டீசல் கார் பராமரிப்பு !

Which one is more difficult to drive?

Now, the norm is that, petrol cars are easier to drive. But, I beg to differ. This holds true in the previous generation diesels which were lethargic, had aa heavy clutch & gearshifts and also had cold starting issues and the likes. With modern CRDi engines, I personally feel that, with the enormous torque in hand, diesel cars are much more easier to drive in cities as well as highways. But that's just my personal opinion. 

Advantage Diesel.

Diesel engines have more torque. So in city traffic or stop & go driving, more often that not, you dont need to use the throttle. Many people find starting the car on uphills a pain. In petrol, you need to use the throttle, clutch & brake judiciously to avoid the car from rolling back. But in diesels, you dont need to use the throttle at all. Just co-ordinate between the brake & clutch & off you go! 

Disadvantage Diesel.

Almost all the diesels in our country are turbo charged engines. So you need to get used to the sudden turbo surge (sudden acceleration when the turbo kicks in) when accelerating. Diesels dont have a linear acceleration like petrols. Also, the powerband in diesels are quite narrow. For example, a typical petrol has a powerband right from 2500 rpm to 5500 rpm. But in most diesels, the powerband is from 1500 rpm to 3500 rpm. Do note that diesels have their torque right from as low as 1500 rpm. 

How to start a diesel car?

1) Diesel engines dont have spark plugs. They rely totally on the battery to start the engine. So, never ever start the engine with AC on. Maybe you can even consider switching OFF the radio before cranking. 

2) Since diesel engines dont have spark plugs, they have a pre-heating mechanism. In simple terms, look for the pre-heater warning symbol in your instrument console. It will come on as soon as you turn ON the ignition and will go off after 3-4 seconds. Crank your engine ONLY after this sign is off. This is not applicable for all diesel cars. 

3) A diesel engine is very very heavy. The starter motor has to work hard to crank your engine to life. Be considerate to the starter motor. Depress your clutch every time you crank. This disengages the gearbox from the engine, making it a little easier for the starter motor to crank your engine, thereby prolonging its life.

4) Turbo idling - very important. Every turbo needs idling. After you have started the engine, wait for a minute for the turbo to warm up. Never ever rev the engine immediately after starting it. Also, after a long drive, wait for a minute before you switch the engine off.

How to drive a diesel car? 

1) After all the above points are done, similar to a petrol car, never rev a diesel engine too much while driving, till it reaches the operating temperature. A diesel engine may take longer to reach it's operating temperature.

2) Do not unnecessarily rev a diesel engine till 4-5k rpm. There is no point. It will simply make noise without any acceleration. You are also burning precious fuel. Work on the enormous torque instead. Shift up at 3k rpm, shift down if you go till 1.5k rpm. Petrol car drivers will be amazed at the response because, by doing this, you are always in the turbo range.

3) At the same time, do not always drive below 2000 rpm, even though that is possible (torque!). Diesel engine leave a lot of soot (burned fuel carbon residue). This gets accumulated in the exhaust. Once in a while, when you rev your diesel all the way till 4000 rpm, you will see thick black smoke from the exhaust. This is perfectly normal & you have cleared the accumulated soot in the exhaust. 

4) When you are stuck in stop-go traffic on an incline, dont get worked up by using the half clutch method, to prevent the car from rolling back. You are unnecessarily burning the clutch. Again, because of the torque of diesels, it is really very easy to get a diesel car moving on a slope. Even on sharp inclines, all you need to do is leave the clutch slowly & the car moves ahead. No throttle is required at all.

5) First gear of a diesel car is very very short. In a petrol car, you can use the first gear even till 20-30 kmph. In diesels, downshift to second as soon as you reach 10-15 kmph. Then the torque will easily pull you through. If you rev in the first gear, the car will jerk on your throttle inputs. The upside is, if you want to coast slowly, just engage a gear & leave the clutch, brake & throttle. A diesel car can coast endlessly without stalling, without any throttle input.

Any special maintainence/precautions required?

I know this is a driving only thread, but it is essential to mention this. Diesel cars have a mechanical pump, except high end diesel cars, which have an electronic pump. NEVER LET YOUR ENGINE RUN DRY. Because if you choke and stall your engine, you will have a hard time. After you fill in diesel, you will have to manually pump the fuel pump till your engine starts. To counter this, Fiat Punto electronically stalls the car when there is 2-3 litres of fuel left in the tank, so that the owner does not have to pump the fuel pump. This maybe applicable in some other cars as well. 

Want to show off diesel torque?

Pick a car with a good diesel engine like Scorpio's mHawk, Vento's TDi, etc. Take the car on a uphill and stop it midway. Then fill your car with passengers. Then slot into 3rd gear. Then, with the AC on, give a little throttle and leave your clutch carefully and see your diesel car moving forward without a hiccup! Ask your petrol savvy friends to try this in their car! 

Caution: Doing the above will burn your clutch.

Thanks 

The Automative India