Life has looked up a bit with Layne's return. We have a room at the hotel which is the building where we have been camping and it’s a good thing to have a room as we are going to be here a while as GANNET2 after 116,000 hard miles needs work.
Rusty was delighted to be back at the campground and having the three of us back together cheered him up too, as he spent time with Layne paying him attention. That didn’t last which was good otherwise I might have got jealous.
A hotel room with hot shower was a nice change after five days in the mechanic’s shop. I went back over there by Uber to wait for the boss Renzo to drive us to the electronics specialist. Renzo:
Number one sidekick Chato is his nickname as his real name is unpronounceable. He will be rebuilding GANNET2’s suspension which is showing signs of exhaustion. The CV joints started clicking if you know what they are and that’s a sign they need to be replaced.
Fran is a sometimes grumpy 22 year old who takes direction from Renzo. He’s an apprentice so I appreciate the boss keeping an eye on him. He is shy but he does dial a few words of English so I try to draw him out.
We heard the front end of the van clicking when we arrived at the electronic guy’s shop. The universal joints at the front steer the wheels but also drive the wheels with power from the gear box, so they are critical.
Meanwhile the electronic guy’s was going to clear the permanent code from the computer.
The problem was he couldn’t clear the code and the conclusion was that he needs to do a deep dive to figure out where the problem lies. He will do that work on Wednesday and if we need an electronic part it will have to be ordered from the States. No problem Renzo reassured me, it will just take a little time.
While there is frustration here it’s also an interesting learning situation. Overlanders break down but we unlike most have not had serious problems finding parts on our journey. The Promaster is a strange hybrid with a US engine and European body so we’ve been able to find the parts we’ve needed on the road. It’s strangely reassuring that when I might need suspension or driveline parts we can use spares from Peugeot Jumper vans.
Arequipa may be our home for another few weeks but once we get all this work done we may have the confidence to go to Amazonia, our original plan. Renzo seems to be proving himself, not taking short cuts, not being satisfied with good enough.
I like traveling but part of the journey is washing up on the beach and repairing what needs to be fixed. So here we are.
6 comments:
When it rains, it pours (one problem after another). You seem to have a good attitude about the whole thing. Glad Lane is back and the family is together.
Your problem with the code isn't uncommon. I ran across something similar with a Dodge pickup. They bury code and stuff in the software that all but requires you to seek a dealer with the software on their end to clear it. I suspect there are workarounds, but this is the kind of shit that drives me nuts about modern machinery. Hope they find a solution soon ish.
Yes, take your time, get the CV axles and trans rebuilt and make sure gannet2 is ready for Brazil. Slow is fast. Our front end squeeks and creaks so much after the dust from the Carretera Austral. I feel like the front struts maybe shot. Will get it sorted stateside.
Yeah, any possibility of going to the Dodge dealer in town for parts/codes/etc?
So the transmission is good. How di you find out that the suspension was shot? We had the front axle replaced but we now ear a klonk...at times. t never stops!
Keep plugging away - clicking CV Joints need to be dealt with, as you know. They never get better.
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