Entries from September 2007 ↓

Preamble
With the introduction of BS-II/Mpfi vehicles in the country by the year 2000, the then existing 87 Octane ‘Regular’ Unleaded Petrol was found wanting in more ways than one – especially it’s rather high gum and glue residues upon evaporation, leading to premature ‘arterial blockage’ kind of occurrences in these new generation ‘fuel-injection’ vehicles.

So enter the ‘Detergent-premixed’ Petrol’s with higher Octane ratings, with brand names such as ‘Speed’, ‘Power’ and ‘Premium’ and now – ‘Xtra-Premium’…

The trouble with our regular/unleaded Petrol, besides being highly prone to glue/gum residues, is that it’s hardly ever 87 O/R for whatever reason and the new breed claiming to be 90+ O/R promises to be no better, though it may be at least 87 O/R. Detergent ‘premixed’ Petrol is nothing new and has been around in the West for as long as I can remember. But over there, no body cheats the way they do it here and next to such Dispensers, there’s a ‘Warning’ that this Gasoline contains ‘Detergents’!

Regrettably, our PSU Oil Co’s did not advertise any such ‘Warnings’ at the time of their launch, as some unsuspecting motorists discovered it the hard way upon switching over to them after having used Regular/Unleaded for a few years.

Besides, the 3-Oil Co’s have also not bothered to give them a different PDS Kerosene like colour. So there’s no guarantee that the unscrupulous Retailers won’t make an extra fast buck by dishing out the usual trash in its guise. And by the time one realises this, the damage to one’s engine would have been done.

I have used these ones on my 7-yr/78 kkm old Santro/Mpfi in Delhi and have had no problems. In fact, my other 12+yr/75 kkm old ‘Carb’ type M800 definitely feels perkier with them and I’d attribute their higher Octane part to it. But then, from day one both had been run on Petrol Additives like System-G.

However, it’s true that with these new premium fuels, you don’t have to use PA’s also. However, a word of caution here…

If you have not been using any PA’s with Regular Unleaded Petrol so far but intend switching over to the ‘detergent-premixed’ types now, start with a full tank afresh. If you start it off say only with 5-10 lrs, there’s a strong possibility that all the previously accumulated muck in the System that’ll be dislodged by the detergents in the new petrol’s will find it’s way back into the Tank, choke the in-tank Fuel Pump’s intake filter and thus kill the Fuel Pump - costing > Rs: 5 k or so for most popular vehicles. Infact one Honda-City owner from Bangalore reported that he was charged 18k by the Honda Dealership for a replacement FP!

If the new generation/premium/90-91 Octane petrol’s with additives pre-mixed are available where you’re located, I’d suggest you switch over to them and see the difference. However, when you do that for the first time, please ensure the following:

1) You consume the existing fill upto ‘E’ level.

2) Fill to ‘F’ with the premium 90/91 Octane petrol.

3) Top-up again by the time you’re down to 3/4.

4) Repeat (3) above atleast twice - before reverting to your normal filling-up pattern.

This will ensure that the concentration of gums and glues, which the premium petrol will dislodge from the system, doesn’t go beyond the in-tank electric fuel pump’s capabilities. During some of the next issues, we’ll discuss some more interesting if not confusing issues like the ‘Fuel Efficiency’ vs ‘Fuel Consumption’ of a Car under its different operating conditions.

Preamble
Nowadays, almost all BS-II/III diesel vehicles are fitted with ‘Turbo-Chargers’. These come in different configurations, depending upon the design philosophy of the vehicle manufacturers. So let’s see what’s this Turbo-Charging all about……

Some Basics

1) In Turbo Charging, the exhaust energy of the flow-out gases is used to drive a small Turbine, to which is directly coupled a small Turbine type compressor. The output of this compressor is linked to the ‘Inlet Manifold’ of the Engine.

2) Such TC’s can easily be made to spin at speeds > 100,000 rpm - which enables their size to be compacted because for a given output, the device diameter is inversely proportional to its rpm.

