So, two weeks ago we had to change the automatic transmission on our jeepetta. As most of you who live here would understand, this action is taken with trepidation, fear and sleepless nights, not because it is a difficult thing to do, but because one has to leave one's car with a Dominican Mechanic. Dominican Mechanics are known to take out more screws that what they put back in. Our fears were however laid to rest when we testdrove the car with the new transmission and it felt fine. So, off we went to the hinterland to visit a customer. Car is fine... Car remains fine for the first half day, but the oil light comes on. We check, lots of oil. So, we suspect that the mechanic knocked the oil sensor sideways or something. Day four of New Transmission Period.
We park on our customer's newly laid down cement parking area, clean as a whistle and our car promptly let's loose and drops all the transmission fluid on the customer's new, white perfectly constructed cement parking area.
We leave the local mechanic to check out the problem and some cleaners to clean the cement. Together they decide to quickly tow the jeepetta off to the taller (deeper into the hinterland). No matter that the jeepetta contains all the stuff that we need to install a satellite dish for another customer (other side of the country). When we look up, the cement is clean and the jeepetta is gone. Still no problem, we call our friendly taxi driver and car rental agent, get a car, go in search of the hinterland taller, retrieve our equipment and set off to get to our other customer. Four days pass... we get back to customer number one and our car comes back, parked in exactly the same spot on the white (now cleaned) cement parking area. All is well, when around mid-day our car drops all the transmission oil again, same spot, same customer, same embarrasment... But, no problem -- Here comes the local mechanic, tows it away and he's gonna fix it now for the third time... At this stage Richard figures that he best spend some time to figure out what is happening and find that they are trying to re-use a seal between the transmission and the engine. This seal has seen better days.. so, re-use, why? Because the seal is expensive. For heaven's sake, we've just replaced the transmission, get a new seal. No can do.. Why not.. Well, the seal can be bought in Santiago and its very far away.. You will have to go and buy it... Now Richard gets antsy - We don't have time to go to Santiago to look for car parts which we know little about... But no problem, there is a solution, call our friendly taxi driver and car rental agent and send him off on the errand. Duly done, seal in. Day Nine of New Transmission Period.
But now, neither Richard and I trust the job that has been done, so, off we go to our well-known, trustworthy mechanic to check this all out again. Tonny decides that the job was now well done, fiddles around a little and decided to steam clean the jeepetta, inside, outside, takes out all the seats, carpets and so on.. and we get back to a shiny car. Feels Good. Day Ten of New Transmission Period.
We drive off and the brakes fail. By now I'm getting mad and hoof it down the road back to Tonny to tell him to take this car, and do something with it. Well the story is that Tonny decided to clean the master cyclinder as we asked him to check the brakes and his chief mechanic filled the master cyclinder with transmission fluid, as they were short of break fluid. Tonny's chief mechanic who perpetrated the deed, has something wrong with his voice box, so, he cannot talk but squeeks like a rooster waking up in the morning. And there we are, trying to figure out who is responsible for this latest calamity talking to Tonny , who is short, chubby and a good mechanic albeit that now furious with his Chief Mechanic, and a Chief Mechanic who squeeks like a rooster. Day 11.
Just then, our friendly Taxi Driver and Car Rental Agent happens by and stops when he sees us to greet - I grab my bags out of our jeepetta, load into Ambiorix's car, left the stocky mechanic, the rooster and Richard to duke it out and went home.
Day 12 - For some or other reason, Richard and I both woke up laughing at the same time this morning, laughing some more with tears coming out of our eyes and and squeeking like roosters. Do y'all think that the DR is getting to us?
We park on our customer's newly laid down cement parking area, clean as a whistle and our car promptly let's loose and drops all the transmission fluid on the customer's new, white perfectly constructed cement parking area.
We leave the local mechanic to check out the problem and some cleaners to clean the cement. Together they decide to quickly tow the jeepetta off to the taller (deeper into the hinterland). No matter that the jeepetta contains all the stuff that we need to install a satellite dish for another customer (other side of the country). When we look up, the cement is clean and the jeepetta is gone. Still no problem, we call our friendly taxi driver and car rental agent, get a car, go in search of the hinterland taller, retrieve our equipment and set off to get to our other customer. Four days pass... we get back to customer number one and our car comes back, parked in exactly the same spot on the white (now cleaned) cement parking area. All is well, when around mid-day our car drops all the transmission oil again, same spot, same customer, same embarrasment... But, no problem -- Here comes the local mechanic, tows it away and he's gonna fix it now for the third time... At this stage Richard figures that he best spend some time to figure out what is happening and find that they are trying to re-use a seal between the transmission and the engine. This seal has seen better days.. so, re-use, why? Because the seal is expensive. For heaven's sake, we've just replaced the transmission, get a new seal. No can do.. Why not.. Well, the seal can be bought in Santiago and its very far away.. You will have to go and buy it... Now Richard gets antsy - We don't have time to go to Santiago to look for car parts which we know little about... But no problem, there is a solution, call our friendly taxi driver and car rental agent and send him off on the errand. Duly done, seal in. Day Nine of New Transmission Period.
But now, neither Richard and I trust the job that has been done, so, off we go to our well-known, trustworthy mechanic to check this all out again. Tonny decides that the job was now well done, fiddles around a little and decided to steam clean the jeepetta, inside, outside, takes out all the seats, carpets and so on.. and we get back to a shiny car. Feels Good. Day Ten of New Transmission Period.
We drive off and the brakes fail. By now I'm getting mad and hoof it down the road back to Tonny to tell him to take this car, and do something with it. Well the story is that Tonny decided to clean the master cyclinder as we asked him to check the brakes and his chief mechanic filled the master cyclinder with transmission fluid, as they were short of break fluid. Tonny's chief mechanic who perpetrated the deed, has something wrong with his voice box, so, he cannot talk but squeeks like a rooster waking up in the morning. And there we are, trying to figure out who is responsible for this latest calamity talking to Tonny , who is short, chubby and a good mechanic albeit that now furious with his Chief Mechanic, and a Chief Mechanic who squeeks like a rooster. Day 11.
Just then, our friendly Taxi Driver and Car Rental Agent happens by and stops when he sees us to greet - I grab my bags out of our jeepetta, load into Ambiorix's car, left the stocky mechanic, the rooster and Richard to duke it out and went home.
Day 12 - For some or other reason, Richard and I both woke up laughing at the same time this morning, laughing some more with tears coming out of our eyes and and squeeking like roosters. Do y'all think that the DR is getting to us?