Car care: getting better petrol mileage

[Article copyright by Ewe Paik Leong]

Except for those who have money to burn, most motorists are seeking to get as high a mileage as possible from their cars. Several factors that contribute to petrol consumption are not controllable, however. They include engine capacity, weight of car, driving conditions, wind resistance and petrol quality and formulation. Nevertheless, certain measures can be taken to get better mileage from your car.

HAVE TYRES PROPERLY INFLATED
When tyres are under-inflated, more force is needed to move them then when they are optimally inflated. Before you use your car in the morning, check the tyre pressure by using a tyre gauge. Jot down this cold measurement. Now check the measurement given in the car owner’s manual.

Drive to the nearest petrol station and take the pressure again; this is the warm measurement. If the manufacturer’s measurement is higher than the cold measurement, top up the difference accordingly using the warm measurement as the base figure. For example, if the difference is three pounds and the warm measurement is 35 pounds, inflate the tyre until the pressure is 38 pounds.

On the other hand, if the cold measure is higher than the manufcturer’s recommendation, release the excess pressure, again the using the warm pressure as the base figure. This means that if warm measurement is 35 pounds, and the cold measurement is two pounds higher than the recommended pressure, you release two pounds until the warm measurement is 33 pounds.

KEEP ENGINE PROPERLY TUNED
An out-of-tune engine can waste as much as 15 percent of petrol. The following items need attention: Replace the air filter when light can pass through it. If there is a hole in any part of your muffler or exhaust part system, either repair it or have the part replaced. Check your spark plugs regularly to ensure they are clean, firing properly and gapped correctly.

STOP PETROL-WASTING HABITS
Petrol-wasting habits that should be dropped include: (1) Avoid unnecessary speeding. The faster you speed, the more petrol the engine consumes. (2) Heavy acceleration and sudden braking guzzles petrol. (3) Speeding and slowing down is less economical than driving at a constant speed. (4) Driving with the air-conditioning turned on consumes more petrol than with it turned off. (5) Excessive load always forces the engine to guzzle petrol.

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Car care: engine maintenance at its simplest

[Article copyright by Ewe Paik Leong]

The basic procedure of engine maintenance is to open the car bonnet and inspect what is under it. To do this, find out where the bonnet release catch is situated. Learn how to unhook the catch on the bonnet and prop the latter up with the metal support.

The first visual inspection should be on the overall cleanliness of the engine bay. If it is splattered with mud or road grime, it should be cleaned. Do not spray water all over the engine unless the engine’s electrical components are covered with plastic bags tied securely. Alternatively, send the car to a workshop for a “dry” engine wash that does not use water. Secondly, look out for loose wires dangling about or loose connections. Check the fan belt as well as the radiator belt. Make sure they are in good condition and not frayed. Next check the radiator for any dents or leaks. Look out for oil leaks, especially in the engine block area. See if there are any leaks in the air-conditioner pipes or connections.

Next make a visual check of the battery water level, the water level in the windscreen washer reservoir, the coolant level and the brake and clutch levels. If the battery needs water, fill it up with distilled water. If the windscreen reservoir is low is low, fill it up with tap water and add windscreen detergent to give a more effective clean and also prevent wiper juddering.

Make sure the water in the reservoir is free from sediments so that the jets in the windscreen washer system flow freely. If the coolant needs topping up, it is best to top it up with the same type used by the manufacturer. The same applies to brake and clutch fluids.

Check the engine oil. Make sure the car is parked on level ground and the engine is turned off but after the car has warmed up. Pull out the dipstick and read the oil level. Be careful not to touch any hot engine parts when doing this as some dipsticks are placed in an awkward position. If the first reading is unclear, wipe the dipstick with a piece of cloth, put it back and try again. If the engine oil is low, top it up with the same type of oil currently being used. Make sure you do not overfill as too much engine oil is also bad for the engine. Most dipsticks are marked with “Low” and “High” markings, and as long as the level is in between, it is acceptable. It is not necessary to have the level at the “High” marking.

