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.