We did everything we could to make sure we were getting a good vehicle. We brought it to a "certified" mechanic that we had used numerous times. He looked it over and said that it was in "good" shape. Since then we have replaced the water pump, fuel pump and filter and clutch. Now we are faced with an engine overhaul. I am not a "nuts and bolts" guy but apparently the diesel engine is blowing oil through into the air filter. A compression test done at the one and only garage that has such equipment, shows that we are at a "25" and the minimum range is a "27" so we are below the scale. So worst case scenario, replace the whole engine with a rebuilt engine. But this is risky because apparently you really don't know what you are getting with rebuilt engines OR....just start tearing apart the engine and replace whatever you find is wrong. Either way we are talking about a $4,000-$5,000 bill. We paid almost $12,000 for the 1994 Land Cruiser which is really a good price..so I have been hearing. I guess it isn't unusual to have this happen. The conditions of the roads and poor maintenance often lead to major repairs. The price of parts is what is so unbelievable. Rwanda is not an inexpensive place to live. Labor is VERY cheap but the cost of goods can take your breath away.
We will probably use Kabgayi Garage in Gitarama. Juvenile is the head mechanic there. He is young and seems to know what he is doing. The vehicle will get fixed in less than a week whereas the dealership garage in Kigali would need it for 2.5 weeks. We will have Juvenile take apart the engine and see what needs replacement...it could be that an engine replacement is the best option over piece-mealing it. Either way we will wait until our guests leave on Feb. 24th.
It has been a great utility truck. Hauling people, construction material and even goats. It is a long term investment that will need a few dollars to get it up to snuff.
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