Paul Thompson is taking a well deserved week off, so I decided to re-run this early article of his, originally published in August 2009. This story is our first story about Paul’s (in)famous “new-old car”. It is a classic. Paul will be back again next week with a new post!
It did smell bad.
A year or so ago here in Luzon, my cell phone chirps, I answer, and my wife informs me our car is stuck at the back gate of Subic Freeport by the Bridge. Ten minutes of questions as to the reason, and “It smells bad!” seemed to sum it up. Gee, I just washed it too! Jun and Tony show up from the Goodyear shop up the road, and agree with my wife, “It did smell bad!” My suggestion was to get a new air freshener. To the rescue comes my friend Tom, my hero, my idol, or my idle hero, and offers his truck as a tow to Goodyear. Tom! “Did it smell bad?”
All this took place around 11 am; at 3 pm I’m informed by phone that the bad smell is my transmission. Goodyear has a diagnostic sniff machine that found the trouble Ricky tic.
Replace the transmission? Let’s discuss the options, (1) eight hundred thousand Peso’s to replace the car, (2) P36, 250.00 to replace the transmission? Option (2), I’ll vote for that. Now the car is an older model and with the exception of the just mentioned transmission, it looks and runs well. And it’s paid for! We only drive it 40 or 50 miles a month. Let’s call the repair guy!
The repair Guy is in Manila and will track down the replacement transaxle, I was informed that front wheel drives don’t have at transmission, yet I did explain that my car is four wheel drive and it could be a transmission? I was shouted down. My bad!
Talk about luck, they told me that I am going to receive a 90 day or ten thousand mile warranty, whichever comes first, I guess I’m blessed! As I was thinking of running a taxi service around Luzon for the next three months to rack up the ten thousand miles, or I should I just go with the 90 days?
Went to retrieve my freshly repaired auto from the shop and was informed that my transaxle/transmission trouble was caused by my not, (“Yes, I said not!”) using the overdrive feature on my car. I glanced up to the heavens and asked for forgiveness in advance. Would I be wise to point out that their road system is not quite ready, for its citizens to be cruising at 60 mph, for 30 or 40 miles at a stretch?
Maybe the police will understand that’s the reason I failed to stop, give way, and forced three cars off the road, was because my mechanic advised me to use my overdrive? I promise I’ll drive with my car alarm on, to warn those ahead! Well, I did choose to live here and am kinda’ glad I did.
Hi Paul and welcome aboard! This story beats the one on the other web site! I’m sure you have a locker full!
Hey Paul, You lucked out, as most of us do in the Philippines! Here in the province, we have a second hand Mitsubishi Pajero that looks and runs great thanks to our able team of mechanics that have a shop nearby. Gallo, the owner was a truck mecahnic in Australia for ten years, and between the three of them, they can fix anything, and even make house calls. We take good care of these guys!
Be thankful for your good fortune now, and don’t drive too fast…
hi paul –i am not a great mech but you might need to check the trans–if that is the trouble try driving a little faster for 60k or so–AMH-2—bubba–welcome –i enjoyed your story
Hello Paul,
Great story, you just never know whats going to happen next. Welcome aboard!! I know this is about the Philippines, but being a night club manager in Puerto Rico, especially around San Juan area, I bet you have some great stories to tell about that experience..lol.
Keep the great stories coming, and can’t wait to hear more about your life there in the Philippines.
Salamat kaayo, y adios amigo,
Danny 🙂
Oh, and welcome too Paul! I’ve enjoyed your funny input in the short time since you’ve joined us here, so I forgot that you were a new guest writer!
Hi Paul,
If it was Juramie, I can hear her calling me now. I would get one word to describe the bad smell. It is “Baho”. To bad the air freshner ideal wasn’t a long term solution.
Take care and keep up the great work.
Hi Paul
That’s pretty good. “Your equipment broke because you didn’t use it”
Here in Canada they wouldn’t go by smell. They would plug in the computor for $150.00 (6600 pesos) and tell you that your rebuilt transaxle will cost you $1800.00 (79,200.00 pesos). It should only take a week. Trust me, you are better off there.
I was in the Philippines two years ago at San Narisco. About an hour or so from where you are.Every day that I could, I would go down to the beach at 5:30 with a six pack of San Miquel and what the sunset. That’s worth putting up with some inconveniences.
Yes Master Chief, the gear locker is chock-a-block full. Bob though it would be a good idea to share with shore side folks.
James, Thanks, it’s not often a brownshoe says a nice thing to a blackshoe, again thanks shipmate!
Danny; I only went to San Juan to get into trouble, I lived in Playa Luquillo, so small there was no stop sign, well, there was but it was broken. I need an X-rate site to explain Pureto Rico adventures.
Jack, Baho or boo hoo, spending the bucks was no fun. But every day an adventure, here in paradise.
Allan; Hello to the Great White North! I have a wedding story from San Narisco that I think you’ll like, look for it in the future. What a great little town. I figured it was 5:30 PM when you said sunset. But nothing wrong with AM either.
Mr Martin, small favor, above in my BIO section could you correct the spelling of Mea Copa to Mia Culpa, My latin is rusty, I was hopping Spell check would fix it!(LOL)
Shipmate; I always felt that being lazy was a smart trait, as one would find the quickest and easiest way to get the job done correctly. So for my many friends around the globe, I would write one letter a month and send the same to all of them. In the tiny town my father lived in on Cape Cod, the weekly fish wrapper would publish my letter once a month. Lazy is good!
Okay, Bob just as long as you never tell anyone that I was an Altar boy prior to joining the NAVY.
Henceforth I’ll run all Latin spelling checks through,Paul K.
HI Paul and welcome aboard ! I know that smell ! i have a collection of bailing wire and duct tape for those situations 😉 36k was a bargain
Must have been related to Sister Mary Victor, SJ – she could hit a fly on the back wall with an eraser from the front of the room. They must teach that technique at the Order of Saint Joseph!
Hi Paul,
I enjoyed your story! My wife is out-and-about with our van right now. I’m hoping I don’t get a similar phone call today! Ha Ha Ha!
Looking forward to reading more of your stories here on LiP!
Welcome Paul,
Indeed P36K is agood deal for a transmission what works. Although I did notice a fellow commenter or two got the idea that was a rebuild. This is how spare parts for Japanese cars usually work here in the Philippines. Hmmm. This is going to be one of those over-kong answers, I better continue it elsewhere. Suffice to say this. It’s a paradise here for ‘good used parts’ as long as little things like eight-left issues work out correctly.
Nearly every day I count my blessings that I held out for a Philippine-built all new parts car, and above all, no damn automatic transmissions. As that French lady once said, “Let them shift gears”.
Hello Paul and Dave,
What cars are built there in the Philippines, I didn’t know there was a car built in Philippines. Unless it is Toyota or Nissan have cars manufactured there?
Salamat,
Danny 🙂
Danny, also Honda ,Toyota, Mitsubishi and Ford, are built here. There may be more, but I don’t know, so let’s ask other readers if they know?
Hi Paul,
Welcome,i look forward to your articles.
I’m ex Royal Navy.
Lack of oil is the main cause of transmission burn out,it happened to a friend of mine in the UK.Previously, he had always owned a stick shift,did not realise that Auto transmission oil level should be checked periodically.
regards Chas.
Hi Paul,
An old post but it might help you in the future,
the overdrive function lets auto transmissions to use 4th gear, if its left turned off, the car would only run up to the 3rd gear, so I think the mechanic was right.
Just leave O/D on, no problems with that.