Driving Tips From Gurus To Beginners Like Me

[kannan]

Out of curiosity!
my old car 800, 5speed, had Ceat tires (earlier Appolo) and stock 12" rims. in that car i never experienced a tyre skid or tyre slip on muddy grass etc or anywhere. infact the grip on all conditions was very good
bu with my wagonr with stock r14 tyres i am experiencing tyre slip in grassy area with mud, and in gravel when getting back to tar road. what could be the reason. i can only accelerate and ease my foot off the throttle then only with the momentum the car passes through the grass otherwise it just spins.

 

[sramanandi]

Though I have already completed a driving class recently at some road side driving school, I am thinking of going with another driving classes with Maruti motor training school. Do you think that it will make any difference ?

 

[350Z]

Yes. Maruti Suzuki Driving School is much professional and far better than road side ones who just offer a crash course lesson. Have a look at their website. They offer various courses depending upon the skills of a learner: :: Maruti Driving School ::

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[TSIVipul]

Well,when I learnt driving I was just 14 and the person who taught me driving was our own chauffeur whom I consider as one of the best drivers in the world because in his hands we have never ever seen what a dent or accident is(touch wood).Some five years back,he gave me some rules and tips which I have been following and today I have driven somewhere about 1.5 lac kms overall(I hope this is enough experience)and is still driving happy,so the rules and tips are as follows:-
1):On your very first day with any car it may be,first of all take your time and check out the position of everything like gear lever,clutch,brakes etc etc.
2):Before moving,its better you just try using clutch and accelerator and changing gears for 1-2 minutes,this will give you rough idea of what happens and how it happens.
3):Since you are new,so you have to be quite more attentive than others and must never ever try to speed up or follow any car closely.As in the panic braking situation you may fail.
4):Drive in lower gears and switch to higher ones only when you see an empty stretch.
5):Driving in lower gears will not bog down the car as well as engine braking is good too.
6):Never give sudden steering inputs.
7):Never ever brake very hard,it will make an accident that could easily have been avoided unavoidable.
8):In the rain or slippery roads,never speed up and same way never brake hard.Be light on gas pedal,brakes as well as steering wheel too.
9):If you are trapped in any waterlogged road then never leave the gas pedal,as if your engine RPMs will come down,then they will automatically fell and the car will stall.so keep in mid range at any cost.If it stalls,then try to start is at just the same time,it it doesn't start in 2-3 seconds long self then just leave it and don't try to start it.
10):Always try to keep up with the traffic speed once you are a novice as it is the safest.
11):Don't play with clutch especially when you are climbing an incline.
12):Be confident wherever you drive and be just at your decisions.
Example:If you have decided to overtake a vehicle then do it if the road is empty and never leave the attempt in middle untis its an emergency.

 

[EnfieldRyder]

While releasing clutch make sure your back of left leg is on the ground, and you are controlling the clutch with upper toes.
The leg should be in an inclined position, with back of leg on floor of car.

My Mama had a Zen which is sold now, when I was driving on it as part of my learning I observed many a times that my left foot was in the air & the toe on the clutch pedal, the clutch was kinda weird that was a different story anyway, I always had discomfort driving a Zen due to my long legs not sure about other cars, however if at all in the future if this happens again how can I correct it?

2):Before moving,its better you just try using clutch and accelerator and changing gears for 1-2 minutes,this will give you rough idea of what happens and how it happens.

TSIVipul by trying to change gears & using clutch & accelerator, you mean we do this when the car is not in motion & engine is not running? doesn't this have an effect on the gear & the clutch box? I used to do this on the Fiat which he owned before.

 

[TSIVipul]

TSIVipul by trying to change gears & using clutch & accelerator, you mean we do this when the car is not in motion & engine is not running? doesn't this have an effect on the gear & the clutch box? I used to do this on the Fiat which he owned before.

Well this will not have any effect,and if you try it on a stationary car then this will really help you too,how?
As you will be knowing what is where and what to press when.
Secondly,it does not cause any harm to any part and also you are not going to try it for more than 2-3 days as after that it will get learnt itself.

 

[slow driver]

my car jerk and stops in hill climbing. what do i do?

 

[mukeshus]

my car jerk and stops in hill climbing. what do i do?