3) When air is so compressed - especially in a TC where the adjoining Turbine section runs @ +500*C or so - being the exhaust gases temp. - the air delivered by it too comes out much hotter - say > 60*C.

4) Since an Internal Combustion Engine actually looks for the suitable ‘weight’ of Oxygen required to burn a matching weight of fuel, rather than temperature dependent volume, it’s desirable to limit its inlet air temps to ~ 30*C or so - for it to deliver its best thermal efficiency.

5) Therefore, to lower the TC delivered air Temp from ~ 60*C+ to ~ 30*C, it has to be cooled by passing it through a suitable ‘Radiator’ - just like the Engine Coolant System. Such an ‘Air-Cooling Radiator’ is called an ‘Inter-Cooler’, coz it’s an ‘intermediary’ between a TC and the Engine.

6) A well designed Turbo Charger/Inter-Cooler System can enable a Naturally Aspirated Engine of the same ‘cc’ deliver easily upto +30% Additional Power - PROVIDED the internals of it are suitably designed also, to handle such levels of power delivery. DIY enthusiasts trying to TC an existing/NA diesel would do well to keep the following in mind :

i) Get its ’static’ compression ratio down to 16-17:1 a/a normal 0f 22+:1.

ii) Also ensure that its vital internals like Crank/Bearings/Conrods/Clutch etc can withstand the additional 30% or so power over its ‘NA’ rating that TC will bring about.

All this/aforesaid is easier said than done, at least as a retrofit.

Some relevant QnA’s

Q1: I was wanting to know when does the turbo come on in the Verna, I mean at what rpm…they say its variable geometry turbo but I’m unsure when it comes on.
A1: Being a ‘VGT’, theoretically speaking the TC ‘cuts-in’ from idling speed upwards itself, like an ‘Alternator’ vis-à-vis ‘Dynamo’s of yore, but obviously not in full strength. The degree of boost keeps building up progressively upto the designed limit - usually + 5 psi over atmosphere. Most TC’s reach this level around 1750 rpm.

Q2: As per OHB instructions, when you stop the vehicle, they recommend a 1-minute ‘cooling off’ time for the TC and not sure whether in routine city use the TC comes in!!!
A2: Your understanding of it is not right. The 1-min wait is recommended for the TC to rev down ’safely’ from its normal 50,000 rpm+ to about 5 k-rpm or so at idling and not to cool down, without losing the pressurised engine oil lubrication system of which it’s an integral part. If one were to switch off the engine immediately after coming to a stop for good, as we do for petrol’s w/o TC’s, then there’s a good possibility that the TC bearings may seize. Likewise at start-up/take off, as is recommended for the rest of the engine, for oil circulation to set in fully incl the TC, as it stands to rev up to 50k rpm from ~ 5k rpm in no time.

Q3: Only if I rev hard do I feel a jolt sort of acceleration at times so how am I sure that when the car is going to halt and I kill the engine whether the TC was in use!!! Is there a way of finding it out.
A3: I think this is now covered in the above 2-explanations ?

Q4: I don’t know if i should worry so much on this!
A4: Just pause for ~30-60 secs after firing the engine first thing in the morning before taking off, and that too gently as always. Likewise when you’ve to switch off the engine for good. Diesels all over the world are kept on idle most times, incl traffic lights/jams, may be for this reason alone - not to mention sub-zero temps that turn diesel fuel into a jelly of sorts. For such s/z duties, diesel fuel tanks of heavy commercial vehicles have electric heaters in their fuel tanks, which have to be switched off before refuelling.

Preamble
My earlier submission on how to take off on a gradient evoked some interesting responses, from friends and ex-colleagues to whom I’d sent its URL from the e-HT. Here’s another one such set of exchanges…

Response #1
SKG, Driving and CEO’s need not at all be compatible! The only driving the CEO’s need to do is to drive their employees round the bend!! I know many CEO’s who have two drivers per car - one from 12 noon to 12 midnight and the other from 12 midnight to 12 noon. There is no knowing when the CEO has to rush out somewhere, e.g. to the airport to catch a plane to New York at two hours’ notice. His driving ability will not do him a fat lot of good under such circumstances - he is probably better off learning flying!! – Jeh.

