Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The 10 Commandments for Saving Fuel

  1. Wash your car. A clean car creates less drag. Have you ever noticed why F1 cars are all so shiny and clean? Aesthetic purposes? The highly polished surfaces causes the air to flow smoothly over the surface of the vehicle. Not enough motivation? Washing the car yourself is a good form of cardio and it saves you around RM10.00.
  2. Always fill up your tank and not run it empty. A good practice would be to re-fuel when the tanks 1/2 full. This will not allow the fuel to slosh about in the tank and evaporate.
  3. Inflate the tyres to its correct pressure. Over-inflating the tyres will cause bumpy filling loosening rides and under-inflating the tyres will cause an increase in fuel consumption. Ever tried running with wet shoes?
  4. Change your engine oil regularly. The purpose of the oil is to lubricate the moving parts of the engine. After awhile, the oil loses its lubricating efficiency or in proper terms viscosity. This will cause the engine to run under further load and lead to accelerated wear and tear. In simple terms, not changing oil regularly will lead to an early overhaul and more $$ spent.
  5. Stick to the same brand/ grade of lubricants. Always use a reputable brand. Lubricant companies have their own blend and additives. Mixing and using inferior grades of oil is detrimental to the long life of your car.
  6. Change the air filter and spark plugs at correct intervals. Ever went for a jog wearing a surgical mask? The engine needs all the air it can get to function. A clogged air filter will starve the engine of air and give poor fuel economy. The same for spark plugs. Using cheaper plugs doesn't necessary give you savings. Although an engine is rather forgiving, long term effects would include increased carbon build up from improper burning of fuel, plug cables losing its efficiency and the resultant increase in consumption.
  7. Drive sensibly. This is a no-brainer. Everyone knows that stepping on it will use up more fuel but you knew that didn't you?
  8. Do not modify or add 'fuel saving' gadgets to your vehicle. If your car was meant to have it, the manufacturers would have added it! Fuel saving tablets, spark enhancers, special air filters etc do not work. You may see temporary results but its mostly psychological.
  9. Do not carry too much junk in the boot. Ever tried running with a backpack full of rocks?
  10. Plan your travel routes and anticipate traffic jams, road works and other obstructions. Ever went running without knowing where you're going?
I hope these tips help you save some money as we don't know when yet another increase
in fuel prices will come. Thank you Najib..

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Cost of Owning a Vehicle

Congratulations, you finally got the keys to that pride and joy you've been dreaming of for the longest time. Sacrificing the inumerable teh-o-ais' at the mamak just to scrape together the down-payment necessary to get tied down with a 5/ 7 year loan, you beam ear to ear as the salesman give you the final briefing.

I didn't sacrifice my sessions at the mamak for my car but the down-payment came from a timely bonus from my now ex-employers Ford Malaysia. It was around October 2003 when I purchased one of the last Proton Iswara sedans ever to roll off the production line. It was a metallic grey, 1.3 basic model, but in my eyes, it was a Rolls Royce. Purchased with the sweat of my brow (wow), I spent the next 7 years servicing the loan, maintaining the car and learning a few lessons along the way which I would like to share with you

Purchasing The Vehicle

Firstly, I learnt that although the prices for the vehicles are generally fixed, scouting from dealership to dealership may actually get you a better discount. As car sales get more competitive, dealerships may offer discounts or throw in extra's such as extended warranty, tinting of the windscreens (be sure to ask what brand - you dont want the tint to be discolored or peeling after one year) and other accessories. Write down the options, compare prices before you commit.

Also, do not stop just at that. Calculate the interest rate and scout around. Various banks/ dealers have other rates that are more attractive. I remember purchasing my car a RM33,000.00 and after interest, I paid RM45,000.00 for the car. That's the price of going for the low down-payment option. I can only sympathize with people who tool 9-11 year loans on their kancils/ kelisa's.

Ask the salesman to provide you with the service schedule and cost. You will get a fair idea of how much the regular maintenance service is going to cost for the warranty period.

NOTE : Do not modify your vehicle during the warranty period. Some manufacturers are more tolerant than others and after-market modifications usually end up having your warranty null and void. That also applies to having the vehicle serviced outside (ie, cheaper workshops). While its true that an oil change may cost about 3 times more at a dealership, you're paying for the expertise (although in some cases, I beg to differ), genuine spare's and warranty.

In my case, I only went in for 1 service and that was it! I sent the car in at 7.00am and was told that I can only collect the car at 7.00pm. 12 hours to change engine oil? A typical 20 minute job? Also I had some problems with the steering which they could not solve at all. So kudo's to Proton at Glenmarie. It was fortunate that I know a little bit about vehicle maintenance and a Proton is fairly easy to work on. I wouldn't try it with the newer vehicles which require ECU resetting after an oil change - ie certain Volvo models.

Wear and tear is also a point of consideration here. Remember, you're gonna be stuck with the car for some time. Be gentle when closing the doors. Excessive slamming is not only going to cause rattles, it is also going to damage the power window motor located inside which is composed of mostly plastic. Also, go easy on the humps (stop sniggering). Speeding over road humps will cause unnecessary wear and tear not only on the absorbers and springs, but also the suspension arms. These days, they come complete with bushings and are not cheap. Replacing the whole assembly is another clever idea the manufacturers came up with to save time and increase profits.

Check the engine oil, water and tyre pressure regularly. This sometimes mundane and cumbersome task will save you the RM necessary for Christmas shopping down the road. As they say, prevention is better than cure. Later I will elaborate on how you can save money and gain some satisfaction on doing you own DIY maintenance. Happy motoring.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

My New Tool Box


It has been 8 long, cruel, tiring and painful months since I accessed this beautiful piece of real estate in cyber space and it feels really good to be back again. Work and other commitments forced me to put this labor of love aside and now my patience, nail-biting, cursing and grumbling has finally paid off.

I bought a cantilever tool box recently to replace my old plastic tool box as the latter has lost its appeal. Actually, I had 2 trays in the box which kept the tools separated. This was lost along the way and so being the fussy toad that I am, I had to find a way to keep the tools organized, neat and praiseworthy. So off I went to Taimah's Hardware shop in Section 8 (opposite the police station) and for a princely sum of RM 60.00, purchased the tool box pictured...

Why fuss over a tool box you ask? Well, every gear-head worth his salt adds a personal touch to his equipment. Something that speaks of his personality. Some may re-paint the box to give it a unique identity, others will cover it with stickers. I'm choosing a practical solution. Something that will not only enhance the look of the box but will also lengthen its useful life. Who knows? this box will be worth something someday?