vishkid

LOL! Probably the shop themselves!!

But why? Some times you want the A/C on full blast to beat the heat - sometimes you want it down to a minimum, when ambient is very low!

LOL! This is why I love AL forums!!! OP: Eco mode on Mazda A/C's work on temperatures from 18C up! Afaik, it's an automatic function of A/C modes, circulation modes, ambient temperature and inside temperature (what you dial in). So unfortunately you cannot control it in all situations. The ambient or outside temperature can be found by toggling the AMB button.

With only 4 toll/entry lanes at Makumbura it ,most certainly will!

Boss speakers? Do they boss you around, while you drive? I've got all above except cd loader and 'boss' speakers - so does that make my car a mutant model?

In my case a constant, soft rattle which is audiable on bad roads. On a good surface it vanishes to nothing. Also the f/end was moving vertically much more than it should - initially thought the shocks are gone, but they were good, the arm bushes and shoddy arm assembly was my problem. Possibly, OP had a similar symptom.

Anyone planning on going to New Delhi? The tickets are out and selling reasonably well. Hv any opinion as to what the best 'reasonably' priced seats are? My bet is on the South Zone Picnic Stand ... Official Ticketing Site

What a coincidence as I replaced both front lower-arms of my Axela last Sunday! Why did I hv to replace the arms? Well the previous user (or his mechanic) has done a shoddy job on the brackets and screwed it up. So the new bushes will not hv a perfect fit. Luckily I found a pair of same model year lower arms in good condition through my mechanic and bushes were replaced in the same. Best of all they came very cheap at 4k. And genuine Mazda bushes ARE available - either through As*r* motors or M*zn* motors should you be willing to spare some dough - like I did. They should last better than Thail/Indo/Malaysian parts, though YMMV. So, if your L/arms are screwed beyond repairs and you do hv to replace them, find them 2nd hand through M*zn* or at Delkanda. If your L/arms are good - just get the bushes replaced by a competent mechanic/lathe shop. They make a hell of a difference.

Did a bit of searching and the basic Axela trim models (2004-2009) are F/C/S and E. 15, 20, 23 denotes the engine capacity hence the full model numbers are 15F, 20C etc.. I cannot figure out what the exact trim differences are .. and they do vary by the model year as well. But from most Mazda and other guides it seems that F<C<S (can't figure out where E fits).

The basic Axela trim models (2004-2009) are F/C/S and E. 15, 20, 23 denotes the engine capacity hence the full model numbers are 15F, 20C etc.. I cannot figure out what the exact trim differences are .. and they do vary by the model year as well. But from most Mazda and other guides it seems that F<C<S (can't figure out where E fits).

Thanks. Something I didn't know... So this is the lower grade: And this is the higher grade: Am I correct? Is AC controls the ONLY difference between those two trims?

By grading system if you mean the trim models, then I really ain't sure if there is a grading system for Axela. But for the '3' sold in US/Canada markets there are s, i and MPS/Mazdaspeed versions. Every Axela/3 I've seen in SL has come with almost all the options seen in highest graded toyota's etc. (And some features which were not there in comparative manu. year toyota's, nissans). Most of these options are standard in Axelas, afaik. That's one of the reasons that these cars are better against comparative models of other mainstream Japanese manufacturers.

I actually expected a bigger rush at Roxy gates, given how naive some of the young blood are (or pumped with adrenaline - if that better serves the thought). Anyways, some of them might be really hurt, judging by the feedback I actually forgot abt the whole shebang, should hv been opposite Roxy with a camcoder (wasn't anyone doing that?) ...

Will the government make the infant and child car seats (<7 years) mandatory as well? I guess they will as soon as one of the hencmen gets a contract to import 'govt. approved' child harnesses!!!

Also I heard that pumping N2 from Saudi Arabia is better because that air inherently consists of fewer water molecules than Sri Lankan N2 which can hv a bit of a moisture contamination due to our high humidity (even when using the same N2 pumping machine). So I would be extremely grateful if Jami or anyone else can give me a pointer to a place which serves mid-eastern N2, so that I can leave my tyres unattended for 3 years instead of 2! Cheers

Jami - let me know your/your father's/BIL's/etc spot where I could pump my tires with N2 for 200 bucks or whatever .. I want to get my ordinary air pumped tyres deflated and filled with N2, just to compensate for the effort you put in to justifying N2! Your resolve is amazing and I will honor it at the expense of my wallet .. and my common sense. I hope my N2 filled tyres will last at least a couple of years without checking or pumping air again, as it will take me that long to recover the lost 200 bucks though - hopefully you'll be able to give a guarantee when I pump?

Best to consider the future restrictions as Harshan said. There is a lot of momentum to ban Tri-shaws completely, at least initially from the Colombo metropolitan area. The idea has been lobbied at the top most level of the state but delayed due to some other policies which goes counter to the same - but it will happen sooner or later. Your opinion will widely vary on this matter, but in my personal opinion, this was a direct result of the inability of these machines to move along with the rest of the traffic and inability of majority of 'hire' three-wheel drivers to conform to road rules and etiquette. Taken as a combination, this is possibly the worst offense/obstacle to Colombo's traffic movement. So I think it's best to weigh the cons of restrictions and safety against the pros of agility, affordability and economy in your purchase. Social stigma is something you can forget, if you hv a thick enough skin.

Probably here. Hmmm ... is it worth checking out for general accesories? Never been there and looks like pretty much well serving the 4x4 gang.

Well, I guess price equals quality until it reaches a certain value. The 'better' micro-fibres could be bought for $ 10 for a pack of 3 off ebay. But in our car-stores and super markets we will get a varying quality. 3M cloths are available for Laugfs for 800/- although they are bigger, they certainly don't offer much more than the typical ebay variety. Beware 'cos some people just sell ordinary terry towels as micro-fibre - they are not! jdnet - where do you get Eagle One Nanowax in SL? I've been using 3M Quick Wax for regular jobs and while it's good, you don't get blown away!

There might certainly be time to check your tyre pressure, get your car washed and waxed etc .. at the toll gates. If that above mentioned LBO article is anything to go by! Only 4 fully-manual (!) toll gates and no restriction (except bike and trishaws) from entering? Damn I can see the queues going up to Maharagama on weekends....

LOL! Indeed - looking forward to a good bath with Milady! Probably a little quick wax afterwards.

Oh .. "somewhat" family friendly eh? I witdraw my comment then! Not that I close the door everytime .. anyways. As I said, I'll be bringing my ride - but not much of a quarter miler .. so I'll be the cheering squad/cop watch

Me also coming, with my cam and my ride and my girlfriend .. who's also my ride Can't wait to catch drag action after a long while.

Axela's with bad shocks/struts/bushes/sway bars can feel really nasty! As with any other vehicle. But if that car had the shocks replaced 10k back - could only be an issue with the alignment of the components or some bushings/joints out of nick.

Ummmm .. the anticipation feels great. But somehow something evil tells me that we'll sooner or later will hv to cope with highway-rage, apart from the road-rage!