Tone your mileage with Acetone

Well, I am back with exciting news. The fuel prices have started shooting up and it’s high time we have realized it. The day, when we have to shell out 70/- per liter for petrol is not far away. While googling on net, I came to know about a compound which can help you improve the mileage of your petrol vehicle. Hmmm I know by now you must be very anxious to know about it :).

My bike (Splendor) gives me an average 45 kmpl. It is kind of on lower side looking at the power it produces. Even after servicing the bike, I was not happy with the mileage. Then I came to know about a chemical compound which the fair sex is well versed with. May be not by the name "Acetone" but could be by "nail polish remover". Basically, acetone is the organic compound with the formula OC(CH₃)₂. This colorless, mobile, flammable liquid is the simplest example of the ketones. It is used in the nail polish remover and few other color removers.

There is another use of this magical compound and that is to help the combustion process in the engine. Usually the combustion process leaves behind some amount of fuel and thus it is wasted. Acetone helps this combustion process to burn the fuel completely to maximize its usage.

So, with an average of 45 kmpl, I cover up 180km with 4 liters of petrol. Now when I last filled, I put 2 ml of acetone per 1 liter of petrol. After I was done with this 4 liters of petrol, I realized, I have travelled 230km. This is a good 50km jump from my milestone of 180km. So effectively I gained almost 25-30% for the same amount of fuel. I am still experimenting with the right amount of acetone for mixing. There are few myths about why acetone should not be used and how it affects plastic parts n all. You should consider that we are mixing very small amount of acetone per liter. For 1000ml we are mixing just 2ml which is not enough to destroy any plastic part. So be assured that it will not have any negative impact on your vehicle. Once I am comfortable with it I will use it on my car as well.

You can get a 100 ml bottle of Acetone in any chemist shop for 30 – 40/-. So guys, start using it and let me know your feedback as well.

PS: I have started using it based on my understanding. Before you start using Acetone, google it and make sure you are well aware of its pros n cons.

|| गणपती बाप्पा मोरया ||

गणपती आठवड्यावर येउन ठेपले आहेत तरी अजुनही पूर्वी सारखी चाहुल लागलेली नाही. सुमारे ५ वर्षांपूर्वी पर्यंत गणपती १ महिन्यावर आले तरी एक वेगळेच वातावरण जमुन यायचे. आता मात्र तसे जाणवत नाही. भोवतालचे वातावरण आपणच इतके वेगळे करून घेतले आहे की गणपती जवळ आलेत हे मित्रांच्या "हैप्पी गणेश चतुर्थी" च्या मेल्स आल्याशिवाय कळत नाही. कदाचित आपण हल्ली देवासाठी सुद्धा थोडेसे "busy" झालो आहोत. मी राहतो त्या सोसाइटी मध्ये आम्ही पोरं मिळून गणपती साजरा करायचो, गणपती तोच असला तरी गणपती उत्सव साजरा करणारे चहरे मात्र आता बदलले आहेत. कदाचित ह्यालाच सर्व लोक "मोठे होणे" असे म्हणतात. आता पूर्वी सारखे मित्रांमध्ये जाउन गणपती उत्सवाची तयारी करणे जमत नाही. काम अणि नोकरीमुळे ह्या सर्व गोष्टींकडे वेळ द्यायला वेळच उरत नाही. आता मात्र गणपती विसर्जनाच्या दिवशी सुद्धा काम अणि ऑफिस संभाळावे लागते. एरवी विसर्जनाच्या दिवशी कानावर ढोल ताशांचा आवाज यायचा ज्याची जागा आता ऑफिस मधल्या "keyboard" च्या टाइपिंगच्या आवाजाने घेतली आहे. खरच कधीकधी कळत नाही की आपण बदलले आहोत की आजुबाजुची परिस्थिती....

