The hunt for environmentally friendly vehicles has been on for quite a while now. Alternative sources of fuel (such as biodiesel and hydrogen) may reduce tailpipe emissions from internal combustion engines or not produce any at all, but these fuel types are not available in sufficient quantities.

Electric vehicles are not much good either in the real world, although there are no emissions from them, they have a limited drivable range and the batteries take way too long to recharge. They are also very expensive to buy.

To overcome the drawbacks of an electric vehicle, the hybrid vehicle was created. Besides reducing emissions, it offers increased mileage and decent driving range.

Hybrid vehicles feature a powertrain that includes a traditional internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor, batteries and a generator, which are the same components as in an electric vehicle.

Hybrid vehicles are of two types: parallel hybrids and series hybrids.

Here is how parallel hybrid vehicles work:

The internal combustion engine on parallel hybrid vehicles is mated to an automatic transmission that powers the wheels of the car. At this moment you may be wondering, if the car is powered by an internal combustion engine, what good is the lot of batteries, a generator and the electric motor in a hybrid vehicle?

The concept here is that while the internal combustion engine is there to offer adequate drive power. On the other hand, the electric motor powered by the battery helps drive the wheels of the car at low speeds. The electric motor is what comes into play when a hybrid vehicle is started. Also, when a hybrid vehicle is idling the electric motor is running and powering various electrical components, this means there are no tailpipe emissions at that moment from the vehicle.

Step on the accelerator pedal and the electric motor drives the vehicle forward. Usually, hybrid vehicles can go up to speeds of about 50km/h on battery power alone.

The benefits of this is that a vehicle uses more energy to start moving from standstill to low speeds than it uses to increase its travelling speed under normal driving conditions. This is why a conventional vehicle consumes more fuel in stop start traffic. As a result, hybrid vehicles consume no fuel in stop and go traffic when the battery is charged.

The downside of electric motors in hybrid vehicles is that they are not powerful enough to allow a car to achieve medium or high speeds. This means that a hybrid vehicle will not be able to keep up with traffic on the road. Of course, this problem can be tackled by fitting a bigger motor and more batteries. However, doing this will take up a lot of space in the vehicle, rendering it impractical for day to day use. Also, the added weight of heavy batteries will increase fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions.

Anyway, back to the accelerator pedal. When the driver wants to speed up the vehicle, due to limited capability of the electric motor, the internal combustion engine is powered up automatically and it starts driving the wheels of the car to achieve higher speeds and keep up with traffic on the road.

Hybrid vehicles seldom come with powerful internal combustion engines as that would increase tailpipe emissions, thereby rendering the concept of a hybrid vehicle pointless. This means hybrid vehicles are not very powerful, but to overcome this issue the electric motor on a hybrid vehicle works in tandem with the internal combustion engine to improve acceleration.

When the internal combustion engine is running, it also charges the battery on the car via the onboard generator that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, allowing the battery to regain the lost charge during initial acceleration, high speed acceleration and idling. Under braking, hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking to convert kinetic energy from the brakes into electrical energy used to charge the onboard battery. The batteries on parallel hybrid vehicles do not need to be charged like that of electric vehicles as they are always charged by the internal combustion engine.

Moving on to series hybrid vehicles, here is how they work:

Like parallel hybrid vehicles, series hybrids use an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, a generator and batteries. However, the internal combustion engine in series hybrid vehicles never directly powers the wheels of the vehicle. Instead, it charges the battery of the vehicle via its generator. The electricity generated is then stored in the batteries, which in turn is used to power the wheels of the vehicle.

Series hybrid vehicles are also referred to as Range-Extended electric vehicles as the primary job of the internal combustion engine is to generate electricity that is used to drive the car.

Series hybrid technology is being taken up by an increasing number of car manufacturers as it is more efficient and simpler to parallel hybrid technology. Internal combustion engines on series hybrids are smaller and consume lesser fuel as they do not have to power the wheels of the vehicle. However, the electric motor, battery pack and generator in series hybrids are larger and more powerful than that of parallel hybrids. This adds to the cost and makes series hybrids more expensive than parallel hybrids.

Hybrid vehicles are the most successful type of eco-friendly vehicles in the market today due to their real world usability and practicality.

Having mentioned how hybrid vehicles work, it would be worth mentioning that when it comes to parallel hybrids (most hybrids on the road today are parallel hybrids), their efficiency is based on how the vehicle is driven. If a parallel hybrid vehicle is driven aggressively, then fuel consumption and tail pipe emissions will be higher than a conventional hatchback being driven in a normal manner.

Truth be told, hybrids are very appealing to environmental bodies and the eco-friendly mindset due to their theoretical low emission figures. However, in the real world it's all about how you drive in case of parallel hybrids. Take it easy on the throttle and any regular vehicle's fuel efficiency will rise, in turn, lowering harmful emissions.

