Yeap. The new car is here. Collected it last week and believe it or not, I've driven it almost 900km in less than two weeks. Time to send it for the first 1000km check-up.

Meanwhile, some pictures and memories of the ex-car.

My ex-car, the Nissan March K11 1996 1.0A. It served me well, with couple of hiccups and finally ended with a bad gasket. I also had a small accident in April - I hit a Merc cab and caused a small dent in the bonet and bumper on the driver's side. The Merc escaped with scratches on its bumper, but the bugger filed a medical claim for > $20k! He will get his karma soon.

The Nissan March handles well for an old car. Given this car had ownership transferred 6 times, it must have been badly trashed before I bought it. The steering is light and easy to maneouver. Parking was never a problem. However the car tends to understeer. Wider tyres are a must. The stock 155/70/R13 tyres that I had are too small and are a safety concern on wet roads, especially if you don't have ABS (I don't). Most people would have upgraded them to 14", also because 13" tyres are hard to find nowadays. The 1.0L engine is very powerful as well. The car is light (less than 700kgs) and that translates to ~1.42l engine per tonne. For a Japan-made  engine in 1996, having 16v fuel injection was probably very advanced. However the 1.0L engine takes a toll when you carry more than your left passenger.

At the age of 13 and after having done close to 230,000 kms on the road, fuel economy hovered around 10.5 - 12.5 km/l. If the engine had been properly maintained it might achieve 13.5 km/l as some other owners reported. Some may opt to replace the 1.0L engine with a 1.3L engine instead, achieving similar fuel economy but with more power.

Nontheless, I've learnt a lot about cars from the Nissan March K11. I've applied really nice stickers around the car and the last I saw it on SG CarMart the seller did not remove my stickers and sold the car "as-is".

My new ride, the Nissan Latio DS3 1.5/4AT. I've test driven a Volvo S40, Merc B170, Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Verna, Hyundai Advante and hitched a ride on Toyota Altis, Toyota Vios and Nissan Sunny. I would say for the price (I got it at a clearance price), this car kicks all those Japanese car's asses. The only cars that beat the Latio are the Volvo and the Merc, as expected, but that's for more than twice the price!

The Latio's 1.5L HR15DE engine co-developed by Nissan and Renault is capable of approx 14km/l fuel economy - similar to what the Toyota Altis promises. After about 800kms of running-in, I can feel the engine coming to life. The engine's power may not seem immediate from a standstill, but starts to really kick in near the 2500-3500 rpm range. The interior is amazingly stylish witn an european touch, nothing like the Lancer or Altis. You will not believe the spaciousness in the rear cabin too. The ride is very silent and comfortable, with the exception of the engine rattle near 2800 rpm.

However the tyres may need a change. The stock Toyos are comfort tyres but lacks some handling character around corners. They squeak terribly on epoxy or smooth cement flooring as well. There has been feedback that the Bridgestone Turanza GR80 is a good replacement. I might get them swapped out at 20,000 km.

Comparing this car up against the better Volvo S40 2.4i (my parent's ex car), the Volvo has much better handling character, but most probably due to the 16" rims, wider tyres and heavier weight (1400kg). The rear wheels of the Volvo has also been toed-in for better roll handling. The 2.4 litre, 5 cylinder engine together with a 5 speed auto transmission can transform the Volvo from a smooth cruise into a track monster with a slight squeeze from the accelerator.

The Merc B170 is not a sedan, but comparing it against the Latio, the Merc has some refinements worth mentioning. The engine produces a unique whiz and is amazingly smooth through the RPM range, but the CVT transmission needs some getting used to. The interior has been very well designed for the elderly, with traditional knobs, large displays and well positioned room lights. The dashboard is neat but a little too high, obstructing frontal view.

Both Volvo S40 and Merc B170 have extremely comfortable seats with a supportive head rest. The Latio however had a weird head rest that I couldn't rest my head against.

As far as it goes, I have no regrets choosing this car. It should be following me a long way from here after learning a hard lesson from my previous purchase - get a car that can grow with you.

So who says the Latio looks "uncle"? Here's a concept car from Nissan based on the Latio design... when I strike lottery maybe I will zhng the car until like that.

Ruixiang passed away yesterday in a car accident. He was seated in the rear and the car (probably speeding) lost control and hit a tree somewhere along ECP. Driver and passenger in the front survived, but RX suffered a blow to the back of his head and died instantly. It was shocking news.

I was about to leave KHCO to send some stuff to my store when I heard of the news from Yanhao, Moses and Tian Yao. I was shocked - this can't be true. I stayed rooted at the drivers' seat for a while before I drove down to Far East Plaza... slowly, thinking about how fragile life can be.

Ruixiang was a great friend. I met him in SAF MDC. He was our double bassist. Since I play the cello and am part of the "bass" section, we were close friends. We would play music, games, talk crap. It's people like RX that made army life like a dream I wish I re-lived. Sometimes after you ORD'ed you realize your time in army was indeed the best days of your life.


