car issues

Sometimes, I wonder if 5 years is too long a period to stick to a single car.

Look around. Singaporeans seem to change cars every 3 years! Are cars really THAT cheap here? Or that Singaporeans are blardee rich?

"These cars aren't expensive... Merely affordable," So they say.

Compare the prices of our cars as compared to that in other countries. We can get ourselves a luxury car elsewhere, with the price that we pay for our Honda here! The COE alone can easily get us another small car or allow us to upgrade to a higher-end car elsewhere, too. Need I mention the road tax?

Reason for my gripe...?

My car's starting to act up. It's the norm. Wear and tear. HEllo?! 5 years already, ok?

Others I know, sold their car off before these problems even start to arise. It's no wonder that the turnover rate for license plate numbers is pretty high.

You know, maybe my car was being grateful for our loyalty. Berjasa la katakan...

Last Saturday, from morning to afternoon, I've been driving around JB without a problem, even enduring both the morning AND afternoon jams at the checkpoint. Only when I drove out of Woodlands Checkpoint into the expressway, did I sense a change.

I manage to drive us home despite feeling some jerks; where the needle on the tachometer can go from 2000rpm to 3000rpm suddenly and drop immediately after. The radio intermittently switched off.

It didn't cross my mind that it's the battery. Had it been at night, the lights would have dimmed when this problem arose. I did notice that the signal light seemed weak and the needles keep vibrating, though.

A check with my uncle confirmed it so that night my dad and I went down to try again. The alarm seemed fine, the radio still played but the lights were horribly dim. I drove it around the carpark and the jerks were getting worse. I parked it.

My uncle came down an hour later. The car can't even start. Battery dead, liao.

Even jump-starting it can't help much. It's been past the 2-year mark already and the previous workshop that I last sent it to didn't even check to see if my battery needs to be changed. Ass!

"Go change to a new car, la! COE is so cheap now!" my uncle remarked.

I widened my eyes at him.

"But do it after the wedding. You wouldn't want to spend now." Luckily he add that in.. Hmph!

The car's still sitting at the carpark now, dead. Will get it sent to the workshop when my bro's free.

He simply asked for it to be towed away. I berated him, telling him that the $50 to tow the car to a nearby workshop is SO not worth it. Best if we purchase the battery ourselves, get the car started and drive it over to the workshop for further servicing.

Time to replace the timing belt & delmo. Check the suspensions, refill the engine oil... Maybe top up the air-con gas etc....

I can see all the $$$ with wings flying out of our pockets....

Now about the new car... It's just soo tempting, isn't it?

Purchasing it after the wedding won't do much for me. Despite my bro's pleas, I am SO not bringing the car over to my future place. The teeny-tiny carpark there won't be able to house another car. Even the big carpark at my current home gets filled up pretty fast, much less that constrained space over at Pasir Ris.

It's just too frustrating. Not worth it, I say.

My bro wasn't too happy about it. He claimed to be too busy and the poor car will just remain park for the longest time.

I know that the issue for him will be the side expenditures. Fuel, cashcard top-ups, servicing charges, coupons etc. It's gonna be a burden for him.

I remind him that the purpose of the car is for the convenience of my parents getting around. He should try ferrying my parents around whenever he can. I've done my (big) part for the past 5 years.

I know I'm gonna miss driving around. Maybe I'll drop by and drive my parents around once in a while. Old habits die hard. Need to wean off it slowly, I guess.

My parents were already sighing away the last Hari Raya, remarking that it won't be so easy getting around without their 'driver' (that's me). Then there's the constant wedding invites that they will have to attend on weekends.

Or deciding to eat out on a whim. Or shopping in faraway shopping centres like Jurong Point, VivoCity, Compass Point or even Causeway Point. Not to mention J.B.

I'm not getting myself a car after I'm married. Not going to consider it until a certain SOMEONE gets his driving license. Sheesh!