रविवारची भटकंती : माळशेज घाट

साधारणतः सकाळची १० ची वेळ असेल, माझ्या मोबाईल वर एक एसेमेस आला आणि लक्षत आले कि कदाचित कोणीतरी मेम्बर गळाला आहे. माझ्या पेर्सिस्टंट च्या मित्रांचा "भुलेश्वर" नामक ठिकाणी जायचा प्लान होता. नेहमी प्रमाणे रीतसर प्लान ठरल्या नंतर एक एक जण कलटी मारणे तसे आता नेहमीचेच झाले आहे. जेव्हा प्रत्यक्ष जायची वेळ आली तेव्हा लक्षात आले कि प्रचंड प्रतिसादा नंतर सुमारे ४ जणांची लक्षणीय संख्या जमू शकली आहे. आणि हे ४ जण म्हणजे: मी, माझी बायको, वैदी आणि त्याची बायको. तसे "भुलेश्वर" हे ठिकाण साधारण ४० km वर आहे पण आता हे फ़ॅमिली औटिंग झाल्यामुळे आम्ही निर्यण घेतला कि आपण "माळशेज घाट" ह्या ठिकाणी जाऊ.

"माळशेज घाट" पुण्यनगरी पासून १२० km अंतरावर आणि नाशिक - कल्याण ह्या मार्गावर आहे. घरातून निघायला १२ वाजले इथेच पहिली चूक झाली. घरातली काम करणारी बाई सकाळी ८:३० ला येते सांगून १०:१५ ला उगवली. तसा माझ्या बायकोला तिच्यावर जरा जास्तच कॉन्फिडंस आहे आणि तिने तो सार्थ (?) हि ठरवला. घरातल्या मुख्य गोष्टी (भांडी धुणे) उरकून झाल्यावर आम्ही १२ ला निघालो. पहिला स्टॉप खडकी रेल्वे स्टेशन होता जिथे दुसरे दाम्पत्य आमची वाट पाहत उभे होते. एखाद्या रिक्षावाल्याला थांबवावे इतक्या अदबीने त्यांनी हात दाखवून आम्हांला थांबविले. एव्हाना १२:३० ची वेळ झाली होती. पुढील संकटाची मी अगोदरच व्यवस्था करून ठेवलेली. नाशिक रोड वर दिसलेल्या पहिल्या पेट्रोल पंप वर मी गाडी नेली आणि लक्षात आले कि क्रेडीट कार्ड नामक लोकांच्या सोयीसाठी बनवलेली गोष्ट हे लोक स्वीकारत नाहीत. मनातल्या मनात २-४ शिव्या हाणत मी गाडी बाहेर काढली आणि ठरविले कि पुढल्या पेट्रोल पंप वर पेट्रोल टाकू. शेवटी शेल (Shell) मध्ये पेट्रोल भरून आम्ही पुढील प्रवासास निघालो.

जशीजशी हॉटेल्स दिसू लागली तसतशी भूक लागायला लागली. मग त्यामानाने जरा ठिकठाक दिसणाऱ्या एका हॉटेल मध्ये जेवण उरकून घेतले आणि मार्गस्थ झालो. माहित नाही का पण जेवल्या नंतर पुढील प्रत्येक हॉटेल जरा जास्त बरे वाटायला लागले होते. हॉटेल पासून १० km नंतर "आळेफाटा" हे ठिकाण आले जिथून आम्ही डावीकडे वळलो. रस्त्यात लावलेले बोर्ड्स पाहून कल्पना आली कि "ओझर" आणि "लेण्याद्री" हि अष्टविनायकाची ठिकाणे ह्या रोड वरून जाता येण्यासारखी आहेत. अपुर्वाला (माझी बेटर हाफ) अचानक "शिवनेरी" पहायची हुक्की आलेली जी आम्ही यशस्वीपणे दूर केली :). शिवनेरी येथून साधारण ३० km वर आहे.

