Autopsy of Engine Tuning Project

Maybe it's psychological, but the ride definitely feels heaps better after the tuning.

I can hit the same travelling speed on less rpms, and I only need to touch the gas pedal ever so lightly. The engine purrs sweeter. And I can power up slopes better on every gear. My Charade now tops out at 138km/h. Can't do better than that without gravity assist.

There is also a slight improvement in fuel consumption, which is really the main thing, isn't it? But I was kinda hoping for more. But that's probably cos the engine runs so much better now, that it's hard to hold it back at the optimal fuel economy speed of 80-90km/h. Travelling much faster than this, and air resistance becomes significantly greater and you burn more fuel. So I've been travelling at least 10-20km/h faster on highways. And I'm still getting an improvement to my fuel economy.

Sweet...

Another test is load.

My steed carries me around just fine most of the time. But like a woman, it becomes rather cranky when I invite other men inside her. And just as unforgiving too, cos even several days after driving a heavy load, she'll still be sluggish and unresponsive.

Well, Saturday, I went to Klang for Bak Kut Teh with a friend. That's an estimated load of 85kg there... The car did very well. We had a good breakfast. Then I drove around Jln Kapar and pop into every half-cut shop along the road.

A half-cut shop is a 2nd hand car parts store. They buy condemned vehicles, chop it in half, and refurbish & sell the engines and other parts.

I'm looking for the little metal door that covers my petrol intake. It had snapped off, and I was looking for a replacement. Had checked out 3 half-cut shops before this. Checked out another 8 this day. All no luck. Sad.

And on the way back, I missed a turn and ended up in a malay kampung. It's a very idyllic place, with tall trees shading the road. And at the end of the road, I came upon a surprise.

Wide open skies, undulating hills, and concrete monuments to the dead.

Stumbled onto a chinese graveyard quite by chance. Burial plots as far as the eyes can see. Drove in to explore, top a hill, and even more graves, and more hills, and the same again over the next hill.

It's a pretty cool discovery.

This may be strange, but I find graveyards very peaceful. Well maintained ones anyway. I also had a good time walking around the WWII monument in Labuan many years ago.

But the day was too hot this day to properly explore this place. I really wonder how far this graveyard goes.