Atyrau - Schrotti shows us the finger

On Wednesday morning (September 4, 2019), we (Melanie, Jeoffrey, Markus, Rango, and I) start the day around seven. After a shared breakfast, we pack our stuff into the Moskvich and finally start driving around half past eight. Just before leaving the city, we want to refill our petrol and gas reserves. After the LPG tank is full, Schrotti doesn't start again. My quick diagnosis: battery empty. Since pushing doesn't work either, we buy a new battery and can continue shortly afterwards. I can borrow the tools I need to change it from a nearby workshop and we can also check the functioning of the alternator nearby. The device reliably supplies power. Then we finally leave Aktau and are on the country road heading north. The first stop should be Shetpe. In the immediate vicinity of the small town is a quite impressive mountain range that we want to see. About 50 km before the city, Schrotti then reports a loss of power. Sounds like misfire to me. So we drag ourselves the last stretch to the city. We can't find a workshop right away, but we find some Kazakhs who want to help us with our problem. The spark plug wires are rearranged and the gas line is twisted around. All without success, the car doesn't run smoothly. In a nearby tool shop, I organize a fitting socket wrench and unscrew the spark plugs - they look pitch black and rather worn out. I decide to buy a new set. A short time later, Schrotti purrs like a kitten again. Unfortunately, the whole action has cost us some more time, so the trip to the nearby mountains has to be canceled. But there is still time for a coffee and a little snack. Then we are back on the road and drive through mostly dry countryside. After about 280 km, we take the opportunity to refuel with gas. Meanwhile, the sunset is slowly approaching, we switch on the lights. Unfortunately, Schrotti ignores the request to turn on its headlights. Something is not right here, especially since the headlights were working the day before. Again, a few helpful helpers come to our rescue, who support us in solving the problem. They wiggle all sorts of cables and check the fuses. In the end, we short-circuit the low beam with a wire and continue driving. The cause of the problem remains a mystery for now. We reach Beyneu in the dark and organize a small dinner before we continue. We want to try to reach Atyrau by the next morning. There is nothing worth stopping for on the way there, so a night drive is almost inevitable. However, we didn't take into account Schrotti.

Shortly after Borankul, it was around half past two in the night on Thursday, the Moskvich refuses to continue. The gas seems to be empty and switching to gasoline doesn't work either. But we are lucky again and can be towed back to the next gas station near Borankul by two Kazakhs shortly afterwards. There we fill up the gas tank, but with just over 6 liters, much less fits in than we should have consumed. The car still doesn't want to start. We decide to spend the rest of the night, it's already half past three, at the gas station and tackle the problem the next morning. After a few hours of uncomfortable sleep, I make some coffee for our travel group and we start the sunny morning. While brushing our teeth, we are visited by a few camels who curiously observe the hustle and bustle. In the meantime, a few locals take care of our starting problems again and shortly afterwards we can continue on gasoline. Unfortunately, only a few meters after the place where we had to stop last night, Schrotti refuses to go any further. Basically, nothing works except for the things that are short-circuited. No ignition, no starter, no warning lights, just silence. This time, two traffic policemen come to our aid. After checking our documents, they stop a car that tows us back to the other side of Borankul and parks in front of a workshop. The establishment is unoccupied and the truck drivers and oil workers can't really help us either. So we treat ourselves to a small lunch in a canteen. Melanie and Jeoffrey take the opportunity to announce their farewell from our travel group. They have lost confidence in Schrotti and want to take the train from Beyneu to Almaty the next morning. Jeoffrey was able to reserve the tickets last Sunday evening in Aktau. Marcus and I, on the other hand, agree that we don't want to give up so quickly, especially since we are not under any time pressure. However, the decision of the two Frenchmen affects the mood somewhat. After lunch, we say goodbye. At the gas station from the morning, I organize an electrician with some help, who should take a look at the matter. Since everything is dead, the problem must be somewhere between the battery and the ignition. Unfortunately, I don't have the tools to get to the bottom of the matter myself. The electrician sets off with his measuring device and finally unscrews the box in which most of the vehicle's electronics come together. And behold, a plug connection was burnt out. The broken plug is removed and the plug connections are renewed. Quite improvised, but successful. However, the man cannot solve the lighting problem - there are too many cables in the car for him. Well then! Nevertheless, the hobby electrician wants about 20 € for the service. It seems quite expensive to us, but at least we can continue driving. When trying to start the car again, it turns out that the gasoline tank is empty. Strange, since we presumably drove most of the time on gas. We pour our 10 liters of reserve into the tank and start driving. Unfortunately, we cannot refuel with gasoline at Borankul, but the next village is only about 100 km away. As we find out about an hour later, that's too far as well, the fuel is about 25 km before Kulsary. As so often, we are lucky again and with the help of a Kazakh, we get Schrotti running on gas again and can refill gasoline and gas at the entrance of Kulsary. Then we go for a little shopping in the town before we find a place to camp near Lake Kamyskol. And so the evening ends on the sandy beach.