सुमारे १०० km पुण्यापासून आल्यावर अजूनही माळशेज घाट का येत नाही असा मला प्रश्न पडला आणि तेव्हड्यात घाट सुरु झाल्याचे दिसले. पूर्ण घाट चढून वर गेल्यावर धबधबे दिसायला लागले. पाऊस इथेही नव्हता ह्याचेच काय ते दुखः. सर्वात जास्त खटकणारी गोष्ट म्हणजे तिथे धुडगूस घालणारी पोरं. हि जागा फ़ॅमिलीला नेण्यासारखी आतातरी राहिलेली नाहीये. नेहमी नेहमी धबधबे बघायला मिळत नाहीत म्हणून त्यात भिजणे मी समजू शकतो पण म्हणून जोरजोरात शिवीगाळ करत भिजण्यात काय मजा आहे कळत नाही. त्या लोकांकडे पाहून ते अर्थिकद्रुश्ट्या मागासलेले वाटत होते. कदाचित आदिवासी सुद्धा
सधन वाटतील इतके कमी कपडे घातलेली पोरं भर रस्त्यात बसून नाचत होती. पोलिसांचा कदाचित असा समाज झाला असावा कि त्यांना पोलीस खातं इथे नेहमी येणारा थकवा दूर करण्यास पाठविते. एकूणच जागा छान असून पुन्हा येण्या सारखी नक्कीच नाहीये. शनिवार-रविवार तर मुळीच नाही. आम्ही तिथे साधारण २० min थांबून परतीच्या वाटेला निघालो.

येताना "ivy chateau indage" नावाच्या एका ठिकाणी चहा-कॉफी घेण्यास थांबलो. आत गेल्यावर मला "वाइन" बाँटल्स सोडून फारसे काहीच दिसले नाही. मग कळले कि हि जागा एका वाइन फॅक्टरी ची वाइन (Wine) कॅफे टाइप जागा आहे. फारच सुंदर जागा आहे. तिथे माझ्या मित्राने ४ बाटल्या पॅक करून घेतल्या कारण हि वाइन इथूनच बाहेर एक्स्पोर्ट होते. बाटल्या फारच भारी दिसतात, जो पीत नाही तोही सुरु करेल अशा असतात :). एकंदरीत त्याने हि ट्रीप सत्कारणी लावली म्हणायचे.

आम्ही घरी यायला ९:३० वाजले पण फारसा थकवा जाणविला नाही. एकदा जायलाच हि जागा ठीक आहे. दिवसाचा हायलाइट मात्र वाइन शॉप ठरले :). एकंदरीत दिवसाचे ९ तास कसे गेले कळले नाही...

What is going on behind the scenes: TrackVehicle - Gallardo release

In May 2009, I released the beta version of a small system which helps you manage data related to your vehicle. As I always say, necessity is the mother of all inventions, TrackVehicle was also developed as my need to get rid of the Excel stuff.

I thought, I should share some information about the upcoming release of the system called "Gallardo". It would be a good jump from the very basic version release in May. As I am the only one working on this as of now, the development takes time. The new release will come with:

1. All the bug fixes reported by people using it
2. Facility to record the running repair and servicing information
3. An option to store data either on MS Access or FireBird database
4. An option to export the mileage report to Excel file or Google Docs
5. Reminder will send an SMS to a mobile about upcoming servicing/insurance

This is keeping me busy since last couple of months now. I hope it will help you managing the information with ease. The probable timeline for the release is September 2nd week. So watch this space !!!

Bandra-Worli in 10 mins

Hi guys,

Had been to Mumbai last weekend. On Sunday afternoon, me, my wifey and my in-laws decided to go for a drive on sea-link. Started from Mira road which is good 30km from Bandra at 5 pm. Suprisingly the traffic was kind of sparse. Reached Bandra at 5:35 sharp, thanks to Westren exp highway. Finally we reached the sea link in about 40 mins. Our first reaction was like "Wow" this is huge. The sea link is not yet fully operational. Only 1 lane is open for commuting and the construction of the other lane is in progress on a typical govt schedule. These guys have already taken good 4-5 years and still it is not fully operational !!

The toll for one side journey is 50 and for return its 75 which is quite hefty. The pune-mumbai express highway toll for 90km is 140. It was nice to drive on the sea link. You can easily maintain speeds above 80. One thing I noticed is, for time being the govt has put up hard plastic divider for the bidirectional traffic. It is kind of risky as few people neglet this and drive above 100. Any single mistake by anybody and it would be a disaster.