Do put a L board at the back (Right side) & front (Left side).

What i said the other day, your left base of foot should be on floor, and try to press the clutch with toes.
In an inclined position.

What i feel you are doing is, as soon as you release some clutch , you will accelerate and try to move the car.

Try this thing, when you release clutch i.e half clutch.

The car will neither move forward nor back in an gradient, at that point you should think of accelerating.

Try this in the night, when the vehicles are less and in less congested roads.
When you drive in congested areas, make sure some one is there at the left seat for navigation, moral support, or for waiving hand.

 

[sramanandi]

First gear is like first night, no matter how much you try, it doesnt workout for a newbe :)
I learned driving for 21 days and still first gear is a pain, I just dont get confidence to take my swift on road.

 

[vinesh580]

Thanks for so many tips guys !

First i felt difficulty to drive with out the view of the bonnet but now i am getting used to it, yet not mastered that. any tips for that ?

Finished 100 km of driving totally in car for the past 4 days. Feeling great

 

[slow driver]

mukeshus thank you. somebody told me to use lower gear in climbing. is it true? why?

 

[350Z]

First i felt difficulty to drive with out the view of the bonnet but now i am getting used to it, yet not mastered that. any tips for that ?

Hi Vinesh, This thread would be useful: http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...-how-drive-car-bonnet-not-visible-inside.html

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[TSIVipul]

First I felt difficulty to drive with out the view of the bonnet but now i am getting used to it, yet not mastered that. any tips for that ?

Finished 100 km of driving totally in car for the past 4 days. Feeling great

Well,congrats for completing the tonne in your driving experience.
Rest about the view of bonnet,its really not at all a tough task to do it.I learnt to drive on a Mahindra Armada Grand and just drove it by making guess where my front wheels are.
What you need to do now a days is simple,observe the road in front of you and then drive the car and try to feel from where your front tyres are moving like in some pits etc.And hence you will get an idea about your car and once you get it for your car then it will be easy to drive every car because somewhere every car is same.

mukeshus thank you. somebody told me to use lower gear in climbing. is it true? why?

@Slow Driver:
See dear,while climbing the inclines you must use the following trick:-
1):If the road in front of you is empty then just before the incline,simply press the gas even more.
2):If you feel that the car can stall/stop in between then simply press the clutch and shift down by a factor of two,ie:3rd from 5th or 2nd from 4th.
3):This will make your car move again and hence there will be no stalling,but you need to be hard on the accelerator.
4):If your car has stopped,then simply pull your handbrake and then its better firstly rev your engine to about 3000 rpm then slowly leaving the handbrake leave the clutch too with it,your car will move 3-4 inches backward maximum but then will move forward again.
Rest this Handbrake+Clutch+Accelerator+Right gear combo is expertised by very few drivers.I mean really few.

About your query of low gear,there is simple answer:-
All the engines produce their full power at either their mid range(2-3k rpm)or top end.So if you shift down your RPMs rise for the same speed and hence your engine now produces its full power when in lower gear as compared to the higher one as the RPM will be higher and hence lower the gear is,higher will be the power delivery and hence the better will be the pulling by the engine.
Simple as it sounds.

 

[Prads]

Out of curiosity!
my old car 800, 5speed, had Ceat tires (earlier Appolo) and stock 12" rims. in that car i never experienced a tyre skid or tyre slip on muddy grass etc or anywhere. infact the grip on all conditions was very good
bu with my wagonr with stock r14 tyres i am experiencing tyre slip in grassy area with mud, and in gravel when getting back to tar road. what could be the reason. i can only accelerate and ease my foot off the throttle then only with the momentum the car passes through the grass otherwise it just spins.

Cars like the Wagon R have short gearing & produce good torque at low rpms(in comparison to an old 800 more so) ,so its quite easy to overwhelm the front tires on bad surface as they are light & tires dont have good grip until atleast 1500 kms,
but end of the day its just light weight & torque on a loose surface

 

[vinesh580]

Hi Vinesh, This thread would be useful: http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...-how-drive-car-bonnet-not-visible-inside.html

Drive Safe,
350Z

Thanks 350Z for the link. It was really helpful.Within next 100 km i think i can get used to that .