Among all the wacky alternate fuel ideas that include everything from excreta to biodiesel, electricity has also been considered as an alternative to conventional fuels.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been around since mid 1800s. During early years, electric vehicles had many advantages over cars powered by internal combustion engines. In those days, vehicles with internal combustion engines were started using a hand crank, whereas EVs could be started like regular cars today. EVs did not have gearboxes or the noise and vibration levels of a petrol-powered car.

However, their expensive price tag and limited range led petrol powered car to prosper. Way back in 1912, an electric car cost $1750 (Rs 88,000) while a petrol-powered car sold for $650 (Rs 32,700). This massive price difference ultimately killed off the electric car during the early days of motoring.

However, rising fuel prices, limited oil resources and environmental concerns have brought the electric car back into mainstream production line for automobiles. Almost all mainstream car makers have been building electric concept cars as well as production version of electric and hybrid cars.

Today, electric cars consist of three key components andndash; a battery, an electric motor and a direct current controller. Lithium ion batteries are the current trend in electric and hybrid cars as they allow more travelling range. The battery has to be charged to full, which can done from a traditional power outlet, for attaining the longest driving range. Direct Current (DC) motors are simpler and less expensive, and run on voltage between 96 and 192 volts.

Compared to a conventional fuel-powered vehicle, the working of EVs are relatively simpler to understand. Once an EV is turned on, the driver can depress the accelerator pedal that is connected to the direct current controller which directs the electric motor as to how much power it should use from the battery to power the wheels of the car. The latest trend used by electric vehicles is regenerative braking system that uses the friction caused by the brakes of a vehicle while slowing down and converts it into electricity, which is then used to charge the battery. This helps further increase the range of EVs.

As an EV has such few components, there is little that goes wrong. As a result, they are cheaper to run and maintain on a daily basis than a conventional fuel-powered car.

The Nissan Leaf EV is a good example to give you an idea about the current state of EVs. The Leaf is currently on sale as an electric vehicle in various developed nations. It has a range of 160 andndash; 180 km depending on the driving style. An aggressive driving style will lower the maximum range of an EV while a relaxed driving style will allow more driving range from the battery. It takes about eight hours to fully charge the battery of the Nissan Leaf from a conventional power outlet. The Nissan Leaf also comes with a quick charger that can charge 80 percent of the battery in 30 minutes.

However, using the quick charger extensively will deplete the condition of the battery sooner than its life span of 5 andndash; 10 years. The problem with a modern EV is that the cost of their lithium ion batteries are staggering, and having to replace them will mean an expense so high that it equates to buying a new conventional fuel-powered hatchback

The quest for alternative sources of power for automobiles explored the possibility of solar power. As the name suggests, solar power is acquired by absorbing the sun's energy in the form of sunlight.

On solar vehicles, light energy is absorbed by photovoltaic (PV) cells arranged on frames called solar panels that are exposed to direct sunlight. When sun light hits the PV cells on a solar panel, it charges the electrons on the panel (that is usually made of silicon) creating an electrical current. This electric current is converted to a proper system voltage by power trackers, after which the electric current is stored in the onboard battery on a solar vehicle.

The electric charge in the battery can be used by an electric motor to power the wheels of a solar vehicle. A motor controller determines the amount of power to be sent to the wheels of a solar vehicle depending on the throttle input by the driver.

A solar vehicle has numerous solar panels fitted over its body panels. Naturally, the size of the vehicle determines the number and size of solar panels that can be mounted on a solar vehicle. To put it simply, more the merrier is the principle in this case. More light energy absorbed by the sun higher the amount of electricity generated.

Solar power has been used to drive vehicles as a showcase of the technology. However, in the real world this technology never caught on mainly because high amounts of electricity cannot be generated by solar panels. Also, sunlight is only available during the day time. Cloudy days don't help either.

As a result, solar vehicles are made of lightweight body panels and are usually one seater vehicles as they do not generate enough power to carry too much load. The lightweight body panels of solar vehicles compromise on crash worthiness of a vehicle making them unsafe and illegal as they do not comply with safety standards for vehicles. These vehicles also lack features of conventional vehicles as there is no extra power to operate audio systems, air conditioning systems, satellite navigation units or even power windows for that matter.

Solar vehicles have been rendered hugely impractical and unsafe, this is why they have never been considered for mainstream production.

However, mainstream car manufacturers have considered solar power for their concept cars on a different level. Smaller solar panels have been incorporated on concepts that charge the vehicle's battery used to power various electrical components such as audio systems, interior lights, etc. An example of this was the 2008 Cadillac Provoq concept. This helps in reducing fuel consumption as the engine does not have to charge the battery of a vehicle.

In the past decade, environmental concerns have grown phenomenally. Another concern is the limited availability of petroleum products because of which alternate fuel has to be discovered to keep economies on track and automobiles on the road. Over the years, many attempts have been made to create and consider alternate sources of fuel for the internal combustion engine. Quite a few options have been considered, among which, bio-diesel looks the most viable option as of now.

