Latest Update

Several updates about my car.

• I have not renewed his insurance and road tax.
• I have not purchased new batteries
• I have not driven it long distance for about two months
• I have not washed it for several months
  

I think I have started it with jump starters two weeks ago, so it's not altogether a bad thing.

Yes, car-pooling and bus-riding has me neglecting my car.

But I know, sooner or later, he will live his normal life again.

Toe Out Solved Somewhat

Finally I did the alignment to STELLAR.

It has 6mm of toe-out! That's quite too much actually.

He's adjusted to 2mm toe out.

Suffice to say, I drove fast all the time last night. Max speed on the wet road 100kph. No sign of drifts and drags I should say.

Good job!

Also did the oil change.

And then bought Nasi Ayam Hainan at the famous Melawati Food Court near Telekom.

List Of Problem

I have compiled a list of possible problems since STELLAR went back from Haji the mechanic.

• Dashboard indicator light intermittent
• Fuel gauge shows low, or under redline (recently happened)
  
• Oil pressure very low
• Misfire at idle
• Bubbling at part throttle
• Bang or explosion on acceleration
• Toe out at front

STELLAR has not been tuned properly, especially the ignition timing. But I have tinkered with the mixture.

OK that is all.

Wrong Way Around

I just found out, that I have actually adjusted the fuel mixture the wrong way around!

Lucky I know it the same day I misadjusted it, only later in the evening while heading back home

The rich-indicating smokescreen (almost) made it seem natural that something is utterly wrong somewhere. Thus I turn it "anticlockwise" rather than "the wrong way around".

So OK, I think the fuel consumption is quite ok lah, though I have not had a clue about the gauge position, as now it acts up.

But now the occasional explosions came back. I am still clueless whether that is the thing they called pinking, pinging, or was it detonation? It's like when you start up a Lambretta scooter, and it refuses to start, the last sound you hear is the sound I hear when it happens.

Toe Out

Preliminary checks, with the aforementioned wood, shows, that my car is probably having toe-outs at the front side.

I think the rear should be fine.

I will check in detail probably tonight.

By the way, the wood is not really straight, but I took that into account already.

Must Be The Fuel

I have been wondering, lately, why is it that both my car refuses to revert back to their much nicer fuel consumption of old?

STELLAR used to do 16-17km per liter at 60kph. The Warrior used to do similar figures too, at as much as 110kph.

They both do 12-13km per liter now. Like what!? Even 2 liter cars can better 20km per liter. My dad's 2004 Camry sees 40km per liter all the time, even at 120kph!

So I accepted the limitations the Warrior have over mileage, but, at least, replicate the old consumption of yours please.

I know that Warrior has been decarbonized, had its throttle body cleaned, had it's oil changed back to thinner viscosities, and so on.

Then it dawns on me, it must be the fuel then.

I have been using RON95 lately, because RON97 is currently the premium priced petrol of choice.

I think, I must revert back to RON97, for both cars, and see how things goes.

This Wood Is A Keeper

I believe I have an idea about checking STELLAR's alignment.

It will involve, instead of the traditional use of long sewing threads, the use of a three meter long straight wood.

The wood, or beam, used to be a refuse of our home, which origin or purpose is not known.

It has been sitting idle inside our porch for a good month, and has also been outside our house gate for about a month, until I accidentally imagined using it as an alignment checker.

So the wood is spared, and inside it went again, last Saturday.

I will check first whether the wood is truly straight. Whether it is "true", like most bodyworks repairmen will usually say.

And then, one side of the wood will be used as the checker for the front side toe, and one side for the rear toe.

The two more sides will be used to check other measurements, like the distance between the front and the rear wheel centers (wheel base).

I will have to straighten out the steering wheels first, and then the check will follows.

i have not had any idea with the type of marking to use, whether with correction fluid, or marker pen, or just a pencil. But i think a pencil may be more suitable. My son's colored pencil will be a very useful candidate in this case.

Each side will only be used for its own purpose.

And then, probably, I will use it to check on Warriors' alignment too.

Yes, I am going to just check first, and still let the alignment shop do their work. Only thing is, I can make educated guess, before and after the alignment shop do their stuffs.

The wood will definitely stay with me for a little while.