Apart from the simple visual inspection of the engine, every motorist should learn to recognize the symptoms indicating that something is not quite right with the car.

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Car care: preventing car theft

[Article copyright by Ewe Paik Leong]

Statistics from the Royal Malaysian Police showed that for the months of January and February 2012, a total of 2,260 car thefts were reported in the country. This worked out to an average of 37 cars daily. Nevertheless, there are several ways to reduce the risk of theft to your car:

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
(1) Park your car in bright and busy areas.

(2) When you park your car, close all windows and lock all doors.

(3) Never leave any personal documents, ATM cards, credit cards or house keys in the glove compartment.

(4) Keep shopping bags, briefcases and folders in the boot even they may not contain anything valuable. (I know a case where a high-quality Billabong brand school bag was stolen, and it contained only primary school texts!)

(5) Install only audio systems that can removed from their brackets.

THEFT PREVENTION DEVICES
Many devices can be installed in your car to deter or prevent it from being stolen:

(1) Steering wheel lock
This device prevents the steering wheel from being turned. A variation of the steering wheel lock is the J-bar which is an adjustable steel rod that locks the brake pedal. Also available is the gear lock which immobilizes the gear stick.

(2) Etching
Etching the car’s registration number into the windscreen prevents false registration number from being used if it is stolen.

(3) Ignition-kill switch
This is a toggle device that cuts off the engine’s ignition system. A variton is the petrol cut-off switch.

(4) Alarm
Alarms differ in the way the system is tripped. A voltage sensing device triggers the alarm when a drain of power is detected, for example, from the interior light. A motion-sensing device sends out high frequency sound waves. The alarm is activated when there is a change in the sound wave pattern.

(5) Anti-theft systems
Any serious anti-theft device must do more than make noise, so newer cars are now equipped with anti-theft systems incorporating several devices, such as a dual ignition-and-fuel immobiliser.

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Car care: waxing and polishing

[Article copyright by Ewe Paik Leong]

No thanks to one-step polish-and wax products, many motorists don’t know the difference between a polish and a wax, often using the term “polishing” interchangeably with “waxing”. Compounding the confusion is the availability of cleaner (or deoxidizer) and glaze. Knowing the differences is important in selecting the right products for your car.

A polish contains abrasive compounds to remove scratches from the surface of the paint. It is generally applied after the wash and before the waxing.

A wax is a clear, hard coating that provides protection and shine to the paint. A wax can be either natural or synthetic. The best natural wax is carnauba wax which comes from Brazilian palm trees. A synthetic wax can contain ingredients to repel dirt and solvents and filter the damaging effects of sunlight. It is easier to apply compared to natural wax and is often equally as good.

A cleaner (or deoxidizer) rejuvenates old paint by using fine abrasives to remove a thin layer of oxidized paint.

A glaze helps hide minor scratches, spider webbing (caused by the brush of an automatic car wash), swirl marks and other surface imperfections. It enhances clarity and shine, while giving darker paints that deep, wet look. For a lasting effect, apply a glaze before waxing.

How often you need to polish or wax your car depends on how much it is exposed to the weather. If your car is kept in a sheltered car park every day, you need to polish and wax it only once every six months. If it is exposed to the elements every day, it may need a wax as often as once every month.

Generally, a light-coloured car needs a polish and wax at least once every two or three months but a dark-coloured car needs more frequent attention. The waxing your car should be done out of direct sunlight. When the paint finish is hot, it bakes the wax, hardening it to a point where it can be difficult to remove. The best time for polishing and waxing is early morning. Alternatively, park the car under the shade of a building or a tree. Always use circular motions to apply and remove wax so that it seals microscopic scratches.

