Night driving tips

Accident fatality rates are three times higher at night. The seriousness of the situation cannot be ignored. Read these useful tips to stay safe on the road at night.

Driving at night is very different and more difficult than driving during the day. Merely turning on the headlamps after dark does not take care of all the elements of driving at night. Driving at night is also more tiring than driving during the day because the driver has to pay more attention while driving. Here are a few useful tips to be kept in mind for the next time you head out for a drive at night.

Prepare your car for night driving

1. Clean all headlamps, fog lamps, indicators and tail lights.
2. Ensure that all the lights on the car are working. 
3. Clean the windshield and all other windows from the inside as well as from the outside so that you can see out of the car clearly. Cleaning from the inside ensures that light from outside does not cause glare inside the car disturbing your vision of the road.
4. Clean all the rear view mirrors of the car to avoid glare and fudgy vision.
5. Ensure that the air conditioning is working properly in case it is going to be needed.
6. Ensure that the rear view mirrors do not direct headlight beams onto your face. Change the rear view mirror to night setting.

Tips for driving at night

1. Avoid driving fast at night as the lack of light further reduces your visibility and reduces your reaction time.
2. Do not use high beam at vehicles which are on high beam as it reduces both your and its visibility resulting in higher chances of an accident.
3. Avoid looking at lights directly as they reduce your vision after that for a while.
4. Always use low beam while driving in the fog and use fog lamps aswell if your car is equipped with them.
5. Do not drive with the interior light on as it hampers your vision outside the vehicle.
6. Driving at night is more tiring so ensure there is adequate ventilation in the car and take frequent breaks to reduce fatigue and improve concentration.
7. Do not drink and drive as it impairs your visibility.
8. Avoid smoking in the car as nicotine present in cigarettes hampers vision.
9. Drive at an average speed and increase following distance from the car in front to increase your reaction time.
10. In case of a breakdown park your car off the road and put on the hazard lights and parking lights to alert other drivers about the presence of your vehicle.
11. Use the sunvisior against bright street lamps.
12. Do not use fog lamps when there is no fog.
13. Keep the headlights in low beam while following a vehicle in front. This will let the other driver be comfortable while driving.
14. Ensure that the driver has had enough sleep before going for a night drive.
15. Avoid flashing the lights at oncoming traffic as it hampers their vision.
16. Do not honk to overtake a vehicle at night flash the lights from behind the car.
17. Be alert and look for flashing lights to identify stationary vehicles on the road.

Follow these night driving tips to stay safe on the road and avoid the risk of an accident while travelling at night. Drive safe.

Oversteer

Oversteer is a term used to define the loss of vehicle control while going around a corner when the back wheels lose traction and causes the car to spin. Read on to find out how to avoid oversteer and control oversteer if needed.

Oversteer takes place when the car turns more than the driver intended to causing the rear wheels to slide and the car to spin. Oversteer is more common on rear wheel drive cars. Oversteer happens when a car enters a corner too fast or accelerating too hard in a corner or braking into a corner/braking too hard in a corner or lifting off the throttle while in the corner. Because the drive is coming from the rear wheels the power is still being put down on the road while the driver can steer the car to the desired level but this can cause the rear wheels to lose traction as the car is turning too much. In this case, to an observer it will look like the driver is turning the car more than needed while taking the corner. Oversteer is caused due to different reasons in cars with different types of engine layout.

Front engine rear wheel drive cars

Cars that have the engine located in the front have more weight on the front wheels increasing traction on them. While the rear wheels which transfer the power of the car onto the road have less traction in relation to the front wheels. As a result the rear wheels lose traction when too much acceleration is induced. This causes the car to turn more than intended and can end up in a spin. In case of braking in a corner the weight shifts to the front wheels which results in less traction on the rear wheels, which again can cause the car to turn too much or spin.

Rear engine rear wheel drive

Cars that have the engine over the rear axle which transfers the power to the rear wheels of the car can oversteer because the rear wheels are transferring the power onto the road and they also have more traction due to the weight of the engine on them. This is good, except that there is less weight on the front wheels which means they have less traction. As a result, the front wheels lose grip while going too fast around a corner causing the car to spin off course.

The symptoms of oversteer are as follows

·        The rear wheels lose traction and the back of the vehicle feels light due to the lack of grip.

·        The car starts to spin causing the driver to face the inside of the corner.

 There are two types of factors which cause understeer in a car

Passive factors at work (the natural properties of the car)

• Weight distribution (front or rear bias)
• Engine and drive layout
• Suspension & chassis setup
• Tyre type, wear and pressures

Passive factors also play a big role in determining the limit at which a car will oversteer. A lot of research and development is done for a car so that the tendency of a car to oversteer is reduced. 

