all have to working properly to effectively run the engine. There are also a lot fluids that can be affected by the cold. While most of the fluids such as the oils, gasoline, lubricants and wiper fluid are a not water based and therefore have a much lower freezing point then water. This avoids the possibility of them completely freezing but can bring them down to a temperature that they will not be affected. However, with the fluids being cooled to a temperature that they are less affect combined with other mechanical problems that can occur when there is a low temperature can lead to bad situations.

Batteries:
Batteries are the one area of the car that can be completely disable in very bad weather. The battery is required to start the car initially, therefore causing the the rest of the components to move and heat up. The effectiveness of a battery is directly correlated to the temperature. The lower it is the less effective it will be. There is a very real chance of having a dead battery after being in cold weather for a extended period of time. It has the potential to completely drain the battery. This doesn't necessarily mean that the battery needs to be replaced due to the fact that the motor charges the battery as it operates. If the battery is not in a condition to run then there is no way for the car to start and henceforth get recharged.

Solutions to Engine Problems:
There are a few ways to deal with having a dead battery. The first is to look for a place to park that is completely isolated from the outside. Options include a garage or a parking garage. In the event that this is not possible and the battery has died the best way to get the car going is to jumpstart the battery. This is done by connecting the batteries from a car that is functioning to the car that is not. Once connected run the engine of the car that is functioning and let the power from the working battery give the dead battery enough charge to start up the car. Once the previously dead car is now functioning let it run for a while to let the battery recharge. This is a common thing that everyone should get in the practice of doing. When you start a car let the engine run for a few minutes to make sure that everything within is has been well circulated. This will lead to a healthier engine which will preform better and will extend the life of the car.