A TOSCC Quick Tip

Don't you just sometimes want to slap the person who brags to you about how he just drove 300km and only used up a quarter of his fuel tank? And here you are waiting a petrol kiosk to refuel after driving just 200km....

So here are some simple tips to make you car go the distance:

1. At highway speeds, do you know that the wind outside is quite cool and refreshing. And did you know that by running the ac, you car consumes more power, hence more fuel is needed to push the car forward. Try this, turn off the ac and turn on the ventilators. Cool fresh air into your cabin and you'll be saving fuel! Of course don't forget to turn off the ventilators when you're following a diesel engine truck puffing fumes!

2. Stick to the speed limit. Cause chances are if you're flying down the highway faster than everyone else, you're going to be stuck behind a lot of cars and revving down and changing gear is just going to burn up more fuel. Stay in good limited speed and in high gear. Cruise along the way...

3. Turn off all unnecessary power equipment. So enhance the power moving to your drive train and not else where...

Try these 3 simple steps and you too can be one of those people bragging about how economic your car is!

Castrol Engine Service Promotional Package

Hello there,
Greetings from The One Stop Car Consultant (TOSCC)..!

We at TOSCC are proud to introduce to you a new promotional package from Castrol to lessen your burden when servicing your car. Quite often when I check with my clients why they skipped a service, they answer me by saying they couldn't afford it at the time. Either some other expenses came up or the service charges were ridiculously high.

Fear no more. We are here to make things cheaper for you and of course with no compromise on the quality of parts and workmanship.

The promotion comes with a stamp card and requires you to service your car with us for 5 consecutive times. Here is how the promotion works;

Service 1
Routine car service

Service 2
Routine car service
With 15% off on Engine Oil (4 ltr Castrol Magnatec)

Service 3
Routine car service
With 50% off on Tyre Alignment & Balancing

Service 4
Routine car service

Service 5
Routine car service
With free Engine Oil (4 ltr Castrol Magnatec)

Terms & Conditions:
1. TOSCC reserves the rights to amend the promotional details at any time without prior notice.
2. This promotion is only valid for each client at one car at a time.
3. Clients have to use all Castrol promotion fluids and parts.
4. This promotion is only valid for limited time only.

So hurry now and get in touch with us for this bargain on engine service!!!

The 5 Big No-No’s To Do To Your Car...

1. The Huge Rear Wing
By far the ugliest thing I’ve seen on the road is a GT wing on an under powered road car. The rear wing is a body part designed to give high speed cars more down force to prevent over steer. We’re talking about cars like those in the Open-wheel Formula, like F1 and GP2 race cars. So in my personal opinion; to see a GT wing on a Proton Iswara or Toyota Vios, is a nightmare!

2. The Blue Lights
There are reasons why there are lights on the front and rear of the car; necessity. But to have lights all around your car in my opinion says you’re desperate for attention (sorry, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings). Look, Kit from Knight-Rider was cool, but your Proton Satria isn’t. So no matter how many neon lights you have under, over, around or inside your car, it’ll never be Kit.

3. The Deafening Exhaust
If your car isn’t packing a mean punch, then why make all that ruckus for nothing? The most annoying thing on the road (other than the Mat Rempits) is to hear a Kancil go nowhere. Why oh why do you need a muffler so huge you can fit an actual baby in it? Worst of all, the engine inside that little noise maker is only an 800cc Daihatsu pace-maker! My rule is simple; if it ain’t a GTi then I don’t want to hear it!

4. The Dragster Tyres
This you see only on Proton Saga’s and Wira’s and quite frankly I have no clue what’s the motivation behind it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about; dragsters back in the 50’s had huge radial tyres for more grip so they can bolt off the line. Now those were powerful V8 engines packing almost 300bhp in it so why would a 85bhp car needs tyres and elevated suspensions, I have no clue. Those out there who these on might not want to hear this, but they’re quite an ugly sight.

