Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   On owning a car (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning-car/)

-   -   ARTICLE: How to Run-In your new car (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning-car/67729-article-how-run-your-new-car-11.html)

Hi, I drive a Fiat Palio 1.6 Sport, this is what I have observed. Before making any statements, I am an ammateur in this field and do not have that a great knowledge on cars, but this is my observation.

If I drive below 2000 RPM, I get some good Fuel Economy. I get around 11km / litre, otherwise I have observed that it drops down to 8km / litre. The readers here have to comment on this.

Absolutely correct. More the revvs = more the fuel consumption.

Not exactly the whole story.

Economy on highway drives is obtained by not having to change your speed frequently. Braking and accelerating throw FE down the drain.
Being so dependant on the road and traffic conditions, your conclusion might not necessarily be valid.

As a general rule, best FE is where the engine operates at peak of torque curve (in top gear), with minimal speed changes.

Open to more elaboration on this.

Dear tsk

The thread is most informative. I have only a few views:
1. What holds for run-in holds for entire life of car, especially with regard to rpm.
2. The advice you have given does not imply at all sedate and slow driving during the run-in period, as many people assume.

Agreed its not the whole story. Mine was a very generalised statement, and of course, many more things apply to fuel efficiency as has been elaborated in this article.

[quote=vasudeva;735886]Dear tsk

The thread is most informative. I have only a few views:
1. What holds for run-in holds for entire life of car, especially with regard to rpm.


I joined this forum just yesterday even though I have read through all the posts about this article and few other "popular" articles like car care etc, in a period of two days.

I got a new Swift VDi this saturday. and I know that this item was discussed many times about initial run-in about cars, but few clarifications.

Got the car on saturday evening, (Odometer - 10) and after visits to temple for Pooja, didnt drive a lot. Sunday drove to Bannerghatta (zoo trip :) ) and drove on NICE corridor and finally I crossed 100km on Odo.
I ensured that I havent crossed 2000 rpm, and thats where I didnt cross 80kmph, and engine started behaving much smoother and responsive after 100km mark on Odo(approx)
Is there anything else which I need to make sure other than 2000 rpm limit even within city. I donot race up at the signal to be ahead of lot, but yes, I do go a bit faster than other areas(again within rpm limit) and proper gear shifts.

Mileage seems to be very less as related to posts of few on the forums(didnt count correctly though)
I filled up Rs.500 and 5 litres free which dealer gave. and now I am "almost" empty with 201 on Odo.

Please advice on any other things which I should/should not be doing.

Sorry if I am re-opening this almost sedate discussion after gap of couple of months.

Try keeping the tank above 1/4th always, and keep this practice, not just during runin, but during entire life of the car.
You can go upto 2500rpm actually, no need to restrict yourself to 2000rpm. and make sure you let the engine go through the rev range 0-2500rpm.
Apart from that do not do any half clutch or clutch riding, and make a note of any rattles, or niggles which crop up.

Nope, can't be. Take a Baleno, whose torque curve peaks at 3000 rpm. In 5th at 3000 rpm, you're doing atleast 110 kmph. There is no way you are getting peak FE at this point. You're better off doing around 1500 rpm in 5th, which will be about 60 kmph.

Hey congrats!! Welcome to the forum & the DDiS club :)

Regarding mileage dont bother about it too much right now as the car is entirely new. General method to calculate the FE is to fill to cutoff, reset meter. Next refill you calculate the distance covered/litres filled.

Are you using the stock tyres? Ensure your tyre pressure is uniform as this has a direct impact on FE. Generally DDiS users maintain 34/32 or 32/30 (front/rear).

Also gradually increase the RPM every 100km or so. Dont strictly stick to 2000rpm as this is babying the engine.

Im near the 5000km mark in the VDi and only recently after the first long distance (700km roundtrip) I felt the engine has opened up and the gearbox is smoother... this with 4000rpm shifts!!

Enjoy the forum and the car ;)

Thanks...
:)

Will try to do that. But as you know, its very difficult to drive even at 2K rpm within city. I drive to work every day as well, and one more suggestion about avoiding half clutch / with clutch cannot be avoided in peak Bangalore traffic.

I feel you about the city. In fact try to do night drive once in 2 weeks so that you can let the engine feel the varying RPM bands through different gears.

Keeping the clutch pressed entirely is better than riding it half atleast.

Fill to cutoff will not give the most accurate readings. You need to shake the car and get rid of all the air in the tank and then fill upto the brim and repeat the procedure, to get the most accurate reading.

Else the air pocket in the tank can give misleading readings. Speaking from experience here.

Two successive fills till cut-off should give a good reading I beleive. It's going to be the same amount of air(and fuel) left in both the cases.

The problem is only with a Shake and fill first time followed by the cutoff next time.

I have seen a Qualis guy doing the shake before my turn. I was wondering why!
For me the bunk guy didnt cut off, but spilled over. When asked he said, the cut off thing in his pump was not working.

btw, what is the tank capacity of Swift VDi?
It was not given in manual, but brochure shows 43 litres, and with "almost empty" tank to spill over was 33 litres.

I wonder why Maruti doesnt give these details in Owners Manual !!!
Not sure if it was there and I missed it.
Need to do another thorough reading of Manual...

Try it. As I said, I speak from experience.