You’re driving on a rainy night in the middle of nowhere... Suddenly, a strange noise comes from your car engine and you have no idea what it is. With no houses whatsoever in the vicinity, you don’t know what to do or whether it’s okay to keep driving. Ever faced a situation like this? The ideal setting for a horror story, until it really happens to you…

1. For everyday vehicle drivers

2.  Quick tips for buying a vehicle
 Quick tips for selling your vehicle
 Different drive systems
 Useful tools
 Frequent checklist
 Economical driving
 General know-how

3.  Common buying options
 From the agent (Toyota, AMW, DIMO etc…)
 From a registered vehicle importer (Car sale companies)
 From a private importer
 Import it on your own
 Registered vehicle purchase (2nd hand)
 Buying from the registered owner (Owner, who's name is in the CR is
selling the vehicle)
 Buying from a non registered owner (Seller’s name is not in the CR)
 Buying a vehicle imported under government permit scheme
(Applicability of the transfer tax)
 Buying a vehicle owned by a company
 Buying a mortgaged vehicle

4. From the agent
There is nothing much to be told here. You go to the dealer, select the
model you want, pay for it as per the buying agreement and get the
vehicle.
This will be bit more complicated if you are buying a vehicle using
somebody else’s import permit, but the agent will guide you.
(different agents handle this differently)
This is one of the safest and easiest ways to own a brand new
vehicle. Or a pre-owned registered vehicle certified by the agent.
And of course, this method will cost you a few extra bucks 

5. From a registered vehicle importer
Most registered vehicle importers give you the option of selecting a
vehicle from their local stock or to import directly from Japan/UK or
Singapore.
If you are importing, you can select a vehicle, inspect the vehicle’s
documents over the internet, get a drive away cost estimation and
make your decision.
If you are buying a vehicle from the local stock, it is strongly
recommended that you go to a reputed vehicle dealer first.

6. From a private importer
If you are importing, you can select a vehicle, inspect the vehicle’s
documents over the internet, get a drive away cost estimation from a
clearing agent and make your decision.
If you are buying a vehicle from the local stock, it is strongly
recommended that you perform a physical checkup first, check the
documents and get the vehicle verified by the local agent before
making a decision.
A vehicle imported under the name of a private importer (could be a
person or a company) will have to register the vehicle under
importer’s name first. Hence there will be a double transfer
happening and you will become the 2nd owner in the CR.

7. Import it on your own
If you are importing, you need an account with a supplier in the
exporting country.
You need to have a minimum amount of funds in the account to bid in
the auction.
Once a bid is successful, you are given a grace period to settle and take
the vehicle out. (Your supplier will have to do this for you)
Some suppliers demand immediate an wire transfer to secure the vehicle
for you.
Supplier will send the Performa invoice indicating the CIF value of the
vehicle so you can open an LC from a bank in Sri Lanka.
Vehicle will be shipped, you will get the documents and a key thru the
bank.
You will have to hire a clearing agent to handle the local tax stuff and
get the vehicle out from the Hambantota harbor.
If everything happens smoothly, nearly after 5 to 6 weeks you can get the
vehicle you purchased.

8. Registered vehicle purchase
Buying from the owner who’s name is in the CR is the best option.
Buying from some intermediary person could lead to issues like
information credibility, transfer issues (open papers) and may be
authenticity of the vehicle + documents.
Buying a vehicle imported under permit schema would require you to
obtain the tax document (customs B copy) for you to get the transfer
done to your name. Plus there will be a special tax of 10% of CIF to be
paid in the first transfer.
Buying a vehicle owned by a company requires you to submit more
documents than a person to person transfer. Make sure you are getting
all the required documents in such case.
Buying a vehicle which has a mortgage will have an absolute owner
listed in the CR. To get the transfer done, you need to obtain the letter of
revocation of absolute ownership from the financial institute.