5. The Dark Tint
Well the reason this takes the last on the list is because it’s still quite okay to look at. I’ll be honest; some cars with dark tints do look bloody sexy. So why did this make the list in the first place you ask? Safety reasons. Imagine following a car with a dark tint, you can’t see anything that’s going on ahead of this car. It is very important to not only keep a look out on the car ahead but also what’s happening a few cars beyond it. So the next time you think about tinting your car as though its an FBI vehicle carrying the President of the United States; don't!

(Of course this is purely the opinion of The One Stop Car Consultant and in no way prejudice to all you car owners out there. Peace)

Drive safe!

Tour De France

I recently had the opportunity to get behind the wheels of Frances’ pride and joy; the Peugeot. After a very long silent era, I have to say these French Lions have made a roaring come-back. I’m not too sure if it was all those ‘Taxi’ movies that have really inspired them to search for that ‘Need For Speed’ instinct that they had back in the mid-80s’ when Peugeot dominated the GT, Touring and Rally divisions.

Peugeot has released the all new premium version of the 407, which in my opinion isn’t impressive. The only difference between the premium and stock is that it comes with an additional built in GPS and leather seats. None the less; I did take that mother out for a spin. The car seems to be longer in wheel-base in comparison to her rivals of the same range; the Honda Civic, the Toyota Altis, the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Nissan Sylphy (there is a reason why I personally think THESE are the only rivals the car has in Malaysia). But even though longer the car has a better turning radius than any of its rivals. Two safety features on the 407 did however impress me. The first was that if you had to jam you brakes, the car will automatically turn on its hazard lights till you get the car going once again. The second, the power windows has anti pinch power windows. For all you car-retards out there; this is a newly developed system to prevent you winding your windows up while someone has their finger or some other body part sticking out of the window. Cool eh?

Okay, now on to more impressive things; the Peugeot 308 turbo. Don’t even bother going for the 308 VTi, it’s absolutely rubbish! The 308 Turbo is a rocket on wheels and it comes in a blood red color! The car is heavy, it is stable, turns like its on rails and best of all, gets off the line like it’s on Viagra! I didn’t feel like I was in a Peugeot for a brief moment. Felt like I was behind the wheel of a Golf GTi. Okay, no, not exactly that powerful but you know what I’m talking about.

Now I’m saving the best news for last! The Peugeot, well now marketed and distributed by Naza Corporation is only going for RM129K for the 407 and RM114K for the 308 Turbo. Even better news is that the maintenance is now 75% cheaper than before. So imagine, driving an affordable continental car and it cost the same to maintain a Japanese car! Of course, yes, you can forget about that fuel efficiency and all that Japanese conservation crap but imagine the European power under the hood!

360° Gorgeous

Gorgeous indeed and I’m not talking about the tall blonde German I met last night anymore. I’m talking about the Volkswagen Passat CC that I took for a spin this afternoon! Look out C Class, there’s a new sheriff in town. I was recently inspired by someone to go check this car out; previously I had only tested the older Passat about two years ago. This 4 cylinder, 2.0I TSI turbocharged with direct injection system is a force to reckon with.

Let’s talk exterior first; something about the front grill says Lexus all over it and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I love the Lexus! With the trademark VW insignia firmly at the center of the front chrome grill sandwiched between the Passat’s stylish headlamps. The headlamps although only come with Bi-xenon beams but it has a featured with a blast from the past; headlamp washer system. Put it all together; it’s a view that keeps you wanting more. A dash sleekness, a touch elegance and little taste of the devil. That’s my take on it. Another distinctive feature the Passat has is the CLS door trims, with the slender windows and slightly taller door frame but it comes with an advantage; frameless door trims, that is bitchin’ sexy…! The 18’ Interlagos rims aren’t my cup of tea and there’s a valid reason behind it; the Passat comes with a 1.8T DS7 version and those babies come with a 5 spoke rim that’s more my style. The rear of the car lacks in no way either; with its curved lip like spoiler above the trunk hood giving it the sports sedan look. To finish it all off, there is a chrome trim circling the car; very Continental Luxury car like!

