Vengeance

I replaced the clutch of my 2005 Suzuki Maruti Zen a few months back from a local joint and the costs were as follows: Clutch + pressure plate kit - 5300/= (Brand: Valeo) Throw-out bearing - 1300/= (Brand: FBJ) Labour charge - 2500/= which totals to 9000/= A*W quoted me something close to 15k as far as I can remember. The cost for your Alto should be similar or slightly higher. If you have the time to spend and know a good mechanic, getting it done through a mechanic can save you about 6k. The genuine brands for Suzuki Maruti Zen were "Valeo" and "CeeKay", not sure about Alto though. Get the pressure and clutch plate as a kit if possible. Do a search on team-bhp forums and you can find a lot of info related to your question. While you're at it, get your flywheel and pilot bearing inspected as well.

Now, if you had bothered to spend some time on researching about the problem before proceeding with the repair (by searching online or at least by posting on this forum), you could have saved yourself a butt load of cash. Your're not the only person who has gotten ripped off, just do a search on the forum and you'll find several more horror stories similar to this. These people have so much experience in ripping off people that they can tell how much you know about vehicles just by exchanging a few words with you. This is an example of why you should learn about your car and stick with reputed garages. Anyway, what is done is already done, make sure you've learnt your lesson Sorry if this makes you feel bad, but I replaced some parts from a local joint last month. L/arm bush replacement labour cost was just 300/= and replacing clutch/pressure plates + throw-out bearing + pilot bearing labour cost (which involves opening up the gearbox, taking apart cv joints, cv axles etc) was just 2500/=.

I wouldn't advice any of these vehicles for daily use, but I know a few who still use these as daily runners. They're reliable vehicles, but considering the age (15+ years) and the abuse they have gone through you're likely to experience repairs and will have to spend a considerable amount of time in the garages once in a while. Parts are easily available. If you would like to settle with one of these, AE110 > FB15 > BJ5P > N16. Its personal preference in the end that matters. Do take a trust-able mechanic with you have the vehicle inspected thoroughly, almost all vehicles of this age are clocked so don't bother with the mileage. The N16 and FB15 do have some suspension issues, you may have to replace certain suspension related parts every 20-40k kms, nothing major though. Please do search the forum and you will find a lot of information on these vehicles as they have been discussed extensively. How many kms do you plan on running every month? Doesn't a newer hatchback suit you? If you're into hatchbacks: Viva Elite, Passo, Kelisa, Swift are some options you can consider.

Out of curiosity, what was the terrible experience?

I can recommend Mr. Dammika Fernando, you can find his contacts if you search on the forum. Call him and get an appointment for a tune-up, he'll tell you if you need to clean your fuel injectors as well. You can get the injectors cleaned from Asnu Lanka if needed. Refer to this thread for more info:

No, cars are made to run that way. I don't ever recall an owner's manual mentioning to clean the engine compartment. If you really want to clean your engine bay, never use a high pressure washer as water can get splashed on to electric components and they will not function as intended or corrode in the long run. At worst, you may have to replace critical components such as the alternator, sensors etc. Use engine degreaser and a rag or use a water hose with low pressure. Make sure the engine is cold, as spraying cool water on a hot engine will cause things to cool down too fast which will stress the metal and eventually cause cracks. Cover the alternator, relays and other electrical components with plastic bags. Allow the engine bay to dry up or wipe it with a rag before you attempt to start the car. @OP - Sorry, but it looks like you've already done the mistakes. As others have suggested, please take the car to the agents to avoid worsening the problem or get a Honda hybrid expert to help you, I'm sure someone here can suggest such a person. Don't allow a random garage to meddle with your car unless they have proper reputation in dealing with hybrids.

Same here, some issue with Chrome. Its a 3 minute clip, try using Firefox.

Job well done machan! That looks pretty neat, well worth the effort One piece of advice to anyone following this, if your steering is equipped with an airbag you must be careful not to deploy it when removing. Even if the battery is disconnected, there are backup capacitors that can provide sufficient power for a small amount of time for the airbag to deploy in case of an emergency. An airbag deploying in front of your face is not a pleasant feeling!

Just print and frame one of these: http://www.favcars.com/nissan/nissan-presea, http://auto-database.com/nissan/presea/ Machan, why don't you print a photo of your own car? That'll definitely look better than any poster image out there

Isn't it time for a new logo as well?

The card you need is mentioned on the model's description. SD is the most common, you can also use a microSD card with a SD adapter. Stick to Class 10 and a reputable brand such as "SanDisk" as memory cards are very cheap these days and stay away from fake cards available on eBay.

Not trying to discourage you, but I have a feeling that this is gonna remain a dream for a very long time.

+1. You need patience to buy a car.

Please search the forum, these have discussed previously. Nissan Presea (there's a 30-page thread about the Presea): https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=site%3Aforum.autolanka.com%20presea 1.2 million (since the prices have increased now): https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#safe=active&q=site:forum.autolanka.com+1.2+million Some cars you should be looking at are: Mitsu CK1/CK2 (you might be able to squeeze one in to your budget if you're lucky) Mazda 323 (butterfly) Ford Laser Civic EK3 (19- again if you're lucky) Nissan Pulsar / B14 Honda City