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sd2hi
Junior Nomad
Posts: 54
Registered: 8-27-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: ready for action!
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stuck in Guerro Negro
Hi Nomads, I was on my way back to San Diego after two great weeks in Baja when my alternator light kame on. The voltage guage read 11 volts so I was
pretty sure it was the altinator. I brought a spare battery and contimplated going for the border anyway. However I wanted to check out a few places
on the way north and not worry bout getting stuck. I pulled into Guerro Negro at 11am. There is a convienent mechanic shop next to the TerraSal hotel.
Long story short I sat in my beach chair for 6 hours at the shop while they ever so slowly looked for an altinator for me. Back in the US I would have
pulled into any NAPA, Carquest, O'relys and have changed the altinator out in 30 minutes. The mechanic (owner of the shop) kept telling me it would be
done today. 6pm comes and he tells me that it won't be ready till tommorow. The altinator shop had the right internal electronics but not the right
case. He reused my old case with new internals. The reason it would not be ready was he painted my old case so it would look nice and the paint needed
to dry! GRRR! They could have just put the dam thing together and I'd have been on my way. They could have told me sooner and I could have been
comfortable in the hotel. I'm getting charged $1,800P for the altinator, which I think is kind of steep and 200P for labor which is a bargin. Any
Nomads use this auto shop before?
BTW the TerraSol hotel is new, South end of town, has great rooms and 550P/$30US.
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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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Not sure about in Guerrero Negro, but in other towns, the Pro One Auto Partes stores were great. The 4Runner in our group bought a alternator in
Vizcaino... don't know what they paid exactly, but it was amazingly cheap they thought.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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Quote: Originally posted by sd2hi  | | Hi Nomads, I was on my way back to San Diego after two great weeks in Baja when my alternator light kame on. ...... Back in the US I would have pulled
into any NAPA, Carquest, O'relys and have changed the altinator out in 30 minutes. ... |
Well, you weren't in Kansas, Dorothy.....
Don't believe everything you think....
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
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In Baja, there are 2 kinds of fixed. "get home fixed" the other is "Fixed Fixed" sounds like you got "Fixed, Fixed" How many Napas did you see.
Waiting for parts is all part of the Baja experience. Take a DEEP BREATH and say "I am Baja not America".
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Ahhhhhhh, you are not in the States, so what ever you think about "how they do it there" really doesn't apply
You should probably be glad you got it fixed (and painted).....it will make a great story.
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13196
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Wish we could help since we are not so far away but we really have no experience with GNegro.
For future reference, Vizcaino has a great mechanic who is inexpensive, fast and honest. He is located on the main highway, if you head north, he is
on the right hand side before the bancomer bank.
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chippy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1722
Registered: 2-2-2010
Member Is Offline
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Over the years I´ve had generators and alternators rebuilt in Baja and mainland but I´ve never had someone paint the cases. You hit the jackpot! Lucky
guy.
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bkbend
Senior Nomad
Posts: 693
Registered: 11-27-2003
Location: central OR or central baja
Member Is Offline
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Sounds like you entered the Baja time warp, why buy a disposable alternator when you can just fix it? I limped into Guerrero with a cracked wheel
bearing in 1976, camped in the 'mechanics' front yard next to a few junker cars that didn't make it back on the road. One had a working 8 track in it
so the mechanic came out and turned on the music and we sat and shared tequila. The next morning we went to the parts store which was an old refer
van lined with shelves and salvaged parts looking for a bearing that matched. He found one, pressed it on with a hammer and block of wood and I was
on my way.
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BigBearRider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 4-30-2015
Location: Big Bear, Punta Chivato, and Cabo
Member Is Offline
Mood: 
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I love that the mechanic found an alternator with the right innards and took them out to put in your housing. Baja mechanics are incredible.
There is a story in the Baja Adventure book with the orange cover about Baja mechanics that is just fantastic. It involves two guys working on an old
car with a failed fuel pump. Since they don't have a fuel pump, they put fuel in a jug on the roof for gravity fed fuel flow. There's a lot more to
the story, and it's well worth reading.
[Edited on 10-21-2016 by BigBearRider]
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6346
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: TEQUILA!
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Of all my off-road trips to Baja in 50+ years, all I ever needed fixed was a crack in the frame where the power steering box was mounted.
They welded another piece of steel covering the crack and boxed in the frame.
Still good 20 years later.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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AUTO ZONE is working their way south. Two, at least, in Ensenada now.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by BigBearRider | I love that the mechanic found an alternator with the right innards and took them out to put in your housing. Baja mechanics are incredible.
There is a story in the Baja Adventure book with the orange cover about Baja mechanics that is just fantastic. It involves two guys working on an old
car with a failed fuel pump. Since they don't have a fuel pump, they put fuel in a jug on the roof for gravity fed fuel flow. There's a lot more to
the story, and it's well worth reading.
[Edited on 10-21-2016 by BigBearRider] |
This is a process used by many for many years. Motorcycles and atv's use gravity fed tanks. nothing innovative here.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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there are some great mechanics in GN...usually at their own shops and not a chain place....ask for Chepe across from Chino's and he will do you right
or get you to the person who can fix your problem...best bet when faced with a breakdown is ask someone...like the desk guy at Terra Sal or a waiter
or someone local...where a dependable shop is.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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As David says, if in the area, Del Valles in Vizcaino (what he calls Pro One) has great parts support and mechanics.
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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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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca | Wish we could help since we are not so far away but we really have no experience with GNegro.
For future reference, Vizcaino has a great mechanic who is inexpensive, fast and honest. He is located on the main highway, if you head north, he is
on the right hand side before the bancomer bank.
