100,000 km and Still Going Strong
It slipped past me and I did not even noticed it. I figured it probably happened somewhere along the way to Krabi. The car is 9 years old come May 2010. Just yesterday, I sent the car in to have the rear speaker board felt cloth replaced. In the process, I made some checks on the cost of replacing the leather on the seats. The lady boss took a look and said, ''There is nothing wrong with them and I am surprised you told me the car is almost 9 years old because it looks brand new to me!'' Such are the comments I have been receiving from many people who saw Daisy. It purely reflects how much tender, loving care can go a long, long way in maintaining the car in pristine condition. All those long hours toiling under the covered car park, polisher in hand, car polish all over the shirt and sweating like a pig certainly paid off. If not for the recent long distance drives up country, I think the car would not even hit 100,000 km when it is ten years old. But, that would not be doing justice to Daisy. She love these long drives, the chance to open up the throttle and let loose those hungry horses under the hood because the car was designed to be driven like that. I would be 'killing' her if I drove her like Miss Daisy. I often wonder why anyone would want to buy a performance car and cruise the streets, hoping to catch some attention. I am sure they get the attention they want but it is all so silly and there are probably other ways of doing so. Obviously, I am jealous that they get to drive a performance car but this world was never fair in the first place. While Daisy is not in that league but obviously, the car thinks so considering the company she keeps! It has been pure pleasure driving Daisy and everytime I think about changing car, a drive in her will convinced me that I already have the best. Things are starting to break but remember, the car is 9 years old and replacing parts is just part and parcel of the wear and tear factor. The beauty of it all is that the car is virtually new again after parts replacement.
The 100,000th km mark came and went. I don't think the car feels its age and in fact, the more drives we do, the better the car seems to be. It would be a sad day for me if I ever had to give up the car for whatever reasons.
Krabi Trip
We made another trip to Krabi. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable drive. I wish I could do such drives more often but time does not permit me and of course, the company is equally important. The JSG guys are simply fantastic people. In spite of who they are in the business world, they are humble and friendly people who never fails to give good advice, whether in business or otherwise. Indeed, I am blessed to have them as friends.
Back to the drive. We left Singapore at 6 am and headed for Alor Setar, Malaysia. The North-South highway, as usual, was packed with cars until we past Kuala Lumpur. I soon realised that Daisy was not performing well. The transmission lag was getting worse and the car seem to have lost the ´surge´ when I hit the gas pedal. Using my portable OBD-II reader, I found out that there was misfiring and a rich mixture in bank 1 and 2. Consumption was also very bad and this was a sign that something was not right. The problem has been traced to the alternator. It seems that the alternator is not providing the necessary current to the system and as such, the ECU is not operating efficiently. A replacement of the alternator should solve the problem. Once again, its great to know what´s wrong with your car instead of relying on the workshop and this can only come about if you know the car well. Basic instruments like OBD-II readers, battery and alternator checkers will give you an indication of what´s gone wrong and save you much money in the process. Here we are in front of the hotel we stayed in at Alor Setar.
After spending a night in Alor Setar, we headed for Krabi. Instead of the taking the usual route via the NSH, we decided to take the B-roads instead. The scenery along the way was simply gorgeous and you wonder why you don´t do this more often. Going past the Malaysian and Thai border was easy since records of our cars have been captured in their system. After passing the Thai border, we headed for Krabi. A short spell of rain made the road rather slippery. The DSC was working overtime and I was glad it worked very well to keep the car planted on the road. Lesson learnt: take it easy, don´t be complacent and turn on whatever safey features your car has. You want to go and come back in one piece.
The stay in Krabi was excellent. The Naka Manda spa and resort is probably the most beautiful resort we have stayed in compared to all the places we have been too. You can be sure we will do this drive again once Daisy is sorted out.