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Car care: choosing a good workshop

[Article copyright by Ewe Paik Leong]

Just as there are crooks in every profession, the motor-repair trade has its own flimflam men. Motor repair fraud can take many forms. Examples include inflating the prices of parts, exaggerating the fault of an engine’s part, using second-hand parts but charging for new-part prices and blatant charging for parts not replaced. Trust and good communication are essentials for getting the best service from a workshop. Tips for finding a good workshop include:

1. Before you have any problem with your car, be it a mechanical fault or an accident, start shopping for a repair shop. (By repair shop, I refer broadly to knocking and repainting shops, engine workshops, exhaust specialists, etc).

2. Ask your friends to recommend workshops they have dealt with and are satisfied with their services.

3. Arrange to have alternative transport in advance so that your choice will not be determined solely by convenience of location. Remember: the nearest workshop is not necessarily the best.

4. Choose a work shop that is reasonably neat and organized. Check out the other vehicles left there for repairs. Are they roughly of the same value as your car? Or are they derelicts? Is the shop fitted with modern equipment?

5.Most good repair shops are found in commercial areas or light industrial areas. Be wary of those situated in slums and don’t even have a line phone.

6. Enquire whether the workshop handles your type of repair work. Some repair shops specialize in gear-box, exhaust systems or other areas of work; others go broad-based.

7. Are the staff helpful? Do they ask you to replace a part without even attempting to explain why? Is there any warranty for the part replaced? Are they eager to get you to sign an authorization form giving them permission to do full checkup? Beware: this is often the sign of an auto-repair shark!

8. Can the staff give you a breakdown of the total bill such as cost of labour and parts replaced? Reluctance to do this is a bad sign. Another bad sign is over-eagerness to have you leave your car overnight.
9. If you feel the estimate is too high, check with other shops.

10. Before you pay your bill, make sure, you drive your car around the block. If the problem is not rectified, it is easier to point this out to the workshop at this juncture.

11. If parts have been replaced, make sure that the damaged parts are returned to you even though they are useless.

12. Always read the bill before you pay it. If you’re not clear about any technical terms used, don’t be afraid to ask.

Finally, car repair improves with good communication. Don’t just tell the mechanic that you have, for instance, a brake problem. Be specific. As examples: Is there a noose when you brake? What does it sound like? Where does it seem to come from? Doe the car come to a stop? Has anyone else worked on your brake system lately? Did you perform emergency braking recently?

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Car care: how to wash your car properly

[Article copyright by Ewe Paik Leong]

A car that is driven daily should be washed at least once a week. The proper way to wash a car is probably one thing your father didn’t teach you. The procedures below will go a long way towards maintaining your car’s shine for a long time.

Depending on your time and investment, your complete wash kit can consist of a product for almost every part of your car’s anatomy or you can keep thing simple. The following items are most useful:
1. Plastic buckets
2. Car wash (sometimes called “car shampoo")
3. Rubber gloves
4. Stiff nylon brush (for wheels)
5. Chamois
6. Old towels
7. Bug and tar remover
8. Chrome and metal polish
9. Glass cleaner
10. Wheel cleaner
11. Tyre cleaner
12. Upholstery cleaner
13. Engine cleaner
14. Anti-mist spray
15. A cardbox box or plastic container to store all the above items.

First, make sure the car is cool. The finish should not be hot from operation or direct sunlight. The wheels should also be cool since they can be damaged by cold water from a garden hose.

Before washing, get rid of stubborn stains like bird droppings, tree sap and tar deposits by using a bug and tar remover specifically formulated for the task. The product is available from most car accessory shops. Never use any other cleaning agent.

Pour one cup of car wash (or the amount as per instructions on the label) into a bucket of water. Rinse the car thoroughly with a hose fitted with a spray nozzle. Allow the water to soak for five or ten minutes to loosen the dirt. In this way, the dirt won’t scratch the surface when you apply the sponge during washing.

Divide the car into sections, washing and rinsing each section at a time. Start with the roof and windows. Next, wash the bonnet, grille and front fenders. Proceed with the rear and door panels, bumpers and below. Do the tyres and wheels last, including the fender wells.

The washing should be done either with a sponge or soft towel instead of a piece of a rag (such as your discarded brief.) When washing the lower portions of the fenders, use a separate sponge (or towel). These areas are extra dirty and using a separate sponge will avoid scratching the surface.

