Tag Archives: cars
General

Oil Sending Unit Replacement

By on Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Sentra had been leaking engine oil for the past few months. Not too much to be an environmental disaster (I hope not) but enough to leave unsightly black oil spots on the ground. Whenever I visit a car shop, I ask mechanics to look for the source but to no avail. Some recommended that I get an engine wash to make finding the leak easier.

Last week, I had a complete wash: body wash, under wash, and engine wash. I then gave it a week for the oil to leak out then I had it checked at a car shop. They found that the leak was at the oil sending unit (it’s actually sends oil pressure readings). I’ve had it replaced before but that was before the engine swap so it seems I need to change it for the new engine. I had it replaced (for P1,830).

I hope that was the only problem. But so far, the car doesn’t seem to be leaking oil anymore.

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General

Road Trip

By on Friday, December 27, 2013

Went with the family on a year-ender road trip. James and I drove our cars in probably some of the best places to drive in Luzon.

  1. NLEx, SCTEx, TPLEx – Ripping through the smooth tarmac along the expressways. They sure shaved a lot of travel time and are fun by themselves.
  2. MacArthur, Manila North Road – Relaxed cruising along the roads to Vigan, Laoag, and Pagudpud. There are just the annoying slow trucks and buses that were a chore to pass.
  3. Naguilian Road – We reached Naguilian Road to Baguio at dusk. By the time we were at its twists, turns and uphill grades, it was dark already. Crazy. And fun!
  4. Santo Tomas Road – We missed a turn heading down from Baguio and went into a drive up the clouds. Twists, turns, and uphill grades in the fog. More fun!
  5. Kennon Road – A leisurely and picturesque route down from Baguio. Good thing the weather was good.
  6. Guimba-Victoria Road – Rally Stage! Tried to enter TPLEx at Rosales but it turned out to be still under construction. Instead of going back, we proceeded to Umingan-Rosales Road and then Nueva Ecija-Pangasinan Road all the way to Guimba. The two roads were pretty good. At Guimba, we then took the Guimba-Victoria Road. It felt like a road everyone forgot. There were asphalt, concrete, and dirt sections in various states of disrepair. Wished I had an STI or an Evo.

A good close the year in terms of driving.

 

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General

Ford Everest Concept

By on Tuesday, August 13, 2013

When the last Ford Ranger came out, I was expecting the new Ford Everest to come out soon after. Unfortunately, months went by and there was nothing except some Ranger-based renders and some spy shots of possible prototypes. Until now: Ford has just unveiled the new Ford Everest Concept down under. It will ostensibly be the basis of the 2014 or 2015 Ford Everest. And it’s better than I ever imagined. While some SUVs, especially crossovers, have gone unisex, even feminine, the Ford Everest Concept is very much rugged, brawny, manly. It practically oozes testosterone. I like, baby #2 or not!

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General

WTF: MMDA proposing to ban cars two days in a week

By on Thursday, July 11, 2013

The geniuses over at MMDA are proposing to ban cars two days in a week.Why oh why are there people in the government thinking this way? With this kind of thinking then why not three days in a week? How about four? How about ban cars altogether? That ought to solve the traffic problem. Sheesh! Talk about killing the patient to free up hospital beds.

It’s elementary but maybe it’s worth stating for the sake of the people at MMDA: Transportation of people and goods is the objective. Traffic congestion is the problem. How about solving the problem while preserving the objective? Finding solutions may not be easy but that’s what you’re there for. That’s what you’re being paid for!

How about some ideas as well? Improve the existing mass transit system capacity (MRT, LRT), expand mass transit system (say PPP), unify intra-city bus system, get rid of provincial-route buses within the city, get rid of colorum buses, get rid of jeepneys and tricycles on the major thoroughfares… Beyond Metro Manila: develop other cities, improve intercity transportation. Oh right, you’ve thought about them. You just don’t find them easy. But nobody said it was easy. Again, that’s what you’re being paid for!

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General

Fast and Furious 6

By on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Last Sunday afternoon, Jeanne, Michelle, and I caught a screening of Fast and Furious 6. Just like the previous installation, it’s a heist movie with cars. But this time around, there’s a hint of James Bond. The crew gets together for a job to stop an ex-SAS international villain from stealing and assembling some kind of doomsday device. See what I mean about the hint of James Bond?

Assembling the crew for the task was care of Hobbs (The Rock/Dwayne Johnson). I guess, James Bond was busy and he needed Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) uncanny ability for doing the impossible with cars (and anything with wheels). He accomplished this by dangling the possibility of Letty Ortiz being alive to the playing-hard-to-get Toretto. Of course he succeeded, otherwise there’d be no movie. First love never dies indeed.

But as usual, the whole point are the cars. It doesn’t matter where they are, what they’re doing. It’s all about the cars. The stunts are over the top and absolutely ridiculous. But there’s no denying it was fun!

You’d think it’s hard to come up with a crazier and more outrageous sequel. But they just may even be able to pull it off. Think Jason Statham of The Transporter fame. Wait for the post-credit ;)

Rating: 3/5

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