[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by kapursaket

Boss my highway average on AT tyranny is 15Km/L and almost same as its Manual Cousin. Moreover using Euro 4 Diesel is a must for all Euro 4 Vehicles and is not Just confined to Chevy. In light of my Fuel Tank Capacity of 60L and the indicated average I have construed following fuel Plan.

1.Tank Full in Delhi. Fuel Enough For 900Km
2.Tank Full in Agra (Euro 4 City) Distance Travelled 200KM Fuel Enough for 900KM
3.Tank Full in Kanpur (Euro 4 City) Distance Travelled 300KM Fuel Enough for 900KM
4.Reached Allahabad Distance Travelled 200Km Fuel Enough for 700Km
5.Reached Varanasi Distance Travelled 150Km Fuel Enough for 550Km
6.Return Journey Tank Full at Kanpur Distance Travelled 400Km Fuel Enough for 900Km.
7.Return Journey Tank Full at Agra Distance Travelled 475Km Fuel Enough for 900Km.

Apropos above plan, need help on Good Fuel Bunks in Agra and Kanpur region on the Highway, without entering the city.

Incidentally Agra and Kanpur are listed amongst Euro 4 Cities in the Country.
My concern still remains on damage to the Engine owing excess dose of sulphur in Euro 3 Diesel 350ppm as compared to 50ppm in Euro4, if forced to fill.

One point - your 15kmpl may be underestimated - as you will be driving at constant speeds for considerable distances - so your effective FE may be higher. But, I understand you may not want to take that into account for planning.
You should take the opportunity to top-up at locations mentioned by you and me in case they offer this special variety of diesel.
Regarding the point of which petrol bunks sell this kind of diesel, and also which cities are part of the distribution network - I think for that you need to visit specialist threads - try the Team-BHP Directory as a start.
Regarding the point on engine damage - you can try putting your concern on the technical section for expert views.
This is because this thread is solely dedicated to NH-2 - at least based on my myriad conversations with the thread starter - 'SST'.

[Baddychat]

People driving to and from Kolkata, I did the Kolkata-Durgapur stretch twice last week. Four non-stop days of driving on this road, the only positive update that I can give vis a vis my Delhi-Kolkata trip last October is that they have managed to patch all the huge potholes on the Panagarh stretch. This considerably reduces the near zero speeds in a low GC car which I had to follow last time around.
The rest of the road remains more or less unchanged. Stopped at the CCD in Gobindopur, the one in the HP petrol pump. Clean toilets.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by kapursaket

CONTEMPLATION
Contemplating to do a pilgrimage road trip Delhi-Allahabad-Varanasi-Delhi, sometime next week.Invested time in browsing through various experiences and following is synopsis of my comprehension.

Hi kapursaket, your assessment of the road condition is perhaps too cautious.

2.Stretches between Agra Kanpur have diversions owing to 6 Lane expansion.

Not as bad as the NH1 to Chandigarh used to be, or what NH8 is till Jaipur.

3.Kanpur Allahabad Bye Pass is elevated concrete road and again a cake.

The elevated road is only through Kanpur city, around 25-30 km IIRC. The Allahabad bypass runs for 80 km, and bypasses Allahabad as well as smaller towns like Fatehpur.

5. Paucity of Hygienic eating places after Agra.

If you are looking for eateries like you find on the NH1 (such as Haveli, McDonalds, Subway and CCD), unfortunately NH2 doesn't have such places. But you do get decent dhabas, and if you don't mind your co-diners being long-distance truck drivers (who are some of the most gentlemanly people on any highway), well, you can have a great meal for a great bargain.

6.Dubious Fuel pumps on the highway.

Worrying about fuel quality is a good way to destroy driving enjoyment. On this thread as well as elsewhere, I have given pointers about what to look for in selecting a good fuel station - if in doubt, ask any long-distance truck driver which pump is good.

7.Menace of Wrong Side Traffic.

Not as bad as you might imagine, but you do have to remain alert. This isn't an autobahn.

CONCERNS
Availability of
1.Euro 4 Diesel (Low Sulphur) during the trip.

...Sulphur level not exceeding 50ppm...
Chevy Manual clearly recommends use of only Diesel with Sulphur Content lower than 50ppm and refrain from using any additives.