Biodiesel is an environment-friendly fuel that can be used to power diesel internal combustion engines. It is made of vegetable oil, animal oil/fat, tallow and waste cooking oil. Transesterification is the name of the process used to convert the ingredients for Biodiesel into the final product.

Here are the steps of transesterification,

andbull; Base catalysed transesterification of vegetable oil and fat with alcohol,

andbull; Direct acid catalysed with transesterification of the oil with methanol,

andbull; Conversion of oil into fatty acid, and

andbull; Acid catalysis of fatty acids to Alkyl esters or Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable source of energy and does not pollute the environment as much as petroleum diesel does. One of its biggest advantages is that it doesn't require any modification to the diesel engine to be able to tank it up with biodiesel. Also, it can be blended and used with regular petroleum diesel.

So, even if your vehicle runs out of biodiesel and none is available at that moment, it can be refuelled with regular petroleum diesel. The downside to blending petroleum diesel with biodiesel is the increased emissions andndash; greater the quantity of petroleum diesel in the mix, more the amount emissions from the engine.

Biodiesel in its purest form is designated B100, with '100' denoting the percentage of biodiesel in the fuel prepared. Although biodiesel can be used in its purest form in diesel engines, it is usually blended with petroleum diesel. Different blends of biodiesel and petroleum diesel are produced according to the target level of emissions to be achieved. The most common blend of biodiesel available in the market is B20, which consists of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

B100 can damage the natural rubber compounds in the engine by softening and degrading natural rubber seals, etc. This is why B20 grade is a more commonly used biodiesel. Another disadvantage of biodiesel is that it turns into a gel under cold temperatures. The temperature at which biodiesel gels depends on the ingredients used to make it. Once it turns into a gel, it cannot be pumped, as a result the engine will not start.

However, the biggest problem of all is that making biodiesel requires lots of agricultural land to grow plants such as rapeseed, soyabean, canola, etc. The ultimate argument that this boils down to is, plants for food or fuel. As a result it is highly unlikely that biodiesel is a permanent solution to alternate sources of fuel for the internal combustion engine.

Biodiesel is available in many fuel filling stations across various nations in Europe and in America. In 2011, 2,21,17,000 tonnes of biodiesel was produced in Europe.

In India initiative was taken by various bodies and private companies to create biodiesel. Dr. Abdul Kalam, former president of India, was one of the strong advocators for biodiesel production through the cultivation of the Jatropha crop. The Jatropha plant which grows on wasteland was considered as the plant of choice as Jatropha oil produced by the seeds of a plant is an excellent source of biodiesel. India's biodiesel capacity is estimated at 6,00,000 tonnes per year.

In many countries biodiesel is subsidised, as a result it is slightly cheaper per litre than petroleum diesel. However, it's expensive in countries where biodiesel is not subsidised. Price difference between petroleum diesel and biodiesel per litre can hover around Rs. 100 and Rs. 140. But the price difference tends to change rapidly depending on international crude oil prices, subsidies on biodiesel and on the biodiesel rates itself.

To roll down your car windows or not andndash; this has been a hotly debated topic, perhaps, ever since car air-conditioners came into existence. Popular belief is that driving with the windows down saves more fuel than rolling them up to turn on the air conditioner. However, an alternate theory posits that driving with windows down hogs as much fuel due to the drag, or the air resistance, it creates on the car. Drag is caused when air enters the car through the windows instead of flowing over it. More power is used in combating this drag, which in turn, burns more fuel.

So how does one get around this conundrum and what really is the right practice to save fuel? While it's true that air-conditioners consume a lot of fuel, you'd be surprised to know that a study by US-based Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) found that driving with the windows up and AC on is more fuel economical than driving with windows down In fact, their tests showed a 20 percent reduction in mileage with the windows rolled down. With the windows up and AC on, fuel efficiency dropped by just 10 percent. Of course, these results vary depending on the type of car (an SUV experiences higher drag than a small car), how aerodynamic it is, outside temperature, wind speed, etc.

In general, follow this as a rule of thumb: if you are driving in city and at speeds below 70km/h, roll down the windows and let in the natural air. That's because at slower speeds, the engine develops less power and hence it has to work harder to generate enough power to run the AC and other components that rely on power from the motor. Besides, when you're driving slowly, the drag resistance is not strong enough to cause any significant dent to fuel efficiency. At higher speeds, as on highways, turning on the AC would be a better option as the engine would anyway produce enough power to meet the requirements of the AC. Also, the amount of drag on the car will be substantially higher.

While the jury is still on out on this argument with some experts still insisting on a windows-rolled-down approach, we suggest a combination of the two options to get optimum fuel efficiency. Of course, comfort is another important factor and with our kind of blistering hot, muggy summers, reaching out for that AC button will be a far more natural instinct.