My reaction
Jeh - thanks for the reaction. I guess it just depends on the context of a country one is talking about. Lemme elaborate…

Some years ago, mid-’80s to be precise, I took upon myself the task of teaching my 2-teenage daughters as to how to drive correctly, for what they’d learn off a local driving school with a permanent driving licence to boot was any thing but appalling.

In the process, I ended up writing a book of sorts, titled ‘Around the World in 80-days without a Flat Tyre’ (free e-copies of its draft available on request). The whole idea was to teach the girls how to take the bull by the horns, without getting hurt or hurting others in the process. They were made to read the proof of it independently, ostensibly to correct howlers but with an ultimate intention of getting some funda’s of a car into their heads.

Little wonder then, that the so called ‘book’ remains in a draft form till date, tho’ both manage to drive reasonably well 20+ years later/today - with some crashes in their respective driving cv’s. Its opening line of the chapter on ‘driving correctly’ goes like this…

“Prof. Peter Drucker is reported to have once remarked to a distinguished gathering of Business Managers from all over the world, that give me a ride in your car with yourself at the wheel and I will tell you what kind of a Manager you are”.

This statement to me conveys a lot of meaning. As on closer introspection, the way you drive and maintain your car, no matter whether provided by the employers or funded out of your own resources, speaks volumes of your attitude towards life in general and your managerial skills in particular. After all, a car responds to your commands, your road side manners and their consequences, whether pleasurable or otherwise, are entirely of your own making.

How well you maintain it to give you a reliable and uninterrupted service also indicates how well you run your business, by way of preventive measures to forestall unpleasant situations. Before one can effectively maintain and satisfactorily drive a car without inconveniencing oneself and others around him, it is but natural that one understands how exactly a car works - like trying to understand the intricacies of your business which you are expected to steer to satisfaction.

So, where does that leave us Jeh?! Money or corporate perks may be able to get you double shift drivers but not much above the ground in dear Peter’s esteem!

Counter reaction
Good point SKG, noted. Jeh.

Response #2
Bahut sahi darshaya hai aapne. In fact in Mumbai when I gave my driving test [having driven our Ambi exactly for 4 days prior to the test] the guy asked me to take off on a slope after a stop and had to do the same stuff without a handbrake as the Ambi’s hardly had any…. to boot ours had a slipping clutch too but I managed quite well. The guy finally asked me how long I had been driving as my temp license was only 3-mths old. He would not believe that it was only a week since I had started! In hindsight, I should not have mentioned the 1-week bit. But still 99% of the guys cannot take off smoothly on a slope even if they use the HB, and most times they are in the wrong gear as well – Cyrus.M.

My reaction
As far as driving goes Cyrus, it’s well said that either you have it in you or you don’t. I’ve seen highly successful Co. Directors/CEO’s making a complete Ass of themselves under such conditions :-0)

Counter reaction
With due respect to all the CEO’s SKG, I still stand by Prof. Drucker’s logic. I have applied it myself on some of my colleagues without letting them know of my intent and every time it comes up trumps. Cheers Cyrus.

Stafford, England, July 1959.

Sunny day. My mood very good after a hearty breakfast but just to spoil my sense of all well being, Dilip rushes into my room cursing ‘that SOB’, and headed straight for a beer. I said nothing, knowing Dilip wasn’t one to keep quiet for long.

Sure enough, after a few sips of beer Dilip said, “You know - that damned Jennings failed me again in my driving test today and that too for a stupid reason. He has done this to me for the third time!”

I felt sorry for Dilip but knew he must have done something wrong from Jennings’ viewpoint and retorted “Tough luck, Dilip. Not for the same reason as on previous occasions, I guess?”

“No, first time he failed me because when he asked me to reverse the car, the road was narrow and I had to maneuver it back and forth and in that process I hit the kerb stones a few times. He had also asked me to stop at some point and I pulled up without caring for the NO PARKING sign at that point. So he found fault with me for that too. He said I should not have obeyed his foolish instructions!

