volvo4life

I went down to Galle and back on the southern highway in June. Drove mostly around 80 because there are workers walking on the road at certain points. The speed limit signs say 100Km/ph. The total length of the highway is about 90Km. So Galle would become a 45 minute drive. Most of it is complete except for the entrances and exits. The width of the lanes and everything else have been done to international specifications. There is a soft shoulder instead of a hard shoulder. Good in a way, because otherwise our Johnnies will want to drive on that as well. Expect frequent crashes during the first few months after the road is opened, as a result of drivers with zero highway experience trying to test the limits of their cars. Photo 1 was taken south bound in the Taise section (not sure how they spell it). Photo 2 was taken north bound in the least complete section, near Horana. A few Km after the exit to Unawatuna the road abruptly ends. Beyond that is a grassy bund like section. Construction in the Mathara section has just started.

Is there anyone in here who's able to influence Auto Lanka to implement a price filter and sort function? This is a real need. I've used a Presea R10 for a few years. Got about 8 or 9Km/Ltr at best, but that's not bad for a car of that size with a carburetor engine.

Number plates with dark blue letters and digits were issued to senior officials in govt service. These are 'mostly' non political people such as heads of departments who use Corolla 141s or Camrys.

Thank you very much for the link. Recently got copped while doing 75 and the cop claimed I was doing 95. Couldn't argue because I have changed the stock wheels and tyres. Wish I knew at that time that my variance is only 2.7%.

Toyota Levin Mitsubishi Evolution BMW 318i

Guys, could any of you convince AL that they need to include a price range filter in their search box? Like Schiffer, lots of people would benefit from being able to type in a price range and filter the vehicles within their budget, instead of having to do it manually like going through news paper classifiedes.

The 4G93 GDI version is definitely what you get in the 1.8 ltr Pajero iO. The 2.0 lrt Paj iO comes with the 4G94. All Volvos certainly don not come with Mitsubishi engines, Not all S40s come with Mitsubishi engines either. There are older S40s (96 - 98 cars) that come with Volvo engines. This was before the Ford partnership in early 1999. As mentioned earlier these are the ones that have the reverse gear engaging forwards. Whether it's a Mitsubishi GDI engine or a Volvo engine, the recommended fuel for both is 95 Octain. A well maintained 2.0 ltr GDI engine running purely on 95 octain could give you up to 11Km / ltr (in SL). GDI pumps can be very costly to replace. If it's an automatic, a good way of identifying a under pressure GDI pump is to put it in to D or reverse and not take your foot off the brake. If the engine revs dip (vibrates a bit) and re-turns to the normal rev count in idle, chances are that the pump needs replacing. However this could just mean blocked injectors as well. Note: An S40 with a 2.0 ltr Volvo engine running on 95 octain will give you better fuel economy than most Jap cars of the same size.

2.2 million to 2.4 is more like the price range of the 1998 - 2000 iO. Most people don't even realize that the iO had a face lift during the latter half of 2000 and those have raised bonnets and bigger grills. In addition to that the gear ratios also have been improved for better fuel efficiency. 2000 - 2001 models are going for about 2.4 million to 2.6 million depending on YOM, milage and options etc. I have seen a fully loaded iO advertised for 3.0 million on Autolanka but I think that's unrealistic.

Between the S40 and S70 I would recommend the S40 because the S70 would be a bit difficult to sell because of it's shape. I've driven almost every model of Volvo mid 90's onwards, and I can say the first generation S40 is quite fun to drive. The 4G93 GDI is a 1.8ltr engine so if you go for a 2.0ltr S40 I think you'll be safe. However there is a 2.0ltr GDI engine also called 4G94 (which I've got in my current vehicle). I'm not sure whether these also come in the S40s.

I assume you are considering buying a late 90's petrol S40. I have used two 2.0ltr petrol S40s abroad (both manual). I used to get about 14Km/ltr city and long distance combined (but that's with very clean fuel and ideal road conditions). So in SL I assume a 2.0ltr petrol S40 should give you at least 10km/ltr (combined milage). The 1.8 might do a little bit better. There is a 1.6 variant as well but it's under powered. There is a 1.9D (Diesel - Turbo) version that does about 20Km/lrt even in local conditions. So if you can extend your budget to about 2.3M, it's a good buy. As 'The Don' mentioned earlier, there are some S40s that have mitsubishi engines. Those are based on the Mitsubishi Charisma. However the engine cover says VOLVO in big letters, so it's not possible to spot one by popping the bonnet. The best way to differentiate a Volvo engine and gear box is that the reverse gear engages forwards (very close to the 1st gear, by pulling up a ring around the gear leaver). However there are S40s with Renault engines as well that have the reverse gear backwards just like the Mistubishi. If it's an automatic it's very difficult to spot the difference. Most (if not all) Volvos in SL are from the UK market because the EU is left hand drive. Note: The Volvo petrol engines can properly burn only 95 Octain fuel. If you buy a car that has been running on 90 Octain, chances of the engine being under powered etc is high. These cars are mechanically quite hardy so most of the problems are suspension and steering etc (road condition related issues). Parts are a lot more expensive than Jap cars and sometimes the only option might be to buy it from the agents. If you are buying a manual, make sure it's got a new clutch, but automatic is highly recommended. The local Volvo agnets are Sweedish Trading Co. Their customer service is not the best. However, if you do end up buying a Volvo I can give you a contact at their service and repair centre (in Colombo) who can make a difference.

Guys, Just want to let you know that 'it works'! As advised by a known Police officer at a different Police station, I did not enclose blue Mahindas, Parrots or Peacocks. Apparently this is a common practice in rural police stations, but the service is extended only to those who make the cops feel important. The same officer gave me a template for the letter (in Sinhalese). Which I typed out in English and converted using the Singlish software. Will share the template with you when I get sometime. P.S. Thissamaharama Police confirmed over the phone that the license was posted on 29/04 leaving adequate time for it to reach me before the temporary permit expired last Sunday. However the chop on the stamp says it was posted on 02/05 creating the possibility of getting me in to further complications. Faq Sri Lankan Traffic Police!

Thanks guys. I'll send him one of those. I think they still don't mind blue mahinda's in that part of the country.

"A spot fine has to be paid to any post office within fourteen days. The receipt of payment along with a temporary driving licence should be handover to the Police Station before completion of fourteen days to obtain your driving licence". I was issued a fine for improper overtaking by the Thissamaharrama police last week. The cop offered to post the license card back to me, provided I send a return envelop with adequate stamps for registered post. When contacted by phone today the cop agreed to receive a photo copy of the temporary license along with the yellow receipt. Since this is outside the usual process, can you suggest ways of making sure that my license will be posted back to me?