Your car loses fuel every time you accelerate or brake. It guzzles up even more when you accelerate rapidly or brake suddenly. This is because the more you push the throttle, the higher the engine RPM or in simple terms, the more stress the motor takes.

To get the most out of every litre of fuel accelerate gently, get to the highest gear as quickly as possible and then maintain a steady speed. Avoid jackrabbit or rapid starts while waiting at a red light and, of course, turn off the ignition if you're stopping for over 20 seconds. Some studies say that keeping a light foot on the throttle can lower fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent

Similarly, there's no need to race to a red light and slam brakes at the last moment. Unless, you get kicks from watching the fuel gauge needle drop rapidly to empty, which we doubt anyone does. But how does braking hard burn more fuel? Let's say you accelerated to drive 500 metres but applied the brakes suddenly at 200 metres. In this case, while you burnt enough fuel to travel 500 metres, you stopped the car at just 200 metres.

Frequent changing of gears and pressing of the clutch is another fuel sapper. Avoid keeping your foot on the clutch while waiting at red lights. Also, as aforesaid, get to the top gear as quickly as possible and shift to a lower gear only when required. Fortunately, most modern cars come with a gearshift indicator on the display, which tells drivers when to change gears, thus maximising fuel efficiency.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG, as it is commonly known, is a mixture of propane and butane. The reason people opt for this fuel source is that at Rs 42 per litre compared to petrol at Rs 73, it's priced way cheaper than conventional petrol. Also, a vehicle that runs on LPG also dishes out a slightly better mileage.

Fitting an LPG unit costs about Rs 20,000. The gas is stored in your vehicle in a tank capacity of 33 litres, which fits into your car's boot. The drawback to this is that it reduces rear storage capacity by at least 20 percent depending upon the general rear boot size in your vehicle. Installing a LPG kit in your car is one thing, finding a functional LPG refuelling station in your city another. The one pump you find would possibly have a dozen clients waiting in line for their turn. Besides, a long distance run on an LPG cylinder is not practical as it is not certain where you will find a LPG pump on the go if you run out of gas.

There are several misconceptions floating around in people's mind with regard to an LPG kit's safety. The concerns include questions such as what happens to an LPG in the event of another vehicle colliding against your car from the rear. Frankly, there is not much to worry about as the cylinder is fit inside a sturdy metal roll cage that cushions the impact in case of an accident, thereby keeping the cylinder safe. In the case of the image above the LPG cylinder is fit in the interior of the cars' boot so protection is optional and is left to the owner's choice and opinion.

Using an LPG kit also has environmental benefits. For instance, one litre of petrol produces 2.3kg of CO2 when burnt, whereas the equivalent amount of LPG produces only 1.5 kg of CO2 when burnt so it pollutes lesser compared to petrol.

For long lasting engine life and improved fuel efficiency, one has to ensure constant and consistent use of clean fuel. Fuel can be called bad or spurious when it gets contaminated with adulterants like kerosene. In recent years petrol and diesel are being adulterated with solvents like naphtha, raffinate, slop, etc. These adulterants not only cause engine knocking and increased vehicular pollution, they also lead to far more serious consequences, damaging the interiors of the motor and in some cases complete engine seizure.

There is no way one can come to know if the fuel is adulterated just by looking at it. Detecting fuel adulteration requires it to be chemically broken down in labs, and that we all know is highly impractical.

However, there are a few practices one can adopt to avoid using spurious or inferior-quality fuel. For instance, always visit a big, branded fuel pump where you are able to see the density of fuel in their meter boards. The quality of fuel in small, remote and not so well-known bunks is usually suspect so if you know a place that sells good fuel, fuel up from that particular filling station. Keep the fuel tank filled up at all possible times to avoid the need of fuelling up at an ordinary pump during an emergency. Avoid buying fuel from roadside shops when driving outstation.

Following these steps will ensure that your car always has clean, good quality fuel, which in turn will help your car's engine respond better and feel peppier.

As the automotive world continues its hunt for the most efficient and emission free propulsion systems to save the planet's ailing atmosphere, it may well be many years before such technologies can be perfected and find a place on Indian roads.


In the meanwhile, the best we can do is to at least properly maintain our vehicles, which in majority cases are presently powered by either petrol or diesel internal combustion engines. For those running their cars on greener LPG and CNG kits emissions are surely on the lower side, but only regular upkeep of your vehicle will ensure it always stays that way.


As a habit, it's a good practice to have a Pollution Under Control (PUC) check up done from time to time, to be rest assured your vehicle is not giving out anything more than its prescribed quota of exhaust gases. If this is the case, it's advisable to have your vehicle serviced immediately.


At a recently held Diesel Emissions Conference in Delhi, one of the major factors pointed out as being a cause for lower fuel efficiency and higher emissions in larger vehicles was the trend of overloading these vehicles, which automatically puts added strain on its engine. This must be avoided under all circumstances, not only for keeping a tab on emissions, but also to reduce the overall wear and tear of your vehicle.


