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IF YOU are looking for a good spot to eat in a strange town, you won’t go wrong if you head to the shop with a crowd. Good food at a fair price never fails to draw attention.
The same principle applies in seeking out quality workmanship for such a mundane but essential component as the car air-conditioner.
Naidu at work in his Petaling Jaya workshop.
It has become a necessity especially in this part of the world where it either sizzles or pours. In fact, it has become such a part of life that people take it for granted – until it loses its cool or breaks down.
This is where E. Naidu steps in.
Naidu, 35, has been in the car air-conditioning industry for 15 years and has seen practically everything that could possibly go wrong with the device.
He runs E.S. Air-Cond Service in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, which shares space with a general service workshop behind a Shell petrol station. The father of three learnt the trade from an uncle who was also in the business.
Naidu has over the years built up a loyal clientele by word of mouth. He said matter-of-factly that he has never found the need to advertise his service in the papers since he set up shop 12 years ago. Which is just as well. It’s a small nondescript set-up that can only work on a handful of cars a day as customers wait patiently under the shade.
His service is particularly sought after by BMW owners although he doesn’t claim to cater only to them.
When the air blowing through the vents is no longer cold, it’s reason enough to suspect a gas leak or blockage in the cooling system. That’s the premise Naidu starts with and drills down to the source of the problem.
An air-cond reduces mileage. Not only does the car have to carry the extra weight, the air-cond sucks up some power from the engine to make it work. An air-cond is known to consume 1km/litre of fuel.
It is therefore important to ensure it is in peak condition and this means sending it for an annual maintenance inspection to ensure such parts as belts, hoses, condenser, compressor, radiator, system pressures and vacuum control lines are working as they should be.
Naidu pointed out that a compressor can be fixed and its bearings replaced cheaply without having to change the whole unit as some shops tend to do.
“Whatever we can service or repair, we do so. We are interested in long-term business and are not out to make a quick buck,” he said.
Naidu believes his knack for quick and accurate troubleshooting and reasonable prices have set him apart from others in the industry.
Keeping costs down is everyone’s challenge. It’s not just cooking gas that costs more nowadays; prices of air-cond gas and cooling coils have crept up, too. But Naidu is confident he will be able to make a decent profit while still pricing his service attractively.
After over a decade of keeping drivers and their passengers cool, Naidu wants to continue the good work. He plans to set up another shop this year.
“The expansion will be my biggest challenge. Most of my customers are from PJ, and my second outlet will naturally be in the locale.”
So when it’s time to get the air-cond looked into, look up Naidu. Think of him as the man who will bring the cool back to the drive.
The same principle applies in seeking out quality workmanship for such a mundane but essential component as the car air-conditioner.
Naidu at work in his Petaling Jaya workshop.
It has become a necessity especially in this part of the world where it either sizzles or pours. In fact, it has become such a part of life that people take it for granted – until it loses its cool or breaks down.
This is where E. Naidu steps in.
Naidu, 35, has been in the car air-conditioning industry for 15 years and has seen practically everything that could possibly go wrong with the device.
He runs E.S. Air-Cond Service in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, which shares space with a general service workshop behind a Shell petrol station. The father of three learnt the trade from an uncle who was also in the business.
Naidu has over the years built up a loyal clientele by word of mouth. He said matter-of-factly that he has never found the need to advertise his service in the papers since he set up shop 12 years ago. Which is just as well. It’s a small nondescript set-up that can only work on a handful of cars a day as customers wait patiently under the shade.
His service is particularly sought after by BMW owners although he doesn’t claim to cater only to them.
When the air blowing through the vents is no longer cold, it’s reason enough to suspect a gas leak or blockage in the cooling system. That’s the premise Naidu starts with and drills down to the source of the problem.
An air-cond reduces mileage. Not only does the car have to carry the extra weight, the air-cond sucks up some power from the engine to make it work. An air-cond is known to consume 1km/litre of fuel.
It is therefore important to ensure it is in peak condition and this means sending it for an annual maintenance inspection to ensure such parts as belts, hoses, condenser, compressor, radiator, system pressures and vacuum control lines are working as they should be.
Naidu pointed out that a compressor can be fixed and its bearings replaced cheaply without having to change the whole unit as some shops tend to do.
“Whatever we can service or repair, we do so. We are interested in long-term business and are not out to make a quick buck,” he said.
Naidu believes his knack for quick and accurate troubleshooting and reasonable prices have set him apart from others in the industry.
Keeping costs down is everyone’s challenge. It’s not just cooking gas that costs more nowadays; prices of air-cond gas and cooling coils have crept up, too. But Naidu is confident he will be able to make a decent profit while still pricing his service attractively.
After over a decade of keeping drivers and their passengers cool, Naidu wants to continue the good work. He plans to set up another shop this year.
“The expansion will be my biggest challenge. Most of my customers are from PJ, and my second outlet will naturally be in the locale.”
So when it’s time to get the air-cond looked into, look up Naidu. Think of him as the man who will bring the cool back to the drive.
