Zaptor Evolve II Voltage Stabilizer

Few months ago, I decided to install a voltage stabilizer in my Viva after I added a set of subwoofer at the back of my car. Since I'm always playing my subwoofer on full blast, my fuel consumption got higher. Why? For every bit of power consumed from the battery, the alternator has to charge the battery, and when the alternator is working, fuel is consumed. To lessen the effect, a voltage stabilizer is needed to regulate the surge of power and to provide extra power when needed.

Zaptor Evolve II

I got this Zaptor Evolve from a friend of mine, and it was RM100. The benefits of using this voltage stabilizer as I copied from a seller at Lowyat, he states that;
BENEFITS OF USING VS:
1. LIGHTER PEDAL FEEL
2. SMOOTHER ACCELERATION
3. COOLER AIR COND
4. BRIGHTER LIGHTS ( CABIN & HEADLAMPS )
5. LESSEN THE KICK BACK-FEEL WHEN THE AIR-COND KICKS IN
6. MIGHT IMPROVE FUEL CONSUMPTION
7.QUICKER ENGINE START

After a few months using this voltage stabilizer, it does make my Viva more responsive and I can easily overtake a few cars with the added VS and grounding cables.

P.S: Sorry for such a long setback on the update because I was quite preoccupied with so many things and my addiction for DoTA is getting worse.

Happy reading!

Nissan Frontier D22 : Changing Air Filter

Air filter is one of the most important element in the engine that is often overlooked. An air filter is like a hair in our nostrils, it filters dirt from entering the "lungs" of the engine, which is the combustion chamber of the engine. Any dirt that manages to enter the combustion chamber of the engine will often result in premature damage of the engine as the dirt will spoil the sensitive components of the engine. An air filter should be replaced after 40,000KM or 2 years, and it should be changed more often when you're living in a very dusty condition, or drive through very dusty roads often.

It's time to change your air filter when you notice one of these symptoms : increased fuel consumption, loss of engine power, and weak acceleration. My dad's Nissan Frontier, as mentioned in the previous post , the car is 10 years old, and he was not sure when was the last time that the air filter was changed. So, in this post, I will show how to change the air filter of Nissan Frontier D22 engines.

Brand new air filter

I bought this air filter for RM35 at Standard Spare Parts which is located at Jalan Keretapi, Mile 3. So what you need to change the air filter is ;
1. A brand new air filter.
2. Size 10 flex head socket wrench / a Philips screwdriver

The air filter

First and foremost, locate the air filter. It is located adjacent to the fuel pump in this particular car, and it's easy to notice. The air filter is usually encased in a air filter box.

Loosen the O-ring

Next, loosen the O-ring either with a flex head socket wrench or a Philips screwdriver and pull off the rubber hose from the air filter box.

The rubber hose connected to the engine

Next, locate the end of the rubber hose and loosen it by using the wrench. It's hard to use the screwdriver as the space is tight.

The rubber hose disconnected and loosen

Once the rubber hose has been disconnected and the other end is loose, push the rubber hose sideways so that there is room to open the air filter enclosure.

After few years of use.

This left me puzzled. Why is the rubber on top of the air filter seems to be torn off? No worries, we are not going to use it anyways.

Old vs. New Air Filter

The difference between these two air filters is significant. The old air filter is black and covered in soot, while the new air filter is white and clean. Then, put the new air filter in, and reassemble everything by following the disassembly method in reverse order.

Liqui Moly Diesel Purge : How-to & Review

Hello everyone! It's been so long since my last post, I had my hands full with assignments and activities in campus that trying to post an article in this blog seems to be a chore for me that I couldn't afford to spend time with. But, today is Labour Day, and to all workers, happy holidays, and do enjoy this moment to catch up with things that was left all this while, like me, this blog.

So, for this post, I'm going to talk about Liqui Moly Diesel Purge. It was used on my dad's 2005 Nissan Frontier, and although it went through 10 years of on-time service and two major services, it was a reliable workhorse. But then, I had a little annoyance with the car ; it seems to lose its power if compared to the early years of the car. 120km/h (it's over the speed limit for all roads in Malaysia and the lovely Pan Borneo Highway) seems to be a burden for the car to achieve that speed. The car feels underpowered, and heavy.

