The Engine Oil Change - Part 1

The first thing you need to know is the type of engine oil recommended for your car. Using fully synthetic Mobil 1 engine oil on your 20 year old Saga is not going to make it go like a rocket. It is only going to burn a hole in your wallet. Engine oil has several functions in your engine. Apart from lubricating the moving components in the engine, it also serves to a certain extent as a cooling agent. So therefore, go to your manufacturers manual and look it up. For reference purposes, we'll look at the oil used for my 7 year old Proton Iswara.

I've always used a 20W-50. This denotes the viscosity or in layman terms, the thickness of the oil. The higher the number before the 'W' is, the thicker the oil will be. So, 40W is thicker than 20W. I have always been a Castrol fan since the early 90's but got a little fed-up one year when they went up in price twice. I've switched to Pennzoil and have not looked back since. I've found it to be smoother and quieter on the engine

Now that you have decided on the engine oil, then its time to go down to your friendly neighborhood spare-parts dealer and purchase the oil and oil filter. The next step is to get an old engine oil container and convert it into a basin to catch all the oil that you're draining out like below:-

The Engine Oil Change

Yes, it has been almost 6 months since my last post. And no, while I've been procrastinating (what else is new?), I am not yet sounding the Last Post just yet.

Today, it gives me great joy to share with you one of the more basic of maintenance procedures you can carry out on your car- Changing the engine oil. You can actually save a lot of money doing this simple procedure yourself, just remember to follow this few simple rules, and you'll be able to save enough for an extra pair of shoes or two.

1. Always dispose of used engine oil responsibly. The earth (all of it) belongs to us and while we do not consciously litter in our own houses, it is also good that we do not do it on other peoples turf. I usually pour the used oil into a container and dispose of it at a nearby workshop. They sell the used oil to the re-cyclers so there will be no issues.

2. Safety should always be on the top of your priorities. As I go along, I will explain the safety procedures you should take heed of. So what are we waiting for? Lets go...

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..

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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.

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?

Your Tool - Purchasing and Maintaining It

No pun intended but proper tools are very important to any active or passive DIY'er. Going down memory lane, one of the first D.I.Y. superstores in Petaling Jaya opened its doors in the early 1990's. Handi-Mart was a household name to amateur as well as 'professional' DIY'ers. On display were tools from reputable makers such as FACOM, Elora etc. They also sold automotive tuning aids such as timing light, carburettor tuners etc. They had a very good range of tools, products and even had demonstrations/ workshops on the various aspects of DIY from home fixture installation to plumbing.

Needless to say, what a shoe-shop was to women, HandyMart was to me. I became quite a regular feature there, just browsing through the aisles and dreaming of the thick wad of cash I was going to finish off there - Sadly, it suffered a decline and finally closed its doors several years ago. It has now become an open car park - an idea ahead of its time. Today, ACE hardware is the household name with branches in Mid Valley, the Curve, Jaya 33 and other places. Similarly, Houz Depot in Kota Damansara, although leaning more to home improvement has a decent range of tools on display.

Now that you have decided on the toolbox of your choice, it is time to fill the bloody thing with tools. The first step is to set budget. Don't go ballistic and buy up the entire tool section only to have most of the tools collect dust in the store room later on. Be realistic about your goals and purchase some basic tools then progressively add on to the collection. Decide on what you want to 'major' in - auto repairs, home improvement, woodworking, plumbing etc.

A good basic tool set would compose of the following tools:-

1. A set of combination wrenches (American term) or spanners (British).
These used to come in metric and imperial sizes. However, unless you're restoring a classic
Jaguar, purchasing a decent metric set would suffice. Avoid the normal hardware store brands
such as Panda, Yanda or Diamond (although I must admit some Diamond tools I've had from
before were pretty hardy). Go for a mid-range set such as Sterling, TOPTUL, Mr.Mark or the
Japanese KYT/ JTC range.

A common street term for these wrenches are 'common-ling (Malaysian Chinese slang) and if
you mention this to the hardware shop owner, he'll know that you know what you're talking
about and might even give you a discount. Usually, it will be sold in a roll (refer to the picture above) and what I usually do is roll a good morning towel in it to clean the tools. It is always a good habit to give the tools a wipe down after using. Don't worry so much about it rusting as oil from your work/ hands would prevent it. DO NOT however leave it exposed to rain or water. Always use the RING side of the wrench to loosen/ tighten a nut. Only use the open end on fittings/ pipes - but you knew that didn't you hahahahaha

The Mother of all Tool-Boxes

Behold, let your eyes feast on the picture on the left, all ye citizens of Gearheadistan. This is the grand-daddy of all tool boxes. The dream of every living breathing, eating, sleeping gear-head alive today. Some have achieved the dream, others working their way towards it. If there is one major force that binds gearheads of all nationalities, gender, age and and creed, THIS IS IT!

Besides the current Playboy Centrefold, this is the other thing most red blooded boys drool over and dream of. This topic is so close to my heart that I had to choose another font and dedicate 2 paragraphs for the introduction alone.

Now read closely people, you are about to be enlightened. The roller cabinet or toolchest came from America. It was developed in the late 1800's for woodworkers and cabinet makers. In the years leading up to World War II, American tool makers saw the need for more storage space as cars got more complicated (if you think they were complicated then, look at the cars now!!) and needed more tools. They came of age on US Navy Carriers operating in the Pacific as it cut down on maintenance time.

Being traditional DIYers, most American homes had one of these in the garage. This culture caught on rather late here in Malaysia. It first gained popularity in the late 1980's and early 1990's when a DIY concept store known as HandyMart opened its doors in Section 14 Petaling Jaya. They carried a Taiwanese brand called Waterloo. It was rather pricey though. I bought a 9 drawer topchest for RM500.00. It was an ex display unit with scratches n dents but in my eyes, it was a dream come true. Bringing it home, I proceeded without delay to wax polish the red powder coated surface to bring back some of the shine, lined the drawers with non-slip liners, paste stickers all over the box and just sit and admire it for hours.


The advantages of having a tool chest is that there are the endless storage combination's and possibilities. There are places for sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers etc. It cuts down on the time needed to look for particular tool. Besides, it's also eye candy that really feeds the ego of the owner.

I prefer keeping my sockets at the highest compartment within easy reach. Having smaller drawers allows me to separate my AF and Metric wrenches according to type. The wider lower drawers allow me to display (ahem) I mean arrange my pliers and screwdrivers.

The bottom cabinet is useful for storing bigger tools such as spring compressors, torque wrenches and other tools and equipment. Personally, I can find no disadvantage with the tool cabinet/ chest except that its BLOODY EXPENSIVE and out of the reach of most Malaysian handymen. It costs a minimum of RM1000.00 for even the lowest quality example from China.

Although it is expansive, it is worth every cent. As with any other tools, proper care and maintenance it will last for years to come. In the following posts, I will discuss the various tools, how they are used and maintained. Happy Chinese New Year and happy reading.