Overall the drive is good but you can hardly see anything from your car apart from tall buildings. What impressed me is the drive on Worli sea face. South Mumbai rocks for sure. The buildings, locales suddenly change once you enter south mumbai. The resedential buildings on the Worli sea face have got an awesome view. We then went to HajiAli to visit my in laws old house. On the Worli-Hajiali road I saw RollsRoyce and Jaguar-Land Rover showrooms. To my disappointment, I found Heera Panna complex is closed. I wanted to visit the shopping complex to have a look at the mobile phones.

So it was a nice short drive on a kind of lazy sunday evening. I enjoyed driving on south Mumbai roads. The traffic is very disciplined in mumbai unlike Pune. Due to shortage of time we could not go to Marine drive. Happy Motoring !!

A shift from Mineral to Synthetic

Recently I done 4th servicing of my car. It has run 17000 km in 4 years which is pretty low, thanks to my company which was only 3 km from my place. Since many days, I was contemplating to shift to Synthetic engine oil. My car has had enough of mineral oil and recently I felt the engine pull in the higher rpm has reduced.

I searched a lot on the internet about the benefits of using the Synthetic engine oils instead of the regular Mineral oils before making this move. Surprisingly, a synthetic oil is not a refined crude oil but an artificially made laboratory oil from compounds other than crude oil.

I have driven almost 100km after changing over to the synthetic oil and I have observed a peculiar difference in the engine performance. The pick up in the lower gear has improved a lot which is very handy in the bumper-to-bumper traffic. The engine has become quite rev happy now. I will check the high rpm performance once I hit the Pune-Mumbai expressway this weekend. My car usually struggles after 145kmph when the rpm hits around 4K rpm level (Redline is at 6K rpm :) ). If the weather permits, I will check and push my car beyond 145kmph this time to gauge the upper end performance. Oh BTW my car tyre has rating 'T' which means the tyre can withstand the speed of 190kmph.

Other than the engine smoothness and better engine life, another benefit of Synthetic oil is, a slight improved mileage. I usually get around 16 kmpl on highway and 12kmpl in city (No pedal to metal). Lets see if there is any noticeable difference after moving to synthetic. The oil is costly than the regular oil but then the oil change interval is 15-20k km which is double than the recommended interval for the mineral oil. It took 3 ltrs of the engine oil for my car and cost of the oil is 610/- per liter. I am using 5W40 Selenia (FIAT produced) synthetic oil which goes to Linea and Grande Punto.

Guys, if you are not bothered about the initial investment in the synthetic engine oil, go for it, you will never regret it. Let me know if you want any further details on the same.

PS: I have started using a chemical compound called 'Acetone' in the fuel and I will update on it in the next blog.

FIAT Grande Punto... The be bold challenge..

FIAT Grande Punto... The be bold challenge..


On 17th Jun FIAT launched their one of the most successful models ever produced in India. Name is Grande, Grande Punto !! The mini Maserati has finally reached India shores after a good 2-3 years wait. FIAT is really banking like anything on this B+ segment Hatch. Though they had to reduce the overall length of this car to get the additional excise benefits the chopping job is impressive. The rear looks a bit out of shape but then its not a deal breaker.

On 20th Jun this car was launched in Pune and I attended this launch party at one of the Pune dealers office. This car has a real attitude guys. The display model was white Emotion pack Punto. At around 6:45pm the car was launched by one of the senior TATA motors chap. Though the slide show they prepared was a bit incorrect the overall effect of this car proved healthy as couple of people booked it on the spot.

Now coming back to the test drive I had on Saturday, following are my observations. It was a very small drive as the required approval from RTO is still pending, thanks to FIAT. On 10th July I will have another test drive and then will update this blog appropriately.

Exteriors
Do I need to say anything else? Just have a look at this pic:



The front is derived from Maserati and headlights are designed as Mercury drops. No doubt this car is a segment leader for the sheer styling. The fat 195/60 tyres add a better stance and pose. Paint job is awesome and everybody is going to be confused while zeroing on the color. The rear windows are typical FIAT and the play is only 60-70%. The rear is somehow a disappointment for me. I guess the chopping job left the rear look confused. The overall stance is a bit low which adds to the great in line stability at high speed.

