Vengeance

Note that starting the car every few days is going to do more bad to your battery than not starting the car at all. The starter mortor requires a significantly higher current to start, so everytime you crank, you'll be using a considerable amount of juice from the battery. The charging circuit (alternator) only works above a certain RPM (around 2000), so you'll have to drive the car around a few kms just to re-gain the juice that was lost from starting the engine up. Also, you may want to consider removing the tires and using jack stands if the car is not used for more than 3-4 months to reduce the stress on the suspension.

Glad you managed to finally resolve the issue. Please share your experience and the price you were quoted if possible, should be helpful for other members.

I removed my rear seat and carpets, all I found was a cable (with 2 wires) going to the tank and that's probably the fuel level sensor, not the filter.

@Rumesh Thanks for the input. As far as I can remember, the fuel filter is located inside the tank for my car. I don't think anybody would want to go through the hassle of removing the tank, fuel lines, getting rid of the fuel pressure before removing etc just to inspect it. Is there anyway to know that its failing without going through all this? or is there a separate fuel filter outside the tank intended for replacing?

Offtopic question, the OP doesn't seem to have any issue with the current fuel filter. Does everyone else change their fuel filter as periodic maintenance when the manufacturer stated interval is reached?

This has been talked over and over again, thanks to @PreseaLover! Please use the search function: http://bfy.tw/5ciJ

Brand: CEAT Model: Radials Size: 145/80R12 Price: 5200 From: Can't remember -,- Wouldn't recommend unless you're a cheapskate like me, they last for about 40k. Harder rubber compound, so is less comfortable, can't complain for the price though

A few guys have recommended "Saman" who has his workshop close to "Buddhagosa school" to be a good electrician for alternator repairs. Have a look at the thread below for more information: http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/16594-any-place-for-alternator-repairs-not-pala-please/page-5

The vehicle seem to have lesser rattle and quirk noises as long as a good tyre brand is used, but if something like CEAT is used, you can hear the car screaming over little bumps.

Thanks for pointing that out, yes it should be certain body parts instead of spare parts.

Well said, may even be a Totoya fanboy who'd pay for the badge!

Simple tip: Never ask the fuel economy of a car from a seller or from the agents, more like "Horage ammagen pena ahanawa". If you want to improve your fuel economy, learn to adjust your driving style and in the process become a very boring driver. 01. Under inflated tyres increase rolling resistance, which leads to higher petrol consumption? Always maintain recommended tyre pressure (Check once in a month). Refer Tyre information label on driver side door/pillar on your vehicle or under specification section of owners manual. 02. Keep RPMs below 2000, don't know whether this is possible on your car though because of the small engine. 03. Drive at steady speeds between 50-60 kmph. 04. When accelerating, shift down to a lower gear and accelerate gradually instead of flooring the pedal in the same gear. 05. Keep air filter clean. 06. Avoid idling at red lights, it wastes fuel. Switch off engine if stop time is more than 60 seconds. 07. While braking, coast down to a lower speed in gear with your foot off the accelerator, and then shift the gear to neutral. 08. Shift to 5th gear as soon as possible. Typical speed for gear shifting with AC off is (for small cars with 1000cc engines, this may vary though): 1st to 2nd 10 km/hr 2nd to 3rd 20-25 km/hr 3rd to 4th 30-35 km/hr 09. Drive smoothly. Avoid sudden breaking and acceleration. 10. Remove your foot from clutch pedal after changing gears. 11. Leave the car at home and use a bus.

Both the people I know are located in my hometown, Avissawella. I can PM the details for you if you're closeby, maybe another member can post details of such a person in Colombo.

I know some, where are you located? You will have to find someone who's good in re-winding motors. First check whether the voltage regulator of the alternator is inside or outside and have it inspected before proceeding to check the stator coil and rotor. In some older cars external voltage regulators are mounted on the fender in the engine bay.

Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated! @Crosswind Yeah right, but this is all I could afford at the moment. I'll be upgrading as soon as I possibly can though! @Davy Agree, definitely the japanese makes are far better in terms of build quality. I thought this was a repair job done after a major accident, glad to know its a sealant.

