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Post by loudness on Jan 25, 2009 21:09:32 GMT 8
The black plastic box isn't the brake booster.Its the charcoal canister. Look up from the brake pedal,you'll see a black dome like cylinder.Thats the brake booster. Its not advisable to tap from there.Brakes will become slugish or worst..........no brakes.
The best place,from what I have experimented,is the line closest to the manifold.Highest available vacuum.
Everytime I talk about these moddings or any other things done,warranty issues pop up in my head.Its worrying me.To Hafei,its like I'm "mutilating" their cars.
BTW.........................Gong Xi Gong Xi.
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Post by fit on Jan 28, 2009 7:58:45 GMT 8
Oh i see... Man you are knowledgeable! I always thought there was liquid in it initially.. Then I thought it was the brake boooster because after the canister I can see the hose connected to brass pipes (when i removed the airbox) leading to what I assumed were the brakes. Yeah thats what I read and fear too. Don't want to tap from the brakes.. Dangerous in case there is a leak. Can I confirm with you that in the first picture, the line circled in red is leading to the brakes? I concluded this because I remember E-power's air charger was connected there and it improved the car's braking. From the pictures, which is the line closest to the manifold that you are referring to? I was quoted $35 for installation only. Is that reasonable or expensive? I want to DIY but only thing holding me back is I do not know how to remove the dash to route the lines. If the changes are easily reversible or disconnected then I would go for it. So that everytime I need to send it for servicing I can remove or disconnect them. If say you need the door fixed or something that does not need them to open up the engine bay, then no need to remove the vacuum gauge connections. Heck even changing spark plugs void the warranty according to them. Ridiculous! On my 10K servicing they themselves changed from the original china brand spark plugs to Denso copper plugs. I immediately went home and swapped them for NGK iridiums. Kept the Densos to be re-installed on the next servicing. The black plastic box isn't the brake booster.Its the charcoal canister. Look up from the brake pedal,you'll see a black dome like cylinder.Thats the brake booster. Its not advisable to tap from there.Brakes will become slugish or worst..........no brakes. The best place,from what I have experimented,is the line closest to the manifold.Highest available vacuum. Everytime I talk about these moddings or any other things done,warranty issues pop up in my head.Its worrying me.To Hafei,its like I'm "mutilating" their cars. BTW.........................Gong Xi Gong Xi.
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Post by loudness on Jan 29, 2009 20:57:53 GMT 8
The line that you mention is interconnected to the manifold.None leading to the brakes.The brakes are strictly hydraulic system.
E-power air charger improves engine responce be it accelerating or engine braking.You'll brake better by using engine braking with the hydraulic brakes than by using the brakes alone.
The line closest to the manifold refers to the vacuum lines around the throttle area.The line that you choose is fine.By all means use it.
$35 is......el cheapo.............The places I go to charge me twice as that.Worst of all,I have to buy their stuff.They don't do other poeple's stuff.The good thing about that is that we get peace of mind on the install.Any problems arise,simply go to them for rectification.
Changes are usually reversible but frequent changes will loosen connections.Thats where leaks will appear.Bummer.
Change spark plug also void ah???........Walaueh.......... cannot "touch" or "play play" with my own car leh. Denso copperheads ...........good heat transfer properties,less spark resistance,economical. NGKs........................performance based,longer lasting,consistant sparking.
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Post by lostheaven on Feb 8, 2009 21:40:51 GMT 8
Loudness.. u coming for the gathering on the coming Sunday?
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Post by loudness on Feb 15, 2009 13:39:47 GMT 8
Boy,i love to go to the gathering.I wanna "cultural exchange","ideas exchange" and any other exchanges except bodily fluids..........hehe.......... I wanna show off my Minz.............it probably the most boring compared to you guys.
