Sick child

Lately we've had a streak of bad luck with our Egon. Above altitudes of 3,000 meters, it jumps poorly or not at all. We mostly managed to start it with starter spray, except for one time in Uyuni. Our Egon was parked for three nights in below freezing temperatures. The next morning, it didn't start. Luckily, we had our safety car (Benni and Bettina) with us. After trying to start for an hour, the battery was once again dead, and it still didn't work with a jump-start. At this point, we already had a German/Bolivian expert squad around our car.

Okay, next attempt: replace the fuel filter. We brought one from Germany, so we were able to replace it quickly and try again. It didn't work.

Okay, last attempt: push-start the car. Of course, we were on what felt like the worst road in all of Uyuni, with potholes and everything. For safety, we used two tow ropes and Benni and Bettina pulled us. After the third attempt, it worked. After that, we didn't turn off our car and drove straight to Potosí, a bigger city where we could find spare parts more easily.

When we arrived in Potosí, we discovered that it was Sunday (yes, we don't really keep track of the days anymore), which means all the workshops were closed. We tried parking our car in some yard, but that was unsuccessful. The next morning, our Egon started quite well. Just to be safe, we still went to the workshop. The mechanic said that this is the case with all foreign cars at this altitude, but he didn't want to adjust the fuel supply since our route would go back down. However, he did change our oil (which was desperately needed), cleaned the air filters, and cleaned the engine. It was like a wellness program for the car. The next morning, it started running better.

Back at normal altitudes (Sucre 2,600), suddenly the gear shifting wasn't working well. We could hardly shift into first and fifth gear. At the campsite, the problem was quickly identified. A small round rubber part that regulates or dampens the gear shifting had broken. After searching for 3 hours with no success, we couldn't find the part in Sucre. So, it was time to get creative. At the market, we bought two bouncy balls that had the same diameter as the part and drilled holes in them. However, this attempt was unsuccessful. The balls were too brittle and broke apart when we tried to install them. Then, an American guy who was also at the campsite gave us a rubber bearing. We cut it to size and fixed it with cable ties and washers. Yes, now we have a very South American solution, but it works, and when we get to La Paz, we can look for a suitable replacement part.

Since we returned to 'normal' altitudes, our Egon starts up like a new car ;-)

Well, we can't complain. You can't drive 25,000 kilometers on partly gravel/bad roads and expect nothing to break. Additionally, we always had great mechanics who knew their stuff and always found a solution.

Haha, too soon to celebrate!

After Santa Cruz, we continued to the Amazon basin. Just before Conceptión, our Egon felt like it choked, and then nothing worked. We thought it was nothing major, as Bolivia often has bad diesel, and we thought that was the cause. Our safety car towed us the remaining 20 km to Conceptión, to a gas station. When we arrived there, the gas station attendant called a mechanic for us. He came after a Bolivian half hour (which is actually 2 hours), and he also thought it was the fuel pump. Benni and Bettina then towed us to his workshop, and we were able to sleep there. The next morning, Alejandro immediately started working and suddenly said "otra problema" (another problem) and showed us something that looked like the timing belt. However, we were sure that it was fine since we checked it in Germany. Well, that was a mistake! In the Bolivian hinterland, the timing belt broke on us! Diagnosis: Engine damage!!!

Alright, we have to go back to Santa Cruz. Alejandro organized transportation for us, and we set off the next morning. However, at the first toll booth, the police were already waiting for us and took Jonas to the station. He had to buy a document (which doesn't officially exist) so that we could practically have "safe passage" all the way to Santa Cruz. Things like this are common here (so far, we've always managed to get by with "I don't understand"). We arrived at the mechanic recommended by Alejandro in Conceptión around 3 in the afternoon. We searched for the workshop in vain, until a gate opened. Well, end of story, the mechanics do it on the side, and we're standing in someone's front yard. But the guys (a total of 3) immediately started disassembling the engine so that we could find out what was broken. Time was running out because the next day was the last day before Easter when the shops would still be open. So, the four of them (Jonas helped too) worked until 2 in the morning.

The next day, we went in search of parts, but it was unsuccessful. Now we have to import the parts from Germany and are currently organizing that.

To be continued.....