The Passat left me salivating just from bodywork but little did I know, the interior was going to blow my mind! Full soft leather finishing, from the dash to the door panel, suitable for the Malaysian weather. A lot of these foreign luxury cars come with leather that tends to melt with the Asian heat; it’s a good thing VW have thought about these things. The control panels are all driver centered with an aluminum decorative insert. I tell you the gadgets they have made me feel like I was Agent 007. The Park-pilot system was impressive, giving the driver clear estimates during tight maneuverings.

Now it’s time to talk about the most exciting part of my experience, the DRIVE! Let me start by saying this; 3 minutes from Federal Highway to Month Kiara on the Kerinchi Link; Whoooah! The Passat is equipped with a state of the art DCC (Adaptive chassis control) system and traction control. I started up with a comfort setup, along Federal Highway; giving me a smooth drive through the traffic. The car felt like it was gliding with wings. Then when I entered the Kerinchi Link, on came the sports absorber setup and awoke the inner speed demon in me. It flew thru the corners of like it was on rails. After the toll, I jammed my foot down on the accelerator pedal and the Passat bolted off like a fighter jet. At 4000rpm, the turbocharger, even though it is a soft turbo, does really kick in! The 6 speed DSG (Direct Shift Gears) are amazing at compensating traction and power, moving up and down the selection as I was negotiating traffic and the bends on the Kerinchi Link. One to note though is that is you’re cruising, try and keep it on the comfort setup or else you’re going to feel every pebble on the tarmac! The Passat comes with cruise control, keyless security system, rain sensor, airbags to keep the car afloat, electronic stabilizing programme, a panorama sunroof and loads more. One feature that I really loved is the Park Hold system. Say you reach a traffic stop; you don’t have to keep your foot on the brake pedal! The car remains stationary until you accelerate. The Passat also has an electronic parking brake system, unlike the conventional hand brakes that we have on our road cars.

Overall, I give this car a full-fledged and deserving 5 star and not just because of what I saw and felt from the drive but also from the fuel efficiency reviews, which is only 15cent a kilometer. Now that is absolutely astounding for a turbocharged car. Even better is the maintenance requirements, for every 15K kilometers it requires a standard service and it cost less than RM600 for the first service but the following regular services are all below RM900 and a little over RM2400 for a major service. I’ll have to say VW have done their homework in taking the advantage against their rivals, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. VW are even giving a 1% discount on the car, which of course if you look at the RM245K price isn’t much but hey, it’s still money! For quite some time VW’s Bug and the Golf have hogged the lime-light and for once the German powerhouse have come up with sports sedan good enough to silence the Golf fanatics and put the C-Class and the 3-Series back on their drawing boards.

Made For Formula One

Formula One; the highest flight of motorsports and the pinnacle of car manufacturers pitting their whit and grit to outdo one another. So much research and development has gone into the technology that now governs the Formula One car that we the road car users go ‘wow’ when we watch it on television or read about it in a magazine. We fail to realize that a lot of technology that we have in our cars today was once used in Formula One. Let’s take a quick look at the road car technology that we drive with today…

The pedal shift gears. How many of you drive a Honda Civic 2.0? Or any of the new make/model with a pedal to shift gears behind your steering wheel? Did you know, that this is a technology that is being used in Formula One till today? It was in fact invented and developed for the sport in the early 90s’. That’s another surprise, isn’t it? A technology that was invented so long ago and only now we see it on our road cars. As to why, we’ll let the economist debate that.




Another famous evolution from Formula One is the all famous traction control that every car manufacturer seems to brag about. Well it was also introduced in the 90s when Formula One moved into the non-turbo age. So what exactly is this Traction Control? When your car accelerates from a stand still position, there will be a slight amount power loss due to tyres spinning inefficiently. Now the traction control device ensures that power is gradually transferred from your drive-train to the car tractions or otherwise known as your tyres. Now this system also works during maneuvering corners and such, when the car needs to modulate between power and traction. One of the most if not highest causes of cars losing control and crashing is because of drivers going in too strong into a turn and failing to keep it in line. The traction control system however helps and I stress; it only assists a driver in these circumstances. So remember, the driver’s judgment is still the most important add on accessory a car needs.

