Castrol Magnatec vs Petronas Syntium

Last 2 services, I used Petronas Syntium 800 semi synthetic oil instead of Castrol Magnatec. I noticed several things about it. I listed as below:

1. Performance wise - Acceleration is a little bit slow or quite sluggish really. With Magnatec, the response is better.
2. Temperature -  Having said that, using Syntium, the engine temperature is not as hot as using Magnatec. I don't have to fill up my water tank reservoir as often as before.
3. Price - a little bit cheaper.

So, I don't know what to choose for my next service due another 3 months time. Castrol Magnatec is quite difficult to find. My regular workshop is having slight difficulties to secure the supply. I don't quite understand about it. The demand is there but the supply is quite limited.

Traffic jam in Cameron Highlands again....

Mmmm...
I should learn from this once and for all. Just came back from vacation? I spent 3 days and 2 nights supposedly to refresh my minds but ends up getting more mess up. First traffic jam in Cameron Highlands was terrible. Imagine, it takes 1 or 2 hours to pass any towns over here for eg. Tanah Rata, Brinchang etc. You can smell the odour of over working brake pads. Overheated cars is a common scene. Don't talk about parking.Worst is Brinchang. From what I gathered from a shopkeeper in Brinchang, in normal days, 'pasar malam' is conducted two days/week i.e Friday and Saturday.

However, during school holidays, everyday is "pasar malam".

End up spending most of our time in our resort; Strawberry Park.

What a vacation.

Traffic jam in Cameron Highlands

It’s quite a journey. I’m stuck in the traffic jam, not in KL but in Cameron Highlands. It’s Saturday and it’s a pasar malam day in Berinchang. So, there’s a massive traffic jam heading towards Berinchang town, especially during school holiday seasons. Traffic jam from Tanah Rata towards Berinchang was not that long compared to jam on the opposite sides. 

Fuhh…as I finally passed Berinchang and stop over to buy some steamed corns (it cost twice here; RM 3.00 compared to the same thing in KL, RM 1.50), a really long queue, possibly more than 5 km heading towards Berinchang. I was told by the seller, she took more than 2 hours to pass Berinchang town in situation like this. 

So, get yourself ready to brace the similar situation if you decide to take so called stress-relieved vacation in Cameron Highlands during weekends and school holiday seasons. You had been forewarned. Anyway, enjoy your holiday.

The cost of owning a Nissan Grand Livina

Mmm, well basically they are
1) Maintenace service
2) Insurance

It's all about money. Money come, money go

Ok in my case, let me list down what I spent in 2011.
1)Maintenance service.
This year I had four services. 1 minor, 1 minor with gear oil changed and 2 major services (including alignment, tyre balancing, brake service and engine tuning).

That cost me a total of RM 1,176.70. So, in average in one month it cost around RM 98.06

2) Insurance
It cost me RM 1,722.60

On average per month it cost around RM 143.55


So, there you go,

In a month set aside RM 143.55 + RM 98.06 = RM 241.61 of your monthly salary for yearly insurance renewal and maintenance services.

 That without saying on top of your monthly allowance for fuel.

So, for me, apart from loan commitment of RM 1,000.29 for another 8 years to come, roughly about RM 1,400 or more is set aside in exchange of owning a Nissan Grand Livina. Well that is part and parcel of life.

I'm off now, see ya next year. I'm a kind of busy right now reading "The monk who sold his ferrari" by Robin Sharma. I'll tell more about it later. So far, mmm, what an interesting reading. Simple yet difficult.

my last service for 2011

I just came back from Nissan Service Centre. This was  for 40,000 km service. I was charged  RM 376.40. They changed gear oil and that cost me RM 160 for 4 bottles of gear oil plus another RM 20 service charge for changing gear oil.

Some nice info that I gathered from my conversation with the mechanic were

1. Tyre pressure set at 32 psi. I was wrong then since I used 35 psi.
2. The important of changing gear oil. The new gear cost around RM 25,000

So I concluded 2011 service history. In 2011, I had 4 trips to Nissan Service Centre.

Year	Total			Average per month
2010	160.00			RM 40 for	4 months
2011	1,176.70			RM 98.06