Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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highway breakdowns on free vs toll road in Baja
I wish this was more about road conditions, but it's also about car breakdown conditions, with ancillary questions about toll vs free road tossed in.
So... while preparing to drive to Ensenada via Tecate, from San Diego, I had a dead battery (wednesday), and stayed over to make sure all was charging
properly. Seemed fine, but then while driving Thursday towards Tecate, a broken cable from alternator resulted in all electrical going dead, and my
truck dying a slow, awkward death on 805 south.
I limped to shoulder, alerted friends down south, and returned home via tow truck to neighborhood repair shop. Tow:free (just renewed auto club
membership). Cable inspection/repair: $80. I can live with that... and hopefully that explains the dead battery. I was also lucky that the break
didn't cause more serious damage, like a fire or damage to other systems.
But all this made me think: what if this had happened on Hwy 3, south of Tecate? I seem to recall that on the toll road there are emergency service
trucks, and the services are provided as part of tolls. Is this still the case? And will they extend it to the detour area for the duration of the
coastal closure?
I have repair/tow services via my MX auto insurance but only for accidents, not mechanical breakdowns.
What have others done under similar circumstances in Baja? I feel "lucky" to have this happen in San Diego vs on the free road south of Tecate.
In my experience Baja mechanics are quite good, and people generally stop to provide aid. What do others do in case of mechanical problems? Rely on
the kindness of strangers, or are there other alternatives good to know about similar to US Auto Club services?
Thank you for any helpful advice!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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'Green Angels' patrol all paved main highways to provide roadside service. At least that was their purpose. The labor is free.
Here is one being towed on Hwy. 3 a few miles from Ensenada...
Or maybe he was pushing the motorist??? 
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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thank you David. I need to review previous posts regarding parts to carry. Good to know labor is free, but parts are another thing...
And, any recommendations regarding tall jacks for trucks? I have a lifted B4000 (basically a ranger), with non-stock taller wheels. I realize the
stock jack won't cut it.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
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Green Angles
Twice in the past year the Green Angles came to my rescue on hwy. 3 in the past year, they were very courteous and their diagnostic skills were
amazing.
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dasubergeek
Senior Nomad
Posts: 694
Registered: 8-17-2013
Member Is Offline
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Not to mention that on the back roads of Mexico, you are far more likely to receive assistance from random people on the highway than you are in the
United States. At the very least, someone would have called a tow for you or driven you into the next settlement to handle it yourself. I've assisted
and been assisted in these situations—someone jerry-rigged the water pump in my rental Nissan Tiida on a back road in Jalisco near the Michoacán
border once, and I jump-started someone on the road to Ojos Negros.
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