Driving a car in the coldest inhabited place on earth - is a daunting task.
With temperatures dropping as low as -70 degrees Celsius, an unprotected car freezes within minutes
Today, at -50 degrees Celsius, the car that was parked outside is frozen solid which is
a common thing in Yakutia.
To unfreeze a car in such low temperatures, Anatoliy and Konstantin use a special technique.
For how long should we heat the engine?
I think we will need about 2 hours
To avoid the car freezing outside, locals must insulate their cars and keep them in
a heated garage for the winter.
However, keeping a garage warm in such extreme cold is not an easy task, so many locals "mothball"
their cars, taking the battery out and leaving the car outside - to let it freeze and waiting
until spring to unfreeze the cars and use them again when the weather is warmer.
Do you think it’s already heated?
It became liquid
Once they’ve confirmed that the oil is liquid, they put the battery back in and turn the
key to start the engine.
Due to the extreme cold, there is a large amount of water vapor coming from the exhaust.
This is because the cold air causes the moisture in the air to condense, forming droplets of
water that may be visible coming out of the exhaust pipe.
Another way to avoid the car freezing during the winter in Yakutia is by turning the engine
on - all the time.
From October until April, some people park their car with the engine running.
However, this leads to high fuel consumption and if a car is parked for a long time in
the cold, its wheels become deformed.
This is a UAZ vehicle which was designed back in the Soviet era - the most popular car in
the rural areas in Yakutia.
While it may not have that many features - not getting stuck on a highway when it is -50 C outside
is far more important than having parking sensors and comfortable seats
Can’t see anything
The windshields are completely frozen
Shall we return back?
Let's stop somewhere first
Okay, let's stop here
If your car gets stuck on the road, it can be very dangerous in Yakutia, where traveling
from one town to another can take several days across its vast 3 million sq km area.
Sadly, there have been instances where locals have frozen to death in their cars due to
engine failure.
To prevent such tragedies, it's crucial to have a backup vehicle on hand in case of an
emergency and to ensure regular car maintenance with proper insulation.
That's why Constantin and Anatoliy are now returning to the garage to reinforce the insulation
in their car.
The temperature outside is so cold, that the hot
water immediately freezes outside.
It’s like a firework!
To protect the car from freezing, Konstantin and Anatoliy cover the grille with some special
leather material and also the bottom of the car with tarpaulin.
Take this tarpaulin and place it somewhere
Additionally, they use felt to protect the engine, allowing it to warm up more quickly
and retain heat for longer in the cold.
They also put on another layer of windshield to keep it warm and stop it from fogging up.
For the side windows they cut out an extra protective layer of plastic film to cover the side windows.
It looks quite thick and probably won't scratch Yeah
Done Lets go to test it now
It's good, it's not fogging up anymore
Konstantin spent about $70 on all materials and tools necessary to insulate his car.
With his friend support and help, now they can confidently hit the road during the winter
months in Yakutia…
How about you?
How do you prepare for winter driving in your town?
Please share your tips and tricks in the comments below.
Thank you for watching !