9. General checklist in vehicle purchase
 Physical examination of the vehicle
 Interior condition, repainted panels, panel alignment, glass serial
numbers, break disk wear & tear, break pedal condition, steering wheel
condition, cabin filter condition, wiring tamper marks, seat belt
information, engine/chassis numbers, rust and repair check, beading
check, engine smoke test, coolant leakage test, relay box check, engine
vibration tests, steering rack test, accelerate & idle test, etc…
 Document check
 Owner’s information check, engine/chassis no tally test, revenue license
and tax payment check (if applicable), absolute ownership, which owner
condition*, age vs mileage tally test, service records check (including
model specific repairs)
 Trial and mechanical test (easiest is to take the vehicle to the
agent for a checkup)

10. Golden rules in vehicle purchase
 You will get what you pay for, so know what you are getting
 European and Korean vehicles are comparatively expensive to
maintain over common Japanese vehicles
 Never get in to a desperate mode
 Pedigree is very important
 If you are going for a loan/lease, avoid over stretching the budget
 Don’t buy something you don’t like
 Always buy vehicles with clean documents and maintain them in a
clean state

11. How to sell and forget! (making a profit is a bonus)
 Selling with open paper is discouraged.
 Fill MTA-6 A & B forms with correct information, remember to put
dates.
 Keep MTA-6A2 with you and send MTA-6A1 to the RMV and
obtain the receipt.
 If the buyer is opting for a lease, you might have to get the transfer
done to the new owner before you get the money, hence make sure
that it’s a reputed financial institute providing the leasing facility.
 Please keep in mind that any sales agreement, even if you sign
across a stamp, is not valid unless it is attested by an attorney.
** Negotiate and be clear on all the conditions with the seller before accepting an advance.
Selling to a lease is an added burden to the seller so prefer cash deals first.
If selling to a lease, no point in reducing the price too much

12. Petrol and diesel vehicle taxes are so high at the moment compared to
the hybrid and electric. Hence, in terms of price, hybrid and electric
vehicles are becoming popular.
With the increased number of units on the roads, there is a fair second
hand market created for hybrids and electric vehicles.
Ranking popular hybrid systems among locals by efficiency &
engineering (low/mid range markets)
1. Toyota HSD
2. Honda Earthdreams
3. Mitsubishi PHEV technology
4. Nissan hybrid drive
5. Honda IMA
6. Suzuki hybrid drive
7. Mazda Skyactive*
8. Nissan PureDrive*
* Not hybrid drive systems, but only powering systems.

13. The most popular electric car in Sri Lanka would be the Nissan Leaf.
However, there has been an increase in sales of Mercedes Benz B-
Class electric, Tesla Model S and BMW i3 reported over the past
couple of months.
It’s too soon to comment on the success of these models, especially as
a country which is not ready to support the electric car
infrastructure.
Our electricity generation is still mostly dependant on coal & diesel.
Hence charging vehicles using electricity generated by burning fossil
fuels is just simply adding another step to the energy conversion
process, thereby increasing the overall wastage.

14. Few tips on tools
 Every car comes with a set of utility tools including a jack, wheel
brush, plier, spanner and possibly a few more extra items
depending on the vehicle model (such as a tire puncture repair
system).
 Before we check for more tools, it’s good to know whether the tools
we are supposed to have are in the vehicle 
 Plus it’s very important to know that they are compatible with the
vehicle. One of the most popular example is the wheel brush and
the wheel nut/lock nut compatibility.
 And always keep the tools (for the vehicle) inside the vehicle, not
outside!

15. More helpful tools
Jumper cable
Toyota hybrid users can jump start
their vehicles by using a normal two
core wire that can handle 12V ~4Amps
load.
Jump starter kit with power bank

16. More helpful tools
Electric tire inflator pump
Pair of rubber gloves
Domestic body scratch
repair solution
Apart from these a hazard light, flashlight and contact details for a breakdown
service are always helpful to have 

17. Everyday running
 Check tire pressure (visual inspection)
 Check how the engine starts (battery condition)
 Listen to the engine sound for couple of seconds when you start the
engine
 Check whether you have any red or orange lights still on after the
ignition
 Check whether there are any fluids on the ground leaked from the
vehicle
 Check mileage, see whether you have exceeded the maintenance
mileage
 Check whether you got the license and insurance certificate with
you

18. At least once a month
 Check and adjust tire pressure. Check for possible tire punctures.
 Check coolant level (never mix different coolant types)
 Check engine oil level and its condition
 Check break fluid level. Never top up. If it has gone down below
the low mark, take the vehicle to a mechanic
 Check the battery fluid level. For non maintenance batteries, check
the indicator placed on top of the battery. For dry batteries &
Toyota hybrids, you can skip this step
 Check wiper fluid level and clean wiper blades using a cotton cloth
 Check the tire wear pattern. Get your tire alignment checked at
least every 10,000kms.
 Check CV boots (could save the cost of a whole CV joint)

19.  Frequent acceleration and deceleration causes terrible fuel
economy and increased wear and tear in the vehicle parts.
Irrespective of the drive system used, this should be managed in
any vehicle for a greener and economical drive.
 With non-plugin hybrid vehicles, it does not matter whether you
have a battery in the car – the sole source of energy is just crude
oil. Hybrid systems can only contribute to the economy of the drive
by capturing and storing the wasted energy in the batteries, mostly
while braking and on downhill runs. So make sure your battery is
charged through braking and deceleration, rather being charged by
the engine itself. (If you run too much on the battery alone, the
engine will start to generate electricity, which is not very
economical.)
 Manage your drive. When you are reaching the destination, if the
battery has enough charge and if the vehicle supports EV mode,
switch to EV.