As of lately, if you’ve noticed on the roads, trucks and busses are equipped with this annoying LED blinking third brake light, or should I say fourth. And where do you ask this little piece of safety precaution came from? Yes, the answer is Formula One. It is used during a rain setup where visibility is clearly questionable and also during slow speed areas of the Formula One circuit, for example the pit-lanes.

So the next time you go test drive a brand new car and when the sales person starts telling you of some new age technology that ONLY they have, ask yourself; how’d they come up with that. I’m willing to take a bet, 9 times out of 10; it was made for Formula One….

Drive Safe!

Freeway Ethics

Do Malaysians even know about such a thing? I hardly think the Malaysian Road Safety Department stresses at all about these things to new drivers. What are the few things that a driver needs to know before he/she gets on the Freeway? Some of the stuff I’m sharing is common sense and it doesn’t need any form of practice or lessons to master.

First and foremost, someone who is driving on the freeway needs to know that he/she is going to be sharing the road with so many other motorists so please be courteous and a good neighbor. The roads don’t belong to you and you can never have a mind-set that says ‘I pay toll and road-tax too, so I deserve to drive anywhere I want” which is unfortunate to say, the mind-set of most Malaysian drivers.

Sticking to the speed limit doesn’t mean you should be on the extreme right lane. There is misunderstanding among Malaysian motorist concerning ‘The Right Lane’. It is not for those who are driving fast, nor for those who are driving to the maximum speed limit, nor is it just another lane on the freeway. The extreme right lane is only to be used when you need to go pass another vehicle. It is not only rude to hog the right lane but down right unsafe. There are many motorist who think the right lane is just another lane on the freeway and it is their god given right to be driving on it. Only when disaster strikes will people like this learn. So many pile ups and other accidents happen on the freeway because of unethical motorist hogging the right lane.

Another common thing among Malaysian motorists is that we blare on our horns or ‘flash’ each other when we want to get them to move. Did you know that these acts are illegal on the Autobahn? We can’t really blame Malaysians, because everyone does it! It is actually considered rude and unsafe to flash (the act of flicking your high beam at the vehicle in front) reason being is you’re actually scarring the driver in front of you. You only should use your flash to indicate to a vehicle that’s veering in and out of its lane or to signal something to another vehicle. When you come up behind a slower car, just turn on your indicator to the right; signaling that you are faster and want to go pass. I’ve driven on the Malaysian highways too and I do realize that far often people are just so dense that don’t realize you’re behind them. I don’t know if it is ignorance or arrogance but it is definitely stupidity. The best advice I can give is, be patient; getting somewhere a minute or two late is always better than never reaching your destination.

Finally, always turn on your indicator to signal when you change lanes, whether you’re driving at 40kmh or 140kmh. Hit the indicator and only then look at your mirrors to see if your path is clear and if there are no other vehicles approaching you. Remember, that if you’re driving at 40kmh and you just change lanes without indication, another vehicle traveling at 140kmh can be up on your behind in the brink of seconds and that spells disaster! So always signal before you change lanes, don’t flash the car in front of you and please don’t treat the extreme right lane like it’s your living room.

Drive safe!

FAQs

1. Can I trust TOSCC?
One of the most asked questions that we get is this. Now The One Stop Car Consultant was founded on the fact that we wanted to provide our clients with a thought free service, where they don't have to worry about anything. May it be getting their car fixed or where to do, how much it will cost or do I know if the mechanic will do a good job. We only have the best of the best mechanics and dealers in our network of people we work with. If we don't trust them, we won't be taking our cars to them. One of the TOSCC commandments is that during the time the clients car is in our possession, we treat like our own car!

