Driving The Roads In Argentina......caution!! Perils...!

[Rich One]

Sunday morning my car stopped functioning 125 kmts from Capital....!! nothing can be done until Monday local mechanics and distributorships/dealerships are closed...!! So find a hotel room. Monday When you call your road assistance service, the delay for a Tow-truck is 3 hours...!! meantime wait NEXT to your vehicle, in the dark on the grass covered muddy shoulder of the road....!!

If the problem is mechanical i,e, brakes, suspension, clutch , etc could be fixed by a local mechanic AYOR, however the parts must come from a dealership 30 kmts away...!!

If the problem has to do with electronic injection on computerized modern cars, you must be towed away to a dealership,,,,!!! 30 kmts away....!!! Find out beforehand about the location of the authorized Dealerships for your vehicle make along the Road???

The dealership closes from 12:30 to 15:30 siesta time, so when you get there they may handle your problem the next day....! Find another hotel room to find out how long it will take to fix your car $$$. Then wait in a local hotel until is fixed....!! Use your plastic.

There are only 3 tow-trucks in Mercedes, One in Lujan, then one in Chivilcoy during day time!! The tow-trucks can transport 2 passengers only!! If your party is greater have to arrange for a Remis to pick up your family....!!! or they must stay in the middle of nowhere open countryside.

A word of caution, when you leave San Luis towards Mendoza Ruta 7, a big sign warning... Next Gas Station 200 Kmts.....!!! That Gas station is closed at night, or may be out of Gas,,,!!

Today Wedenesday noon made it back to B.A.

If travelling with children can't even think of the precautions to take

Well one never can be too cautious....

 

[fifs2]

Sunday morning my car stopped functioning 125 kmts from Capital....!! nothing can be done until Monday local mechanics and distributorships/dealerships are closed...!! So find a hotel room. Monday When you call your road assistance service, the delay for a Tow-truck is 3 hours...!! meantime wait NEXT to your vehicle, in the dark on the grass covered muddy shoulder of the road....!!

If the problem is mechanical i,e, brakes, suspension, clutch , etc could be fixed by a local mechanic AYOR, however the parts must come from a dealership 30 kmts away...!!

If the problem has to do with electronic injection on computerized modern cars, you must be towed away to a dealership,,,,!!! 30 kmts away....!!! Find out beforehand about the location of the authorized Dealerships for your vehicle make along the Road???

The dealership closes from 12:30 to 15:30 siesta time, so when you get there they may handle your problem the next day....! Find another hotel room to find out how long it will take to fix your car $$$. Then wait in a local hotel until is fixed....!! Use your plastic.

There are only 3 tow-trucks in Mercedes, One in Lujan, then one in Chivilcoy during day time!! The tow-trucks can transport 2 passengers only!! If your party is greater have to arrange for a Remis to pick up your family....!!! or they must stay in the middle of nowhere open countryside.

A word of caution, when you leave San Luis towards Mendoza Ruta 7, a big sign warning... Next Gas Station 200 Kmts.....!!! That Gas station is closed at night, or may be out of Gas,,,!!

Today Wedenesday noon made it back to B.A.

Well one never can be too cautious....

You rich capitalist car owners coming here to talk about hotels, credit cards, cellphones etc

 

[Gringoboy]

Good points made there.
Always take survival rations, spare parts, plenty of water and fill up at every petrol station you pass.
It's a long way to Mendoza.

 

[French jurist]

Having a car with too much electronics in it is asking for trouble. I always owned cars with an easy to fix engine... My favourite being the W124 Mercedes engine I had 15 years ago (it's said that after the W123/124 series, Mercedes decided to make engines a bit less solid to make more money).

I broke my accelerator cable three months ago on Panamericana (a saturday which also was feriado). The car assistance service I bought together with my insurance did not even bother to answer. Drove slowly back home 20 km away, stopped at a mechanics place and they asked me 400 pesos to change the cable, no thanks. Finally was changed by a local mechanic for 35 pesos + 30 pesos for the cable itself.

Road from Cordoba to Bs As is even worst, it's like 400 km or more without a single gas station

 

[lamarque]

[sup]One time we crash an animal in the road comming to the capital, we were 4 person in the car at 3 on the night, so we call the truck and wait for it, for our good luck didn't take long, when he arrive there were only 2 places in the truck so we ask him to go in the car and he let us do it, was a nice trip smoking cigars and talking lol. Next time ask to go in the car they normally don't have problem[/sup]

 

[Rich One]

[sup]One time we crash an animal in the road comming to the capital, we were 4 person in the car at 3 on the night, so we call the truck and wait for it, for our good luck didn't take long, when he arrive there were only 2 places in the truck so we ask him to go in the car and he let us do it, was a nice trip smoking cigars and talking lol. Next time ask to go in the car they normally don't have problem[/sup]

Good option, however I was alone. So no problem

 

[NYKate]

Sorry you had to go through this! That stinks!!
Don't know if this helps or not but are you a member of the ACA? I am not sure how much they could have helped you but maybe in the future?
http://www.aca.org.ar/institucional/prensa/frame.htm

 

[lamarque]

Sorry you had to go through this! That stinks!!
Don't know if this helps or not but are you a member of the ACA? I am not sure how much they could have helped you but maybe in the future?
http://www.aca.org.a...rensa/frame.htm

Aca is quite a good choice always.

 

[Ashley]

I was going to ask about ACA. They picked my MIL's car up several times, often in the middle of the night, and either towed it back home or to their repair centre in Palermo. I'm not sure whether its the same in the provincia but it might be worth checking out...

 

[Hybrid Ambassador]

So what kind of Automobiles are you Guys and Girls own and drive around in Argentina.? I have never have a stoppage 'cause I drive the world's most reliable Automobiles ever manufactured on this earth, Ahem! The Toyotas/Lexus brands..! I say this 'cause I was an Ex-Employee of these famed marques. The manufacturers of the QDR's...Quality, Dependability, and Reliability..along the highest re-sale value in whole United States Of America. I don't ever need not even do a Tune-ups 'cause these vehicles does not warrant one iota of money costing up keeps.! Just do your Olio changes and keep on driving..Iam talkin' about the Toyota/Lexus Hybrid vehicles no less. I guess you Gent and Lady have no clue as to what is a Hybrid Vehicle, do you.? If need defining more, Iam willing to doctrine you all for free.!

The _Hybrid motive of power_ vs the low tech but high maintanance _ICE_ powered vehicles, probably all you Guys own or rent to drive one around...
Should I continue..? Are you Guys ready for an education.? Sometime, laying off that Vino Suave of Argentina is good for your menatally and phisical health..Are you Guys ready...He,he,he,he,....