Although certain technologies like Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) once implemented could drastically reduce diesel emission levels in the country, for now its best we keep an eye out for the pollutants exhaled by our very own vehicles and only use clean and unleaded fuel for driving them.

A service is basically done every 5,000 to 10,000 kilometres, depending on the engine type (petrol or diesel), to refresh your car and clean its engine components from the inside. The engine contains hundreds of parts that use the same oil day in and day out to lubricate its insides and prevent friction and wear. The viscosity of the oil depends on heat and fine metal shards that form inside the engine when it is running. Also, the air filter can prevent dust and other particles from entering the engine to an extent but not entirely.

It is necessary for one to change the oil, the oil filter and the air filter of an engine to ensure that the motor is in good working condition and does not drag along the way, which leads to increased fuel consumption. Servicing a car can also solve unknown problems that one is not aware of at times. Also, the engine mounts and other such intricate things may have to be strengthened to make the car perform as good as new.

Maintaining a steady speed or cruising at higher gears and lower engine revolutions per minute such as, 2500 andndash; 3500 RPM (RPM Meter located in the Instrument Console at the drivers seat behind the steering-wheel), is the best way to get a phenomenal fuel efficiency figure from your everyday car as less fuel is burnt and all of the burnt fuel is put to good use to maintain the momentum of the car.

To sustain a steady speed, one needs to have a light foot on the accelerator and the brakes, as jerks and engine knocks at low RPMs are not a desirable act for good fuel efficiency. Avoid quick starts in the first two gears as they guzzle fuel that you have been saving by driving at cruiser speeds. Aggressive breaking also subconsciously leads to having a heavy foot on the accelerator which has a negative effect on fuel efficiency. Personal and pedestrian safety is ensured to a great extent as you are maintaining a speed that you can break at any given point of your journey.

Driving in higher gears

Any car, when driven at lower RPMs and at higher gears will juice out a fantastic average that one can proudly boast of. This can be achieved by gradual but swift shifting from first gear to the top. Remember, a higher gear shift lets you drive faster but it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to. You can continue maintaining your usual 45 - 55 km/h and engage overdrive without needing to accelerate. The result is a much lower engine speed and, hence, less fuel is burnt.

Many a time, people drive in a lower gear and at a higher speed, causing the engine to strain at higher RPMs before shifting up. This is a wrong practice and must be avoided if you care about fuel efficiency.

In case of automatic cars, it is essential to keep a light foot on the accelerator to juice out a good average as the automatic gearbox in a car will down shift a gear if you press the accelerator more than necessary, which will be a lot of fun no doubt but will lead to really higher fuel consumption.

All those advertisements and hoardings you see on road about turning off your vehicle's ignition at stop lights to save fuel are right. It's actually a no brainer: you turn off your car and the engine immediately stops using fuel.

Keeping your engine on idle while stuck in traffic or when waiting for the signal to turn green also consumes more fuel than switching off the ignition and restarting it. According to studies, on an average you waste 0.098 litres of fuel for every 10 minutes of idling. That may not sound much but it all adds up over time. So as a thumb rule, turn off the car if you will be idling over 10 seconds.

Besides, it's also a good practice to turn off the engine to show your care for the environment. While engines today emit considerably far less toxic gases, including hyrdrocarbons, carbon-monoxide and nitrous oxides, than carburettor-based cars of yore, cutting down on idling does help reduce CO2 emissions.

Another tip to remember is to turn off or use the AC sparingly. Air-conditioning can dramatically reduce fuel economy if you're driving at low speeds. The effects are not so apparent when the vehicle is driven at higher speeds. And while you might think that electricals such as defoggers, heated seats, etc use only the battery, one should remember that it takes that much more running from the engine to recharge the battery again. So even these "gas-guzzling" devices should be turned off when not in use.

In most parts of India, driving in sweltering temperatures leaves you with no choice but to turn on the air-conditioner for a blast of cool air to hit your face. However, it's a known fact that continuous use of a vehicle's air conditioning puts strain on your engine's motor burning up a lot of fuel.

Also, when you kill your engine at a red light even for a short stop, make it a habit to switch off your air conditioning while the car is stationary, so you don't put excessive load on the motor when it needs a breather. Once your car is back in motion you can switch your A/C back on, but avoid doing this repeatedly over short distances.

On certain lower displacement cars, with limited power on tap, keeping your air conditioning on when ascending a hill or a rising patch of road may not be such a good idea, as the engine will require all its muscle to carry that weight up to the top and the added load of keeping the air conditioner running may restrict the car from climbing effortlessly. Finally, always check if your air conditioner has been switched off when exiting your vehicle and activate the same only when you are back on the road and have achieved cruising speeds.

