Car Care During the Rains

It’s been raining cats and dogs and the challenge the monsoons pose to your car is not trivial. The following tips will help you not only keep your car shining and smiling, but also ensure you have a safe and enjoyable drive in the rains.

1. We all know bald tyres drastically reduce your traction on wet roadways and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. Ensure that your tyres’ tread level never falls below 3mm.

2. Get your car polished. Teflon coating protects the car’s panels and metal parts. Even very minor scratches on the car’s body cause rust, so don’t forget to touch up the scratches.

3. Replace your wiper blades regularly. Older vehicles may need to have the whole wiper arm replaced. The arms wear out over time and can’t keep enough pressure to clear the windscreen, even with new blades installed. Use the windshield washer fluid generously as recommended by the manufacturer. Using a blend of water and washer fluid will clean the windscreen more effectively than washing with plain water.

4. Rain water moistens the brake drums which can cause lower braking efficiency. Brake well ahead of your stop and with reduced force when roads are slick. Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.

5. It’s very crucial to protect the car’s under-body from rust and the best measure is to give it a coat of anti-rust at an authorised service station or other professional after-market outfit.

6. Fill the battery to the brim and ensure the battery is fully charged. Apply petroleum jelly on the connecting point of the battery so that it remains dry; grease is also advised but it could damage the battery outlet joints.

7. Headlights illuminate the darkened conditions around you and help other drivers to see you coming. So it is important to check all your lights and ensure they’re all in good health. Do not use your high beams; they can reflect off droplets and make it even more difficult for you to see.

8. Ensure your defrosting and air-conditioning units are working properly so that you can de-fog the windows in rainy conditions. Use the de-frost mode with AC ON, in fresh air mode to clear the windscreen of condensation whenever the windscreen gets fogged up.

9. Every car should have a good emergency kit. The kit should meet your individual needs and be equipped with items ranging from spares, torch, fuses, tyre inflators, to safety kits and other items to attract or provide help. You can even keep cigarettes in your emergency kit, but not to relieve stress during an emergency. Rub the tobacco all over your windscreen and it causes water to form droplets and quickly roll off the glass rather than stay there and hinder your vision.

10. Water may sneak into the car’s interior and damage the car mats, flooring, seat covers and even some of the electronic wirings under the carpet. Moreover, it will also create a bad odour. Replace the existing mats, covers and carpets with rubber or plastic ones. It’s also advisable to roll a waterproof electrical tape on the electrical wires to prevent any kind of short circuit in the car. Also buy a waterproof car cover and keep the car covered when not in use.

DRIVE HOME SAFELY

New generation cars are teamed with innovative and advanced technology to include wider options on safety. The key factors contributing to the increasing number of fatalities on roads are high speed, overtaking and alcoholism. The best way to add more number of years to life is to follow the traffic rules, road regulations and safe driving tips. The increasing number of vehicles in the country has catapulted the importance of safety. While we can’t do much about the circumstances we all are in, here are a few tips to keep you safe on road:

• Always follow lane while driving and avoid jumping lanes.
• Always stay within the speed limits.
• Look for road signs and give due importance to them.
• Don’t honk unnecessarily as it causes noise pollution.
• While pulling out a parked car, always look for other vehicles in the rear view mirror and then move forward slowly.
• Use indicators while turning the vehicle left or right and put the indicators on at least 30 meters before turning the way you want.
• Be extra careful while reversing and look for pedestrians and other obstacles.
• Overtake when it’s absolutely necessary and keep optimum distance from the vehicle which you are trying to overtake.
• Don’t speed past a bus which has just stopped to disembark passengers as people trying to cross the road will be blinded due to the stationary vehicle.
• Always park your car in a zone allotted for it.
• Don’t park at the corners of roads and always keep optimum distance from another car.
• Avoid speeding and leave for your destination a little early to avoid over speeding during the journey.
• Don’t stop abruptly. Slow down before stopping to give enough warning to the vehicles behind you.
• Drive slowly during the rainy season, brake repeatedly after you have come out of water logged patch.
• While driving at night make sure that all lights (head and tail) are working. Make sure to drive at night with the headlight in low beam to avoid bedazzling drivers of vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
• While driving on the highways make sure you maintain proper distances from heavy vehicles as they might not be able to stop at a short notice.
• Take adequate rest while going for long drives to prevent fatigue and exhaustion.

