I wish I could start the new year with some fun photos of fun activities of fun in the sun. Instead…
Tuesday morning saw us back in the shop trying to get GANNET2 roadworthy. It’s a slow process with hurdles appearing where none are expected. Which is normal enough with vehicles and mechanicals and especially a long way from home in a country that has never imported Promasters.
However the good news is the spares I bought in Panama City at Servicios Carlos, home of Fiat,Renault,Peugeot and other euro brands fit perfectly. Cheers Gianni!
So now we have new front end tie rods,
… and control arm bushings to keep the front end tracking properly.
All of which is lovely to see and has stopped the steering wheel wobble when braking. From this:
…to this:
However as usual the walk in the park stopped dead when I went for a test drive and the Electronic Stability Control idiot light came on. That indicates the computer onboard isn’t measuring speed and force at the wheels to allow the van to compensate for any over activate acceleration of breaking to prevent a roll over or slide. Obviously you can drive with automatic braking or electronic stability and years ago we all did without these sophistications but it’s a bit nerve wracking to know you could have them but don’t have access to their safety features.
Gruesome roads, foreign impenetrable driving customs and congested traffic in a five ton van make every electronic aid available highly desirable.
Add to that some of the worlds highest altitude roads ahead with impossible grades and mountain zig zags and Mrs B has stated unequivocally the expedition requires fully functional brakes. Me in the peanut gallery does not disagree. Here’s the problem and it’s our wheel bearings which are starting to fail. The replacements we bought for a Fiat Ducato van do not have Automatic Braking System sensors incorporated. This means none of our electronic brake assists work. I am driving 1950s style in 21st century traffic.
Yup normally sold for $350 and I need four of them and they are unobtainable in Panama. I thought wheel bearings were just caged ball bearings that let wheels go round. I had no idea they play this important role in supplying speed and braking information to the car’s computer.
So as you can tell I’ve learned a lot this past couple of days and weeks. More than I want to know and undoubtedly more than you want to know and I apologize for the lack of content in the subject of paradise in the tropics and all that social media stuff. This is the other side of that.
The thing that irks me is I am a knowledgeable mechanical theoretician and I knew this stuff needed to be replaced soon as we approached 100,000 miles. When Kip in Ohio my trusted mechanic assured me everything was fine I should have found some other place to replace this stuff before going to Mexico. Kip is a mechanic not a traveler and he failed totally to grasp my need for preventative maintenance. I knew better and should have acted on my knowledge. I am not good at wrenching but I understand the principles involved after a lifetime of driving and breaking down!
All these parts are wear and tear items. Online websites will tell you most wheel bearings need to be replaced around 100,000 miles and ours have been subjected to stressful driving…
So now what? On Friday after Marco has cleared his backlog of cars needing service he will run a computer diagnostic and see what’s what. Whether we wait here for the bearings or have them sent to Colombia to meet us there is a subject we will have to hash out. Our shipping process starts on Monday with a meeting with a vet and getting police clearance to ship our van. Whether we delay or go anyway is up in the air.
I wish it wasn’t so but this is the state of the journey at this point. I trust normal service will be resumed before too long.
