Tuesday, October 18, 2016

2 days hit by 2 cars.

Tuesday, 18th. October 2016.

In the last two days, my two old cars hit me.

I don't mean they actually hit me in the physical sense. But they were hits all the same.

I'd come back from two days nicely ensconced in a 5-star hotel in the capital to attend a largely ceremonial annual gathering of an NGO with RM 1.8 million cash in its coffers. It was to me more of a restful weekend, all paid for. Then this happened.

Firstly, I had to take the 2005 sedan to the "knock shop". Some idiot reversed his small truck into my left rear end, I don't know where or when, but I found the ugly dents Friday before I went to KL the next day. So I said I'll come back Sunday, and do the repairs on Monday.

Secondly, come Monday, I told the missus to take the other older car, the 1994 sedan, and follow me to the "knock shop" - she knows the place. I drove off, knowing she'll be behind. Then she called on the mobile. "The car won't start".

At the workshop, the repairer took a look at the damage, and asked me to come at 9 the next morning, which was to-day, because he was all tied up for the rest of the day.

Then I came back home, and took a couple of starts at the 1994 car, and knew the battery was conked. Again. This happened last month, too. So I went to Ah Yee, my regular battery and tyre shop, and got his man "Panjang" to follow me home with a temporary spare battery. He fixed that,  and we drove back to the shop, with the dismantled original battery in the boot.

Further testing indicated either leakage in the wiring or  problems with the alternator. I took the car to Lim the electrical specialist right at the end of the same road, also a trip made many times in the past. Lim put in his gauge and promptly declared "alternator". Who was I to contradict him ?

For further proof (or for show, more likely), he dismantled the alternator in front of me, and connected a wired bulb to a battery and touched several parts of the dismantled piece, and in some spots the bulb lighted, in others it remained dead. That was it.

It was almost 2, Lim wanted to have his lunch , and I,too, wanted mine. I walked back to Ah Yee's battery & tyre shop, and  his man Ah Meng sent me home. Only my long connection here allowed this to happen.

At 4.45 I drove back with my wife to see how Lim was progressing with the alternator. In fact he was just finishing. The second-hand "kereta potong" alternator cost RM 300. "Jangan aya !" Lim chastised, when I said "aya !" on hearing "tiga latut !". Labour 50. And of course GST 6% was 21. "Tiga latut tuyu pulo lah" the nyonya said. That's one whole  RM 1 discount !

At the paint shop this morning, I arrived at the same time the repairer came to open shop - 9 sharp. At about 1 he called, the car was ready. Dekna sent me, giving me 100 as her contribution. Earlier Adik gave 100 as his contribution. I had estimated the cost at 200. In the end it was 250, before a RM 10 discount. But no GST this time.

The 2-day-2-car hit cost RM 610. With GST. After a RM 11 discount.

Sigh !


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