Now we'll admit to being rather buta kereta in more ways than one. Last time, we forgot to feed the car soon enough.
This time, while making our way to KLCC through the lunch traffic we suddenly felt the car temperature rising. We thought, "Wah, the air-con gas run out so fast ar?" Thankfully we were rather near KLCC at that time so all that was on our mind was to quickly get out of the sun. After lunching with two great leaders, namely The Other Sporeland PM and Great Iskandar Zulkarnain we left KLCC to make our way back to PJ.
Only to learn that our Kembara was actually quite a panas baran (hothead) character. Perhaps Kembara learnt how to hate traffic jams from us (yes, we have pitifully low EQ when it comes to sitting in traffic especially when we have to head for appointments, like with BodyJam). Looking at the temperature gauge we went, "Fuck." Instead of hanging in the middle, Kembara's temperature needle was slowly rising...rising...rising. Our Kembara was losing his cool, and rather quickly too.
OK. We needed to stop the car somewhere now. Except that we were stuck somewhere around Changkat Bukit Bintang (just after Jalan Alor) in a near-gridlock. At least that allowed us to turn off the engine until we were able to trudge ahead a couple of feet. So it went: trudge, stall, trudge, turn off engine, turn on engine, trudge, stall...
A call to dad for instructions on what to do and he said that he'd meet us since we were near to his workplace. We, on the other hand, had to find a place to park quickly and let the engine cool. So we ended up at Low Yat basement carpark with our Kembara indicating that his hotheadedness was reaching 'overheating' limits.
Dad popped over to Low Yat bringing water for our hot-tempered Kembara - it took some three 1.5 litre bottles (two trips to the Low Yat restrooms) before the Kembara cooled down. By the way we didn't know Low Yat also had Premium Restrooms costing RM1, while the non-Premium ones were 50 sen. Once Kembara cooled off dad went back to work (we still don't know how he manages going through KL traffic in the mornings and evenings) and we whiled awhile before heading back...
...to office. Yes well even while we already decided to take the half day off because we wanted to get Kembara to the doctors we thought to head back to the office first to swipe the laptop, check to see if a reply we've been chasing for the entire week has finally reached our email, pack some stuff then go. Ended up we left after work hours...which was like an hour after we stepped back into the office.
And Kembara didn't like being kept waiting to see the doctors. He told us so numerous times on the way. Once as we were nearly reaching Jln Universiti, just before UH. We stopped awhile to let him rant. Then he went off again at Eastin Hotel. Traffic at 7.30pm, and on a Friday night whatmore, is not therapeutic for a bad-tempered car. We decided that we'd just stay there near Phileo Damansara, parked at a curb, soothing the Kembara till it wasn't angry anymore.
Of course, we tried to water our Kembara but it refused to open his trap. Wondered how dad did it, and whether we might have accidentally shut it wrongly earlier in Low Yat that now Kembara didn't want us watering him.
So no choice, since we weren't able to water our car, we slept till 8.30pm. And the traffic was still rather bad then. :S
By the time we reached TTDI Plaza (what, a couple of kilometers away from Eastin?) the Kembara nicely told us that he was way past overheating. We cringed as we trudged forward (CAN YOU BELIEVE WE WERE DOING 10KM/H FOR MOST OF THAT JOURNEY?) waiting for the explosion. As we parked near Porto Romano the Kembara gave a shudder, and fainted.
Dad came to the rescue again and told us that we didn't twist the radiator cap enough. It was only then that we realised that the radiator cap was designed like a child-proof cap.
Now the Kembara is snoozing outside, and we'll take him to the doctors tomorrow. While his temperature could be cooled down quite easily, he's gotten us all tired and cranky now - so much so that we decided to pull out from meeting the guys for bowling. Didn't even feel up to checking if others were going drinking. Just wasn't in the mood and quite liable to snap at people without proper reason.
In fact, still am cranky and quite liable to delete comments we find overly XOxoXO.
10 comments:
Erk. You must have gone through hell today. Just not your day I think. >.<
Well, just glad whatever happened today's passed. Stuck in KL traffic (and heat!) while the Kembara sweats his fever? Ow. *hugs*
Take him to the doctor first thing tomorrow and see what's wrong with the radiator. Think it might be a fan problem or something (not that I drive and have any EXP bout cars) but that's just what happened with our dad's car.
ooooo.. me car went overheated a while ago too. considering it's just 3 weeks on the road and already heating, me was pretty heated with everything too. sent to proton service and proton was diagnosed with the cooling liquid spillage... all the engine's gone greeny blimey...
and yea, me is one buta kereta as well. LOL
Strange how people can test my patience and make me a little edgy (or extremely polite - a definite warning sign) but frustration with machines can trigger within me an urge to mindless violence that is quite terrifying. After a day like yours, I don't think I would have been nice to know at all.
Hope you can get the Kembara well doctored next time.
Oh it happens to all of us, honey. When I first started driving, I inherited a jalopy, and yes, they do, irritatingly, tend to overheat in traffic jams or any other inconvenient place.
Just remember to keep the water topped up and the cap screwed tightly.
Oh my... poor you... hope you got your car fixed today.... I also dunno much about cars, so please share what happened and how to fix this kinda problem in future....
Oh my!! another cowboy (driver) doesn't know how to feed the horse (car). LOL!!
Next time check the meter, if it show unusual heat, you should stop your car and add water. But remember you have to stop and cooling down the engine before you open the cap.id
*stashes bottles of water in the car*
chill chill. the car needed it too. :)
True, keep a few bottles of water in the car in case of emergency.
Sam: One of those days lah. Wasn't a fan problem as there was a leak.
Ah-Bong: We remembered. When you mentioned 'green' we thought 'coolant leaking'. We were worrying of car stalling in the midst of traffic man.
Hrugaar: Make sure you don't get frustrated with your dark machine ever then! :S
Wingedman: Oh well thankfully the Kembara's been kept in good condition by the sis and mum all these years.
Alex: We were avoiding the simple solution of "Park car, put on hazard lights, call AAM to tow." Especially since being stuck in traffic no one will layan us really. :S
Turns out our car's bypass pipe (whatever) had a hole and needed replacing.
Lifebook: Heh we did check meter (or else we would have continue driving until the car mati totally on us. It was just that we couldn't open the radiator cap mah, not realising it was a child-proof cap.
Adrien: Called for a time-out for both parties. And now we're all better.
Jason: There used to be a bottle in the car. Then it disappeared, then this happened.
Post a Comment