This is, sadly, a topic for a huge debate, unfit for this thread (as also, I see you have started a separate thread). However, if you know what goes wrong (or does not) if the sulphur content exceeds 50ppm in a BS-IV compliant car, you wouldn't worry so much (unfortunately, Wikipedia's knowledge base does not help, and is extremely disconnected from the realities of Indian fuel supply scenario). Let me assure you that practically ALL of the current diesel supply in India has in excess of 50 ppm sulphur. Reliance and Shell don't sell their ULSD in this part of the country, and your car would be none the worse for wear if you do fill diesel with somewhat higher sulphur content during the trip as well as at all times (you've done that unknowingly till now). BTW, a 5% adulteration with kerosene pushes sulphur levels in diesel well past the 350 ppm BS-3 limit, and such adulteration is more the norm than exception.

2.Clean Toilets for Bio Breaks

Most petrol pumps do have clean toilets that they keep locked, for the owners' personal use. Just ask sweetly (the lady asking helps!), and they usually unlock and allow use of these toilets. Else, you could carry something like this in the boot, to deploy as needed.

3. NHAI Help Line for any emergency.
4.Break Down Service

NHAI helplines and emergency services on almost any highway is a joke. If you could personally network among members in various cities along the highway, you might get better help in an emergency. Till then, fingers crossed, I hope you won't need any such assistance. Keeping the list of Chevrolet dealers and their phone numbers handy is perhaps the best you can do.

Originally Posted by kapursaket

1.Tank Full in Delhi. Fuel Enough For 900Km
2. ...Agra...
3. ...Kanpur...
4. ...Allahabad...
5. ...Varanasi...
6. ...
7. ...
Apropos above plan, need help on Good Fuel Bunks in Agra and Kanpur region on the Highway...

Can we make life a little simpler please? Delhi-Benaras is only 800-825 km - so you can safely do it on one tankful. Fill in Varanasi and drive back. Carry 10-20 litres of spare fuel for emergencies till you reach Varanasi. Tank up at Varanasi and come back. That's it!

My concern still remains on damage to the Engine owing excess dose of sulphur in Euro 3 Diesel 350ppm as compared to 50ppm in Euro4, if forced to fill.

I hope I have laid such misplaced concerns of yours to rest in the previous part of this post. If you are still not convinced, I am afraid you'll need to carry an additional 60-70L (or even 100L for exigencies such as traffic jams and higher fuel consumption) of diesel in jerrycans from Delhi itself, to enable you to complete the round trip without refuelling at pumps that you suspect may have >50 ppm sulphur in the diesel being sold.

And finally, I'd like you to go through what I wrote a few weeks ago on this very thread, and stop developing hypertension at just the thought of going to Varanasi - I've reproduced the whole post here...

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

This post is not directed at you, Joy, but is a general rant.

I think the charm of a long drive is gradually and clinically being exorcised from our lives by over-planning, over-anticipating and over-discussing things with people who've been there and done that before. The Excel sheet with its km-by-km description does not really happen to be what you experience when driving long distances. Those vaguely strange-sounding names of villages and little towns pass you by even before you can remember how they're spelt, or if there was a petrol pump or dhaba located there or not.

Enjoy the scenery, enjoy the feel of driving a car (I consider driving a kind of wide-awake meditation - no worldly thoughts, just concentrated focus on the road and the sounds of the car), and don't bother about exactly where you want to stop and eat - Indian highways, especially the NH2, have enough decent eateries, that serve excellent daal-roti-sabzi. Fuel quality is perhaps the only thing that ought to worry you, but that too, only if you are driving a petrol. Carry a can as reserve if you are that worried.

For diesel, ask the long distance truck drivers. In fact, once in a while, just stop at a dhaba or petrol pump and chat with one of those truck drivers. They're honest, kind-hearted, and are glad to get an opportunity to talk to you about the only things they know - the road condition up ahead, and where to get good fuel and food.

Set your own pace. Just because someone did Delhi-Kolkata in 18 hours doesn't mean your life's mission is to set a new record of 17.5 hours. If you are in such a rush, take a flight. If you are setting out on that drive, your primary purpose is to enjoy what you're doing. If the family (or a friend) is accompanying you, this is a great time for uninterrupted conversations - you don't really devote that many hours to your family per month, tired and irritated as you are when you're back from office after the boss' tongue-lashing. Delhi-Benaras can be done in 10 hours, I say. Don't believe it - take 15 hours to cover the distance. You can safely come back and claim on the forum that you did it in 8 hours. No one would be the wiser, and you don't have to prove what you did by putting up that GPS log file.

