How Russian Motorists Survived The Cold: Avto.ru Poll

2023 Author: Natalie MacDonald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 13:59

The past winter in many regions of Russia was truly frosty and snowy. Automotive News asked its users how their cars coped with the cold and whether the usual mode of life of car owners has changed due to the frost.

More than 3 thousand people took part in the survey. It turned out that for most of them the winter passed without any particular difficulties in operating the car.

83 percent of respondents survived the winter without technical problems, and only snowdrifts turned out to be the biggest problem: 12 percent of respondents dug out vehicles for a long time and cleared the way to get out of the parking lot.

One of the survey participants had to free the car from the ice captivity altogether. He left the car in the packed snow, but during the day the sun was shining and the temperature was near-plus. Because of this, under its own weight, the car "drowned" in the melted snow by about a quarter of a wheel. And at night it became sharply colder and the transport was frozen into the ice floe. "It turned out to be a problem to dig out the car with 8 hands for an hour and a half!" - said the owner.

The most common problem for motorists was a discharged battery: 12 percent of respondents complained about problems with starting the engine. What to do if the battery is suddenly discharged, we told in this article.

Another two percent of those surveyed were unable to start the car due to fuel problems. Most often, the owners of diesel cars suffer from the quality of fuel.

Dmitry Petrov, subscriber of the telegram channel "Auto.ru Magazine":

“After the first night at -30 the car did not start - the diesel engine failed and the Webasto [autonomous preheater] did not work. Then he warmed it up, poured antigel [an additive for fuel that increases its frost resistance] and, to be sure, rented a place in the underground parking - not such a big price for confidence."

Only two percent of survey participants suffered serious breakdowns due to low temperatures, which led to expensive repairs. In abnormal frosts, almost all elements of the car are subject to unusual loads. First of all, the engine, transmission and suspension elements suffer. “In minus 45 you go like on a cart without shock absorbers”, - one of the readers of the Auto.ru Magazine shared.

Another percent of users answered that due to temperature extremes or freezing rain, their car was frozen and they simply could not get into it. How to cope with such a problem, we told in a separate article.

Despite severe frosts, only a quarter of Russians abandoned their usual travel schedule. Most of them (67 percent) regretted their car and switched to public transport or taxis. The rest felt sorry not only for the car, but also for themselves, and stayed at home. Three quarters of Russians continued to drive no matter what.

We have collected useful tips to help prepare your car for winter in a separate article. You can find even more articles on car care, maintenance and operation in the "Tutorial" section in the Auto.ru Journal.