But unfortunately,with my line of work,time with family and friends is very limited. You know what its like,driving a container truck,haulin' container after container to and from Tanjong Pagar.Holiday or not we still have to keep on truckin'
Best wishes for all your gatherings and many more to come.Keep me posted.Tks
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Post by lostheaven on Feb 15, 2009 19:25:13 GMT 8
its ok bro, there will always be other chances ... planning on having one in May too... hopefully more ppl will come and meet up with us ...
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Post by madeinchina on Feb 19, 2009 17:06:20 GMT 8
hi everyone ... so glad to c there are supporters of madein china cars esp mini mpv. recently test drove a 1.3 version and surprised engine can run up 30+ degree slope. jus couldnt tell if engine will be strained cuz even on normal flat road the deafening noise of engine make lion king's roar like a kitten mew.
quite a rough ride as gear change not quite smooth going. road holding so-so, soaking up winding bends at 40+km/h. ride very coarse and engine brutually noisy at all gears and speed, jus worried if made to last without much wear and tear. this blog seems to suggest several concerns about build quality and service centre reliability.
middle row 2 independent seats very comfortable like single seater sofa feel like king man! rear seats very configurable.
salute to you guys for trying out improvements on your own, I like esp the air intake, so detailed.
has anyone installed curtains? does lta approve?
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Post by lostheaven on Feb 20, 2009 11:40:02 GMT 8
Hi and welcome to the forums!
Well, as the saying goes, you get what you paid for. Thats why the MinZ is really bad in quality and finishing, but overall, its still quite a good car to get you from point A and back. Engine-wise, its very reliable. Thats what i hear from those china people about this car.
Curtains, i am not really sure, but they do sell them at auto-bacs, can try asking them instead =)
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Post by fit on Feb 23, 2009 11:26:21 GMT 8
Hello there..
Welcome! For the 1.3L, slopes are not a problem on 1st gear. So far no problem on slopes.
I agree with the gear change.. Mine until now is notchy for 1st, 2nd and Reverse. But from 2nd to 5th its slick.
Ride wise the front passengers are not that bad. But due to the nature of the rear suspension consisting of leaf springs, the going can get pretty bumpy for those less than smooth roads.
As for the noise, there is no denial that the cabin is noisy. But this aspect of the car can be improved on. The engine noise is due to the engine being right under the seat and the lack of any form of soundproofing.
Build wise its still not comparable with the Koreans and the Japs, but best yet for similar Chinese MPV's in the same class. As for long term wear and tear, we are the guinea pigs... Yet to see how it fares.. But so far the engine and transmission seems like a reliable unit.
Its the fittings and plastic parts that are not reliable or durable. After-sales service needs to be improved but they eventually from time to time do get the job done when you chase them down a bit.
Only concern is parts and its pricing.. With no other source locally, we are at the mercy of the Distributor.
For my family, we intend to keep it as long as we can before changing out. Since we already have it, just try to improve on what we have by doing some mild DIY stuff.
I think its okay to install the curtains and i doubt you will get stopped and fined on the road for installing it. I see a lot of cars have them installed nowadays. But thats mostly for their privacy rather than using it during driving..
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Post by madeinchina on Feb 23, 2009 14:57:17 GMT 8
Glad you fellas are taking in the right spirit, making good of what you own and have. Today china manufactures automobiles for the leading brands of europe, japan, korea and usa. never know the day might come soon china makes all the world's automobiles when they decide to catch up with the best standards.
Sometime in 2008 there was news dongfeng automobile (auto exklusiv selling hafei like DFM star model) wanted to acquire hafei for positioning big in mini van,trucks and MPVs biz but no news thereafter.
My opinion is that miniMPVs are super! Basic and fun. Leave to your imagination for endless DIY interior and exterior. Engine wise - there should be aftermarket stuff to boost performance as long as you can find space to install them! keep it up fellas!
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Post by loudness on Feb 28, 2009 20:19:05 GMT 8
Hi there,its been quite a while.
I see we've got new member............so.....hellooooooooooo.......