20.  Keep your tire pressure at the manufacturer’s recommended
rating. A tire gives the best comfort and fuel economy when the tire
wall is angled at 45˚ to the ground. A higher pressure increases
this angle giving you a tougher ride. A lower pressure decreases
this angle and increases the contact between the tire and the
ground, reducing the fuel economy.
 Use correct tires. Most of the time, manufacturer rated tire types
help achieve the best fuel economy.
 Don’t skip service intervals. Use the recommended engine oil
type(s) & gear box oil type(s).
 Engine tune-ups at least every 40,000kms could help
 Get your vehicles serviced and repaired by trained mechanics only.

21. Few common problems and remedies
 Fan belt screaming
 There are adjusters, however you might not be able to adjust these belts
at home. Pouring some kerosene oil on to the surface of the belt can
reduce the screaming sound until you reach a mechanic.
 Engine heat up
 Mostly happens due to a loss of pressure in the cooling system. Never
open the radiator cap when it’s boiling. Keep the engine running
instead, open all your windows and switch the vehicle to the heater
mode.
 Cracking noise when taking sharp turns
 Most probable reason is wearing off of the CV joint. Mostly caused by
broken joint boot but once it starts making noises, there is no remedy
other than replacing the part. So frequent checks on joint boots are a
good thing.

22. Few common problems and remedies
 No A/C
 Could be due to many reasons starting from electric/relay failure to gas
leak or clutch failure. Does not matter what the cause is, if the A/C is
not working, refrain from running the car with A/C on. Just use the
blower until you reach a mechanic.
 Stiff steering
 Stiff steering could be a problem for vehicles with power steering as its
an unexpected situation. If you have electric power steering (EPS), this
could be an electric or motor failure and if you have a normal belt driven
power steering system, this could be due to loss of fluid, belt failure or
any other related mechanical component failure. If it’s the belt, better to
go to a mechanic soon as it could be a shared belt which is driving more
pumps attached to the engine.

23. Few common problems and remedies
 Petrol & Diesel swap
 If you pump diesel to a petrol engine, your engine will stop. You will
have to tow the vehicle to a mechanic and flush the tank to get it back to
normal. However if you pump petrol to a diesel engine, your engine is at
a risk of being ruined by pre-ignition. Hence stop the engine
immediately and tow it to a mechanic for a complete fuel system flush.
 Tire expiry
 All tires have expiry dates, irrespective of whether they are used or not.
Hence when you are buying tires (especially for discounted rates) make
sure they are not expiring soon or already expired. (DOT code below)
Don’t buy vehicles to park at home!

24. Few common problems and remedies
 Mouse/Squirrel breach
 Don’t just park the vehicle without using it for extended periods. If you keep
the blower air intake to suck air from outside, then these creatures can come
inside the vehicle and cut the cabin filter, ruin A/C and may be even damage
the interior and wiring. If such is noticed, disconnect the battery immediately
and get the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic.
 Rotten egg smell from exhaust
 Says that you have hydrogen sulfide coming out from the exhaust. This
happens if you have at least one plug that is not working as expected. Check
your plugs/wires/injectors by a qualified mechanic. Ignoring could result in
sudden loss of power.
 Noise when breaking
 There is a pin attached to dish break pads to touch the dish when the pad
wears out. This is an alarm to the driver to replace the break pads before
they completely fall off.

25. Some best practices
 Park on flat ground with front wheels straight
 This reduces the strain on steering rack, coil springs, bushes and
various joints. Good for maintaining the car noise free.
 Manual gears, take your foot off from the clutch pedal
 This enables 100% contact with the drive shaft to the engine and
eliminates the unnecessary friction acting on the clutch plates.
 Avoid switching to reverse while moving forward
 Synchronizer ring is missing in the reverse gear. Hence shifting the gear
to reverse while moving forward is not as similar as shifting gears
forward while moving forward. In ECT gear boxes, this is electronically
controlled, but in manual box, this can ruin the transmission if done
with excessive force