Just when I’d blogged about the decisions that went well for 2009, one decision that I’d blogged about being a right one the year before comes right back to bite me in the arse.
Basically, it’s been a terrible week for our Nissan Latio. On Sunday, while going up slope at the ramp leading up to the Compass Point car park, our Latio protested, groaned very loudly, slid backwards even with the accelerator pedal depressed – and best of all, spewed out tons of white smoke LOL. It was quite the scene outside the mall – we were so much at our wits end we forgot to take iPhone pictures of the spectacle. This red Nissan gushing out lots of thick, white whatever-that-was vapor/smoke.
So, Ling took the car for servicing the day after on MON, and the Nissan folks took a day to look through it. Ling reported that they took apart, checked through everything, and gave our Latio a clean bill of health. i.e. They couldn’t find anything wrong with it.
So, we took the car back, drove like normal on TUES. On WEDs morning, I drove to work as normal and parked under my favorite spot – which is a spot nicely tucked between the edges of two umbrella trees’ leaf span, i.e. sweet spot to avoid dive bomb attacks from the birds. 11 hours later when it’s time to head home, the car now doesn’t start. !@#!@#!#!@#!@#%
So, now I’m stuck in school, and after having called the car dealership which has activated their mobile tow and repair guys to come rescue our Latio. Have to wait for them to show up in the oft chance that it’s just a car battery problem – and unlikely so because the battery was just replaced last Oct. Sigh.
Was the smoke white or bright grey? If it’s a bright, milky grey, it’s from burnt oil, but if it’s an intense white, it’s from coolant (and is often accompanied with a sweet smell). I’m betting (or hoping) that the smoke you saw is not a symptom but rather a result from you applying wide open throttle when trying to go up the ramp. With the power surge you’d not have to maintain wide open throttle very long to achieve the smoking you experienced. At any rate, it’s probably blow-by in the rings.
Did the mechanics perform a compression check on your engine? I’d definitely want to know whether the rings and cylinders are healthy.
Thanks for the advice bud – especially since the both of us only know how to drive and not how the thing works! :) Ling’s gonna bring the car to the workshop again later today and she’ll ask the workshop guys to look at what you’ve noted here.:)
Argh, J and I just bought a new Latio. How old is your Latio now?
2 years 2 months I think.:(
wa so drama, so now how? got it back?
Not to worry too much, Lisa. I think Latio is generally a good automobile. God’s will that ours is a bit cranky. Hee hee.
Ann, we got back the car this evening. The senior consultant got the throttle chamber replaced (his guess was that there was some unwanted mixing of fluids in that compartment). The car battery is 100% fully-charged – no problem there. Thank God that the car is still under warranty (it’s 3 years) and hence no cost incurred. :)
One thing I enjoyed about using Nissan is their excellent customer service. I always feel valued whenever the car is sent for servicing or when I call their hotline. While I was at the workshop these few days, any of their staff who saw me with baby in pram will promptly help to carry the pram down a flight of staircase, warn me of dangerous corners and kept a lookout for traffic for me while I strapped Hannah in her car seat. :) 5 stars!
Matt, this is the first time I used phrases like “perform compression check on the engine” and “check on the rings and cylinders” when I related our problems to the maintenance guy. I felt so ‘knowledgeable’! Hee hee. :D Thanks for the tips! :)