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Drive between 45-55 Km/H |
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Drive slow and steady. The faster
you go, the more wind resistance your vehicle will face.
If you go at speeds above 60 Km/H, you will waste petrol.
Tests on Indian lorries prove that you can get up to 40
% extra mileage at 45-55 Km/H as against 80 Km/H. |
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Remember
Avoid accelerating or decelerating unnecessarily.
Avoid banking by anticipating stops and curves well
in advance.
Tests show that a reduction in speed leads to no appreciable
rise in commuting time. Much less than what most people
think. |
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| Keep your engine healthy |
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Tests on a large number of lorries prove
that you can save as much as 6% by tuning your lorry regularly.
If your engine emits black smoke, has poor pulling power
or consumes large quantities of oil, get it checked
immediately at a reputed garage. A delay, may prove
more expensive in terms of petrol and oil as compared
to the cost of an overhaul. |
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Remember
Use of bi-metallic spark plugs saves over 1.5% fuel
and reduces exhaust emissions too. Get your lorry serviced
at every 5000 kms. |
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Drive in the Correct Gear |
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Incorrect gear shifting can lead
to as much as 20% increase in fuel consumption. Start
your lorry in the 1st gear only, except if you are in
a muddy patch or going downhill then engage the 2nd
gear. |
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Remember
For city driving, change to a higher gear when you are
sure the engine will not struggle. Get into top gear
as soon as possible.
Use same gear for uphill and downhill journey.
It is advisable to follow the manufacturer's recommendation. |
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| Don't wait for your
lorry to warm up |
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Instead, drive in low gear till the
engine warms up. Use choke briefly only when necessary. |
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Remember
At 10°C and below, your fuel consumption per kilometer
doubles when you make trips of 5 kms or less. So combine
trips.
Do not park a lorry so that you have to reverse with a
cold engine This will consume more fuel.
Install engine-heating system (in cold regions) in your
lorry if it does not have one. |
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Good Braking Habits |
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Stop-and-go driving wastes fuel.
When you slam on the brakes, a lot of useful energy
is wasted in the form of heat. A good driver always
anticipates stops. |
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Remember
Test wheels for free rotation when your lorry is being
serviced. Binding of brakes restricts free wheel movement
and the engine consumes more petrol in order to overcome
resistance.
Check wheel alignment at regular intervals. |
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| Keep your Foot off the Clutch |
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| Use clutch only when
you change gears. Riding the clutch causes loss of energy
and damages clutch-linings. |
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Remember
Use your handbrake when stopped on an upgrade and don’t
forget to release it when restarting.
Don’t manipulate the clutch and accelerator to
stay stationary because it wastes fuel. |
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Clean Air Filter Regularly |
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Air filter prevents dust from Fouling
the engine. Dust causes rapid wear of engine components
and increases fuel consumption. |
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Remember
Cylinder bores wear out 45 times faster in engines without
air-cleaners
Clean air filters at every time-up. |
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| Watch Your Tyre Pressure |
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Under inflated tyres increase rolling
resistance, which leads to higher petrol consumption. |
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Remember
Tests show that a 25% decrease in tyre pressure can
cost you 5-10% more on petrol and 25% on tyre life.
Use radial tyres for 3-7% fuel economy, longer tyre
life and greater riding comfort. |
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When you stop your lorry, stop engine |
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Always keep your lorry ready to start.
Keep the battery, dynamo, self-starter and fan-belt
in good condition. This will ensure a quick start whenever
you need it. |
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Remember
Switch off the engine at stops of over 2 minutes. |
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| Use the Recommended grade
of oil |
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Check the lorry manual and oil manufacturer’s
recommendations, before using any particular grade of
oil. Always use multi-grade oil equivalent to SPCC/SGCC
type for added benefits. |
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Remember
Engine oil that is thicker than the recommended oil
can cause 2% increase in fuel consumption.
Change oil filter along with engine oil. |
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Plan Your Route |
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Rush hour, or stop-and-go traffic,
can waste fuel excessively. You will get more mileage
from each litre if you take a less congested route,
even though it is slightly longer. |
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Remember
Fuel consumption in a highly congested road can be double
the normal. |
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| Reduce Loads |
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Unnecessary loads increase fuel consumption.
Do you really need to carry the luggage rack? |
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Remember
A reduction of weight by 50 kg can lead up to 2% saving
in fuel, when driving in the city. Remember that overhead
racks increase wind resistance leading to higher fuel
consumption. |
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Share Your lorry-for lorry pools |
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Look for people who go in the same
direction as you. You can share your lorry and the costs. |
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| Plan Your Trips |
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Before you start on a trip, ask
yourself two questions:
Is this trip really essential?
Can I combine this trip with other trips in the same
direction? |
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