What are the methods for cold start?
3 Answers
Methods for cold start include: 1. Find a car with sufficient battery power, park the two cars front to front, and start the vehicle by borrowing power from the other car's battery through jump-starting; 2. Try pressing the accelerator while turning the key; 3. Check if the vehicle's gear is in P position; 4. Use the preheating system to start the engine by turning the key to the power-on position and waiting for the preheating light on the dashboard to go off; 5. Push the car from behind while turning the key to attempt starting; 6. Pour hot water on the vehicle's oil pan; 7. Warm up the car for 30 seconds to 1 minute; 8. Drive at low speed after 30 seconds of ignition.
The key to cold starts lies in careful operation and routine maintenance. I always ensure the car is parked on level ground and the engine has cooled before starting. For manual transmissions, I depress the clutch pedal to reduce load; for automatics, just lightly press the brake without touching the accelerator. When starting, I turn the key to the ON position for a few seconds to let the fuel pump pressurize before ignition. Avoid repeated cranking—wait at least 15 seconds between attempts to prevent draining the battery. In winter, I preheat the engine with a block heater or by idling, using low-viscosity 10W-30 oil for faster lubrication. Battery voltage is checked regularly, replaced if below 12.4V. These habits have kept my car trouble-free for a decade in cold starts, saving hefty repair bills.
To deal with cold starts, I focus on simple and practical steps. First, I make sure the battery is in good condition—it's even better if it's a new battery or has just been charged, as old batteries tend to lose power in low temperatures. When starting, I first open the car door to ventilate and let the air circulate inside. Then, I sit properly and gently turn the key to ignite. Remember not to step on the accelerator right away—wait until the engine stabilizes at around 1,000 RPM before operating. I also change the engine oil regularly, especially using full synthetic oil like 5W-30 in cold weather, as it speeds up lubrication circulation. If it doesn’t start on the first try, I patiently wait half a minute before trying again to avoid burning out the starter. These little tricks were taught by my dad, and now I’m not afraid of freezing weather when driving on mountain roads—the engine response is super smooth.