2. Where is TOSCC located?
Simple, the driver seat of your car! That's right, you don't have to worry where we are located because out office is in your car. The beauty of TOSCC services is that we come to you and not the other way around. We pick up your car, we get the work done (with our network garages) and we deliver the car back to your doorstep. You won't have to leave home or office to worry about your cars anymore.

3. Is my car safe with TOSCC?
All of our clients are issued a contract, which clearly states all details concerning the works agreed upon between both parties. So the clients welfare is very protected and of course it gives clear authority to our clients to take full reimbursement when something goes wrong with their car while the vehicle is in possession of TOSCC. But of course all within the legal parameters of the law.

4. Why should I use TOSCC?
More often or not, we always have a friend or a friend of a friend or a relative who knows bits and pieces about cars. Here is why TOSCC is a greater advantage than them, we know EVERYTHING! We know what to do, why to do it, where to get it done, how is should be done and most importantly how much will it cost. We guarantee the best prices with the highest of quality. The network of people we deal with, we have been dealing with them for the past 20 years and that is why there is such a strong trust factor. Another clear advantage of TOSCC is that we take your problems (car) off your hands so you can go on with your normal life. Come time to use your car, there it'll be all fixed and ready to roll.

The Lancer GT Unleashed

The One Stop Car Consultant decided to check out the Mitsubishi Lancer GT and who else better to invite than our own Saini! He is like the 'Stig' to us...

I have to say the Lancer is definitely built with one thing in mind; Brutal Speed.

Design (exterior)
It is an eye catcher, isn't it? Especially in that blood red paint work of it. The color of Mitsubishi Ralliart... I love the front grill. It has one of those 'Rear view mirror thrillers' if you know what I mean; You see that grill on your rear view mirror, you'd want to move over and let it pass you.


Although the rear portion of the car is a little bulky, (only in my opinion of course) but it suits the overall build of the car! It's ver rare to see the car without it's famour rear wing and to be quite honest I don't think it will look nice either.


Comfort and drive-ability
I'd like to give this car an 8 out of 10. For a car with power under the hood it is quite easy to drive it. Easy to handle but not because of the way the construction of the chassis and the wheel-base. It feels easy because of the steering column and the driver focused cock-pit.


The interipr of the car is nice too. It's fully black, almost can pass off as full Italian leather design like an Alfa or the Fiat Coupe.


Performance
This was the most sticky part of our test drive. The car has power, no doubt about that! It has perfect drag out on a straight burst but when you start compensating curvy roads, the power ratio between gears felt really funny. It was the auto selection that made decision for the driver and it started to really annoy us. The worst thing you want a car to tell a driver's driver is that, it is going to select the gears for you and there is nothing you can do about it.

The Lancer GT did have a smooth glide to it. The suspensions are pretty good for a car that's MYR114,000! It's no Porsche but hey, it's definitely something to consider if you want a decent power from a road car.

It is after all the sister car to the all mighty Mitsubishi Evolution!

Don't believe me... Go test one out now! Better still call The One Stop Car Consultant to come along with you....

The BMW E-Chassis Codes

This one is not for all you BMW enthusiast out there but for the BMW retards. I'm sure a lot of you have heard people referring to a Beamer with the E## term. And don't lie, how many of you pretend to know what they are? Here it is boys and girls, the secret unveiled, just for you courtesy of yours truly; The One Stop Car Consultant...

SERIES
E Chassis Code — Production Year

BMW 1 SERIES
BMW E87 — 2004 till present

BMW 3 SERIES
BMW E90 — 2005 till present
BMW E91 Touring — 2005 till present
BMW E92 Coupe — 2006 till present
BMW E93 Convertible — 2007 till present
BMW E46/5 Compact — 2000 till 2004
BMW E46/4 Sedan — 1998 till 2005
BMW E46/3 Touring — 1999 till 2005
BMW E46/2 Coupe — 1999 till 2006
BMW E46 Convertible — 1999 till 2006
BMW E36 — 1991 till 1999
BMW E37 M3 — 1991 till 1999
BMW E36/5 Compact — 1995 till 1998
BMW E30 — 1982 till 1991
BMW E21 — 1975 till 1983