When I went to Liqui Moly's annual dinner at the beginning of the year, I had a chat with Mr. Darien, if my memory serves me right, he was from Kota Kinabalu and explained how diesel engines seems to lose power after a few years, especially in Malaysia. The problem is, Malaysia is still selling Euro 2 diesel with 1500 parts per million of contaminants, although the latest diesel grade is Euro 5/6 with only 15 parts per million of contaminants. As a result, fuel sold in Malaysia is plain dirty, and it clogs the fuel line of most diesel cars. In order to clean the fuel line without much dismantling and get instant results, Liqui Moly Diesel Purge was recommended to me. For only RM45 (pre-GST), it was worth a try.

Liqui Moly Diesel Purge

There are 2 ways to use this Diesel Purge, either you pour it straight into the fuel tank and let it mix with the diesel in the tank as a preventive measure, or use it directly at the fuel pump for cure of the engine's ailments. I chose the second step as the car may have clogged fuel line which results in increased fuel consumption, increased diesel smoke and smell, and also loss of power. 

What you need ; 

1, A small canister, perhaps a 1.5l bottle, the top being cut off.

2. A hose, to extend the lines.

3. Pliers to open the holding rings.

4. Brute force.

5. Patience.

The fuel filter with priming pump

Firstly, locate the fuel filter. For the Nissan Frontier D22, the fuel filter is on the left side of the car, and it has a black priming pump to remove any air trapped in the fuel line, which will come in handy. 

IN and OUT fuel line

Then, locate the fuel line that connects to the fuel filter. Usually, it will be labelled as IN and OUT, but different car manufacturers may probably have different labels.

IN fuel line

Using pliers, loosen the O-ring and pull the fuel line off the fuel filter. Make sure you are ready with the bottle as there are still diesel in the fuel line. The IN fuel line is usually soft and the OUT fuel line is hard as high pressure fuel comes out of the OUT fuel line.

A messy job pulling the fuel line off the fuel pump.

The fuel line is put inside the bottle

Both lines are disconnected from the fuel pump.

As the fuel lines are not in the same length, a hose is needed to extend the fuel line so that both is almost of the same length. I cut about a foot of my garden hose and connect it to the shorter fuel line. Then, make sure that the end of each fuel line is at the bottom of the bottle, and open the can of Diesel Purge, and pour it into the bottle.

Trying to make sure that both hoses are at the bottom of the bottle, submerged.

Once you've done that, ask someone to start the engine and rev the engine at different speeds. When the Liqui Moly Diesel Purge is sucked dry, the engine will stall as there is no more fuel.

All of the Liqui Moly Diesel Purge sucked dry by the engine.

Once it has been sucked dry, disconnect the extension hose and reconnect everything back to its original place in reverse order in how to disconnect it. Once everything is reconnected, try to start the engine. The engine will not start as there is no fuel in the fuel line, and there is still too much air inside. To solve this, pump the accelerator a few times while pressing the fuel priming pump until there is a pressure build up. Then start the engine again. The engine will still die after a second or two because there is still air and no fuel pressure. Repeat the same process again until the engine runs smoothly. For my case, I had to do the process for 5-6 times until I get a smooth and stable idling.

After all has been done, I took the car for a test run. There seems to be less smoke emitted from the exhaust, and the idling is smooth. The fuel consumption seems to be less, and when I took it for a drive, the engine accelerates effortlessly to 140km/h. For RM45, it is really worth it.

Perodua Viva : Installing AMT Spring Buffer

After a failed "promise" that I will post new content every fortnight, I'm back with a new post today, and it is about cars. Again. Since I'll be embarking on a long journey soon using my Perodua Viva, and considering the condition of the Pan Borneo Highway which is atrocious (for the fact that Peninsular highways are far better than us here, but then we don't have any tolls, which is a good thing), and paired with a set of lowered springs, mashed up together with a full load, I decided to install AMT spring buffers or also known as POWER cushion buffers.

AMT Spring Buffer / Power Cushion Buffer

Red in colour, it comes in pairs.

The spring buffer costs RM35 and was bought from Bing Shu LED Wholesaler, and you can look him up on Facebook. I bought a pair for my rear springs as the car always scrapes when it goes up a bump at Kuching Sentral, and everytime the car scrapes, a little part of me died inside. The advantages of this AMT Spring Buffer, as copied from a seller from Lowyat :

AMT POWER CUSHION BUFFER
ADVANTAGE OF USING POWER CUSHION BUFFER
1. Rubber buffer can effectively solve the problem of springs weakness and recover the performance of the shock absorber.
2. Shock absorption effects felt in a mercedes benz car.
3. Protect shock absorber and suspension system to avoid oil leak.
4. The life of a normal shock absorber will be extended to more than 2 times.
5. Improve driving comfort and more stable during curve corner.
6. Improve braking efficiency.
7. Reduce noise and vibration during travelling.
8. Size for all type of car including lowered spring.

