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Maintenance and driving tips

Drive Safely and Judiciously. Remember Safety First.

Depress clutch pedal fully before shifting gears. This will ensure longer synchrocone life.

For smooth starting of vehicle without jerks, synchronise release of clutch pedal with pressing of accelerator pedal.

Start the vehicle in first gear only

Change gear at appropriate speed and do not lug the engine by too early shifting to higher gear at low speeds.

While driving...for better fuel economy

Avoid Excessive Idling:
Stop the engine and start again, if you have to wait for more than a minute while you have stopped.

Avoid fast starts & unnecessary stops: Start off slowly to prevent increased fuel consumption. Avoid unnecessary deceleration (stopping or slowing down) and than acceleration which uses more fuel. Anticipate stops.

Avoid frequent gear shifting:
Change gears at appropriate gear change speeds. Do not shift into reverse gear when the car is moving forward or when the engine is not at idling r.p.m.A 5-second pause after declutching will ensure smooth engagement of the reverse gear.

Fuel economy speeds (kmph)
Gear	Indica (Diesel)	Indica (Petrol)	Sumo	Safari
1st to 2nd	15	10	20	25
2nd to 3rd	25	20	35	40
3rd to 4th	40	30	60	65
4th to 5th	60	40	80	95

Avoid riding Clutch pedal:

Avoid driving with your foot resting on the clutch pedal as it may cause clutch slippage, resulting in more fuel consumption and premature wearing of the clutch. Your car has a withdrawal design and maximum torque gets transmitted when the pedal is fully released.

Always maintain clean air-cleaner:
The amount of air supplied will reduce due to clogged air cleaner, resulting in waste of fuel due to incomplete combustion.

Avoid incorrect tyre pressures:
Under inflated tyres results in result in increased running resistance of the tyres, leading to wastage of fuel

Avoid unnecessary use of Air Conditioner:
Your car has been provided with AC and ventilator systems with trouble free performance. Though your AC gives you travel comfort, it comes with added fuel costs.

Following are some instructions, which will help you in improving fuel economy.
Always switch-off the AC when starting from rest.
Do not operate AC when the heater is ON.
Avoid using AC in fresh air mode. This will lead to mixing of outside air with cool air inside thereby reducing cooling effect.
Switch on the AC for 5 min. in a week during winter.

Driving under Adverse conditions

Avoid driving through water:
Never venture to drive through water when it flows above the stone guard or above the tyre centerline. The engine may get seriously damaged if attempts are made to cross through deep water.

If at all the situation demands that you have to drive through water even at great risk then,
- Keep the engine in fast idling and crawl in low gear.
- Keep the engine in fast idling and crawl in low gear.
- Check the engine and transaxle for any water ingress.

Do not attempt to start the engine if the car gets flooded due to water

Tow the car to a safe place.
Take the car to the nearest Authorized Service outlet to check for entry of water in the engine.
Lubricants in the engine and transaxle need to be changed in case of water entry.

Driving on a Rainy Day

Check wiper blades for proper functioning
Check brakes, steering and windows.
Check tyres for wear and tyre pressure. Worn out tyres are unsafe on wet roads.
Avoid harsh braking and sharp turns. It may cause loss of steering control and lead to the car skidding.
For slowing down, shift to lower gears and apply brakes gently.
Keep lights on if visibility is poor.
Use heater and demister if required to clear off mist on the windshield.

Night Driving

Dip the head lamp for oncoming traffic during night driving.
Maintain a speed such that you can stop within illuminated distance of the head lamps.
Use head lamp main/dip beam to alert other users on turns / cross roads, etc.
Use side indicators to indicate lane change or turning.
Put on hazard warning switch in case of hazardous parking or if your car is disabled to warn passing traffic. Put on the fog lamps (for Delux version) if required.

Climbing Sharp Gradients

Select the lower gear and start off smoothly. Apply power gently so there is no loss of traction by over-revving of the engine.
Choose as smooth a slope as possible and select the appropriate gear so that gear changing in the middle of climb is not required. Changing gears in the middle of the climb can cause loss of momentum and engine stalling. Shifting to lower gear has to be done cautiously to avoid loss of traction.
Under no conditions should the vehicle be moved diagonally across a hill. The danger is in loss of traction and sideways slippage, possibly resulting in tipping over. If unavoidable, choose as mild an angle as possible and keep the vehicle moving.
If the wheels starts to slip within few feet of the end of the climb, motion can be maintained by swinging the steered wheels left and right, thereby providing increased grip.
If the vehicle stalls or losses headway while climbing a steep hill, make a quick shift to reverse and allow the vehicle to move back with the control of engine compression.

Descending Sharp Gradients

Select the lower gear and depending on the severity of the gradient, shift into appropriate gear. Use engine braking judiciously without over revving the engine.
Brake application under such situations should be done very smoothly to avoid loss of control. Select appropriate gear so that gear changing or clutch disengagement is not involved while descending the gradient.

Towing the Vehicle

For towing a car, the best way is to use a cracker.
Alternatively use a rigid tow bar.
Avoid using a flexible cable or rope as your car may crash into the car towing your car when it stops suddenly.
Switch "ON" the hazard warning signals of both the cars to warn other road users.
Where possible, keep the engine idling so that power steering assistance and brake vaccum are available.
Limit the speed to 20 - 30 kmph.
In case of brake failure, use the parking brake to control the car.

Rear Tow Hook

Boltable tow hook is provided in the toolkit.
Remove cover on rear bumper.
Bolt the tow hook (ensure proper fitment)
Whenever tow hook is not required unscrew the tow hook and keep it in toolkit.
Press the cover to close the hole for tow hook in rear bumper.

Driving Safety

Avoid high speed and shortcuts
Higher speeds narrow down the driver's visual image and eventually make it difficult to anticipate any hazards and may result in loss of control. Drive safely and judiciously. Keep a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid braking suddenly. Avoid shortcuts which may be congested and sometimes end up in taking longer time.
Seat Belt
Seat belts are life saving equipment and their use reduces the chance of injury and severity of injury in case of an accident. It is strongly recommended that all the car occupants should always wear seat belt, while car is in motion.
Warning
If the vehicle is fitted with air bags, the air bag is a supplementary restraint system and can only provide intend protection when the seat belts are worn.
Influence of Alcohol
Avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Alcohol and drugs will severely impair your control on the vehicle and increase the risk of injury to yourself and others.
Non use of mobile phones
Avoid using mobile phones while driving a car. This could divert your attention from road and result into an accident.
Fatigue ‘Rest Revive Survive’
Do not attempt driving when you feel tired or sleepy. Long distance driving can tire you very much and fatigue can dull your reflexes and judgement. Take a break and get refreshed at intervals.
Advance Warning triangle
There is an advance warning triangle provided along with your vehicle. In case there is a breakdown and the vehicle is parked at the side of road, then the triangle is to be kept as the instructions given below.
Remove advance warning triangle from case and assemble.
Place the triangle on the road behind the vehicle when it stranded on the road. The triangle must be at least 50 meters behind the vehicle in the same lane of traffic.
Increase the distance to 150 meters on the highway or if a bad/hill top obscures the view.

Apart from the above practice, the following are good habits to cultivate.

Always start the car from hat, in the first gear.

Switch off the AC and all other accessories while starting from rest.

Do not ride the clutch or drive with half clutch, instead use-parking brake if required on gradient.

Have engine properly tuned, particularly for anti-stall setting.

Maintain the engine and fuel system properly.

Maintain correct tyre pressure.