Used these platforms back in 2020/2021 when I was under the impression they were better than UT and ASN was inaccessible. Eventually, found that they didn't suit my investment goals.
Have they gained market share, lowered fees, or come up with novel strategies?
Plenty of fine scratches on my windshield. Tried regular cutting compound at a car wash. It got rid of the water spots but did nothing for the scratches. Read that cerium oxide polish is the way to go.
Is there a shop in Klang Valley that will do a good job? How much would it cost?
Been using the 5610 daily since December 2021. Been waiting for an MIP 5610 with Bluetooth in the same colourway.
When this A159 variant got released, the blue had caught my eye but it is this grey speaks to my soul.
Snapped it up for RM 260 ($60) in Kuala Lumpur. The 5610 had cost me $90 (RM370) back then.
The display legibility of both are the same, indoors and outdoors, off axis and straight on. The hourly chime of the A159 is louder whereas the 5610 sounds shaper. The A159 fits a bit better and is almost imperceptibly lighter.
The segaiha wave motif catches light in a unique way that's hard to capture on camera. It is more prominent in the indigo blue variant but the subtlety of this silver grey fits my vibe.
Love 'em both!
Morning meddling done. Tried it for the first time. Thought I'd share my experience.
Verdict:
Not an immediate "wow sejuk giler". AC wasn't noticeably cooler in spite of brownish liquid being drained out.
If the AC ever gets irritatingly warm, I'm just gonna send it for a proper overhaul.
Disclaimer:
Subjective opinion. Didn't use a temperature gauge. Perhaps it didn't work in my specific case.
Did it make things worse?
Not apparent. Too soon to conclude.
Vehicle:
Toyota Camry ACV20 model year 2000 bought second hand 5 years ago. No idea of AC service record prior to my purchase. Did AC oil/gas flush few years ago. It still blows cold air but not to Saga levels.
Context:
Didn't think the instructions provided by the seller made sense. They recommend removing the filter and spraying through the blower. I wanted the evaporator coil cleaned not the blower and the ducting.
Backstory:
What triggered this was I finally figured out that my air conditioner drain hose was blocked last week. And it might have been so for months. I would sometimes hear a mild sloshing sound when braking abruptly. Finally found water on my carpet and decided to investigate. Took 30 seconds for my mechanic to diagnose the problem and clear the drain hose with an puff of the air gun.
How I did the flush:
Used two cans (1 can RM 58, 2 cans RM 78)
Turned the temperature to max HOT. This car has a heater. And turned off AC compressor. Left engine running for about 10 minutes to hear up the coil as per the instructions of the similar Toyota product.
Turned off the engine and sprayed the contents of the bottle through the aircon drain hose. Was quite difficult to get into this position as I didn't jack up the car. Needed two hands. One to hold the tube up and another to press the can. It took 2 - 3 minutes to empty the contents.
Let it sit until the liquid stopped dripping out. About 10 minutes.
Started the engine and set the temp to max COLD. Let more liquid drip out for another 10 minutes.
Turned the heater back on and switched off the compressor until there was no liquid dripping out. Another 5 minutes or so.
Switched off the engine and sprayed in the contents of the second can. Waited until the liquid stopped dripping out again.
Turned the car back on and let the AC run max COLD for another 10 minutes. Opened the fresh air vent and used a spray bottle to spray a mist across the vent with the hope of introducing more moisture to flush the evaporator coil.
Pro-tip:
Make sure the can is kept upright while spraying. I wasted some of the contents of the first can because I turned it sideways for awhile saw that I flowed. I flipped it upside down and it was still sounded like it flowing. Only later I realised that it was just the air escaping.
Just a rant while I wait to get my car back.
Visited my regular mechanic for a routine engine oil change for my 2000 Toyota Camry SXV20 2.2. What should have been a simple job ended up taking a day.
Mistake #1: Using A Suction Device
My mechanic used a suction device to extract the oil via the dipstick tube, just as he usually does. Somehow, the extraction tube got stuck. When he tried to adjust it, it snapped off inside. Because the dipstick tube is welded on, his only option was to drop the oil pan entirely.
He took the pan off and retrieved the piece. It had gotten stuck on a baffle inside (photo above). I shared the same photo with a friend who pointed out that the gasket was missing. So, I crawled underneath the engine to check if any old gasket material was stuck to the block. There was nothing visible.
Mistake #2: Ordering the Paper Gasket
I asked the mechanic about the missing gasket since this is the same shop that had overhauled the engine 2 years ago. He explained that a physical gasket usually isn't necessary here and that a silicone gasket is sufficient. However, he offered to order one if I preferred. I told him it was up to him, so he went ahead and ordered it.
The paper gasket arrived shortly but when we test-fitted it to the pan, the cut wasn't perfect. It was made for the SXV10. There were two extra holes and when one end was lined up neatly, the opposite end was off by about 2 mm. The bolts could still slip through and the gasket sat flat, so I green lit the job.
Mistake #3: Mixing Paper and Dirko HT
He began applying a caulking-gun-style tube of sealant called Dirko HT on the paper gasket. I usually see them use squeeze tubes. Curious, I ran check on Gemini.
It warned me that Dirko HT requires bare metal-to-metal contact to cure properly, and cannot be combined with a paper gasket. It also pointed out that the the drip pan is factory sealed only with a silicone gasket.
By the time I read this, he had just started lifting the pan up against the engine block. I stopped him and asked him to drop the pan back down, remove the paper gasket and use just the RTV silicone gasket.
In spite of this, he didn't make a bad situation worse by saying anything nasty to me or show that he was irritated. He admitted his initial mistake and I apologised for doubting him.
Lessons Learnt
Mistakes happen. Be nice to your mechanics. The customer isn't always right. I wasn't pushy, just that he wasn't too sure about the right gasket and how to install RTV correctly.
If something doesn't seem right, verify with the mechanic, ask AI, and double-check with sifus on this sub. :)