Is your vehicle fit for frost and dampness?
Fog, wet conditions, snow: Winter is a particularly difficult time for drivers. The ignition system, electrics and electronics must be professionally checked before drivers can rely on older vehicles in the cold season.
Ludwigsburg, 12 December 2008 – The cold season arrives at the latest in December. Spark plugs and glow plugs as well as the entire vehicle electrics and electronics are exposed to even greater loads than usual during winter due to salt spray, wet conditions and frost. When the outside temperature drops, the air-fuel mixture, for example, deteriorates in gasoline engines. Possible consequence: The engine starts only reluctantly. If the spark plugs are also worn, this may result in serious starting problems. And that is not all: If a warm engine misfires, the catalytic converter may be irreparably damaged, especially if unburnt fuel enters the hot interior of the catalytic converter - up to 850 degrees Celsius - and ignites.
Spark plugs which have exceeded their wear limit and are not replaced in good time may damage valves or pistons. Modern ignition modules and ignition control units react sensitively to dampness and salt. Oxidation of the electronics may cause the entire ignition system to misfire. Especially malicious: In older vehicles, which have no on-board diagnostics, defective glow plugs in diesel engines often remain undetected during the warm summer months. It is only in autumn and winter when the temperature drops that the glow plugs have to work at maximum power and heat up the cold intake air in the engine to the starting temperature of approx. 800 degrees Celsius within a few seconds.
Workshop check for greater reliability
The following therefore applies to wearing spark plugs and glow plugs: no later than the start of the cold season have them checked by a workshop professional and, if required, replace the entire set. If only one spark plug requires replacing, the next one can usually be expected to fail shortly afterwards. Replacing the entire set at once saves another journey to the workshop, repair time and any additional costs.
During the winter inspection in the workshop the vehicle professionals check the battery, generators, generator regulators as well as the function of the cold-start components in a diesel vehicle. In addition, they check out the following potential causes of breakdowns in the vehicle electrics:
- cracks, transition resistances or faulty sealing lips on spark plugs, distributor and coil plugs,
- insulator sparkovers on spark plugs caused by soiling,
- cracks or oxidized contact points on ignition coils,
- wear, oxidation and abrasion on distributor caps and rotors,
- oxidized, cracked, scorched areas or biting damage on ignition leads caused by martens which are particularly active during the autumn months as they are attracted by the heat in the engine compartment.
The following also applies: if required, defective ignition cables can be replaced individually or completely with new BERU ignition leads. Only then is your vehicle ready for winter weather.
