20260818 And your next Service was...

  It's been quite some time since VeeChai had been serviced since March. I felt that this time, I really need to have the GearBox serviced as well. It has been acting funny lately, from suddenly not going into gear and then jumps. There is also one time where during a Traffic Stop, I accidentally pushed the Gear to 'N', the engine suddenly dies.

  I am hoping the Service would at least help alleviate the issues but I know what's coming next, with the Fuel Pump being the first in line. 

 

 Jalan Yew Today

 This is one of the busiest road in Pudu and maybe could be in the line for the Country's Most [insert expletive] Road, especially on a Weekend. But for this Sunday, it was particularly solemn, which I found out later, was due to the Imigresen. Normally, you'd see Foreigners everywhere, from selling stuff on the roadside to moving goods between the shops and vehicles double-parking on the road. 

Even when I was able to explore this area in the 80's it was already congested, with the 90's and the teens adding even more traffic to the 275m stretch.

 

 Yeah, about that. It seems that there is a new construction under the flyover. The new construction is to install a two-level mechanised parking system (with a third level where there is space). It's basically a vertically moving shelving system. I have encountered them in a few buildings when I was an Engineer in the late 90's. It was a little scary to reverse my BengMobile I into such a narrow and shaking platform. But I eventually did that in Bandar Utama's Centrepoint parking which for a change, was brightly lit. Sadly, once the Mind Shop (comics) shut down, I have stopped going there. 

This used to be a three-lane road (seriously) where the legally parked cars are on the right. Double-parked cars would be in the middle and the ones on the left are the impatient ones trying to squeeze through. Today, the traffic is slow, and with the red/white road barriers taking up precious inches, no one can start the third lane even if they wanted to.

 

This is the Progress so far. I am not sure when it started and I am too lazy to walk around to look for some Notice board indicating the schedule.

The frame of the parking system is quite similar to that of the ones I have encountered decades ago. However, I am more concerned about its maintenance. The people in that area might not be familiar with such systems and could potentially damage the structure which could affect a few cars nearby. Still, it would be interesting to see how it goes and how much the parking charges are (after the proposed 2-year grace period)

 

Sadly, the 'new' traffic flow causes a lot of issues, which disrupts the foot traffic to the shops. This was supposed to be a very famous place and you'd have to wait quite a bit for a table.

 

Another famous shop in Pudu which serves Lam Mee. It's been there for a very long time but today, I only witnessed die-hard fans turning up.

The shop has changed hands, which I would surmised to be the next Generation. The recipe is still the same, I think but maybe missing an egg or half of it. Still, what got me interested was the chili which the Lady said was personally home made. I tried it and it was crunchy af. So, yeah, I got a bottle but forgot to open it when I brought everything back with me.

 

Ah Wai @ Universal Parts

 This is the place I'd go to when I needed Lubricants to Service my VeeChai. I cannot remember when was the first time I've been there nor how I found this place. It must have been during the times when Forums are rife with tips and recommendations. Anyway, his stuff are affordable (but not fake goods cheap) and his knowledge of which lubs/ parts for each car is quite extensive. If you want to know, I absent-mindedly got set of NGK Iridiums for around RM160, The usual price, is about RM220.00 but I could be wrong. I said that because I got my first set from PH Auto in 2021 at RM158.00. And if i am not mistaken, by my calculations, I have driven about 61,854Km since the change and it would take about another two more years to reach 100,000Km. Yeah, seven years. But you know what? Maybe I'll change it sometime this year. 

 

This is Ah Wai. If you know him, then he is Ah Wai to you. Otherwise, he is just Ah Wai.

Its always the Gear Oil that sets me back. I trust him because he is carrying the Perodua Brand.

 

As for the Engine Oil, I'll take whatever he recommends apart from the usual Perodua 5W-30. I still miss that 'Saudi Arabia' Gold which even at 10Km, the engine felt so smooth.

 

VeeChai's Underbelly

Jacking up the car is sometimes a little nerve-wracking as you'd be looking at the missing things, the dents and dings which forces your mind to senselessly recall irrelevant details. But this time, I had to because I suspect there are more leaks under the bonnet. The last time, it was the Valve Cover Gasket in April, 2022 and then it was the O-ring in the Oil Filter housing. 

Hey, it was changed last year or was it in 2024?

 

Right away, I can see most of the securing bolts or nuts or... things are not there. Can't blame it on the A/C Guy but so many gone and with the Spots wiring unplugged, I'd have to suspect but with no evidence. So, I guess I'll have to get them replaced as soon as I can.

Although it is leaking (arrows) but I am puzzled about the sludge collected (circle). It is soft, like melted butter soft.

This error came back again and despite my trying to erase it a few times. So, I unplugged the Air Mass Sensor. And the car died...

 

Doing so created a new Error code. Once I erased it, the previous error code was gone too.

 

 

So, everything should now be fine and dandy. However, on the next morning... oh-oh. That stain is a fresh gear oil, which means the seal for the drive shaft is going to be trouble...