BMW 5 SERIES
BMW E60 — 2004 till present
BMW E61 Touring — 2004 till present
BMW E39 — 1996 till 2003
BMW E34 — 1988 till 1995
BMW E28 — 1981 till 1988

BMW 6 SERIES
BMW E63 Coupe — 2004 till present
BMW E64 Convertible — 2004 till present

BMW 7 SERIES
BMW E65 Short Wheelbase — 2002 till present
BMW E66 Long Wheelbase — 2002 till present
BMW E38 — 1994 till 2001
BMW E32 — 1986 till 1994

BMW Z4
BMW E85 — 2003 till present
BMW E86 Coupe — 2006 till present

BMW Z3
BMW E36/7 — 1997 till 2002

BMW Z8
BMW E52 — 2000 till 2004

BMW X5
BMW E70 — 2007 till present
BMW E53 — 2000 till 2006

BMW X3
BMW E83 — 2004 till present

Now let's see someone make a fool out of you with these terms. Oh yeah, by the way; did I mention that BMW has evolved to the F Code Chassis? Don't worry, those are all the 2010 7 Series models.

Drive safe!

Why Should You Consider Tinting Your Car?

Fashion and looks are not even on the list... Sorry to say a lot of people these day only think about how the car looks after it has been tinted. The primary 6 reasons why you should even consider a tint on your ride are;

1. Temperature
Cooler conditions. The human body can be subjected to fatigue during a hot day. Much more if in a hot pressurized cabin, that of a car sort. Have you driven long distances on a hot sunny afternoon and realize you become so tired once you've reached your destination? Reason is because your body was subjected to UV heat that cause you to loose fluids thus subject to fatigue. Unless you stock up on Redbull in your car!

2. Skin Protection
As mentioned above UV rays. Now these days everyone knows about these harmful rays and what it can cause. Yes, skin cancer! The film can filter out almost 99% of these harmful UV rays and reduce your chances of getting skin cancer. We can expect you to use sun tan lotion everytime you take an afternoon drive now, can we?

3. Safety
A good tint film should hold firm in the case of an accident, preventing shattered glass from causing the driver and passengers any injury. And it makes it easier for the rescue workers to remove injured passengers from the cabin; the entire windshield will be ripped off from the chassis as one whole piece. Safe better than sorry!

4. Vision
A bare windshield will cause massive amounts of glare during sun rise, sun set or every any bright sunny day. Not only during the day but even during the night when headlights of the on-coming traffic bounce off the roads and off your own windshield. A good tint will reduce the amount of glare making your drive a safe one!

5. Privacy
Not that your car is your bedroom but remember, what the burglar can't see, he can't steal. Of course all tint has to be within the JPJ specifications. People may think it's not much but trust me it's good enough to prevent a thief from spotting a few things here and there which you leave in your car. Prevention is always the better solution...

6. Auto Preservation
Do you know that UV rays are also harmful to the interior of your car? Have you seen how a dash and steering can become sticky due to heat? That's the synthetic leather melting from the heat. Have you seen how leather seat start to crack? And fabric ones start to fade? These are all cause by heat and the UV rays. A good tint is a good sunblock for your car!

Is It an Aunty's Car?

The mention of Toyota Vios, sparks an 'ugghh' expression from men aged from 19 to 40, well not all but most. When I went around asking them why, they've all said it is an "Aunty's Car"... Being a car enthusiast, I can agree to their point of view to a certain extend.

Looks; A very tame and calm look. It's neither wide or narrow in outer dimensions like any sports models. It has a high posture to it and most of all, it has an effeminate look. (If only it came in Pink.

Power Train; Nothing really to brag about. Your average 1.5litre engine. It has no punch to it. It's a flat 4 cylinder so it has good short burst at low revs and speed. It isn't an engine that's gonna pnch a hole thru when you are at 150kmh!

