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Virutual Mechanic

Car and bike questions? We have the answers

ZEUS IS HERE Katsumi Takata, Joint MD, Suzuki Motorcycles India Private Limited at the launch of Zeus, 125cc bike from the Suzuki stable Specially designed for young college students and executives, Suzuki Zeus, will be completely manufactured in India except certain parts that will be imported directly from Suzuki Japan.The motorcycle is said to have outstanding fuel efficiency and special features such as round crank shaft, aluminium cylinder head, five-gear transmission and bigger brake drums. Photo: Paul Noronha

I have a Fiat Uno 45, which has clocked 67,000 km and tends to jerk and lurch while accelerating. Acceleration worsens further if the air con is on. Also, the carburettor has a flat spot. I have had the carburettor overhauled and its gaskets and jet replaced, the electronics module replaced and the engine tuned, all at Fiat-authorised workshops, but the problem persists. What can I do? Can I replace the Weber carb with a Mikuni? Or, can I replace the 1.0-litre FIRE engine with the 1.2?

Avinash Bokil

Here's what you can do: engine jerking goes off when the car is driven with the choke on for a few minutes when you start off. However, the flat spot is very difficult to eradicate, and you'll have to `jet' the carburettor carefully to make it hiccup-free. The Weber carb can be replaced with a Mikuni through an authorised dealer. However, you'll have to replace components like the cylinder head, intake manifold, electrical wiring harness, fuel pipe connections etc too. It works out to over Rs 30,000, plus labour charges. The 1.0 engine can be replaced with the 1.2, but again, that's not all. You'll also have to change the transmission assembly, electrical wiring harness, instrument cluster, ECU, exhaust system, etc. The cost works out to over Rs 2.5 lakh, so we don't recommend this.

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