I own a four-year-old Honda Stream 1.8. It recently stalled when I slowed down in response to traffic or when going up a steep car park ramp at 10-20kph.
None of the mechanics I went to could give the same answer. One told me to use different a different petrol brand. I was using RON95 from one petrol brand and switched to RON98 of another petrol brand.
It has been two weeks now and the car only stalled once.
Could you tell me the reason for the stalling whenever I travel at 10-20kph. I have also noticed that my average petrol consumption per km is down from 11km to 9km.
Richard
Singapore
There are many possible causes that are related to your car’s current condition. The question to ask here is when was the last time you brought your car for periodic servicing.
As for the causes, the petrol brand used is not an issue provided they are of the same octane number.
Mixing petrol of different octane numbers can cause poor fuel mileage and stalling at low speeds, due to different burning rates.
To solve this problem, use the specified petrol octane rating. Also try to check spark plugs' condition and check for correct heat range. You may also want to check or replace the air filter which may already be clogged.
A dirty fuel filter is another potential culprit.
Q2: I have been using a Ssangyong Actyon for about four years. All this while, the drive was smooth and sturdy.
But recently when I changed all tyres to a reputable brand, the Actyon felt unstable and when going around corners.
With the original tyres, such problems did not exist. The Actyon is accident-free and it has not been subjected to heavy duty use.
Is it the tyres, absorbers or other issues affecting the car's performance?
Ssangyong Owner
Kuala Lumpur
If you have changed the tyres without following the manufacturer’s specification, it may adversely affect the wheel alignment that could be causing what you are currently experiencing.
You can use other brand of tyres as long as they have the same recommended specifications.
Also, check your car’s 4-wheel alignment and suspension system condition for a safer and comfortable drive.
Q3: My car is a 1997 BMW 328i. It can’t tolerate traffic crawl for more than 30 mins.
The temp will start to rise slowly and I've to pull over, open the bonnet and let the engine cool for 45 mins before the temperature needle returns to the midway mark of the gauge. This has happened a few times already.
The radiator coolant remains at optimum level ie no loss of coolant. And the radiator fan runs just fine.
What's wrong?
Kiplinger
Klang
Sometimes an extended use of coolant is the cause of the problem. It is important to change the coolant according to manufacturer's recommendation.
Besides that, also check the cooling system component operation to make sure situations like the following don'’t happen - cooling fan running but at reduced speed, thermostat is not working normally and the temperature relay unit is faulty.