You know the road in and out of Delhi and Kolkata anyway. Most of those that drive this stretch are non-resident Bongs, who know their way around either city pretty well. If you don't, use that GPS app on your smartphone. There's very, very little chance of your straying off the NH2 and heading towards Timbuktu. Relax - it's one looong straight road, pretty well mile-posted, and your navigation skills won't be tested.

If you are setting out on a 1500-km drive for the first time, underestimate your limitations. If you think you have the stamina to drive non-stop for 5 hours, don't believe yourself! If you think you can cover ground safely at an average speed of 80 km/h for 10 hours continuously, don't trust that thought. With an open mind and no prejudices, you'll find out what you can do, without risking life, limb, car or family. That discovery is more important than trying to match or better what someone else did.

And finally, I've sometimes extolled on the advantages of driving all night long. You don't have to do what I do. Overnight driving marathons are not exactly child's play - one can't just hop into a car at the end of the workday, and drive 500-1000 km all through the night. A great deal of preparation, both physical and mental, need to go into the exercise. This might be second nature for some after years of experience (and research about how the human body behaves when asked to stay awake through a 24- to 48-hour cycle), but looking at them, a lot of others consider night driving to be super-easy. Consider this thread to be a warning about the perils of driving through the night on a highway without adequate preparation.

[kapursaket]

Since Kanpur is Euro 4 Town, need information from BHPIANS on a COCO/Credible Fuel Bunk before or after Kanpur Bye pass but within Kanpur Municipal Limits.

[SS-Traveller]

If certified and tested Euro-IV diesel with less than 50 ppm sulphur content is available in Delhi, could any BHPian kindly provide information regarding the availability of such an accessory as pictured below? Capacity of 100-200 litres should be sufficient, but higher capacity options will also be welcome. Preferred construction material is stainless steel, otherwise MS will do. Plastics are not to be considered.

[predatorwheelz]

To Mr Kapursaket - a few suggestions:

1. The Cruze has a 60 ltr fuel tank, and Varanasi is about 800 kms from Delhi. If it gives you 14 kmpl (which is well expected of a CRDI car on the highway) you won't have to tank up at all!

2. Even if you do need to tank up, one tank of non-BS4 diesel will not harm your car. There are plenty of bhpians with post April 2010 cars who've racked up thousands of highway miles. We're talking one-two tankfuls here!

3. I reaffirm SST's claim (considering my professional dealings with the petrochemical industry) that true sub-50ppm diesel is not available in India.

4. As a suggestion, avoid the drive. Take a Rajdhani to Mughal Sarai station, and a taxi to Varanasi. Both vehicles use BS3 diesel. Food for thought!



And let me add my personal rant about this thread (not directed at any one in particular). A highway is an experience, not a hotel. A highway is supposed to give you adventure. Its not intended to bring you services on a platter.There have been too many queries about "hygenic eating places", "clean loos" and "emergency contacts". If you feel you owe yourself (and your family) these services, by all means fly or take a train. Drive out only if you enjoy the feel of driving. That said, the NH2 is a piece of cake compared to most Indian highways.

• For all those who think road surface is bad (just for the piddly Panagarh stretch), try doing Rudrapur to Haldwani (craters all along)/Moradabad to Bazpur (road surface doesn't exist!)/any WB state highway after the monsoons. Go to Kumaon hills and check out the road from Binsar to Jageshwar temple. You would be rapidly ascending/descending all day while getting tossed about. NH2 for all practical purposes is a well paved, level road with no hill sections (except Jharkhand).
  
• For those who think bad fuel is a problem, go to interior Purulia or Birbhum (in West Bengal) or Dhenkanal (in Orissa). Just knowing locations of fuel pumps is a necessity, forget BS4! Likewise for restaurants and clean loos. My 6 year old Verna has done 12K highway kms, including 3 NH2 trips. Everywhere I've chosen fuel pumps basis personal judgement. Its fuel injectors live to tell the tale.
• For all those worried about wrong-side traffic, till not very long ago India didn't have ANY expressways! All highways used to 2 lane affairs, and facing oncoming traffic in your lane meant the guy was just overtaking someone. Even now in all Indian states, it is the same story whenever you journey takes you off the NH into a state highway. NH2 is designed to bypass most large cities it connects, and you're worried about some idiots in the wrong lane?
  
