TIPS

KNOW YOUR CAR

·         Engine : Maintain your car’s engine as per maintenance schedule in the vehicle’s handbook by taking your car to service centre for servicing at proper time. Switch off the engine, if you know you’re going to be stationary for more time at a spot light
 

·         Clutch : The clutch should be used only when changing gears or when starting from rest.
 

·         Gears : Drive in a gear that corresponds to the speed you’re at. Drive in a gear that your vehicle's engine feels the most comfortable for a given speed.
 

·         Steering Wheel : Unnecessary steering wheel movement needs to avoided since each sideward movement increases total driving distance by a small fraction.
 

·         Accelerator : Maintain a steady speed whenever possible and avoiding unnecessary braking.
 

·         Brakes : Use rolling resistance rather than heavy braking to help slow you down.
 

·         Air - conditioner : Do not use air-conditioner at lower speeds, but roll the windows up and turn it on at high speeds.
 

·         Carrier : Remove the detachable carrier, if it is not in use. An empty carrier can increase consumption by 1% & loaded one by 5% in highway.
 

·         Stopping : Anticipating stops and avoiding abrupt stops will decrease fuel consumption and increase the life of brakes and tires.
 

·         Air Filters : Replace the dirty air filters in your vehicles. If you don't check and replace your car's air filter, dust and dirt get blown back into the engine—which can cause a reduction in mileage and harm your engine. Checking and replacing a dirty air filter can improve mileage in your car by as much as 10 percent.
 

·         Tyre inflation: Check your car’s tires on a regular basis to make sure they are properly inflated - Checking your tire's air pressure on a regular basis can improve your gas mileage by approximately 3 percent.
 

·         Oil : Use manufacturer’s recommended grade of oil in an engine. By using wrong kind of oil, could actually hurt your mileage. Improve mileage by as much as 2 percent by using proper oil.
 

·         Drive : Drive the car in speed limit. Limit aggressive driving. Speeding, quick acceleration and excessive braking all lower your mileage.
 

·         Night Driving : While driving in the night take extra precautions like

1.     Do not drink and drive.

2.     Avoid smoking before you drive at night, because nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision.

3.     Clean the headlamps, tail lamps, indicators, inside & outside of windows

4.     Align headlights properly otherwise it will blind other drivers & even reduce your ability to see the road.

5.     Switch off the main beam whenever in doubt about something on the road

6.     Maintain a healthy distance with the vehicle in front of you.

7.     If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower its beam from high to low, avoid the glare of the lights by watching the left edge of the road, and using it as a steering guide. This helps you stay on track.

8.     Make frequent stops as often as possible. If you are too tired, stop and get some rest.This helps you relax and helps you concentrate better while driving. & relax yourself to maintain concentration level
 

• Driving in Rain : Drive car carefully while taking extra precautions

9.     Drive slowly to prevent skids

10.  Steer and brake with a light touch on curves

11.  While stopping car, do not brake hard or lock up the wheels

12.  If car is skidding, do not panic as it will only add trouble. Ease your foot off the accelerator pedal, steer the car carefully in the direction you want the front of car to go.

13.  The water pressure causes your car to rise up and slide on a thin layer of water between your tyres and the road. ... To avoid this, keep your tyres properly inflated.

14.  Slow down on wet roads. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you.
 

·         Break downs : Use an advance-warning triangle. It can be used to warn other road users while brake down on the road. Use red cloth in case you don’t have a warning triangle.
 

·         Road Accidents : In the event of an accident

1.     Stop the car immediately and move to a safe place.

2.     In case someone is injured, administer first aid. Call local help & rush the injured to nearest hospital.

3.     Inform the police quickly

4.     Note down the registration number of the other vehicles involved

5.     Inform insurance company as per the rules
 

·         Mechanical Failures : Use following guidelines

1.     Pump the brake pedal fast & strongly many times to build pressure, if the pedal brake suddenly gives way

2.     Shift to a low gear if there is an engine brake

3.     Use hand brake

4.     Activate the hazard lights and look out for a safe place to stop

5.     Hold the steering wheel firmly & draw the vehicle towards the corner of the road, in case of puncture & blowout

6.     Do not brake suddenly, draw the car off the road in case the accelerator wire is broken & there is a sudden loss of acceleration.

7.     If you sense the fire, switch off the ignition and draw the car towards the side of the road. Switch on the hazard lights. Put sand on the fire. If the fire grows, stay away from it, it could lead to an explosion.
 

·         Fuel Efficiency : To know your car’s mileage/ fuel efficiency, use following steps -

1.     Fill up the fuel tank completely, up to brim!

2.     Note down the odometer reading before starting the engine (If you have a trip meter or two, you can reset it to read 'Zero'.

3.     Fill up the fuel tank completely, up to the brim!, Drive your car as you always do.

4.     Once fuel gauge indicates a half or a quarter-full tank, fill up the fuel up to the brim (preferably from the same filling station, filled last time)

5.     Note down the quantity of fuel it takes to fill the tank up to the brim.

6.     Note odometer reading once again

7.     Now calculate average/mileage/fuel economy of your car as the difference between the starting and end points in km divided by the amount of fuel required to fill the tank up at the end, in litres or average fuel consumption = (end point – starting point) / fuel quantity