Hi...another mini "adventure" of mine...DIY thing...

Yup, rber the Gasket, Drain Plug item that normally SCs do NOT replace but still BILLED BLM/FL owners during services?

Discovery! This Gasket is made of Copper! Frankly such gaskets (washers, as they are also called esp if made of metal) do NOT usually need replacement unless badly crushed due2 numerous prolonged over-tightening.

Here is pic I took of the Drain Plug & its "Gasket"... I had the opportunity becoz I'd just done an Engine Oil change midway between services (now @3500+ Km).

NB. I hv been doing that for all my "NEW" cars during their "early days"...haha! Since I can do so myself, it's just the cost of the oil...my own philosophy(?)...hehe...



ps. All along I'd thought the gasket was the "fibre" type...which is easily crushed/damaged. However, this "mini-adventure" has proven that wrong!!

This post has been edited by zeone: Jul 15 2011, 06:56 PM

Nope. Like ericmaxman said, yu gotta swap front end...So wanna accept his offer?

IMHO all types (mineral, semi or fully synthetic) can be used in all normal road use cars...as long as they fulfill the conditions set by the car manufacturers in their User Manuals, namely:

1. SAE Grade eg 5W50, 10W40, 5W30 etc;
2. API Certification eg SJ/SL/SM/SN

After that, the choice is YOURS...mainly dependent on yr budget!

Yup, using fully syn oil when car is old has been found 2b one possible cause of engine seals/gasket leaks caused by more efficient cleansing properties of modern fully syn oils!!

For those interested :
Mobil 1 Fully Syn 5W50 oil now on offer @Tesco - RM149 only! Also Castrol Magnatec Semi 10W40 @abt RM89(?).

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Added on July 16, 2011, 4:03 pm@rajivshm : Cars of "yesteryears" with carbs needed such warming-up 2bring up the engine temerature to normal running temp for a smooth drive off.
However, since intro of autochokes for carbs, that became obsolete!

Now with ECU & MPI etc, what do yu think? Haha!

This post has been edited by zeone: Jul 16 2011, 04:03 PM

Sound advice? Don't warm up but drive slowly till reaches normal operating temp.

Reasoning?

1. Engine revs higher when cold...chk yr rev counter. More fuel also metered out by ECU for cold engine. AND to speed up yr engine warming up, it's FASTER when yu DRIVE instead of idle.
2. Your FC at idle = 0 Km/h !! So for every sec you idle, yu are burning up fuel!! A waste! 5 mins every day? Just imagine how much fuel yu've been burning...
It's reported in 1 forum that a 4.3L car can burn up to 4 1/2L of fuel while idling for 2 hrs!! That is roughly almost 40ml per minute!!

Quote from 1 forum : "It appears... And an idling engine remains "cold" much longer than one that is being driven. Anything that can be done to shorten the length of time an engine runs cold will lengthen it's life and reduce fuel cost. And even in that cold, fuel wasting state, the engine can still be propelling the car down the road instead of sitting in the driveway."

Hope above info helps...

ps. Re "all d engine oil will back to tank...etc", pls hv confidence that modern engine oils do stick to engine parts eg Castrol Magnatec's slogan...hehe...
So no fear, ok? Juz don't rev high when engine is cold...

This post has been edited by zeone: Jul 16 2011, 06:24 PM

UR alwaz welcomed!!

Re pvc seat covers, they wld definitely be "hotter" under the sun than fabric covers...
But easier to maintain...hehe...

Yup, yu can. I'm trying 2get one such PnP module 4my 1.3FL. My Accessory Shop fren is trying 2order order one 4me but no luck yet...

And nope, it won't void warranty cos no wires wld b cut 2install it.

Replaced Ori alarm? So no more warranty on alarm system parts ( except alarm module covered by new alarm supplier )?
What alarm sys yu installed? Better than Ori?

Any recommendations for a PnP Alarm replacement for Ori sys BUT with xtra useful security features? Cost? TQ.

I had a kinda pendulum-activated alarm in a much older ride.

However, it became a nuisance!

When ppl knew my car had that kinda alarm, they'd keep on "bumping" it! And the alarm wld keep on blasting away...
Till I'd to turn it off!

It became useless then cos kenot activate it...or else...!!

Bars @Fuel Tank Indicator is NOT a valid nor good/reliable way to judge/measure FC...
So pls dun b too overly concerned/worried of such stats, ok?

If wanna keep an eye on yr avg FC, try use the more reliable steps to determine a still rough but more reliable way as previously mentioned in earlier posts/threads or other car forums.

Re alarms, frankly I think that car owners hv caught themselves most times than car thieves!! Agreed?

Do car alarms really deter potential car thieves? I doubt it...mayb those petty thieves BUT definitely NOT the pro ones!

We can view lots of vids in forums & on YouTube how cars had been stolen in spite of all kinds of security eg alarms, various pedal locks & immobilizers!

So is it a waste of good $$$?

YOU tell me...

Tks, bro, 4sharing!

Wat's most important = [B]YOU are HAPPY! Enjoy...

A few ??? :
1. Izzit difficult 2close doors after adding new rubbers like that? Thicker than ori, rite?
2. Door rubbers fitted by Seller? Cost?
3. HU Unit dun seem 2fit well...gap on the right.

TQ in adv.

I've learnt that ALL new engines are test-run after assembly b4 installation in2 vehicles.
However, anyone knows for how long? And @wat engine speed(s)? TQ.

Try standing same nxt to a other cars of similar category of this generation...haha!
Dun feel the heat?

Do tell us which car, ok?

Yup, only way to go...sorry...

That's the prob with modern day cars...being so "HiTech" & thus its main ops are computerised ie controlled by the ECU.

However, that makes it nigh impossible for the "ordinary foreman" to diagnose & overcome many probs cos specific sophisticated electronic equipment is needed!

Of course, there's also the Good...not hv 2depend on & suffer fr human error? Haha!

ps. BTW the ECU is located near the base of the Centre Console towards the front of the car...

This post has been edited by zeone: Jul 18 2011, 09:55 PM

RM123...Cheap? Feel spark plugs & air filter are wat's known as "collateral damage"!! Haha!

ps. ECU re-tuning is FOC under warranty, rite?

My 1.3 Auto has a slight jerk if & when:
1. RPM @arnd 4k...IAFM kicking in!
2. Aircon compressor kicks in...most probably yr prob? Coz yu hv "cit" sound mayb caused by belt slipping abit?

If can reproduce sound every time, best 2send 2SC if under warranty...

In Car Engines which were made of cast iron or similar, one can really see & wld b really surprised to see the amount of tiny metal (iron/steel) filings that were stuck onto the magnetic oil drain plugs (std fittings for such engines).
These magnetic drain plugs had 2b cleaned @each oil change.

Now most engines are composed of various alloys (if not wrong)...and car manufacturers appear 2hv dispensed with use of such magnetic drain plugs.

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Added on July 19, 2011, 2:36 pmps. For Pros & Cons of using magnetic drain plugs, pls visit :
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/magnetic-...pros-and-cons#b

pps. Also discovered that most modern engines are made fr Aluminium alloy & bearings fr Copper/Brass.

This post has been edited by zeone: Jul 19 2011, 02:36 PM