San Francisco to Ushuaia in an 87 4Runner.
- Thread starter defrag4
- Start date
stioc
Expedition Leader
Of all the people you guys ran into on this long trip your worst interaction to date was with our own who should've been the most helpful in a new country. That whole interaction with that Rick guy sounded like it was out of a f'd up movie! And to realize these type of people are representing us in other countries...sucks.
In the end you did everything right to avoid any confrontation with these con men no matter how tempted you might have been to go back and even the score somehow. It's not worth it.
defrag4
Road Warrior
So how did the story end?
Basically because my truck was so screwed up and I only had an hour to get the airport I got the neighbor lady to call me a cab. $60 ride to the airport! Ouch
On the way, I am telling the cab driver my nightmare with Bill and he tells me he is so sorry and we should never take our car to an American mechanic in a foreign country. No one likes them and they just get screwed over at every at every parts house they go to.
The cab driver told me he is good friends with a local mechanic who in charge of repairing the towns fleet vehicles, rentals, and taxis. He says he can fix anything and on the super cheap.
He took me to his shop on the way to the airport. I met the mechanic who was a younger fellow, probably around 27 or 28 with a lot full of taxis, newer rental cars, and locals old junkers. Even though I could barely understand a word he said, I trusted him. He said his friend has the exact same truck and he could test parts between the two instead of just throwing money at it.
After I picked up my Mom from the airport, I dropped the 4Runner off with him and left for a week.
Got a call 2 days later that the truck was all done!
Came and picked up the truck and she was running better than she ever has before.
The mechanic said it took him a long time to just to figure out just what the hell the last guys had done. In the end he re-adjusted the AFM back to stock, cleaned and adjusted the TPS, cleaned the injectiors, replaced the O2 sensor, dropped the fuel pump and discovered it was fairly weak and not pumping properly, replaced that. Replaced the fuel filter and a few other adjustments. The final bill was steep since the fuel pump was around ~$150 but I was just happy to have the damn truck back and purring once again!
She has been running amazing for the last few months, starts on the first crank and getting around 20MPG.
Gotta love Toyotas!
Moral of the story: Wrench on your truck when you can and stick with the locals when you cant! at least I know I am.
Basically because my truck was so screwed up and I only had an hour to get the airport I got the neighbor lady to call me a cab. $60 ride to the airport! Ouch
On the way, I am telling the cab driver my nightmare with Bill and he tells me he is so sorry and we should never take our car to an American mechanic in a foreign country. No one likes them and they just get screwed over at every at every parts house they go to.
The cab driver told me he is good friends with a local mechanic who in charge of repairing the towns fleet vehicles, rentals, and taxis. He says he can fix anything and on the super cheap.
He took me to his shop on the way to the airport. I met the mechanic who was a younger fellow, probably around 27 or 28 with a lot full of taxis, newer rental cars, and locals old junkers. Even though I could barely understand a word he said, I trusted him. He said his friend has the exact same truck and he could test parts between the two instead of just throwing money at it.
After I picked up my Mom from the airport, I dropped the 4Runner off with him and left for a week.
Got a call 2 days later that the truck was all done!
Came and picked up the truck and she was running better than she ever has before.
The mechanic said it took him a long time to just to figure out just what the hell the last guys had done. In the end he re-adjusted the AFM back to stock, cleaned and adjusted the TPS, cleaned the injectiors, replaced the O2 sensor, dropped the fuel pump and discovered it was fairly weak and not pumping properly, replaced that. Replaced the fuel filter and a few other adjustments. The final bill was steep since the fuel pump was around ~$150 but I was just happy to have the damn truck back and purring once again!
She has been running amazing for the last few months, starts on the first crank and getting around 20MPG.
Gotta love Toyotas!
Moral of the story: Wrench on your truck when you can and stick with the locals when you cant! at least I know I am.
Last edited:
defrag4
Road Warrior
Well in the end after 4 weeks of having his van at the shop Brad learned that Bill actually never was a mechanic back in the states, but in fact... a drywall installer!!!
The morale of the story should have read "choose your mechanic like you choose your street taco stand.... the place with the most patrons!"
nwoods
Expedition Leader
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
x2....
Glad to hear about the quality repairs, and I'm with Nathan on this one, I thought this was a recent update!?
Whatchall been up to, sir!?
cheers, and thanks for the updates.
They're in Colombia now.
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
It's pretty hard to stay up to date AND actually have fun out there on the road :sombrero:
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
There's a thread on Drive the Americas for trusted mechanics in Latin America. Maybe you should post the local dude's info, and then start a new thread for the Americans... "Axe-murderer Mechanics to stay away from"
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
VERY much agree. With as many fleet vehicles he apparently had in his queue, he probably doesn't need the business, but becoming an internationally known resource could anchor and grow his business like crazy if he played his cards right.