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The bank, the mechanic, and the Pro One Auto Partes store are next door to each other in Vizcaino... east side of highway, between the north Pemex
station and the Bahia Tortugas/Asuncion highway junction. After buying the alternator and other stuff, they suggested to have that mechanic next door
install it, muy rápido and muy cheap! Nick (the engineer/mechanic with us) did it behind the Pemex in less time than it took to buy the thing... but
it is good to know about that mechanic shop between the Pro One store and the bank, in Vizcaino.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca | Wish we could help since we are not so far away but we really have no experience with GNegro.
For future reference, Vizcaino has a great mechanic who is inexpensive, fast and honest. He is located on the main highway, if you head north, he is
on the right hand side before the bancomer bank.
|
The bank, the mechanic, and the Pro One Auto Partes store are next door to each other in Vizcaino... east side of highway, between the north Pemex
station and the Bahia Tortugas/Asuncion highway junction. After buying the alternator and other stuff, they suggested to have that mechanic next door
install it, muy rápido and muy cheap! Nick (the engineer/mechanic with us) did it behind the Pemex in less time than it took to buy the thing... but
it is good to know about that mechanic shop between the Pro One store and the bank, in Vizcaino. |
That is because the mechanics shop, the auto parts store, and the hardware store (on the south side of the auto parts) are all owned by the same
person.
Although one of the signs says Pro One (its old) the name on the building and door is Del Valle Auto Parts.
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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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| Quote: Originally posted by rts551 | | As David says, if in the area, Del Valles in Vizcaino (what he calls Pro One) has great parts support and mechanics. |
That is what is signed on the building, I didn't give it a special name, like Shell Island or The Widowmaker! LOL
Here is the Pro One website with the Vizcaino store address: http://www.pro-one.com.mx/baja_california_sur.html
EL VIZCAINO
Refaccionaria Y Accesorios Del Valle
Calle: Carretera Transp. Km 144 S/N
Colonia: Villa Alberto
El Vizcaino, Baja California Sur
CP 23935
Tel: (615)-156-4280
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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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Oh, and of interest... the first auto parts store coming into Vizcaino (west side of highway, north of northern Pemex, who did not have the Toyota
alternator) referred us to "PRO ONE" by that name. So maybe you will feel the need to drive around that town and educate the locals that they are
using the wrong name?
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BigBearRider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 4-30-2015
Location: Big Bear, Punta Chivato, and Cabo
Member Is Offline
Mood:
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| Quote: Originally posted by rts551 | | Quote: Originally posted by BigBearRider | I love that the mechanic found an alternator with the right innards and took them out to put in your housing. Baja mechanics are incredible.
There is a story in the Baja Adventure book with the orange cover about Baja mechanics that is just fantastic. It involves two guys working on an old
car with a failed fuel pump. Since they don't have a fuel pump, they put fuel in a jug on the roof for gravity fed fuel flow. There's a lot more to
the story, and it's well worth reading.
[Edited on 10-21-2016 by BigBearRider] |
This is a process used by many for many years. Motorcycles and atv's use gravity fed tanks. nothing innovative here. |
Like I said, there was more to the story. The alternator had also failed, among other things. It was a nice story about resourcefulness. While I am
sure it doesn't impress everyone, it impressed and entertained me. I've never seen anyone drive a car around with a jug of fuel on the roof!
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carlosg
Senior Nomad
Posts: 504
Registered: 5-28-2012
Location: chula vista, ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just like in Baja: No Bad Days...
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Back in the mid 90’s I went on a journey that lasted for the next six years living in Baja, when I left my home town (Tecate) I had my car “serviced”
by o “good” mechanic, bought new tires and packed all my stuff in my Cavalier stationwagon, when I was driving by the inspection station in GN I heard
a loud bang from under the hood, me and the officer took a look and saw a popped-out spark plug, so with the engine puffing and puffin I limped into
GN and stopped at an “autopartes” on the main drag bought a new spark plug and on my way I went… by Vizcaino the car would barely make it on the
smooth grades so I stopped again and went to a mechanic somewhere near the road, it was on a sandy area because I recall that after waking him up and
not before he got a couple of gulps from his “caguama” he came out from a dark cardboard room and felt around the floor for a couple of tools buried
in the sand, he took a look at the engine and started wiggling the carburetor around: “no sirve, necesita otro carburador”.. it moved -because later I
was told- the base of it was some kind of plastic… so I gave him 100 pesos and told him “todo está bien, así déjelo” and took off as soon and fast as
I could, by the time I got to San Ignacio I was in real trouble so I stopped at “Grúas Cadena” for help, the attendant told me “no se puede, no está
el maistro”: I had to wait for a couple of hours for the owner-head mechanic to return from Santa Rosalia, he arrived and drove-tested the car and
said the gas pump wasn't working and he didn’t have one but he did have an electric one, I told him I didn’t have that kind of money to pay for it… he
looked into my stationwagon and told me: “me gusta el abanico, ok?” -I’ll take the pedestal fan, ok?- so he istalled the pump and off he went to test
it.. he came back and said “no sirvió… son las bujias” so he replaced the sparkplugs and kaboom!!! It was working perfectly!!! -wrong parkplugs
installed in Tecate by “good” mechanic... RIP- So I ONLY HAD TO PAY FOR THE PLUGS and kept my fan…!!! This took all day for me and by that time I had
been sipping beer with some “amigos” that had arrived to visit the “maistro” and by then Mr. Cadena (the “maistro”) told me “mejor quédese a dormir
aquí”: I had too much “cerveza” in my system so I camped there overnight… during the evening into the night we had tequila and early in the morning I
took off back onto my journey… I can still remember that first sunrise in Baja looking down into a valley just outside San Ignacio… and that was the
start for the next unforgettable six years…!!! It took me about a week and many “cervezas” to get to Cabo… A lovely week…!!!
[Edited on 10-21-2016 by carlosg]
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