My car is sick...sent my car to see the "doctor" today... actually there has been some minor problem since my last servicing in last Dec, but at that time I find no major problem in driving the car. plus I don't have to drive to Johor anymore so the option to sell the car away is open, hence I was not prepared to part with a huge amount of money (~$400+) to do the repair work recommended by the workshop.
however recently the steering wheel started to vibrate at a lower cruising speed.. it used to start vibrating only when i hit 130km/hr... but these few weeks i can feel it vibrating when i'm at 90-110km/h. This is barely just passed the speed limit of expressways! hence i'm convinced my car desperately need to go for a repair..
hence I woke up at 7.30am today so that I can reach the Riverview workshop at the AMK industrial park just before it opened (even the shutter on one side of it was still closed!), and realised i'm already the 6th or 7th car in the queue. The staff went for a round of test drive and advised that the front right absorber was already squeaking - which I had heard before once in a while but took no notice of it, and he suggested I may wish to replace it. He also told me that the car alignment is very off - which I wholeheartedly agree, and that a computerised alignment should be carried out. Other than that, he also suggested that the vibration I felt on the steering wheel could either be due to the engine mounting (which may cause the car to vibrate when the car is idling or when the air con compressor kicks in), and if the drive shaft dust cover has cracked/deteriorated.
Initially wanted to just do repair work to rectify any problematic parts of the car.. but since there is no confirmed repair work before they checked the car and gave me the quotations, I felt obliged to have them service my car too.. hence I was convinced to carry out the comprehensive servicing package for 80k mileage since the earlier servicing i did was the std basic package (not for a 80k major servicing), and the next due servicing is actually either due when my mileage hit 90k or when it's 24 June (6 mths aft the last svcing).
While they were doing the checks, they jacked up the car and this is the first time i saw the undercarriage of a car! They pointed out the sufferings of my car and as expected, the drive shaft bush was totally wrecked... one of the coil mounting was dislodged... and to my surprise, the exhaust pipe had a hole in it!! My poor car... it had been serving me so well and yet it had been suffering!!
So after I got the quotations, I had a hard time trying to match my budget with bringing my car back to good health. Eventually, other than the engine mounting, I decided to carry out the other recommended replacements, plus changing the brake light assembly which has been keeping goldfish for almost a year. Waited for really long for all these works to be completed... i've read the straits times, the lian he zao bao, my own story book, and even tried to go into their free wifi before eventually getting the car at 3pm. No choice... really too many repair work liao.. and it's reflected in my bill too. $700+... *sob* Need to eat grass for this month liao... I think my expenditure this month is more than my salary...
Interestingly, I also found out that the previous owner of my car actually did all his servicing at this workshop too!! The workshop kept all the data so it reflected that the previous owner was very punctual in his servicing and did all the items/works that should be done on time - a very good owner. That's a relief to know, although previously the agent also told me the same thing that the first owner takes care of his car v well.
Nonetheless, I am pretty impressed with the service of this workshop - no hard selling, genuine recommendation, friendly staff, and the price seems fair as well. Rather professional in my opinion. I think I am likely to go back again.
And I hope my car is happily in good health again. =)