Typically, hatchbacks in India have ample boot storage space ranging from 175-300 litres depending on the A2 sub-segment you have opted to pick a vehicle from. Although smaller cars offer significantly lesser storage space compared to larger sedans and luxury saloons, which offer as much as 500 litres of back end luggage space, it is important to gauge the right volume of luggage and materials that are to be loaded into the rear of your vehicle.

Overloading your boot or in the case of SUV with roofrails like the Chevrolet Tavera and the Tata Sumo, adds to the standard dry weight of your vehicle and in extreme cases may even lead to an imbalance in the vehicle's handling and performance, thus reducing fuel efficiency.

The extra weight will naturally put additional strain on your engine in propelling the car forward and over long distances you will incur heavy losses on your return to the litre. To avoid this, always carry just the right amount of luggage (50-60 ltrs lower than your car's available space) in your car and choose your placement wisely so as to avoid stuffing and squeezing of items that maybe fragile and risk breakage when traversing over bad roads.

A blast of cool air from the air-con vents in your car may be the last thing on your mind during the winters but keeping the A/C permanently off during the winters risks storing up trouble for the summers.

A survey in the UK reveals that 56% motorists keep their A/C off during winters and 43% of motorists say that they keep their air-con off during winters to improve fuel economy. But this may turn out to be a false economy strategy. Keeping an air-con system off for a whole season can reduce its effectiveness. Leaving an air-con system off for prolonged periods of time can also result in bacteria build up in the system and the seals drying out which leads to corrosion.

Its not just about keeping the system ship shape for the summers either. The air-con system should be used to to fresh air, push the defogger button and channel air to the windshield position from the dashboard air vents.

Also, driving with the windows rolled down beyond certain speeds increases drag which results in higher fuel consumption in comparison to using the air-con system. So, the next time your windows are misty on a cold winter day, you know what to do.

The engine bay does not have to be cleaned everyday. Cleaning it once or twice a week is enough. Make sure the engine has cooled down before cleaning the engine bay. Ask the car manufacturer if it is okay to wash the engine bay of the car. Usually, the engine bay of all modern cars can be washed.

Do not use a high pressure hose to wash the engine bay as it may loosen or detach wires within the engine bay. A high pressure hose can be used to wash the inside of the open bonnet. Use a normal water pipe to gently spray water in the engine bay. After the dirt has been washed off, a cloth can be used to wipe various parts within the engine bay while the water is still flowing. Be careful and take care that the pipe does not touch the outer body of the car, as it can scratch the paintjob of the car. Once the engine bay is washed, wipe it dry with a cloth.

Perform checks to see if any of the wires have come lose and if the sparkplug wires are intact, just in case. Check the levels of all fluids like coolant, brake oil, power steering fluid and windshield washer fluid. Usually these fluids are always at the right level when a car is serviced at regular intervals, but it's a good idea to check for high consumption levels. Get it filled up immediately if any fluid is below the required level. Keeping a check on these will also help in the time of servicing, when any fluid top up needed can be mentioned. Top up the washer fluid if needed with a windshield washer fluid that is available in the market. It can prevent scratches on the windshield at the time of using wipe and wash while driving.

Car Care andndash; Back to Basics

Buying a car has to be one of the most difficult decisions to make. After narrowing down through those million parameters you finally decide to take the plunge and take that shiny new car home. If you thought that was the end of all problems, think again. The real deal is how you take care of the car once it's in your hands. Everything from here on, the way the car looks, performs and its reliability depends on how well you look after it. The more you give, the more you get.

Pidilite Industries who have synonymous with adhesives and sealants, construction chemicals, craftsmen products, DIY (Do-It-Yourself) products is one company who can help to keep your car looking like a million bucks. The products are available all across India especially in auto and car accessory shops. Here are some of their Motomax and Cyclo products that can help you with it.


1. Car Shampoo

A car is exposed to a lot of elements as it goes about its daily grind. The sun, dirt, muck bird droppings, splattered bugs and a whole lot more. These are the natural adversaries for your prized possession. What you need is basically a good car shampoo to get your car back to its gleaming self. A Car Shampoo gently cleans, removes dirt, bird drops, road grim without damaging the painted surface. It is ideal for all paint finishes of
automobiles, such as metallic, Deco etc. and it can be used on cars and
motorcycles.


2. Cream Polish

Your vehicle's paint isn't smooth. It has a texture to it, and if it has been washed with harsh detergents and dried improperly, it may even have minor surface scratches. The advantage to using polishes after washing is that because they are slightly abrasive polishes will remove oxidized pa int, remove minor scratches, and smooth imperfections in the paint. Where wax lays down a layer of protection, polish removes material to reveal clean smooth paint. The smoother the paint, the shinier the surface. Motomax cream polish is a unique combination of carnauba wax base and monopolizing agents, which gives a glossy and exceptionally smooth feel on the car surface. It is ideal for all paint finishes.