If these points are kept in mind when you taking your car out, chances are there that you will reach home safe and sound to be with your loved ones.

Fuel Saving Tips

• Ensure that Tyre pressures are maintained as per manufacturer specifications. Over or under inflated tyres would mean better mileage or better handling respectively but will drastically reduce the Tyre life.
• Adjust Tyre pressure when the Tyre is hot, i.e when the vehicle has run for 15 to 20 km. Hot air expands if Tyre pressure is regulated, when cold you will mostly have excess air in the tyres.
  
• Try to fill fuel in the mornings, as specific gravity of fuel is high in the morning.
  
• Try to keep the fuel tank above the half mark in city driving conditions so that a proper pressure is maintained. Also this will ensure that the fuel lines are always clean and are not clogged by the gum like residue of slow flowing fuel. The Fuel tank too will not catch rust.
• Get the vehicle serviced at regular intervals from authorized service centers to ensure that the vehicle is in proper tune at all times.
  
• Use recommended fuel additives to keep the fuel system clean. (Please note these additives have recommended instructions and applications.)
• Higher octane fuels as X-tra Premium (91 octane), Speed 93 and Power 93 (both 93 octane) are recommended for cars with engines having higher compression ratios, viz., C segment and above. This results in improved mileage as well as enhanced performance. No additives need be used with these fuels.
  
• Drive your vehicle smoothly and avoid sudden acceleration or braking. Anticipate stops to avoid harsh braking.
• Try shifting to higher gears at lower speeds, especially in city driving to get the maximum mileage out of your car. Ideally, one should be in 5th gear or the highest possible gear at speeds above 50-60 km/h.
• Switch off your vehicle if you need to stop for more than three minutes.
  
• Avoid clutch riding i.e. make sure that your foot is not resting on the clutch pedal while driving. Clutch driving will reduce clutch life and mileage.
  
• While cruising at high speeds, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal just enough to maintain the speed while not keeping the accelerator pedal on the floor. This will ensure that excess fuel is not being burnt unnecessarily.

Car Care Tips During Monsoon

TYRES

Make sure your car tyres are in excellent condition before the monsoons arrive, as these will be in constant touch with the wet slippery roads. To avoid skids and unwanted jolts, make sure your tyres have good tread depth. Compromising on this could prove dangerous. Car tyres should be minimum 2mm in depth, including your spare. Fine parts of dust get entrenched in the tyres, causing them to skid. Rubber has a tendency to soften when it comes in contact with water. Check the tyre pressure regularly and inflate it to recommended pressure when it is cold. This increases driving comfort and the life of your tyres.

WIPERS
The wiper blades are better when new. Always make sure they are of good quality, no streaking and smooth functioning. The wiper blades should not be hard and cracked, as these will cause scratches on the windscreen. Check that the wipers are working in all the three speeds (normal, slow, fast) before you start out on your drive. Instead of ordinary water for your windshield wiper, try using some solution like soap solution for better visibility.

BRAKES
The most crucial part of a vehicle, brakes calipers, must be regularly cleaned and replaced. Brakes should not be too loose or too tight. Keep using the car brakes as water may make the brake drums wet, causing low braking efficiency. Keep taking your car for regular service check-ups. You can dry out the wet brakes by placing your left foot on the brake pedal and gently moving the throttle with your right foot. Make sure the handbrake works fine.

WATER-PROOF IT
To prevent the car body from rusting, use an anti-rust coating on the car fittings. Service your engine and make sure it is made water tight. It would be a good idea to use an anti-moisture spray or simply remove the plug and clean out the moisture with a cloth.

CAR INTERIORS
Many a times, water flows into the cabin area, damaging the carpets and flooring. Place old mats on your car floor, so that these soak up the dirty water. It would be a better option to use fabric mats rather than rubber ones. Vacuum clean the car interiors regularly and use car perfumes with light fragrances that will also make your car smell fresh. This will keep the car interiors clean and smelling fresh. If your car seats get wet, keep the windows open, to avoid the formation of fungus.

ELECTRICAL PATCH-UPS
Patch up all the weak or loose electrical connections and check if all the external wires are insulated, as these tend to act up in the rains and during the monsoons. Take care to remember that exposed wires, if any, should be properly insulated. Coat battery terminals with petroleum jelly (not grease) and use a waterproofing spray to keep the electrical system moisture-free. Also check to see if all the fuses are in order and ensure that you always carry a few extra fuses with you.