My kucilek (aka my Kancil larr......) broke down on the eve of Merdeka, and guess where .....
Where else but the busy Seremban Highway, where it was bumper-to-bumper because everyone else wanted to "balik kampung" !
I was on my way home and caught in the jam when suddenly I heard a "poooooof !" and saw white mist coming out from under my car ! Coincidentally, there was a huge bus next to me, and initially I thought the noise and mist came from it, but after looking at it for several more seconds, I realized that it's not from the bus.
Then I started looking the indicators in my car and saw that the meter for the radiator was 5mm away from the "H" ! I immediately new something was very wrong and started frantically to look for a place where I can stop my car.
I had to go from being extreme right and cross 5 lanes to reach a little small curve in the road to stop, so that at least I don't distrupt the traffic too much. The meter needle JUST reached "H" when I stopped the car totally.
I opened up the hood, and found that there was no more water in the plastic tank thingy ! Luckily I still had 1/2 a bottle of water with me, so I poured it into the tank, and started calling my friends to ask what I should do. They advised me to wait it out, to let the engine cool down before starting up again.
So I sat there, locked in the car, watching traffic pass by while waiting for the engine to cool down. I saw that a trailer had also broke down about 50 metres in front of me. After about 30 minutes, I saw that the needle had gone down halfway, and thought to myself, it should be enough for me to make my journey home.
I fired up the engine, and started slowly driving again, but barely 300 metres, the needle went all the way up to "H" again ! I had no choice but to stop my car immediately, and since I was on the left, the cars / bikes behind me had to slowly file pass me on the right.
I waited for another 20 mins, and quickly started the engine so that I can move another 200 metres more because, there is a turnoff to the SMART office beside the river where I can park my car away from the traffic. I just made it in the nick of time, because the needle went from 10 mm to "H" all the way up to the MAX ! But at least I am now away from the main traffic.
I looked around for water that I can pour into the water tank, because one of my friends said that lots of water is needed. There was this fella on a motor-bike that was looking at the river and I asked him whether he had any water to spare. He gave me his 1.5 litre mineral water bottle, and I took it, and poured almost 3/4 into the plastic tank.
Then I waited for the engine to cool down. A bike with 2 fella stopped and claimed they were mechanics, and asked to check the engine. I told them that I already put in water, and was waiting for it to cool down.
After about 30 mins, I tried starting the engine again, and saw that the needle is still near "H", and saw small vapours of mists coming out of the engine. I immediately stopped again, and this time, I wondered whether something else was wrong.
Another guy on a bike stopped, and asked about the engine. This time, I got out of the car and said I think I don't have enough water. He told me that he suspects the connectors to the engine is bust because he said it's a frequent problem with Kancil cars. By that time it was already 7pm, and starting to get dark. He took a light and was fiddling with all the pipes connecting to the engine, and showed me one that was hanging loose !
No wonder I heard the "poof". It must have been the sound made when the connecter went bust. He gave me his number, and said that he can change it for me for RM30, but I lied and told him I already called Kurnia for help. He said if I don't want to wait, I can give him a call.
So I called my SOS number (aka my sister and bro-in-law lar....) and told them what happened. Sis helped me call Kurnia and arranged for a tow-truck to come rescue me. Sis gave me an address of the workshop where I'm supposed to send my car, which is near her house. I also noticed a Perdana that broke down about 50 metres from my car, but it was on the outer side of the turn-off, so it was distrupting traffic flow. Because of the traffic jam, I had to wait until 8:30pm for the truck to arrive.
The tow truck operator told me that Kancil always have problems with the "T" and "H" connectors, and that there were quite a number of cars that broke down that day, due to all the jams. True enough, during the journey, we passed by about 5 other cars that broke down ! Finally I reach Sg. Way, and my bro-in-law was waiting to guide us to the workshop. Once we reached there and parked the car, I followed him home and had dinner at sis' house.
Where else but the busy Seremban Highway, where it was bumper-to-bumper because everyone else wanted to "balik kampung" !