Jiajing, Bryan and RX enjoying a meal of home cooked food at the annual CIE chalet.


RX, in the middle (maroon shirt), always the calm and "cool" guy we all get along with.

We went through countless shows, even performed together during the famous "opera" where we had to read Erhu scores and make up the bass lines as we went along. We would make mistakes but would usually attempt to cover for each other. When Maj. Tay yelled at us, both of us would surprisingly give the same excuse for playing wrongly. I still remember there was once we had to play a passage in 1/4 time at ~200bpm speed and couldn't catch up at all - so bad that Lim Yan had to use the keyboard and cover for us. There was also this kung-fu musical where we cracked jokes with his teacher Mr. Poh, a professional cellist in SCO.


Me and RX side by side in a group photo after a performance at the Esplanade outdoor theater.

He had always wanted to be a musician and was just beginning to pursue his dreams. He had picked up cello on his own, and was probably a better player by now than most other cellist you pull out of an amateur orchestra.

Ever since we left MDC most of us were too busy with our own lives. We hardly meet up and the last time I ever saw him was during Andy's graduation recital. After not having played music together for almost two years now it was such a great feeling to be playing with friends from MDC. We lived two years of our lives in MDC, performing almost once weekly at events. It was a bond that we built, and the style of each other's playing that we know deep in our hearts. The moment the music started, we know what we expected of each other and it was music in the air. It's a feeling hard to describe, but musicians will know what I mean...


Ruixiang playing the double bass behind me during Andy's concert.

About two years back soon after we ORD, I learnt about his attachment in hospitals and jokingly asked if he had "da-pau" any dead bodies. He told me off and said it was called "last office", not "da-pau". He even wrote it in his blog entry...

First of all, here's the reply to one of my buddy's, CPL(NS) Lee, question:
What 'da pau' 'da pau'! F**K you understand!
For goodness sake, it's called Last Office or Care After Death!
You think what? Mac Donald's Home Delivery ar?
* Give one tight slap to the back of LTZJ's head *
Respect the Dead hor!

Later, he also wrote in his blog after performing his first "last office"...

... Facing death is part and parcel of the nursing profession. I believe that nurses should learn not to get too emotional when handling deaths. By doing so, we can ensure every possible things that can be done by us are done properly for the deceased and their families. On other hand, One should not get too comfortable with deaths as well.

I almost teared after reading this. As a nurse, one who cares for patients, saves lives, cares and respects the dead, such a tragic thing must happen to him.

RX also was afriad of speed and treasured life. Everytime we sat in a friend's car and they drove like a maniac he would be the first to say, "bro, slow down, I still want my life". I did not expect him to be a victim of a car accident...

Sometimes those up there do things we can never understand.

To a great friend and musician... rest in peace bro. We will miss you.

I think I've had enough. Okay, maybe not I think, but I guess I've really had enough. Here's the story...

My old car decided to die on Saturday night (Jun 7) - just a few weeks before I would be getting rid of it.

Prior to that, symptoms were brewing but never seemed serious. Now and then the car started in the cold morning with rough engine idling which went away after about a minute of warming up. I thought, maybe it just needs a little warm up for the day. For the rest of the day it drives fine, even after eight hours parked at the office basement.

Then on several occassions I could hear water boiling under the hood after a drive home from work. Quick checks always revealed that the radiator overflow tank had hot bubbling water and needed an occassional refill. I always keep a bottle of water at the back, so it wasn't much of a concern. I just had to add some water before every journey.

The first of the boiling incident occurred on May 29, prompting me to book a new car. It was a little on impulse, because I was totally pissed off. More on that later.

On Friday night (Jun 6) after driving home from work, the car had coolant boiling and bubbling off from the overflow tank again. But this time I could actually see steam coming from under the hood to the left of my car (driver's view). I checked the overflow tank, and there was still water in there, so I didn't bother much and went home.

On Saturday morning, I drove a short distance from Bukit Batok to CCK with my windows down and air-con off. It was a slow drive and so nothing weird happened.

After a long day, I picked up the car in the evening together with three other friends. We were headed for Marina Square and went down Bukit Timah Road. Just past the CTE exit towards Bugis, the traffic lights at the next junction turned red and I applied the brakes. As the car slowed down it started to idle really rough (sort of like piston misfiring) and stalled. Modern brakes are hydraulic driven and don't work with engines off, except for the parking brake which is practically useless when you have a full load. Stunned and still in forward motion towards the statonary traffic, I shifted to N and cranked the engine to start. It started right up and I saw the temperature gauge slowly going up towards the 3/4 mark (normal was 1/2 mark). The engine became really rough and delivered little power and couldn't accelerate. I quickly turned into KK Hospital and parked in the basement. This time I saw more steam from under the hood. I checked the overflow tank and there was water present. I added some water but I did not check the radiator as it was still pressurized and dangerous to do so.

So the four of us took a bus to Bugis to grab dinner, etc. and returned about two hours later. I started the engine and it was still idling really rough. It was slightly better after cooling off, but still bad enough to not provide much power to accelerate. I checked the maps and found the shortest route to the nearest petrol kiosk to grab some engine coolant - realize all this time it was loosing coolant and I had refilled with water so there was hardly any  coolant in there by now.

