Friday, July 23, 2010

NEW EXPERIENCE

In my over 3 decades of driving I have had a very rare experience which I would like to share with you all.

On last Wednesday I alongwith my wife had gone out for some household chores. I had taken Tata Safari Diesel vehicle. After finishing the work we were on our way back when we encountered heavy traffic. It was bumper to bumper. So it was clutch and brake situation with vehicles just crawling. I am very careful about not keeping clutch pedal half pressed. After about 2 kms of this situation I decided to take a side road which joined main road again at some distance after traffic signal. As soon as I turned I found that I could not change gears. The gear lever was moving in all desired directions but no gear could be engaged even with clutch pedal fully pressed. I felt panic as I was blocking the entrance to the road. Somehow 3rd gear got engaged enabling me to drive the vehicle to side and park it. I tried to engage gears again but without success. I switched off. I stopped a passing three wheeler auto and sent my wife home asking her to call me up to let me have telephone number of Tata workshop where we get our vehicle serviced. I felt that clutch plates may have given way. Fifteen minutes later I again switched on the engine and lo behold the gears started working absolutely normal. I cautiously drove back home. I left the vehicle there and went to the said workshop in our second car, a Maruti Estilo.

I narrated the whole incident to their GM. On his asking how much mileage the vehicle has covered, I told him it is about 35,000 kms. He told me that there is no idea of opening up clutch assembly as chances of clutch plates having worn off are little specially once I was able to engage gears after sometime and if we open up there will positively be some wear and tear thus changing of plates will be needed. On my asking then what was the cause of such happening, he explained that it is a very rare phenomenon in that at times air which finds it’s way into the assembly gets mixed with clutch oil. When the oil gets heated the moisture in the air converts to gaseous state. This causes forming of big size bubbles. On pressing clutch pedal these bubbles get compressed but do not allow full compression for clutch to be engaged to let one select gears. He told me that this can also happen to brake fluid thus leading to brake failure. Once oil cools the gas regains moisture state thus reducing bubble size and that is why I could drive the vehicle after it had had time to cool down. He advised that oil be changed and line bleeding carried out to ensure that there are no air bubbles inside. I got the said work done. The vehicle is running fine.

I had a chance to visit Maruti workshop for some work on Estilo and on my narrating my experience to their engineer, he too explained what Tata GM had said. I so flabbergasted as it is the first time I experienced such situation. So I thought of sharing it with you to appraise you that if such thing happens there is no need to panic but let the vehicle cool down.

This we may also translate to our day to day life. When we are angry, hot air in our head does not allow us to engage our brain properly. So it is best to cool down before doing anything.

16 comments:

Cherry Blossom said...

I was reading the post very cautiously that what is new in this but got shocked in the last paragraph. Nicely correlated the indecent with our real life... Hope we should understand and follow this advice in our day to day life...

Ramit Grover said...

Never happened while I was driving thank God!

Pramoda Meduri said...

hi uncle.. this was more interesting to me as i'm working in Tata motors itself..:)

ANy ways, thanks for sharing this..:)

and ur comparision to life is good at the end..:)

শর্বরী - Sarbari said...

hello, my first time in your blog. thank you for sharing your experience. however, i also like your outlook in life and the way you describe yourself and others.

adding you to my blogroll and will come back for more. take care.

Lady Whispers said...

wow what a correlation!
Thanks for sharing...nice experience!
I love ur attitude towards life!

P.S. I recently blogged a poem against honor killings...if you interested wd like u to read it :)

Komal Ali said...

That's some piece of info for a new driver like me :D
And you've related the incident eloquently with the reality of life. :) Bravo, uncle Jack!

Mademoiselle Deva said...

wow!!! Thank God you're ok. We must be all careful they are just machines!

I really like your last line. Very true Jack!

Jack said...

RIA :

Welcome to my space. Hope you read some of my older posts too. I will be happy to have your views on those too. Take care


T B G :

Nice to see you here. As I said this is a very rare happeing. Take care


PRAMODA :

Please do check at your end about this and let me know if this is possible. Take care


SHARBORI :

Welcome to my space. You may remember a very old song " APNE LIYE JIYE TO KYA JIYE, TU JI AYE DIL ZAMANE KE LIYE." This made an impact on my mind, so I share my experiences and thoughts. It would give me happiness if someone is benefitted out of this. Hope you have read my older posts too. I would like to hear your views on those. Take care


S G :

Thanks for appreciation. I have read the poem and left my comment. Take care


KOMAL :

Hope you never face this kind of situation. But forewarned is forearmed, isn't it? Thanks for appreciation of translating this into our day to day life. Take care


DEVA :

I feel so happy to see you here and your encouraging views. Take care

Cherry Blossom said...

Yes, I was going through some of your old posts from 2008 (but still have to cover a lot) I can say that what experiences and thoughts you have just shared here are marvelous and fabulous. Hope we all can learn from these valuable experiences. All I can say "A VERY NICE BLOG WITH NICE THOUGHTS".

Chandrika Shubham said...

I loved the last para. :)

Jack said...

RIA :

Thanks for reading older posts. Please do let me know if it makes sense. I will be truly happy if someone is benefitted out of this. Take care


CHANDRIKA :

Fact of life, isn't it? Take care

Sakshi said...

Too technical. But the last two lines summed it up well :)

Akum said...

Great information! Will surely come handy! Great blog you got here....

Jack said...

SAKSHI :

It is a fact, isn't it? Take care


A K :

Welcome to my space. Hope you have read some of my older posts too. I will appreciate your views on those. Take care

Cherry Blossom said...

You have created an excellent blog which is like a torch-bearer for the yongsters to develop strong familial relationship. Hats-off to your attempt to guide the present generation with paranormal behaviour, which creates complications in simple and sweet relationships. Your blog will definitely be beneficial for those who can value human sentiments and pursue expert guidance by the mentor. It will be beneficial only for adroit commentators and bloggers.

Jack said...

RIA :

I feel so content that you found my posts of some value. Do you also write? If so, kindly do let me have your url so I can visit your space. If you do not wish to let it be public, you may let me know on my e-mail id given in my profile. It will be my pleasure to read your posts.

Take care