When rinsing, remove the spray noozle from the hose and bring the hose nozzle close to the car’s surface. This technique floods the surface with a large flow of water, which slides off in large sheets, making drying faster. If you notioce your rinse does not produce those lovely little beads of water, it’s time for a wax to protect your car’s finish.

Use a high-quality chamois (or soft towel) to dry your car. Work fast and squeeze your chamois often. Then do it a second time. Make sure you open the doors, bonnet, boot and dry the inside wells to avoid drips.

Finally, I want to stress the following:
(1) Never use detergent, liquid soap or dish washing liquid to wash your car
(2) Never use hot water to wash your car
(3) Never wash your car under the hot sun as the water dries quickly, resulting in water spots
(4) Never dry a car by driving it around to shake off the water as streaks will form.

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Nightclub Mamasan says anti-oxidants can treat E.D and infertility

[Pix of model for illustration purpose only]

Lounging away in the VIP Room of Hot Legs Nightclub & Karaoke in Bukit Bintang, Chow Kah, Hussein and I are taking a break, having sung our throats dry. Jessica and Wati, the joint’s hottest GROs, are drained of energy as well.

Empty bottles of Sapporo Beer and Bintang Beer stand on the coffee table. The carpet is littered with water melon shells and Menglembu groundnut shells.

Bursting at the seams of her cheongsam in her 36-24-38 figure, Jessica says: “Next time, please don’t put the mikes so close to your mouth.” She pulls out a wet tissue and wipes the microphones. “You all spray your saliva there. It’s unhygienic.” She follows up by wiping them with dry Kleenex tissues.

“Sorry,” Chow Kah says. “I guess I’m the culprit as I sing the loudest.” He burps, releasing the odour of Sapporo Beer. “Ooops, sorry again.”

“Let’s order some fruits,” I suggest. “I also need a fruit juice.” I clutch playfully at my throat. “I’m dying of thirst.”

“There’s a new item on the menu,” says Jessica, pointing with her forefinger. “There.”

“Anti-E.D. Salad?”

“Consists of?” Chow Kah asks.

“Pomegranate, sliced broccoli and carrots,” Wati explains. “They come with Thousand Island dressing.” Wearing kebaya with a top that exposes her black brassiere, she playfully curls some strands of hair around her finger. Hussein, seated beside Wati, gently grips the finger.

He drains his mug empty of Bintang Beer with his other hand. “Halal or not?” he asks. “I mean the dressing.” Wati chuckles at the irony of his question.

A brisk tattoo sounded on the door and Mamasan Lulu enters. She’s garbed in a pant suit and a black jacket. Traces of her former beauty still linger in her narrow waist and wide hips and butt.

“Sorry to interrupt, gentleman," she says and smiles. “Please give me five minutes to explain our latest salad.

“From Internet research, I’ve found that scientists from Oregon State University and the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies have discovered that free radicals disrupt release of nitric oxide in the body. This neurotransmitter –- don’t ask me what it means -- relaxes blood vessels, which helps men to achieve erections. Therefore, by taking greens packed with anti-oxidants, you’ll reduce free radicals.

“Our customers drink a lot. Actually, it's no good for the libido. As a responsible corporate citizen, we should take care of them. Therefore, I told our G.M. to introduce this Anti-E.D. Salad.”

“Please allow me to interrupt,” Chow Kah says. “Charity begins at home. The management should also take care of its staff. There should also be salads beneficial for women’s health. Your GROs are also drinking.”

“No worry,” says Mamasan Lulu. “The Anti-E.D. salad also helps to enhance a woman's fertility."

“We want two plates each!” Jessica and Wati yell. "The person who made the suggestion will buy for us!"

"Haah?" Recoiling in his seat, Chow Kah cringes as each plate costs RM30++.

"Never mind," Hussein consoles him: "Next time, when you marry Jessica, she'll give you many healthy children."


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