Driving Tips To save your engine from 'BIG BANG'
- Shameem M Shereef
- Jul 24, 2016
- 4 min read
1. DO NOT GO HARD ON YOUR VEHICLE DURING BREAK-IN PERIOD
Buying a brand new vehicle is an exciting experience, you work hard to earn enough money and go through a series of process to buy one and naturally you want to enjoy it by seeing what it can do by putting the hammer-down
BUT STOP!! - I am not being a buzz till here, it is important to take it easy on a brand new engine - initially, at least why because your brand new engine have new parts that needed to get awaited to their new habitat - especially the piston rings.These rings needed to shape themselves to the cylinders in the engine, and it takes careful driving hand time for that to happen properly.If the rings are not seated properly the car may continue to burn oil down the line.
Break in period of your vehicle can vary from 500 km to 3000 km during which you should limit your speed to about 60-80 kph.Refer your owners manual for correct Break in period and speed which your vehicles manufactur- er recommends.
But some of the modern manufacturers does the break in for you.If that is the case then you can put the hammer-down from the moment you step into your new car.
This seems to be a hassle but it could mean a difference between an engine that lasts 1,50,000 km and one that lasts 3,00,000 km.If you are good to your engine at first then your wallet will thank you later.
2. WARM UP YOUR ENGINE
If you go to gym,you wouldn't directly start lifting weights,you would warm up first,right? So why drive your car cold without letting it warm up first?
It takes more energy to start an engine when it is cold. It would be worse if it is frosty outside because, the battery carries a low charge.The oil would be cold and thick which would make it harder for the moving parts to operate. In addition, gasoline is harder to burn when its cold.
However,some of us start and idle till the needle in the temperature gauge rise.But this isn't necessarily a good idea.
Idling your car would warm your engine at a slow pace,also cold engines produce more hydrocarbon pollution which might clog your catalytic converter (A device which filter emission from your exhaust) and ruin it, which is not good.
The ideal scenario is to idle your engine for about 1 minute and gently drive the car until it warms up.If the outside temperature is below zero you can idle about 2-3 minutes and gently drive off.
3. OVER SPEEDING
Unleashing the inner racing driver, inside you on public roads is exciting but it is bad for many reasons. It would reduce fuel economy, increase emission, and more importantly you harm yourselves and others in the road. But did you know "EXCESSIVE" speed is bad for your engine?
When you floor your accelerator it delivers more fuel into the engine causing it to REV higher than normal causing the engine to wear faster.The ideal cruising speed for most vehicles is about 80-90 kph (50-55 mph). But to cruise at 100 kph (about 60 mph), it requires about 73% more power [Source: Internet].
The above example is with normal cars in mind such as Suzuki Swift. Then, What if you want to unleash the racing driver in you? Either modify your engine to take up the extra hammering OR buy a used sports car rather than buying a new one.
If you want to really open up your vehicle, try to avoid public roads and go to a near by race track instead.
4. SHIFT GEARS PROPERLY
This tip is useful for drivers of cars with manual transmission. If you have an automatic transmission then the car will take care of the shifting for you. It is most important to be in the correct gear when you are driving.
If you have a manual tranny, you would have noticed driving in a high gear for your speed and RPM range causes the car to shake and move slowly, commonly known as "LUGGING". Lugging creates an unnecessary strain on the engine and could damage the cylinder heads leading to expensive repairs.
The next thing is Engine braking. It is a good idea to avoid it. When you are driving in high gear, then downshift to a lower gear and take the foot of your accelerator, causing the RPM to increase and the cars to slow down without using breaks.This process is engine breaking.
It is effective in slowing down the vehicle if you are descending down a gradient. But this can produce excessive wear to the engine. It is probably good to use breaks to slow down and then shift to a lower gear when you are at the appropriate speed. This puts less stress on your engine transmission as well as clutch providing more life to it than it actually had.
5. DO NOT OVERLOAD
Heavy duty trucks and pickups packs big, torquey engines which are designed to tow and haul objects many times their own size and weight.
But smaller cars with smaller engines have hard time towing big objects. Since they may not posses the torque and power towing or carrying heavy objects can put more stress in the engine causing it over heat and the damage the parts, resulting in low engine life.
If you follow the above tips and take care of your vehicle properly then you may save yourselves a lot of money. Someday you can see other benifits such as improved fuel economy and less wear and maintenance on other parts as well.
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