I was on my way home and caught in the jam when suddenly I heard a "poooooof !" and saw white mist coming out from under my car ! Coincidentally, there was a huge bus next to me, and initially I thought the noise and mist came from it, but after looking at it for several more seconds, I realized that it's not from the bus.
Then I started looking the indicators in my car and saw that the meter for the radiator was 5mm away from the "H" ! I immediately new something was very wrong and started frantically to look for a place where I can stop my car.
I had to go from being extreme right and cross 5 lanes to reach a little small curve in the road to stop, so that at least I don't distrupt the traffic too much. The meter needle JUST reached "H" when I stopped the car totally.
I opened up the hood, and found that there was no more water in the plastic tank thingy ! Luckily I still had 1/2 a bottle of water with me, so I poured it into the tank, and started calling my friends to ask what I should do. They advised me to wait it out, to let the engine cool down before starting up again.
So I sat there, locked in the car, watching traffic pass by while waiting for the engine to cool down. I saw that a trailer had also broke down about 50 metres in front of me. After about 30 minutes, I saw that the needle had gone down halfway, and thought to myself, it should be enough for me to make my journey home.
I fired up the engine, and started slowly driving again, but barely 300 metres, the needle went all the way up to "H" again ! I had no choice but to stop my car immediately, and since I was on the left, the cars / bikes behind me had to slowly file pass me on the right.
I waited for another 20 mins, and quickly started the engine so that I can move another 200 metres more because, there is a turnoff to the SMART office beside the river where I can park my car away from the traffic. I just made it in the nick of time, because the needle went from 10 mm to "H" all the way up to the MAX ! But at least I am now away from the main traffic.
I looked around for water that I can pour into the water tank, because one of my friends said that lots of water is needed. There was this fella on a motor-bike that was looking at the river and I asked him whether he had any water to spare. He gave me his 1.5 litre mineral water bottle, and I took it, and poured almost 3/4 into the plastic tank.
Then I waited for the engine to cool down. A bike with 2 fella stopped and claimed they were mechanics, and asked to check the engine. I told them that I already put in water, and was waiting for it to cool down.
After about 30 mins, I tried starting the engine again, and saw that the needle is still near "H", and saw small vapours of mists coming out of the engine. I immediately stopped again, and this time, I wondered whether something else was wrong.
Another guy on a bike stopped, and asked about the engine. This time, I got out of the car and said I think I don't have enough water. He told me that he suspects the connectors to the engine is bust because he said it's a frequent problem with Kancil cars. By that time it was already 7pm, and starting to get dark. He took a light and was fiddling with all the pipes connecting to the engine, and showed me one that was hanging loose !
No wonder I heard the "poof". It must have been the sound made when the connecter went bust. He gave me his number, and said that he can change it for me for RM30, but I lied and told him I already called Kurnia for help. He said if I don't want to wait, I can give him a call.
So I called my SOS number (aka my sister and bro-in-law lar....) and told them what happened. Sis helped me call Kurnia and arranged for a tow-truck to come rescue me. Sis gave me an address of the workshop where I'm supposed to send my car, which is near her house. I also noticed a Perdana that broke down about 50 metres from my car, but it was on the outer side of the turn-off, so it was distrupting traffic flow. Because of the traffic jam, I had to wait until 8:30pm for the truck to arrive.
The tow truck operator told me that Kancil always have problems with the "T" and "H" connectors, and that there were quite a number of cars that broke down that day, due to all the jams. True enough, during the journey, we passed by about 5 other cars that broke down ! Finally I reach Sg. Way, and my bro-in-law was waiting to guide us to the workshop. Once we reached there and parked the car, I followed him home and had dinner at sis' house.
My poor kucilek being released by the tow truck
Then I drove my niece's car back home. Even though it was Merdeka day, the workshop was opened and I had my car fixed. I was lucky I stopped fast, because I was told, if I had forced the car to continue on and the engine died, I will have to change a whole new engine ! As it is now, all I had to do was just to change the connectors.
Phew ! I shudder to think what the cost would have been like if I had to change the engine !
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