3. Dashboard Polish

To polish andamp; clean a car dashboard is a fairly simple task. A car dashboard can make the inside look sparkling clean even if other aspects are dirty. A dashboard polish is specially formulated for restoring the shine of a dashboard, plastic and vinyl parts of a vehicle.


4. Seat and carpet stain remover

With our active lifestyles and the amount of time we spend in our cars, the average car interior is easy prey for a myriad of stains and odors. Stain and odor removal is almost a science into itself. Upholstery fabrics and carpets widely vary, as do the composition of stains. However, there is a correct method and a suitable cleaner for most car interior problems. Cyclo Max clean contains special detergents that clean and restore color andamp; appearance. With its deep-cleaning foaming action it works as a great spot carpet cleaner. Boosted with orange oil it is a natural cleaner and has a pleasant citrus fragrance. What it basically does is remove bad odors from the seat, covers, and carpets. It can be used on plastic, vinyl, carpet and fabric.

5. Motor Flush

Many oil-change chains offer extra services these days, from transmission fluid changes to air conditioning maintenance. One of the services an oil change technician might suggest next time you're in is an engine flush, which is exactly what it sounds like, it flushes the gunk out of your engine. Chemicals are poured into the engine, which is then gently idled for a few minutes to make sure the cleaning agent reaches everyplace oil would normally go. Then the chemicals are drained, just like the oil would be for an oil change. As a matter of fact, an engine flush is often performed after the old oil is taken out and before the new, clean oil is poured in.

A part of old oil always remains in the system, whenever an oil change is made.
Motor Flush helps remove power robbing deposits and enables free sticking valves
and rings. It dissolves gum, sludge, varnish from engine andamp; oil pan and increases the life of new oil.

Firstly, while regular care can help in keeping the car looking brand new, metallic colours are more durable than non-metallic colours over time, so choose that colour carefully.

The car should be washed every day. Always remember accumulated dirt causes more damage as it makes it harder to remove the muck and if unattended for long can sink into the paint of the car. The biggest enemy of car paint happens to be bird droppings which are acidic in nature and can become part of you paint job if left unattended to. In which case, the car will look like a Dalmatian with a funny colour combination. Always make sure that bird poop is cleaned from your car as soon as possible.

Daily Care

If you are thinking of hiring someone to wash your car every morning hold your horses. There are proper ways of washing a car. Merely taking a wet cloth to a car will damage the paint and result in light circular scratches on the paint and windows. Do not use a random piece of cloth like torn shirt to wash a car, use a soft cloth to wash a car. Always use a high pressure water hose to wash off the dirt and muck from the car after which gently use a cloth along with running water to clean the car. Wash the car working from top to bottom. Do not forget to hose down dirt in the wheel wells, especially during summers. Be careful and take care that the pipe does not touch the body of the car, as it can scratch the paintjob of the car.

After washing the car clean, use a soft cloth to wipe off the water from the car or there will be white marks where the water dries off. Also, accumulated water can result in rust formation in panel gaps. Make sure the bonnet, boot or tailgate, and doors are opened and any water if present in the closing area is wiped dry.

Exterior upkeep

There are a variety of elements that can damage the paint on a car. Dead insects, fresh tarmac from road constructions, etc if left unattended will damage the paint on a car. To protect against all of that it is always wise to have a Teflon coating put on the car from the manufacturer. A Teflon coating protects the paint by preventing different things like marks of bird droppings, tree sap, dead insects, etc from sinking into the paint of the car. It will also prevent minor scratches on the paint while wiping the car dry.

It is also very important to polish the car at regular intervals, ideally, twice a year. Polish protects the paint by preventing marks on the paint. Also, the paint does not scratch as easily when the car has a Teflon coating and polish on it. Does not use polish over plastic bits on a car such as lights, door handles, rear view mirrors, rubber bits on doors and bumpers as the case maybe. There is different plastic polish available in the market for those parts. Do not use any sort of polish on the lights and rubber strips on the windows, they are not meant to be polished, just wash the car regularly and that should be enough. Use chrome polish to polish any chrome bits on the car. Once the car is polished do not use any form of soapy car wash as it is not needed.

However, all these efforts will be null and void if there are dents and scratches on a car. Dents and scratches cause cracks in the paint which expose the body of the car to rust and corrosion, which can prove to be an expensive affair to restore. It is always smarter to have dents and scratches touched up as soon as possible. Make sure that the touch up is done in a manufacturer's shop. Do not go for a cheaper after market option. Manufacturer's body shops have the exact shade of paint on your car. Also, the quality of the paint is much better than that of cheaper options, and does not fade overtime like that of the latter.

Use rubbing compound to remove fresh tarmac that gets stuck on the car from road construction as soon as possible. Be careful not to use too much of it as rubbing compound can go through polish, Teflon coating, etc and damage the paint on the car. The sooner the tarmac is cleaned off the less rubbing compound has to be used.