Lifestyle; It's all the talk about conservation, moderation and easy going. It comes in colors that are earthy and tame. The TRD efforts as off 2009 were really disappointing of Toyota.

But having said all that, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Salma!

Customized HID projector headlights, upgrade HID fog light, Sports grill and fibre bodywork. Accompanied by Akira 17"rims and Bridgestone Adrenaline tyres, Eibach sport springs and Ultraracing roll bars.


Customized rear pipes and fibre body work


So... Still think you've been dealt with an Aunty's car? If you do realize it's potentials and you want what I have, call TOSCC at +60192320274 and your problems are solved!

When It Comes To Customizing

The object is to be different from the rest!

Whether you own a car that is spanking new or one that needs a little work done, there is always room to stamp you originality on it. I once saw a Volvo 940GL with Leopard print seats and dash. That just blew my mind!

I've seen owners strip a 5 year old CLK and customize the interior completely from scratch, all because now they have a ride that is purely theirs! Mercedes may have laid down the ground works but now the car is in a league of it's own. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me then.

You don't like the roof in your car? Want it to be black leather instead of beige? Want to put in a sunroof? Or maybe even a moonroof? Don't like your seat colors? Don't like the material on your seats? Everything can be changed! Enough about the interior, even your exterior. If it is your paint or even your car's outline. A little plastering and concealer, then comes the paint work...

Best of all, you don't have to be a car designer to visualize all this. All you got to do is visualize what YOU like and how YOU want to see your car look like, the rest is up to us at The One Stop Car Consultant!

A TOSCC Quick Tip

Say you're going on a long drive out station, here's something to make your drive smoother and a tad bit more safer. On normal city drives, your car tyres (Sedan) are filled to about min 28psi to a max of 35psi. But when you are about to drive long distances try to keep your tyre pressure at a minumum.

At high revolutions and high speeds, if you drive a tyre that's filled to max pressure the heat generated will cause it to spike up to another 1 or 2 psi, depending on how far you're driving. Thus making your tyre to be filled above it's pressure specification.

Of course before doing anything, please always check with your owner's manual. All pressure specifications are stated in there unless you've changed them, then please check with your local tyre man.

Drive safe!

A TOSCC Quick Tip

When you have a flat, do you realize that it's so difficult to turn loose the lock nuts? Here is what you do the next time you have to change a flat; tighten the nut first, it'll loosen up like it's melting butter. And don't forget, when you're done changing, tighten the nuts diagonally.

Drive safe now, you hear!

What's Writen On The Sidewalls...

Did you know, the sidewall of your car tyre is a vault of useful and necessary information? At first sight it may seem like a confusing mixture of numbers, letters, codes and symbols that means absolutely nothing to most! And yet cracking the code reveals a whole load of useful, important and necessary information. Don't worry, you don't need to call Dr. Robert Langdon, that's what The One Stop Car Consultant is here for. The tyre is arguably the most important safety component on a vehicle, only four patches of rubber, each no larger that the palm of a hand, are all that connects the vehicle with the road surface. There are now so many types of tyre available for different applications and it is necessary to provide correct size and related information – all these vital details are contained on the sidewall.




The following list can be found on the picture above;

1. Brand or trade name of the tyre - i.e. Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli etc.

2. Tyre model or pattern code. For example Sport, Pilot, Eagle etc

3. Tyre size - The width of the tread expressed in millimetres, which in this illustration is 205; the aspect ratio – height of the tyre sidewall as a percentage of the width, in this case it is 55% of 205mm; and the diameter of the tyre’s centre hole, expressed in inches. In this illustration, it is 16”. The letter between the numbers is the type of construction i.e. ‘R’ Radial. So this tyre is a 205/55 R16

4. Service description - in this example the figure 91 denotes the maximum weight capacity of the tyre according to the official load index table, which translates to 615 Kg, The letter V indicates the speed rating of the tyre, in this case the tyre suitable for cars capable of reaching a maximum vehicle speed of 149.1 mph.