Interiors

The interiors are similar to Linea. Only change I noticed is that in Linea Beige theme is used while in Punto a black-Grey theme is used. Actually this makes sense as to save costs by sharing as many components as possible. Somehow I feel the quality of the plastics could have been better. Its definitely not in the league of the Honda. Rather I could say after effects of having joint venture with TATAs. The Air conditioning is good and auto climate control is standard on Emotion Pack. The center console is a bit tilted towards driver but not as much as in Palio. Overall good ergonomics. Now one thing I did not like is the rear seat space and rear legroom. I really doubt if the rear bench can accommodate 3 adults with ease for long drives.

Have a look at the below pic for the center console of Punto.



Engine
The Punto is available in 2 petrol and 1 diesel variant. Diesel will lead the sales for obvious reasons. The 2 petrol engines are: 1.2 and 1.4. The 1.2 is available only in the base variant. The base variant starts at 3.99L which I guess is only for bringing the customers to the showrooms. The 1.4 is same as in Linea. It produces 90 BHP. The 1st 2 gears are short, same as in Linea. The 2nd gear specially is as short as being useless. The 3rd gear has packed good torque. Overall in city the car is good to drive but you have to work really hard in the 2nd gear. The fuel efficiency of the petrol seems a concern to me. The car is heavy and with AC all the time would return only in the range of 11 max. On highway it may achieve 13-14. I did not get a chance to drive 1.3 MJD engined Punto so can not really comment on that.

Handling
I would update this space once I get my hands on it on 10th July. As the car was not registered the sales guy said a big NO to spirited driving. Overall the car looked composed to me at 70-80 KMPH. I am sure the stability at high speeds would good too. The high speed stability is inherent to every FIAT. My 1.2 Palio is rock solid in the range of 145 and Punto being running on 195 profile tyres would be more stable than this.

Value for Money
The overall package looks very attractive. I somehow feel that the top end models could have been placed a bit lower. The only concern as usual is Service. I have seen improvement in After sales service since FIAT and TATA came together. Though it is not near to Hyundai/Maruti, still it is good. The top end model comes with auto climate, ABS, airbags and funky Blue and me. The BluenMe is co-developed by FIAT and Microsoft. The system can receive and make calls, read sms, play songs on USB etc. The audio controls are available on steering for easy access.



Chalo guys, I will update the blog once I get to drive it again on 10th July. Till then happy Motoring !!!

Reclaim Your Life !!!

It’s been 5 years since I started working. Somehow I feel, my life is stuck in the 40 hrs/week custom. Its not that I do not enjoy work but then I seriously feel there is some part of my life which has gone unexplored. I guess it happens to everybody. The sooner we understand it the better. Of course there are some better places to visit than your office pantry and cubicles! I always liked to travel to different places but somehow never managed to fit it in the 'weekend' custom. This made my wife assume that I am a lazy person who hates to explore new places.

There are certain things in life which are good do at the right time. Better to do now before your age catches up with you. Life is not always about solving bugs in code but enjoying your life as well. I have seen very few guys in my career who had devoted time for what they always wanted to do. At times I regret I am not one of them.

It took me 27 years of my life to realize that I always wanted to read good books and thanks to my wife that she encouraged me to read books instead of watching the idiot box. I have decided that going ahead I will devote equal time to my family and the 'unexplored me' apart from the usual work I do or rather pretend to do in the office :). The time is running fast, so guys go and 'Reclaim your life'.

Admiration Guaranteed !!!

Admiration Guaranteed

It was a boring day at office. I tried all tricks to entertain myself but to no avail. Then suddenly an idea crossed my mind. I quickly wrapped up my desk and left the office with another “idle” colleague of mine. We headed straight towards TATA-FIAT dealer in Baner, Pune. At the entrance of the showroom a beautiful Maroon colored 'Linea' welcomed us. Man, I was bowled over by her looks! I immediately took hold of the steering wheel and in minutes I was lost in admiring this Italian beauty. I have always strongly felt that if there is anything that the Italians can do better other than making Pizzas then its designing cars.