Honestly, number 2 was a bit far-fetched. If your car is a Kancil or a Nissan Sunny, even if you put 10 of these spring buffers, you won't feel like driving a Mercedes-Benz. The tools required are simple. You'll just need a car jack, some dishwashing liquid diluted with water, and some cable ties, and not forgetting the buffer itself. Do note that these buffers come in different sizes, and please refer to your seller if you're planning on getting one. I bought a D-sized buffer for the rear springs, and it is also applicable to Kenari, Kelisa, Kancil, and Myvi. I'm currently using Myvi rear springs for that extra strength and load.

Tools used and the item itself. The car jack is still shiny!

First and foremost, jack up the car. I read in some blogs that states that the car doesn't necessarily need to be jacked until the tyre is lifted up from the floor, but jack up high enough so that the springs are stretched a bit.

The car being jacked up

Being me, I seldom listen to instructions, and as the car was really, really low, I had to jack up the car up to the point where the tyre is lifted up from the ground.

The spring without the buffer

As the car was lifted with the jack, and the spring was a lowered spring, I pulled the spring out to install the buffer. It was an easy task, I wiggled the spring a little bit and it went out easily.

Fitting the buffer to the spring

Don't worry if it doesn't seem to fit, as you can secure it with cable ties if you want to.

Securing the buffer using cable ties, 2 on each hole

Fitting the spring back to its original location

The process is the same for the other side, and when everything is done, you will notice that the car would be a bit high than before installing the buffers. After a few days driving around with the bumper, I notice that the scraping was lesser, and the rear of the car feels more solid. The whole installation process took me half an hour, and I saved some cash rather than sending it to a workshop and be slaughtered. 

Rolf Semi-Synthetic Engine Oil

Rolf Semi Synthetic is somehow a brand new engine oil in the market. It is made in France and it has a Molybdenium additive in it.

Rolf Semi-Synthetic Engine Oil

I sent my mum's Proton Persona for service at Proride Motorsports at Jalan Kulas, same stretch as Bank Islam Satok branch. At first, I was hesitant to use this particular oil as the brand is foreign to me and this was the first time I actually saw this brand for sale. I wanted to use Proride 10W-40 at first, but after being persuaded by the kind owner, Jackson Bong, I gave it a try.

Up the jack we go!

He explained that this particular oil was better in a sense that it is a semi-synthetic oil with characteristics of a fully synthetic oil. The one I used before was a Castrol GTX 15W-40, and it was recommended by the previous workshop which I would avoid right now due to my previous experience. The workshop foreman was very unfriendly, rude, and the quality of service was extremely poor. I was entitled for a wheel balancing and alignment for my 5th service, but after the so-called "free service", the steering just got worse.

I came to Proride Motorsports a few times for service and I also changed my Viva's original springs to Proride Sport Springs at the workshop.

Oil filter and the old oil in the engine. 

The engine was suffering from poor performance and increased fuel consumption. Somehow, 15W-40 was too thick for my engine and as time goes by, the oil gets thick and it burdens the engine. The Persona's engine heats very quickly and is quite noisy. Acceleration is very poor, and it would take some time to overtake anyone at the highway.

New oil poured into the engine.

Rolf engine oil is 5W-30 and it is green in colour as a result from the additive. After using it for a few weeks, I notice a difference in the performance and fuel consumption of the engine. The engine is more responsive and the fuel consumption is lower than it was before.

The oil is sold for RM150 per litre and the total cost of service was RM160 including oil filter, and the labour is free of charge. So far, I have no complains regarding this oil, and I'm looking forward to use this oil again in the next service.

If you are in Kuching, I would recommend you to give Proride Motorsport @ Jalan Kulas a try. It has a very clean workshop and there is a waiting area for customers where there are sofas, a TV and the waiting area is air-conditioned. What I like most about this workshop is that it is very bright and the owner and staffs are very friendly. The workshop is opened from 10.00a.m. until 9.00p.m.and they do sell Bendix brake pads and Ultra Racing bars to name a few.