5. ECE (Economic Commission for Europe) Regulation 30 Conformity Approval Number – which means that the tyre meets the standards of the European Regulatory Authorities.

6. EEC Noise Approval Number, which means that the noise generated by the tyre is within approved European limits.

7. USA Department of Transport manufacturer’s code. This has no relevance to the UK market

8. Date of manufacture. This is important as the age of a tyre can affect its performance. The first 2 numbers refer to the month and the 3rd and 4th numbers refer to the year

9. USA UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grade) ratings. This has no significance in the UK.

10.USA maximum tyre loading. This has no significance in the UK

11.USA maximum tyre inflation pressure. This has no significance in the UK

12.Denotes tubeless construction

13.Safety warning refers to the dangers of under-inflation/overloading and the mounting of tyres together with the risk of severe over - inflation. This is particularly important as TyreSafe research shows that up to three quarters of cars on UK roads have incorrectly inflated tyres

14.Direction of rotation which relates to directional tyres only. These tyres are designed to rotate in one direction only which is indicated on the sidewall by an arrow.

15.Outer/inner sidewall refers to the mounting of asymmetric tyres only. These tyres have different tread patterns on their inner and outer sides, offering improved performance, and must be fitted correctly.

16.Extra load version where applicable

17.TWI indicates the location of the tread wear indicators, which are raised areas at the base of the tread to serve as a visual warning that the tyre is approaching or at the minimum legal tread depth.

While it's easy to find 17 different pieces of information somewhat daunting it's good familiarise yourself with four or five important pieces of information, width of the wheel, maximum load and top speed are certainly useful to keep in mind while you are on the road. And don't worry, I wont pop-quiz you on the codes....

A Little Tyre Magic

I'm sure you guys have all at one point of time gotten yourself a puncture... Now 9 times out of 10 a simple patch work at your local tyreman will get the wheel back in action but that pesky one will cost you a new tyre!

Fear no more. Your One Stop Car Consultant has found a place within the city to get all sorts of punctures fixed. So the next time a tyreman turns your down and says this puncture is not amendable, you think of the One Stop Car Consultant and give him a call!

The Car Guy...

Well it didn't really come as a surprise that I am the founder of The One Stop Car Consultant. Ever since I can remember, way back even being a kid I've always been a car buff. I was 3 when I fell in love with the BMW makers... Those 80s 7-Series were the breakers of hearts to all car lovers. But a funny story happened to me, I was told by an uncle that BMW stood for Black Magic Woman and being 3 I believed him. Not long after that I got myself in an embarrassing situation where I bluttered out to a huge bunch what BMW meant. But I also learnt that night, that no one else knew what BMW stood for! I made a promise to myself I'd learn everything there is to know about cars... By the way, if you're reading and you're wondering what BMW stood for, it's Bayerische Motoren Werke...

I was 5 when my dad bought me A Buyer's Guide, 1985. A tiny little bible that could fit in your back pocket. And it there it remained for many years, till today! My passion for the Automobile invention has never been quenched. I owned my first car when I turned 20. It was a Proton Perdana V6. God I loved that car, I even named her... Pinky is what she was known to world. Since then I've never looked back. I've come to own many car, ranging from many different models and make. All of which I've put in hours effort keeping them in mint condition and also sprusing them up! My last love affair with one so was my Volvo 850 T5-R; McKayla, A car inspired by the 1994/95 British Touring Car Championships. I found her in Penang in a condition far from what mint. Spent almost 30 grand bring her back to the Flying Swede days...

I know that my knowledge on where to get parts, where to get things done, what to do and why should I do it has helped me and many of my friends in the past. Anyone who knows Raj Santhana has at one point called him up to ask him some advice on their cars. So I've decided to share that knowledge and experience with the rest of you. This blog will serve and information sharing board to the everyone on all my es'car'pades from now on...

If you've got a problem and no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire...The Car Consultant *cue music*

Coming Soon!!!