After sleeping in, having breakfast, taking a swim, and packing up our stuff on Friday, September 6, 2019, we go for a little shopping in Kulsary. Then we continue to Atyrau, stop in Dossar for a sandwich with fish eggs and pickled algae, before we break down shortly after the small village again with an empty battery. The problem is quickly found, the hobby electrician from the day before did not properly reconnect a pole shoe on the alternator after the check. Very annoying, we once again depend on help, find it shortly afterwards, and get a jumpstart. Shortly before Atyrau, we break down again, the device that regulates the gas supply to the carburetor is frozen. Too many people have been tinkering with Schrotti in the past few days. I readjust the setting according to my memory and a short time later, the component thaws as well. Thanks to the still empty battery, we need help to start again. This time we find a truck driver who tows us with his Kamaz and I can start Schrotti in second gear. Then we switch back to gasoline and drive into Atyrau. At a supermarket, we refill our food reserves and switch Schrotti back to gas operation. The carburetor/idle gas setting (inherited from the previous owner) seems rather suboptimal to me for gasoline operation. The engine runs way too fast when it's warm. Since Marcus stalls the car when starting, we decide to leave Schrotti in place overnight due to the empty battery. So we walk to the Ural River and find a spot on the river bank to set up our camp. And so the day ends again at the waterside.

On Saturday, after a leisurely breakfast and dismantling our tents, we return to Schrotti. I buy some tools, renew the connections on the battery, and start the car. It runs like a charm. Then we go to a workshop and I look for a master who can adjust both gas and gasoline operation properly. Unfortunately, without success. So we set off again without achieving anything, heading north towards a larger city about 500 km away. Oral / Uralsk near the Russian border. By that time, the next problem has already announced itself, on the right front side it sounds as if a bearing is not running smoothly. Especially when steering, the unpleasant noises seem to become evident. I suspect a worn-out universal joint. Nevertheless, we continue driving for now. After about 75 km, we look for a workshop in Machambet, as the noise from the front right side suggests. We can't find anyone who could help us with the problem, but we find a local who shows me how to adjust the engine for gasoline operation. At least. Then we decide to drive back to Atyrau to tackle the problem with the bearing there. Oral is just too far away for us. At a workshop, we can at least find out where we can find spare parts and a workshop that can presumably help us the next day. Then we set up our tents again at the Ural River, are given plenty of leftovers by some locals, and finally visited by two young policemen. They check our documents and then try to get some money out of us in a roundabout way. The tank is supposedly empty. I offer some fuel from our spare canister, but refuse to help out with money. Apparently, the guys don't want any gasoline and quickly go away again. So we enjoy our food donation before retreating to our tents.

On Sunday (September 8, 2019), after the usual morning routine, we go to the Dina Bazaar. There we look for a workshop whose master wants to take a look at Schrotti after his lunch break. Until then, we are supposed to organize new universal joints. Said and done. We also find a few beef bones and some contact spray, and so I use the time to check our rear lights while Rango enjoys his treats. Until the workshop master returns, at least both turn signals are working again and the taillight is burning as it should. Only the brake light wants to shine on one side only. Then Schrotti is jacked up and after removing the right front wheel, it becomes clear that the noise is coming from the wheel bearing there. So we organize a new one and return our universal joints. We also need new brake shoes, but we can't find any on the whole market. So the old ones have to serve a while longer. After putting both wheels back in place, the exhaust is fastened (a bracket had come loose) and a rear wheel (the wire inside was already showing) is replaced by the spare wheel before the car is put back on the road. The next day, we want to try to find some brake shoes at another market in the city, and we leave our old battery for charging at the workshop. Then we return to our campsite at the Ural River. On the way there, a Kazakh hits our rear passenger door in a roundabout. Apparently, cars entering the roundabout from outside have the right of way. Despite having the data from our insurance certificate, the man demands money. We don't have any at the moment. We wait. Over time, the cash demand decreases from 50000 tenge to 5000 tenge (about 10 €). I think we could have gotten out of the situation without paying, but we decide to give him the tenner, after all, there seems to be some partial blame. So I straighten out our door at the Ural River while Markus takes care of dinner. And so another eventful day in Kazakhstan comes to an end.