Sunday 28.9.2025.
We reached home last night at about half-past ten, Idah and I, from our 3-day Kuantan stay. We left the "De Rhu Beach Resort" at Balok, Kuantan at 12 noon. So, that was almost a 12-hour lapse. Far from a tragic story, Idah said God looked kindly at us. I guess we were fortunate, alhamdullilah !
This was all about my 15-year old car. My experience is, with old cars you just hope the parts that wear-off don't wear off at an awkward, inconvenient time. My experience also says, that's when things usually happen. This Kuantan trip was no exception.
We left home very early Thursday morning - it was half-past seven. Why ? The night before, as is my routine before long drives, I wanted to check the engine. But I found the bonnet release lever (bonnet here refers correctly to the hood of the engine compartment - because all Malaysians, English-educated or not, say "bonnet" when they mean the "boot"), or what I thought was the release lever, hanging loose. So I couldn't check my engine, and that made me uneasy, because the journey was going to be long. So I made arrangements with Sam to meet in SJ and let him check and settlle my nerve. It was too late to do anything about it in Seremban. I had to register for the Mubarak session at 2 p.m. in Kuantan, and that should take 3.5 - 4 hours, Malaysian traffic permitting.
As it turned out, I had mistaken a loose fuse cover for the bonnet-release lever. What a relief ! I couldn't even stay for a quick cup of coffee with Sam. It was already 10 a.m. Idah hung on to her seat belt as I beat all vehicles, stopping for a bite at the Temerloh R&R, and via "Waze" reached our destination before 2 p.m. In fact I was the first one to arrive. That's was great, I thought. The old jalopy was intact, and being early, I got a good, roofed parking bay still available. So the car should be safe & sound for the next 3 days, I thought.
When we left for home yesterday, I keyed "Waze" to Kuantan town, to refill, top-up my T & G card, and maybe get an early lunch.
But Kuantan is no more the Kuantan I knew well 25 years ago. The traffic jam is as bad as KL Husni says it's worse than KL. So I found myself going round and round, trying to spot a likely eating place, and failing. So the next petrol station I stopped to refill fuel and top up my T&G card, which had consumed RM 60 coming here. Then we resumed the hunt for an eating place.
When somehow we found ourselves on the old road to Gambang, at just past the Kuantan airfield, the a/c went kaput. No amount of fiddling with the dials did anything good, which I did after stopping the car on the side of the road. I wanted to pee, now, so we resumed the drive a little distance forward, and I saw this Shell petrol station. Suddenly there was a lound clanking sound from engine compartment. I had to stop by the station anyway, but as I did the clanking sound became more distinct, and only ceased after the engine was switched off. What a shock ! Opening the bonnet (thanks to Sam on Thursday) I found the blower-fan housing loose. That was the source of the noise. One of the petrol pump staff was standing near, and he pointed out to where I could find an open workshop, when I told him my predicament. This was Saturday, and some workshops close today, he said. But this was a repair I must do if I wanted travel any further.
We went to the first workshop. The young Chinese mechanic came to look under the bonnet, and promptly said they don't do this type of work, but helpfully suggested and directed me to two possible workshops close by that can do this kind of work, if they're open today, he added.
I don't know what made me choose the second workshop suggested, but I did, and in the end it was a good choice.
"Along" a Malay mechanic runs this workshop, and has several assistants. Two other cars were being worked on, but the 2-door workshop (twice the one-lot sizes of the neighbours) seemed capable of having my problem looked into. Along took one look and said my blower fan ahd jammed and the housing had simply been tossed out, hanging on to the compartment and making all the noise. Along said he didn't carry any spare parts, but would call around, hoping, this being Saturday, some are still open.
Luckily, one of his regular suppliers was still open ('until 5' he said), and texting the chassis number, the supplier said he had the part, but it's original and cost RM 2,000. Of course I didn't have so much cash with me, but the supplier said he accepts credit cards. Phew !
The only thing is, this supplier is in Beserah, half-an hour away. So Idah and I bundled into his assistant's Myvi and took about 1 hour to fetch the part.
The worrying thing was, when Along unwrapped the spare part, and looked into the engine compartment, he saw some alignment problems. He had a lengthy discussion with his assistant. I became worried. I told Idah, we may have to spend another night in Kuantan. It was already 3 p.m. We haven't had our lunch. I haven't done my Zohor prayers. I called Dekna and Adik. No replies. Later Adik returned the call. I asked hime to call Seri Malaysia Kuantan. There were no rooms available. I wasn't going to spend RM 300 for other good lodging, so we just hoped the repairs could be done, and done in good time.
Fortunately, it was false alarms about the spart part compatibility. There are some design changes, the computer check had shown this original fits. We felt relief. The assistant in fact was meticulous, taking the pins and screws out carefully and never rushed in his task. He even insisted, upon completing installation, that we test the blower, and this took time, because the fan will not turn before the engine reach a certain temperature. I had the urge to say "ok, we accept to work and leave". It was getting late. I was imagining the long, dark ride home. Idah said let him finish his job properly. So we waited. "Dah gerak !" he exclaimed. The fan was working. He put back the last piece of hosing, and closed the bonnet.
The assistant returned the change for the bill that I paid in cash, but Idah said let him keep the change. "Give it to your daughter. Ask her to ask you to get a new brother" I said. He had told me that he only has a 6-year old girl, and that his wife had a miscarriage recently.
It was 6 p.m. I told Idah we could be home by midnight. It fact we was nearly 2 hours earlier than that.
What if the breakdown happened when we were on the highway, far from any workshop ? What if it happened on any other road without any workshop nearby ? What if we were caught in the middle of the jam ?
Again, how fortunate indeed.
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