Churn Out The Best Performance From Your Diesel Car

Diesel cars have gone through a lot of metamorphosis in the last two decades. Now they come with better and much-refined performance engines, responsive outputs, better handling, and are capable of delivering a lot of power. In addition to these, diesel cars are also easy to maintain and thus, it is a popular choice among the mass.

However, even with the all-in-one package that diesel cars offer, it is important to keep certain things in mind which will help you churn out the best performance from your car. Discussed below are some of the best practices that one should follow to get the best out of their diesel cars.

1. Utilizing the torque: When compared to petrol cars, diesel cars have a greater advantage of being more torquey. Diesel cars produce greater torque at lower rpms. This allows the driver to minimise the gear shifts while maintaining control at lower speeds. As the torque production is more at lower rpms, the driver need not rev the engine too hard. The specification list of the vehicle mentions the figure that indicates the peak torque of the engine. Hypothetically, let us assume that a car produces 200 Newton metres of torque at 3,500 rpm. This means that the torque production will be maximum at this rpm range. Thus, to utilise the torque, the driver needs to keep an eye on the RPM gauge or tachometer while shifting gears. All he/she has to do is rev a little past the prescribed rpm range before he/she shifts to the next gear. Keeping the diesel engine in this rpm range produces the maximum amount of torque (hence, maximum pulling power) and ensures minimum fuel consumption.
2. Do not redline very often or over rev the engine: Redlining a diesel engine is not a good idea. Flooring the accelerator does not help in generating more power. Most of the time the engine goes flat as the power band on diesel engines are narrower than petrol engines. Moreover, diesel engines often come with a rev limiter which prevents the engine from being revved too hard. As the power band on a diesel engine is narrow, pushing the accelerator pedal harder does not help you move faster. After a particular rpm bandwidth, the torque gradually wears off. The maximum torque is delivered at the rpm range prescribed in the specification list. Hence, pushing the pedal harder will just burn more fuel and not deliver power.
3. Being gentle with the pedal: If you are accustomed to driving a diesel-engined car you will probably know that pumping the accelerator too hard doesn't make the car move faster because of the reasons mentioned in the former point. In most diesel engines, the accelerator needs to be pushed to just 20% or a little more to churn out the maximum torque. Maintaining the powerband and accelerating accordingly will not only help you juice out the best performance from your car but also ensure that your car consumes less fuel. Keeping the throttle wide open will just burn more fuel.
4. Warm up the engine before you drive: Diesel engines give out the best performance when they are warmed up. Heat is generated in the cylinders by compressed air. The engine is dependent on the heat produced in the cylinders to burn the fuel. A cold engine will burn more fuel while running compared to a warmed up engine. Thus, it is recommended to warm up the engine before you start driving the car.