Servant to Car Service

Just got back from my car's third service at Tan Chong, Kuala Kangsar Road, after waiting 5 hours! Add another hour to and fro journey time, it was more like 6 hours!

'Why would I spend so much time there? Could have gone somewhere else instead,' you might ask. Well, initially I was told they will try and get it ready by 1.00 pm, but because wheel-balancing and alignment was not available in-house, plus the fact that it included lunch hour, then you would understand why a normally patient guy like myself, told them that next time, I would go to the one in Farlim, which is nearer Batu Gajah.

When I got home, I received an article forwarded by my friend whom I called when I was waiting there:

From The New York Times: Like the '55 Chevy, the 3,000-mile oil change is pretty much history:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Like-the-55-Chevy-the-nytimes-3825041162.html?x=0&mod=pf-family-home

Excerpts:

"Oil chemistry and engine technology have improved to the point that most cars can go several thousand more miles before changing the oil, Mr. Reed said. A better average, he said, would be 7,500 between oil changes, and sometimes up to 10,000 miles or more.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board ran public service announcements for several years about “the 3,000-mile myth,” urging drivers to wait longer between oil changes. Although the information is a few years old, the board has a list of cars on its Web site and how often they need oil changes. The concern is not only the cost to drivers, but the environmental impact of throwing away good oil, said Mark Oldfield, a recycling specialist for the agency."

If only the car manufacturers would accept this explanation! If not for the warranty, do you think the car owners would take the trouble to follow the mileage intervals and service schedule prescribed?

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