I pulled over at the first Esso I saw and bought two bottles of coolant while Wenxi went to grab water. I started pouring a whole bottle of coolant down the radiator, and another bottle of water after that. Then, with the radiator cap still off, I cranked the engine. It started up, idled really rough, and then before I knew it, a heck lot of coolant gushed out of the radiator and my car was billowing white smoke from the exhaust. After about another 3 seconds or so, I heard a "plonk" and the engine died.

I tried to crank it up again, but it wouldn't barge. No usual "neh neh neh" sound, just one "gonk" every time I attempted to crank. The engine's jammed, but I didn't know what (later I learnt it was called a hydrolock) so I shifted to R, and pushed the car back and fourth in attempt to un-jam the engine. I attempted cranking again and this time it went "neh neh neh" but the engine never started. Just as I was in eager attempt to start the engine again, Wenxi who was standing behind the car yelled out to me and I saw with my very own eyes for the first time in my life all the coolant and water mixture flowing right out of my exhaust.

OMFG, I thought to myself. What the heck just happened?

I called Thomas, who told me white smoke meant I had water in my engine, and that water flowing out of my exhaust meant I had to call the tow service. Here's the best part. I didn't have ANY tow service's number handy, and it took a whole half hour to ask around for one. My mobile phone's battery was almost flat.

After about an hour, a tow truck arrived... you gotta love this one - the photo of the most memorable moment. Getting towed while parked nicely in the petrol kiosk.



The tow driver thought it was the usual battery dead problem, etc. but not until I told him I saw coolant came out of the exhaust that he decided to immediately strap on the wheels without any further questions asked.

Off we go to the workshop, which was of course closed on a Saturday midnight. I left it there till Monday morning and then met up with the mechanic to describe my encounter.

My car was diagnosed with a blown head gasket around the first cylinder. A gasket is a thin piece of material usually made from ceramic and some other composite material. They are used to seal oil, gas and water so they do not leak and do not get in contact with each other.


Cylinder head gasket from a Honda Civic.

Looking back, if I had all these prior knowledge I would have guessed a gasket failure - The rough engine idling was caused by coolant getting into the combustion chambers, causing incomplete combustion and reduction in power of one of the cylinders. Boiling water was actually caused by leaking combustion gasses flowing into the cooling system. The hot gasses boiled the water and pressurrized the cooling system, forcing hot water to flow into the overflow tank. While this happens my engine was actually starved of water - it was filled with steam. Then came the white plume from my exhaust which was a sign of lots of water getting into the combustion chambers and turning into steam as it exits the exhaust. Finally the engine went into a hydrolock when too much water seeped into the engine.

I got my car back today, after four days of repair. The mechanic took apart the entire engine to check for problems with my lower engine as well just in case the hydrolock busted my cylinder block, connecting rods and crankshaft. Luckily none of that was dmanaged. All I had was a busted gasked and a slightly warped cylinder head. After some machining ("skimming" as they call it locally) and installation of a new head gasket, the car was ready to go again.

I must add a good word for this mechanic though - it was an excellent job, at an excellent speed and very very resonable price. Despite me requesting that the work be as cheap as possible, they still washed the car exterior, vacuumed the interior, and cleaned/dressed up the engine. The company is Autosaver. I went to their workshop at Toh Guan Road. They specialize in Nissan and Toyota cars.

So anyway, this car is gone for good in a few more days. I will be trading it in for a brand new Nissan Latio DS3 (1.5/4AT)... at a massive loss to prevent any further losses.

Thus far I have paid $3k downpayment, about $5k in total for repairs over the past 10 months I owned this car, and another $5k in losses to pay off the remainder of the loan. Totals to $13k... pretty much unknowlingly huh? At $13k over 10 months I could have eazily paid installments for a Toyota Rav 4 with some spare change.

Moral of the story...
1. Don't buy freakin second hand car unless it's somebody you know who takes care of their vehicle.
2. Take care of your cooling system. It is as important as any other part of your car. Usually it is the cooling and lubrication system failure that breaks the engine, not the sparks, air filter and other crap they replace during regular servicing. If your car runs a timing belt, it's equally important as well. A snapped timing belt usually means a FUBAR'ed engine.
3. Your car regular servicing schedule does not do this, but it IS a good thing to get a cooling system flush every year or two as the coolant loose their anti-rust properties.
4. Exhaust with white smoke = bad (water in combustion), blue smoke = bad (engine oil in combustion), black smoke = not so bad (usually a bad carb tuning or faulty oxygen sensor). Usually white/blue smoke are signs of serious engine trouble.
5. Since most people commit a 7 to 10 year loan on a car, it is a good idea to think forward and get a car you know you'll continue to drive for another 5-7 years down the road. Don't get a puny car, or a cheap car, because you will outgrow it very quickly and selling them off in 3 years' time will make you big losses.

Justin