Active factors involved (the way the car is being driven)

• Cornering speed
• Throttle
• Braking
• Steering inputs
• Weight transfer

Correcting oversteer

If the car enters the corner too fast the best way to correct over steer is to gently reduce throttle and if needed very lightly touch the brakes. This will reduce the speed of the vehicle smoothly and the car can come out of the corner in a composed manner. Also it will not result in a sudden weight transfer between the front and rear axles of the car, thereby helping the car to remain composed. Or the driver can balance the throttle and adjust the steering input consistently to drift the car out of a corner, a move only experienced drivers can pull off.

If the car is oversteering turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction to which the car is turning, thus an attempt can be made to keeping the car pointed in the direction in which it is supposed to go. This move is known as the opposite lock. The braking and throttle input have to be balanced too in order to pull off the move.

The best way to avoid oversteer is to enter a corner at a speed which the vehicle can carry, thus making it a safe drive around a corner. As the driver does not have to change the throttle input also the driver does not have to brake while taking the corner and the car will go around the corner in a normal manner.

 Drive safe

           

Understeer

Drivers experience the inability to steer a car in a corner due to a number of reasons. This inability to steer is called understeer. Read on to find out how to avoid understeer and control understeer if needed.

Understeer is a term used when a car loses its ability to steer while going around a corner. The front wheels of the car lose traction and steering ability forcing the car to go wide on a bend even while trying to apply the correct steering action. To an observer it will look like the driver has not turned the steering wheel enough for taking the corner. This happens as the front wheels are carrying speed at which steering inputs are limited because the wheels are busy putting the car’s power down onto the road and trying to make it go forwards faster. Also braking in a corner causes the weight of the car to shift to the front wheels which further reduces the ability to steer the car. Understeer is more common on front wheel drive cars as the front wheels have to do the steering and put the driving power on the road.

These are two types of factors which make a car understeer

Active factors involved (the way the car is being driven)

• Cornering speed
• Throttle
• Braking
• Steering inputs
• Weight transfer

Passive factors involved (the natural properties of the car)

• Weight distribution
• Drive layout
• Suspension & chassis setup
• Tyre type, wear and pressures

Passive factors also play a big role in determining the limit at which a car will understeer. A lot of research and development goes into developing cars so that these factors can are minimized. 

Understeer is likely to happen when accelerating too hard in a bend or while braking into a corner or while driving into a corner much too fast or on slippery road conditions such as rain, snow or oil.

The symptoms of understeer are:

1.      Tyre noise from the front wheels.

2.      Losing the ability to steer.

3.      Drifting towards the outside of the corner.

Correcting Understeer

Understeer can be controlled when it is taking place by reducing the acceleration of a car which will allow the driver to correct the steering input while cornering.

Reducing braking when understeer happens also allows for greater steering ability around a corner. Be careful of balancing the braking and steering forces to avoid an accident and make it out of the corner in as smooth a manner as possible.

The best way to avoid understeer is to go into a corner at an average speed so that adequate steering inputs can be fed to the car to make it go around a corner in a smooth manner. In this case the driver does not have to apply the brakes as there is enough traction to keep the car on course and at the same time the driver does not have to change the throttle inputs because the car is moving at a pace in which it can go around the corner without losing traction between the tyres and the road.

Car battery care tips

The most crucial component of a car, the battery, which gets it moving is often ignored or overlooked. This can prove to be costly and troublesome on the road. Do not take a car battery for granted.

The battery in a car cranks the engine when the key is turned in the ignition. So, no matter how well the car is maintained. If the battery is not treated correctly the car will not get on the road. Taking care of the battery is simple, easy and inexpensive. Read the following tips to keep the battery in your car always ready to crank.

1. Turn off electric devices in the car. Take the key out of the ignition.
2. Prior to handling your car batteries remove all kinds of metal accessories from your body such as watches with metal straps, metal jewellery like bracelets, bangles, rings, etc. to prevent short-circuit if these items by chance touch the positive terminal of the battery.
3. Clean the top of the battery with solution of a cup of water and a tablespoon of baking soda. Use an old toothbrush to remove corrosion and build up from the battery posts and cables.
4. A battery meter can be used to test the voltage of the battery, if it reads 12.5 volts the battery is fine. If it’s lower the battery is undercharged and needs to be charged.
5. Remove the covers of the battery cells, and make sure that the wells are at least half full with electrolyte fluid. If the fluid is low fill the wells up with distilled water. Let the distilled water mix with the electrolyte fluid for a while before starting the car.
6. Use only distilled water as tap water will eventually reduce the battery’s potential.
7. Choose the right kind of battery for the weather conditions in which the car will be driven the most.
8.  If the headlight beam turns yellowish it’s time to charge the battery or have it replaced all together.
9.  If the ignition takes a while to crank the car and the key has to be held in the start position for a bit before the engine starts, it’s time to get a new battery.