Kolam Panas Panchor/Panchor Hot Springs, Kg. Panchor

Outside view of Panchor Hot Springs

Kampung Panchor Hot Springs is located at Kampung Panchor Dayak, 40km from Kuching City, and it is surrounded by lush green jungles and beautiful landscapes.

Junction leading to Panchor Hot Springs

The road connecting the main highway to the hot springs itself is mostly surfaced with tar, but only the part nearing the hot spring, approximately 1km or less is still surfaced with gravel.

Entrance ticket

The entrance fee is RM4.00 per person if you're an adult or a child above 12 years old, and RM1.00 for children below 12 years old. The operating hours are from 7.00a.m. until 10.00p.m.

Ticket counter

Canteen selling refreshments for visitors

View from the hut overlooking the parking lot

Newspaper article featuring the hot spring's health benefits.

According to the newspaper cutting, the hot spring is believed to be able to cure chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. An interesting point to note in the newspaper cutting as it was stated that a woman whose husband was suffering from heart disease was brought to the hot spring every week for three consecutive months, and having done that, the husband was cured and the news was spread to those who are around.

Reminder to visitors (it is in Bahasa Malaysia)

The walkway leading to the hot spring

The hot spring itself is a non-smoking zone

Reminder and warning for visitors

The temperature of the hot spring reaches up to 42 degrees Celsius, and there are safety precautions in entering the hot spring.

Another signage at the hot spring.

The steam produced by the hot spring. It's really hot!

Amazing photography shot at the hot spring. Credits to Mahathir for the awesome pic.

How to get there : from Kuching City, drive all the way to Siburan (13th Mile), and go straight. There are 2 entrances to go to Panchor Hot Springs, one near to Kuching and another one near to Serian. There is a signboard showing Panchor Hot Springs, and the road is the same road that leads to SMK Tun Abdul Razak. The road is small and winding, so be extra cautious when driving.

Foodie Adventures : Hornbill BBQ Steamboat, Kuching

Hornbill BBQ Steamboat is located at Jalan Ban Hock, Kuching, and it is in the same area as D11 Steamboat, Annuar BBQ Steamboat and Sharing Planet. It is a pork-free eatery and the cost per person is RM18. Drinks are not included and is charged based on what you order. I went here the other day to celebrate my friend's end of final examination and the end of his first semester.

Hornbill BBQ Steamboat

Dinner for the night

They serve chicken, beef, lamb, fish and prawns, and if you are lucky, you might get crabs and cockle. Fresh vegetables are also available. I would rate this place a 3/5.

UPDATE JUNE 2016 : The place is now closed, with a bar taking its place. I miss this place.

Perodua Viva : Changing Speedometer Lights with LED Strips

This morning, I sent my car to a friend of mine named Raymond to change the old, boring and outdated orange LED backlights on my Viva's speedometer.

The original orange-lit Perodua Viva speedometer

My darling under the rain

The first process is to take out the speedometer from the car, covered by the radio panel and the speedometer panel, and secured with 4 Philips screws. Note that there is 1 screw at the radio panel, behind the air-conditioner switch in the middle.

Original LED is covered with black tape

The transparent cover, the needles and the plastic sheet with everything printed on it is taken off. As the original LED is orange or amber in colour, it needs to be covered to make sure the new LEDs will be able to shine through.

The LED strips used.

Raymond cleaning up the plastic board

The orange paint at the back of the plastic board needs to be removed, so thinner is used to carefully remove the paint from the board.

Soldering the wires to the LED strips

Routing the wires from the front to the back of the speedometer

The LED strips is affixed to the inner circle of the speedometer with the lights facing inside. Then, everything is tested using a 9v battery to make sure everything works before installing everything back. The negative wire is connected to the screw on the body of the car, and the positive wire is connected to a red & green wire (not so sure, please check it using a test pen to confirm that it is the wire) for the power when the car lights are turned on. After everything is done, the speedometer is screwed back to its original place and all the plastic panels are reinstalled.

Night view of the speedometer. Note that the LED colour is ice blue.

I asked him to install LEDs under the dashboard for that extra wow factor, and the lights are turned on when the door is opened.

Total cost of the installation is RM65 and if you are interested, you can directly SMS/Whatsapp him at +60146810831 and tell him that Aaron recommended you to go to him. He'll know.