It's not uncommon on highways to have stones chipped off the wheels of taller cars in front to cause scratches on the front of the car. Get these touched up as well to protect the body and paint of the car. Also get the chassis painted while buying the car to protect it from rust over time. Have the underbody inspected for dents and scratches in case the underbody of the car has hit rocks or bumps underneath while driving.

There might be hidden rust spots on cars older than five years or so, get them treated as soon as possible to stop them from spreading. Only get the job done at manufacturer's body shop.

Make sure wiper blades are changed as soon as they start to slip on the windshield as they will scratch the windshield. Only use the washer to wash and wipe the windshield when the windshield is wet otherwise the wipers will scratch the windshield. Following these tips on a regular basis will ensure that your car looks showroom fresh year after year.

Here is a quick recap of the dos and don'ts of exterior maintenance on a car.

Dos

andbull; Wash the car regularly.

andbull; High pressure water to hose off dirt

andbull; Soft Cloth to clean and wipe the car

andbull; Different types of car polish for different bits

andbull; Teflon Coating

andbull; Change wiper blades when necessary

andbull; Denting and painting as and when needed

andbull; Chassis Paint

Don'ts

andbull; Do not use soapy water to wash the car

andbull; Do not use wipe and wash on the windshield when it is dry

andbull; Denting and painting in road side shops

andbull; Do not use the wrong polish on the wrong bit

andbull; Do not leave dents and scratches unattended for long

andbull; Do not leave bird droppings, tarmac, etc unwashed on the car for long

andbull; Do not leave rust spots unattended.

Taking precautionary measures ensures that there is not much one has to do every day for interior maintenance of a car. Here are a few precautions to be exercised to protect the interiors of a car;

andbull; Do not eat in the car andndash; No matter how hard people try, eating and drinking in a car always results in spillage on the seats and carpets of a car, which can leave stains. Make sure the car is cleaned and stains if any are removed as soon as possible.

andbull; Do not smoke in the car andndash; Smoking in a car can result in ash falling onto the seats and carpets. Also it's quite possible that the burning end of a cigarette will at some point over a bump or sudden manoeuvre touch the dash board or door panel to cause a burn patch which cannot be removed.

andbull; Always drive with the air conditioning on andndash; There is a lot of dust flying around in the atmosphere in India. Accumulated dust makes the interiors of a car age faster. It's better to drive with the air conditioning on at all times.

andbull; Use rubber mats during monsoons andndash; Shoes bring in a lot of mud onto the floor mats of a car during monsoons. Over the carpets of cars there are a set of cloth mats. Replace these cloth mats with rubber mats so that it is easier to clean the mud off them. Also cloth mats get damaged when mud is cleaned off them, rubber mats do not.

andbull; Seat Covers andndash; Put on a set of seat covers on over the original seat fabric to protect the seats from stains, cuts and from tearing.

andbull; Do not throw trash in the car andndash; Trash will make the car interiors smell foul, may result in stains on carpets and floor mats. Keep a polyester bag to throw any trash that might need to be disposed by passengers on a drive. Throw the bag into the trash after the drive.

Periodical maintenance

1. Remove the foot mats and brush the carpets. All cars have fixed carpets over the floor which cannot be removed.

2. Use a vacuum cleaner on the seats, carpets and all the tiny gaps which cannot be accessed.

3. Take off the seat covers and send them for dry cleaning.

4. Take a wet cloth and squeeze it tight. Wipe the plastics such as dashboard, centre console, steering wheel, door panels, foot well areas, seat belt housings, etc.

5. Use a soft dry cloth to wipe the dust off all leather covers parts such as steering wheel, gear knob, etc.

6. Let all the cleaned parts dry.

7. Use plastic or leather polish as the need maybe on the dashboard, centre console, steering wheel, buttons, etc. Do not apply too much polish, just a little bit is enough. Take a soft cloth and wipe the polish dry.

Daily care

1. If liquids like coffee or soft drinks or ice creams for that matter are spilled on seats or carpets. Soak up the residue with paper towels by blotting. Mix a solution of 1 tbsp of vinegar and andfrac12; tbsp detergent with a little bit of water. Apply it to the stain with a sponge or towel and let it set in for about 15 minutes. Let it dry thoroughly. Wipe the residue away with warm water. Increase the concentration of vinegar if the stain persists.

2. Remove the floor mats and brush dirt and tiny stones out of the car.

3. Clean the foot mats by dusting them (in case of cloth mats), or washing them (in case of rubber mats).

4. Remove stains on the insides of windows and windshield with a soft wet cloth and wipe dry with a different soft cloth immediately.

5. Make sure the seat belts are not left tangled after use. Straighten them out after use, or they will take up a tangled shape over time.

These steps should be enough to ensure that the interiors of your car remain damage free and look new even after a number of years of use.