Take the following steps to ensure long battery life for your car

1. Do not leave the headlights on for a long time after the engine has been turned off.
2. Do not leave the key in the ignition of the car overnight as some electrical devise may remain on and can discharge the battery by the morning.
3. Never let rust remain on the battery terminals for too long.
4. Do not leave interior lights on overnight, make sure all lights have been turned off and any other electrical accessories have been turned off before locking the car.
5. Car batteries have a limited life span. Check the lifespan of your car battery and have it replaced before the lifespan comes to an end.
6. If the car is not going to be used for a long time. Disconnect the battery from the car hand remove it from the car altogether. This ensures that the battery will not get discharged when the vehicle is not used.

Maintaining a battery and monitoring the health of the battery will ensure that there will never come a situation when the car will not start at the traffic lights and cause you embarrassment. Or worse get you stuck in the middle of nowhere and help is not at hand. Never ignore the importance of maintaining a car battery as it will cost more to buy a new battery rather than maintaining an old one.

Who nicked the rear spoiler?

 We want outrageous, we want cool, we want impractical!!!

There was a time when C segment sedans in the country came with cool rear spoilers. And not just any model was endowed with the rear spoiler, no. It was always the top model variants which were bestowed with a spoiler at the back, albeit, some of those spoilers may not have been real. Some of them were flimsy bits of plastic stuck on top of the boot lid. But that’s not the point the point is that it made the cars look faster and meaner than all the other lot. It made them stand out of the crowd. It was the early 2000s then and if Michael Schumacher could have a wing on the back of his car, so could you.

                                          Honda City Vtec

The cars that are being referred to here are the Honda City Vtec, Hyundai Accent Tornado, Ford Ikon1.6 and the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. These were cars for the automobile enthusiasts in the country.  A niche that seems to have faded away into oblivion, while the dreaded 3 cylinder petrol engine seems to be the buzz of the town in the current scenario. Cars within the 10 lakh price bracket have become boring and dull. They are all the same with no real difference to create a unique identity like in the past.

                                          Maruti Suzuki Baleno Vxi

Ofcourse, there is the Fiesta 1.6, but the spoiler on that is slim enough to be mistaken for an extra coat of paint. Ford however has provided a pretty neat body kit. Then again Ford is bringing in the next generation Fiesta to India. The problem with that is the fluid design concept which according to me should be confined to home decor or whatever else. Let cars look like cars and not like stupid fishes. I know it helps to protect pedestrians in the event of a crash, but let’s face it, people are not supposed to be in front of moving cars anyway!!

                                          Ford Ikon 1.6 Sxi

In essence, what I’ am asking for here is an outrageous looking, fun to drive, practical family car. Modern cars can have rear spoilers built into the boot lid itself, which is fine for luxury cars. But the C segment isn’t the place for such sobriety. After all, every Dad has the right to feel like a 20 year old while driving back from a day in the office. Men always want to feel like boys again and having a ride which helps them feel so is a great marketing opportunity. So, wake up you car designers and think about your childish dreams, then go draw them!! There is a reason why supercars and hypercars exist in this so called green movement. We want outrageous, we want cool, we want impractical!!!

                                                      Hyundai Accent Tornado

Give us big rear spoilers and outrageous body kits and mad colour options. Ofcourse they are impractical, you can’t see out the back very well for example, because that big spoiler is on the way. But that’s the whole point of it anyway. There will always be a little boy in every Man.

Fast Five - the machines

The latest Fast and the Furious movie is up for release at the other end of this week. Here is a look at some of the machines that are going to be racing between the edges of the big screen this weekend.

1966 Ford GT40

The original GT40 that was built to annihilate Ferrari at Le mans. In 1962 Enzo Ferrari was trying to sell Ferrari and Mr Ford was right up there to have the whole cake. Then at the last moment Mr Ferrari decided to back out of the deal. This made Henry Ford very angry and he told his designers to build a car that would annihilate the Ferraris on the track.

What they came back with was the GT40 which won Le Mans four times on the trot. Today the GT40 is back in production and because it costs so much less than the established range of supercars it is called the blue collar working class hero. Let’s see if the movie can do the car justice.