The next time he asked me to reverse into a lane which we were just passing and when I did so, he found fault with me for not looking left into the lane as I passed it to make sure there was no vehicle parked at the entrance to the lane or if any car was coming down the lane.

Today he asked me to stop the car on a road with steep gradient and then asked me to get going again. He failed me this time because I rolled back a little bit, just a foot or two, before moving forward. I am actually beginning to think that Jennings is racist and that is why he is harassing me”.

“Was that the only reason for him to fail you this time?”

Dilip thought for a while and said “Well, no. Jennings was also not happy with my passing a zebra crossing when there was a pedestrian standing on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the road. He said the pedestrian always has a right of way at zebra crossings and even if he hadn’t actually stepped on to the zebra patch, I should have respected his right and stopped the car till he crossed the road. How silly!”

I did not agree with Dilip at all, but got worried a bit about Dilip’ s failure because I was myself due to take a test the following month. Anyway, I tried to comfort Dilip by telling him that I know of people who have cleared driving tests in their 4th, 5th or even 6th attempt and he may not be fair in accusing Jennings of racism. Don’t you know that Mr. Sen got through last month in only his second attempt?”

Stafford, August 1959, The Big Day.

Contrary to my fears, I cleared my test today in the first attempt. I did not commit any of the mistakes that Dilip did (am I grateful to him for forewarning me!). But Mr. Jennings did cause some worry by repeatedly accusing me of being hard of hearing, when I did not heed a police message, which he said was clearly audible.

The police that day were piloting a 24-double wheel low bed trailer truck carrying a massive transformer and hailing all traffic to get on to the foot path to allow the truck to pass. I did so only belatedly, perhaps after the third message.

I countered Mr. Jennings’ accusation by telling him bluntly that I was not deaf, but certainly nervous and that he too may have acted the way I did if the roles had been reversed. He had merely grunted then, and I thought I had cooked my goose. So it was a pleasant surprise to me when, at the end of the test, he pulled out a pre-printed pink slip from his pocket, signed it and gave it to me saying “You can pick up your licence on Wednesday next”.

I asked him incredulously, “Are you passing me, then?” He looked at me grimly and said, with typical British seriousness, “If you are unhappy, I can fail you even now, you know”. Suddenly he flashed a bright smile, thrust the slip in my hands, and said “Good luck with your driving! Be a careful and considerate driver always” and walked off. Whew! To think I was only the second Indian in Stafford in several years to clear the driving test in the first attempt, after my senior colleague Mr. Natarajan who made it in 1957!

47 years on, Bangalore, November, 2006

Returning home from a wedding and had just turned into Queens Road from M G Road after the cop had waved me on. Suddenly a big thud and my windscreen broke into a million pieces and an old man, his wife, grandchild and a scooter, all lay sprawled on the road.

Fortunately no serious injury to any of them, though a crowd soon gathered around us as is usual and a roughneck from among them demanded that I summon an ambulance, take the two-wheeler-riding-family to a hospital and pick up the tab for their medical treatment.

My protests fell on deaf ears, but fortunately the cop who was witness to the accident intervened and proclaimed that I was not at fault because the old man had jumped the signal. The crowd melted away, but much to my chagrin, I discovered the old man had no driving licence, nor did the scooter have any papers!

For some strange reason, I remembered Dilip and Jennings then and thought to myself “Mr. Jennings, you took so much care to ensure Dilip became a safe driver; where are the ‘Jennings’s’ who will put people like this old man to the grind that Dilip went through?”

Post Script:

Dilip got his licence on his fourth attempt, continued to drive badly (without accidents, though) until he died some 8 years ago. Innumerable have been the times that I lamented the rotten standards of our driving schools, the incompetent RTOs who dish out licences freely to people who are willing to bribe their way, the apathy of the people and the police alike in bringing about disciplined driving. As for me, I ‘forgave’ the old man (who seemed to be penurious) to avoid police formalities and was poorer by some 16 K, the depreciation amount disallowed by the Insurance company.

Oh, Mr. Jennings, why didn’t you check me out also to see if I could dodge the road mongers of Bangalore?!