From what I see in the posts,our little Minz is holding up..................WOW!!
Anyway,since my ride came,lots of "enquiries" from friends,relatives and neighbours. Few repeated questions keep poping up. E.g..............China brand good meh?............Engine so small,can meh?............I heard this one got many problems meh?...............So cheap it must be lousy................and so on,you got the picture.
The answers I could come up is.....................It depends a lot on the driver.A lousy driver will make a branded car worthless.If the driver plays his engine in the right way.Well It reminds me of the story of "The little train engine that could".Others like cost of maintaining the piece of hardware is again depends mostly on the driver.Go to the mechanic and cough up the dough,you DIY and save.
Any better answers than that?I can't think of one right now. Later.........................
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Post by madeinnchina on Mar 1, 2009 8:46:52 GMT 8
Hellooooo Hafei Braveheart! I guess the general expectation of china made cars is sub-par of japan and continental, since people cough up 3x or more for such "luxury" vehicles and will not concede to any reality about the advancement and predominance of china made cars taking the bulk of ownership in china over foreign imported cars.
Hyundai cars when it first made its appearance in Singapore was scorned for sure-sure-kana poor quality and reliability cuz it's korean! Well, see where Hyundai and Kia are today in the world market share. The 2nd generation of elantra and coupe (shark eye front and rear lamps) was a engineering marvel with a chasis that no other cars its class was able to match at that time. the shark eyed coupe overtook sales of alfa spyder like 3 is to 1 sales when handsome coupe caught the hearts of many italians with its looks and road-handling.
Minz is the epitome of suzuki and daihatsu once upon a time model that boasted a bread shape mini van that could carry 8 pax. So successful were these models for its 1,000 cc economy that value for money people carrier. Minz is a car to be admired for its gutsy engine and cabin space that other non-made in china cars cannot offer in the same capacity.
China brand good meh?............Engine so small,can meh?............I heard this one got many problems meh?...............So cheap it must be lousy..... do you realize these questions are positive assertions in negative questions form? It is like seeking assurance if cheap is always bad meh? so you see it invites a mixed feeling for these fellas cuz they don't have the courage to be the first to appreciate a made-in-china car.
I kinda like the furious roar of Minz's frantic engine and spartan cabin. The most shocking case in the history of underestimation in the battlefield saw World War Two's Russian made T34 tank which conquered over the elite German engineered Panzers and Tigers. T34s are ugly and feeble looking in comparison to menacing chiseled tanks. Looks deceive and play on the minds. Enough said ...
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Post by loudness on Mar 13, 2009 23:59:27 GMT 8
You talk about the "bread shaped minivan" reminded me of my former ride.The Daihatsu Hijet.I've squeezed 9 people a few times.Not midgets but full grown humans.Slow from the start but goes very well once moving from that tiny 1 liter powerplant.
What I did so far. Reconnected the rear foglights just by connecting a missing fuse. Vacuumed the interior............lots of dust and ants,heaven knows where they come from. Vacuumed the air filter...........lots of dust as usual. Vacuumed radiator and aircon grill............lots of grit,tiny debris and unwanted road trash stuck in between the grill structure - main cause of premature holes rendering radiators useless. Used the wires from VS to add grounding. Looking at possible substitution for engine oil.So far came out with Mobil and Cartrol. Get more Sonax. Find Seafoam. Buy fish at Senoko Fishing Port.(Cheaper) Watch more of Discovery channel's Wheeler Dealers for more DIY.Youtube also can. I'll stop right now.Getting bored already.
Later.................................
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Post by loudness on Mar 29, 2009 8:30:43 GMT 8
Has anyone else used seafoam before except me?I need much needed responce. No other place sell this product except my usual haunts at Kranji.
Anyone? Pleeeeeease...................
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Post by fit on Mar 31, 2009 10:09:01 GMT 8
Whats seafoam?
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