• For all those worried about road-side assistance, have you really seen what your modern-day car is capable of? Unless you're a jerk who ignores scheduled maintenance and tyre monitoring, a modern car will sing its way along NH2. Gone are the days when our Ambys used to overheat or fry their electricals. Even if something goes wrong, local mechanics are available everywhere to offer running repairs till the next city. Truckers are your friends, they live on the road and will ensure you get assistance.

I could go on ranting, but the point is very simple. Stop this analysis-paralysis, burn the excel sheets. Just head out and enjoy the drive, for the sake of driving. And oh, do write a travelogue when you come back.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I think the charm of a long drive is gradually and clinically being exorcised from our lives by over-planning, over-anticipating and over-discussing things with people who've been there and done that before. The Excel sheet with its km-by-km description does not really happen to be what you experience when driving long distances.

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Stop this analysis-paralysis, burn the excel sheets. Just head out and enjoy the drive, for the sake of driving.

SS-T and predatorwheelz:
For me personally, excel sheets offer a way to visualize the trip much before it actually happens. That helps me to set expectations with family in terms of distances, time and general conditions. During the trip itself, it's usually folded up and out of the way in the glove box, but we find it useful as information of the route is at hand for reference. During a long drive, the kids keep pestering us with the interminable "Are we there yet?" . That's when we get them to read these tables, and a map , so that they have an idea of the route we are taking.

That said, the magic of the drive through the Indian hinterland, is an experience to die for. I encourage Mr Kapursaket and others like him, to exploit the opportunity to its fullest.
What I found really interesting was the variety of language, clothing, livelihoods , housing , food ... that we encountered on the way. Not something that one can experience in the sanitary conditions of a Rajdhani or a flight.
It's for that reason alone, that I probably will do this trip again.

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

This post is not directed at you, Joy, but is a general rant.

---

SS-Traveller this is gem of the post and read after quite a while. I couldn't agree more about it. I am also in same category who couldn't remember petrol pumps location and dhabas on highways, name of villages despite covered 3/4th of India in car. Now with you post, it give me more courage, to continue with this habit .

Yes, preparation before drive is must and knowledge of your capacity. I am very sedate driver who drives max at 90 KMPH on a very clean open highway. Much lesser on another kind of highways. Still, I maintain good average of timing in my drives without any hiccups.

1. Bangalore - Nagpur - 1100 Kms - 16.5 hours. (with home packed breakfast/lunch)
2. Bangalore - Vizag - 1040 Kms - 16 hours. (with home packed breakfast/lunch)

This is more than enough for me. I remember, one gentlemen who drives big SUV out of excitement wrote here that he covered Bangalore - Nagpur in 12 - 13 hours. I was like .

For me driving is pleasure, is relaxing, is being safe and entertaining throughout. If I get slightest of hint that body is under performing during those long drives, I just pull back in nearby hotel and take rest. I never had fixed plan to reach the destination in record time.

[anandjha]

Driving, akin to travelling, is addictive. The lure of roads, the fun of stopping anywhere in between, the joy of interacting with your family, recounting to your daughter the history of the places (NH2 is one big historical delight) is a heady concoction. Yes, you have to prepare to the T but don't be overcautious.

Having had my bag stolen in a bus in Tamil Nadu and fallen prey to roadside dacoity in Jharkhand in an acquaintance's car do give me and my wife jitters before we undertake any long drive but doesn't stop us from driving.

[kapursaket]

Mod Note : Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another on the SAME THREAD!.

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SS-Traveller,
The accessory to carry Fuel Load behind your Vehicle is available at Mayapuri Industrial area, infamous for selling Army disposal Vehicles and accessories. Best part is that they will recondition it to your choice and specification.

To predatorwheelz,
Many Thanks for your wonderful tips and advice, however following are my thoughts and concerns.

3. I reaffirm SST's claim (considering my professional dealings with the petrochemical industry) that true sub-50ppm diesel is not available in India

I agree with this contention but obtaining PUC with higher Sulphur content will be a challenge for Euro 4 Vehicles. Minor deviation is possible.

4. As a suggestion, avoid the drive. Take a Rajdhani to Mughal Sarai station, and a taxi to Varanasi. Both vehicles use BS3 diesel. Food for thought!