+1

What do you mean by an electronic type alternator? All alternators are pulley type and they are electronic (they convert mechanical energy to electrical enegery). Usually there are really only two types, ones that have internal voltage regulators and one that use external voltage regulators accroding to my knowledge. An expert can shed some light on this if I'm wrong. Also watch out for repaired alternators, alternators can be re-built to factory spec (just like motors), but if critical parts such as bearings, stator coils, brushes etc are not replaced and are halfway worn/damaged, the alternator will probably fail within a few months of use, so you're better off getting a brand new one if the price is comparatively not that high.

Please go through the service/workshop manuals mentioned on the link below by Davy: http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/9732-lancer-service-manuals-available-here/ Go through the CG Australian manuals for Lancer CS1 2008. You can also get the part number from the agents

Haha, I'm still too young for that, maybe I like the Viva so much that it appears bigger, personal opinions you know Edit: Just went though the size specs for Viva and Axia on Wikipedia, and yes, you're correct, the Axia is slightly larger in all dimensions.

Its very unlikely that the Central Locking Control Unit is fried, rats can do plenty of damage to the electricals of a car if they lived in it for a certain amount of time, speaking form personal experience. Just inspect all the fuses (there's only about 10-15) and replace them if any are blown. Inspect the car and check for evidence of rats in places where the rats are likely to have lived in (under the carpets, seats, behind the dashboard etc). They'll definitely leave a bad smell and biting marks in things made out of rubber. If you have sufficient evidence, its highly likely that some of the wires are bitten off. Remove the negative battery cable before you begin working on the electronics. Get a multimeter with continuity and check for continuity on the central locking wires, the ground of the battery will connect directly to the CLCU and the positive end will connect via a fuse. Then check the wires going from the CLCU to the 4 actuators starting with the master actuator (driver's door one). EDIT: If the wires are fine, then its the CLCU you have to check. Its a unit with 2 relays, some resistors, diodes and capacitors for stabalizing the voltage. This is a very basic unit if you know your way around circuits. You can check the relays for a clicking noise to confirm whether they are working when the central lock is being used. Replace any broken components and the central locking should work normally. Keep in mind that some CLCUs have a fuse within the circuit itself.

That's one great article Davy! Thumbs up! (Y) I have a small question, while admiring the bits and pieces I haven't seen, I found some thick yellow glue that seems to be holding the bottom plates of my car together, I inquired from 2 trustable/experienced mechanics and they mentioned that this glue is used from the company itself to attach the bottom plates together when manufacturing, but I cannot see this in your car. I just want to confirm that this wasn't a local job done by Sri Lankan makabasses after a major repair and was done by the factory itself (the car was bought 2nd hand). Car is a Suzuki Zen and pictures have been attached below for reference. Thanks!

Coolant doesn't have heat absorbing properties. If you only use coolant, you run the risk of overheating your engine and if you only use distilled water, you run the risk of rust and clogging your radiator over time. Coolant bottles come with the proper mixing ratios mentioned on the label, you can even buy premixed if you want to avoid the hassle of mixing. I personally recommend Wurth, costs only 850 per litre and the mixing ratio is 1:3 (confirm it by reading the label though).

You might as well consider the Chevrolet Cruze. The market value is slightly lower and spare parts will be a little harder to find compared to the swift, but its got the looks over the swift, specially the red one Keep 1 or 2 vehicles models in mind and when you go on the hunt, pick one that has been WELL maintained irrespective of the model. There's a comprehensive guide on AL and plently of YT videos to guide you on that. Good Luck

Saw an Axia recently and the vehicle looked smaller than the Viva Elite. The Elite looks better imo.

@PreseaLover You have to teach the dog to become friendly with the cats. It might look ridiculous at the start, but is possible with time. My dog loves the cats he lives with, but if there is any intruder cat wondering around, the dog and the cats will join together in chasing the intruder cat away. Back to the topic, rotweillers and german shepeherds are amazing guard dogs provided you bring them up right. The OP's best bet would be getting a dog and leaving her un-tied at night with the gates closed. Plus these dogs have natural instincts that kick in when needed, they know how and what to protect without much training! Take my word for it, a thief will think twice before getting even close to a strong dog