1966 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was launched by General Motors in 1963. Chevy raced it in the 1962 Riverside Grand Prix only to see that the much lighter Shelby Cobra was way ahead.  GM's Engineer Zora Duntov, the father of all performance Corvettes, knew a lighter Stingray would be needed immediately and thus the Grand Sport was conceived.

The 1966 Stingray had received a facelift with an eggcrate grill. It came with two engine options a V8 390 bhp and a V8 425bhp engine. As for the Grand Sport edition only three were ever made as information leaked and the project was brought to a halt.

1970 Dodge Charger

Powered by a HEMI engine it was the king of muscle cars in the era. The one in the movie comes with an optional three double barrel carburettors in hood cut out mode. This option was known as the 440 six pack. It was also massive in size and made any other car look puny. If you wanted to drag race between the lights you either had a Dodge Challenger or you didn’t. The challenger also featured in the original Fast and Furious movie. We guess it’s Dom’s same one that is back. Hope there is race between the lights again.

1970 Ford Maverick

The Maverick was Ford’s replacement of the Falcon. It was a two door rear wheel drive muscle car. It was designed to be inexpensive to build and own. In 1970 a muscle car themed package called the Grabber was introduced. The package included unique graphics and trim, it also came with a spoiler. Within two years of existence it outsold the Ford Mustang by a significant number. Its popularity as an affordable pony car justifies its presence in the movie from the muscle car era. 

1972 Nissan Skyline

The Nissan Skyline is a car enthusiast still look to buy. It is a craze amongst performance car enthusiasts and street racers worldwide. Ever present in the street racing scene the already fast car is always made to go quicker with upgrades. Some Skyline models were sold in GTR variant had significantly higher power upgrades compared to the standard car. It is known for its trademark round taillights. Nissan started production of the Skyline in 1957 and continues to sell it till date. Today it is known as the Nissan GTR.

1972 Pantera Detomaso

The Pantera which is Italian for panther was creative mix of American muscle, Italian engineering and an Argentinean racing driver. One cannot help but mention that a lot of the design cues look like those on Lamborghinis of the time. The engine which was from a Ford Mustang featured deep-breathing heads patterned after the very successful Boss 302 design with 4-barrel carburetion. The engine was mated to a ZF fully synchronized 5-speed transaxle from the Ford GT40. The car featured a limited slip differential and had 310 BHP on tap.

1996 Toyota Supra

The Toyota Supra is a legend amongst motoring enthusiasts. The car had great looks, great engines and great handling. In short it was the perfect street racing machine. The kind of modifications that went into the car were out of the world. The 320 BHP engine could be tuned to deliver in excess of 500 BHP. In short it was a tuner's all time high. What made the Supra different from cars of its time were the amount of features it came laden with, it made the competition look barren. The Toyota Supra was a proper Petrolhead’s car and always will be.

Dodge Challenger 2010

The 2010 Dodge Challenger has a sound that can start earthquakes. It sounds like a proper muscle car. It looks like a sinister henchman. And it definitely drives like a proper muscle car. The original challenger was born in the muscle car era while the current car is born in the hybrid era. Kudos to Dodge for stepping out of line. Of course the car is not as big as the original but just look at it. The car has a long waiting list of customers and the movie is only going to make that list longer. And let’s not forget the Challenger featured in the epic film Vanishing Point, the movie really has a lot hanging on its shoulders.

Lexus LFA 2010

Lexus as a brand makes impeccable and boring executive cars. The LFA however steps out of the boring line and runs from the line to the other end of the field before anyone can say Lexus. The V8 engine is only the size of a V6. But the most amazing thing about it however is the way it revs. Get this, the engine picks up and loses revs so quickly that an analogue rev counter would simply break, so they had to fit a virtual computer controlled LCD rev counter. Forget the speed of the thing and everything else, for that reason alone the LFA deserves to be in the movie.

Ducati Streetfighter

A slice of Italian passion in the form of the Ducati Streetfighter features in the movie. The Streetfighter's Superbike soul combines street fighter attitude and naked sophistication to create pure adrenaline. Ducati’s naked street bike takes a stripped out bare essentials motorcycle and puts it in a blender with state of the art race technology. The exhaust note of the Ducati in the movie is sure to make men feel like boys again. 

Do It Yourself Car Maintenance – Engine bay cleaning

Keeping your car spic and span on the inside and out gives you a feeling of satisfaction and pride on driving a well maintained car. But what if a friend wants to check out the motor under the hood which provides an impressive drive? It should look spic and span under the hood. Here is how to keep the engine bay looking fresh.

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.