Good piece of advice but in wake of my passion to drive I may consider the alternate of my BS3 Toyota Innova from the Stable.

Driving on highways is undoubtedly an adventure but yes with a little prudence and planning for comfort it turns into a pleasure.

With my experience of adventure with pleasure driving on flawless Highways of New Zealand and Australia to Kuccha Roads of East Africa, Indian highway driving is somewhat in between the mentioned extremes.

I am sharing some photos from my album of the wannabe Highway driving of Auckland-Bay of Islands(Northern Most Point of New Zealand), Gold Coast-Sydney(Pacific Highway), Melbourne-12 Apostles(Great Ocean Drive) to the rudimentary tracks of East Africa Addis Ababa Ethiopia-Kenya Border.

[drive_factor]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

If certified and tested Euro-IV diesel with less than 50 ppm sulphur content is available in Delhi, could any BHPian kindly provide information regarding the availability of such an accessory as pictured below? Capacity of 100-200 litres should be sufficient, but higher capacity options will also be welcome. Preferred construction material is stainless steel, otherwise MS will do. Plastics are not to be considered.

Attachment 1207207

This is exactly what I was looking for. My 2005 Scorpio Euro II CRDE will thank me for this during our cross country drives mostly thro the GQ roads. I am sure the old girl wont mind pulling along the extra ton or half of dead weight. I think an extra section to carry potable water will be nice considering the pitiable hygienics outside our homes.

Do you think Aluminium will be a better material? Also, what safeguards needs to be implemented to prevent pilferage of fuel or poising of water? The highways are bad world to be in.

Speaking of bad fuel quality, I need to check my CRDI injectors. They are yet to be cleaned having done more than 260,000 Km.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by drive_factor

Do you think Aluminium will be a better material? Also, what safeguards needs to be implemented to prevent pilferage of fuel or poising of water? The highways are bad world to be in.

How about carbon-fibre ? It's light , stronger than steel, and one does not need to dig it out from Mayapuri - but can go to more suave upmarket showrooms which cater to customers with the latest wants and needs, and of course those that sport the latest in environmentally friendly cars.

Safeguards wise.... how about a guard armed with an AK-47 rifle, who can accompany as a passenger , and do duty , when the driver stops for meals , or sleep.

That would take care of most situations.

[kapursaket]

Moderator's Note: Do not make so many back to back posts. Use the Multiquote option to respond to multiple people.

All the back to back posts have been merged.

Many Thanks to BHPIANS for their valuable contribution in making my Delhi-Allahabad-Varanasi-Delhi round trip of 1640Km a Success.
Circumvented the impending Euro 4 Diesel issue by strictly adhering to Tankful at Kanpur City during onward and Return journeys. Soon after the elevated Kanpur Bypass there are some Good Petrol Bunks vending ULSD.

The only stretch which is impeding is Etawah -Kanpur with Diversions on every 1Km.Had to face a long traffic jam during return journey, just after the Elevated Kanpur Bye pass.

Best Stretch was Yamuna Expressway which was traversed in 1Hour 45 Minutes from First Toll to Third Toll at Jewar. Cruise Control was a boon and maintained 120Km/hr irrespective of varying road friction.

Allahabad Bye Pass is another Cake of 84Km but for high jumps on most of the Culverts.

Kanpur-Allahabad , has deep pot holes while crossing some villages and on one of such stretch there was an undercarriage kiss of my chevy despite extreme prudence and care. Trust me they have turned deep and wide with time and traffic.
Contemplating to pen down sson my experience of this trip in a separate blog for all those who are planning a pilgrimage to Prayag and Kashi.

Road on River Bed with Steel Plates, leading to Sangam Point

[rahul4640]

Just wish to inform all members, specially the regular users of NH-2 that I am back from a quick Calcutta-Gaya trip. I think that the road is somewhat repaired and most of the potholes in Asansol-Barakar section are gone, though the patchwork is uneven at few places. The road is decent in Jharkhand too. No traffic jam at Panagarh either. But as I drove at daytime, had to always remain alert for those unruly bikers. Took me nine hours to reach Bodhgaya, with adequate breaks.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

Took me nine hours to reach Bodhgaya, with adequate breaks.

How much time did it take you from NH-2 to Bodhgaya? How was the road condition on this final stretch?