Maintenance & fuel conservation

MAINTENANCE & FUEL CONSERVATION

Topics Covered• Basic Maintenance of the Vehicle• Tips on Fuel efficiency

Basic Maintenance of the Vehicle

Maintenance of your vehicleThe user or driver is responsible formaintaining the vehicle.

Maintenance of your vehicleIt is illegal to drive a vehicle with aninadequately serviced steering wheel,brakes, muffler or any parts that couldpresent a risk or nuisance to other peopleor vehicles.Do all preventive maintenance of yourvehicle and stick to the maintenanceschedule. If you notice any fault, consultyour garage.

Maintenance TipsDaily pre driving checks must be carried outby all drivers. External Inspection of the vehicle• All lights & indicators• Tyre pressure• Wheel Nut & Chokes• Under body inspection

Maintenance TipsUnderhood Inspection• Engine oil level• Coolant level• Fan belt tension and condition• Brake oil level• Windscreen washer fluid• Battery Terminals & Electrolyte

Daily Inspection Checks inside the vehicleSeat Adjustment & Seat Belt A B C Controls

Daily InspectionChecks inside the vehicleMeters & Gauges Gear Lever

Daily InspectionChecks inside the vehicle• Horn• Handbrake• Rear view mirrors• Valid documents• Extra Fuses & fast moving spares

TIPS ON FUEL EFFICIENCY

Better driving habits for fuel savingDrive between 45-55 kmphDrive slow and steady. The faster you go , themore the wind resistance your vehicle will face.It has been established by trials that you canget upto 40% extra mileage at 40 kmph ascompared to 80 kmph.Avoid accelerating or deceleratingunnecessarily.

Always drive in the correct gearIncorrect gear shifting can lead to as muchas 20% increase in fuel consumption .Remember : For city driving, change to ahigher gear when you are sure that theengine will not have to struggle.Get into top gear as soon as possible.

While braking anticipate stopsStop–and--go driving wastes fuel. When youslam on the brakes , a lot of useful energy iswasted in the form of heat.Proper synchronization of gear andaccelerator is necessary for better mileage.Remember : check wheels for free rotationwhen your car is being serviced. Bindingbrakes restrict free wheel movement and theengine consumes more petrol in order toovercome resistance.

Keep your foot off the clutchUse your clutch only when you change gears.Riding the clutch causes loss of energy anddamages clutch lining.Remember : Use your hand brakes whenstopping on up gradient. Don’t manipulatethe clutch and accelerator to stay stationarybecause it wastes fuel.

Periodic servicingServicing of your vehicle must becarried out as specified in User’s manual.

Keep your engine well tunedYou can save as much as 6% fuel throughregular tuning of car. If your engine emitsblack or dark grey smoke, has poor pullingpower or consumes large quantities of oil ,have it checked immediately at a reputedgarage.Black smoke means that you are losingmoney for every kilometer your car runs.

Use the recommended Spares & LubricantsAlways use recommended spares &LubricantsEngine oil that is thicker thanrecommended can cause a 2% increasein fuel consumption .Remember : Check the car manual andthe oil manufacturer’srecommendations, before using anyparticular grade of oil .

Clean your air filter regularlyYour air filter prevents air from fouling theengine. Dust causes rapid wear of enginecomponents and increases fuel consumption. Remember : Cylinder bores and piston ringswear out faster in engines with dirty aircleaners.Clean air filters at every tune up.

Do not allow leakage or spillageLoss of one drop of petrol per second canamount to loss a of 2000 litres per year.Make sure that the fuel tank cap has a goodrubber seal.

Don’t wait for your car to warm upInstead drive in low gear till the enginewarms up.Do not use the choke longer thannecessary.

Reduce loadsUnnecessary loads increase fuelconsumption.Do you really need to carry the luggagerack or various odd things in the boot allthe time ?Remember : A reduction of weight byabout 50 kg can lead to a 2% saving infuel , when driving in city.

Check your tyre pressure regularlyUnder inflated tyres increase rollingresistance which leads to higher petrolconsumption & faster wear out of tyres atsides .Remember : A 25% decrease in tyrepressure can cost you 5 –10% more on petroland 25% on tyre life.

When you stop your car, stop yourengineIdling for an hour costs One litre of petrolAlways keep your car ready for startingquickly. Keep the battery , alternator & fan-belt in good condition. This will ensure agood start whenever you need it.Remember : Switch off the engine at stops ofover 2 minutes.

Share your car for car poolsLook for people who go in the samedirection as you go. Share cars for formingpools.Remember : Sharing of cars means sharingof expenditure.

Plan your tripsBefore you start on a trip , ask yourself twoquestions :Is this trip essential ?Can I combine this trip with other trips inthe same direction ?Remember : At 10OC and below , your fuelconsumption per kilo meter doubles whenyou make trips of 5 km or less. So combinetrips.

Plan your routeFuel consumption on a highly congestedroad can be double the normal.Rush hour or stop-and-go traffic can wastefuel excessively.Remember : You will get more mileagefrom each litre if you take a less congestedroute.

Maintenance & fuel conservation

by Pawan Agarwal

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Maintenance & fuel conservation Presentation Transcript