After playing around with the goodies that this car offers, we started looking for a sales person who could take us for a test ride, and within 10 mins we succeeded. As expected, he started off by explaining us the features that this car offers. But I kept thinking that these guys should improve on their knowledge base because many times his response to my queries was 'I dont know sir'. Soon I realized that I knew more about the features of this car than that sales executive. Yet another job profile to fall back on, in these so called recession days!

Anyway, finally the best part came and I got to lay my hands on this beauty. It was a Petrol version which is powered by 1.4 FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotized Engine) 90 BHP engine. FIAT is having this range of petrol engines since Uno days. The car, even while standing still is leagues ahead than its competitors (Read Verna, Fiesta, SX4 and City). Finally I put the car in 1st and without much hesitation the engine started pulling this 1200 Kg car. I kept the AC on to see if the engine looks stressed but to my surprise I did not feel any kind of stress on the engine. I took the car on the Baner stretch to see how it handles speed above 100 but never got a chance to experience the nirvana. Though the throw in 1st was quite good, I felt that the 2nd gear is pretty short and useless. 3rd and above gears provide good driveability. The gear box is butter smooth as its always been for FIAT cars.

Having said all this coming your way is a more elaborate review of this beautiful babe so that you can get a better picture.

Car tested: Linea 1.4 FIRE Petrol (90 BHP, 16v DOHC)



Exteriors:
I doubt if anybody will stand up and cry about the exteriors. It is one of the best looking sedans available in its category. She has got massive road presence. Linea is even longer and wider than Corolla. It has got refreshing lines all across the car. Linea seems to have got cues from Maserati and so looks aggressive from front. It has got that Maserati nose which sports chrome grill in top end model. The stance of the car is awesome and the best part is its side profile. Rear of the car is certainly not my taste but manages well to gel with the car. FIAT has put 195 profile tires on this beauty and alloys are available on top of the line version. Rear view mirrors are well placed and folds completely unlike Palio. Ground clearance of the car is around 165 mm. Overall the car looks very fresh and has ‘I wanna buy this beauty’ effect.

Interiors:
Its after 2002, that first time I saw state of the art FIAT interiors. Though very ergonomic, I am kind of fed up of my Palio’s interiors. Seeing Linea’s interiors is a big relief for me at least. Even being a couple of years old interior design (Same is available in G Punto across all European countries) it looks classy and built to last. Top of the line model comes with integrated audio player with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters. Few other good things are:
1. Auto climate control
2. Integrated audio player
3. Blue and Me – an awesome feature – voice commands
4. Heated electric rear view mirrors
5. Electronic sun blinder at rear glass
6. My car – trip computer – Shows mileage, service reminder, speed limiter etc



Ride and Handling:
It handles and rides like a car from upper segment. I did not get a chance to measure the handling above 100 but knowing FIAT, I am sure it will be safe to go north in case of speed while on highway. My Palio also feels planted even at 145 kmph so can certainly vouch for that. Ride is outstanding and can put upper segment cars to shame. It really swallows potholes and never let you feel you are out on a bumpy ride. It truly takes all kind of road abuse in its stride. It never let you down even at high speed cornering.

Braking:
Yet another winning stroke by Linea. Brakes are awesome unlike Palio. Palio brakes require getting used to. Linea comes with ABS with EBD and you can really see all these latin words work in your favor. It certainly boosts the confidence of the driver. I just loved the braking.

Safety:
Linea is equipped with ABS (with EBD) and dual front airbags. Of course safety comes at price. Only the option pack models sport these safety features. At a price difference of 40-50K you can get these safety features. I seriously feel Indian Govt should make ABS and airbags compulsory across all cars.

Pricing:
According to the salesman, the top of the line petrol Linea will cost 7.81L on the road, Pune. Looking at the features it offers, I feel Linea is a real Value for money package. Diesel top end model will go up to 8.9L Pune. I guess, I should seriously start saving money now .

Overall I just loved the car. It has got good road presence (Read status symbol), nice futuristic features (Blue n Me), safety measures and most importantly VFM factor. I wish FIAT brings out the 120 Bhp TJet petrol engine to make the car even more exciting to drive.



PS : The above mentioned things are purely based on my test drive.