ClareQuilty

Thanks for helpful comments guys. The car is now in the shop for transmission fluid flush, etc, plus checking the electronic part that orders it to shift. I did mention to this shop my theory that the previous shop may have messed it up somehow, such as a fuse, electrical connection, or sensor.

I have some insurance documents which must be notarized. Are local notaries recognized by American institutions? Where can I find s notary?

As some may have read, my '93 Honda Civic was recently in the shop for new CV joints and a thermostat (it previously had no thermostat).

Since that repair, those items are functioning properly, but a new problem has cropped up - the auto transmission will occasionally be 'stuck' in low gear. After stopping and shifting into neutral or park this problem usually goes away, only to return later on, usually the next time the car is used rather than on the same journey.

This problem never manifested before the above mentioned repairs, so the timing is very suspicious.. could the mechanic have knocked out some sensor or wire or other electronic gadget that controls shifting?

I can only speak for the 3 new cars that I've owned, the only maintenance issues were an oil change and filter once a year, hardly a tribulation.

No, of course new cars are trouble-free, the point was the cost. They cost a lot. a few thousand baht worth of repairs per annum is small potatoes compared to the cost of buying a 800,000 baht machine.

Lancashirelad, yes, the choke worked many months ago, but hasn't worked for a long time, dating from a previous head gasket repair by a previous mechanic. I asked this new mechanic to try to correct the choke problem this time, but he did not accomplish that task.

Another weekender CQ ... you do have some bad luck with your cars ... my heart almost bleeds for you

Not sure what you're talking about, Jas, the repair was only 4,000 baht. Wouldn't pay for ten days worth of new car ownership... Overall these old cars are huge money savers.

Dropped off my old Honda Civic the other day for installation of thermostat (it had been running without one for a few months), plus new CV joints (it was clicking on sharp turns). I also asked the mechanic to try to fix the automatic choke.

Got it back today - he managed the first two assignments but apparently not the choke, total price 4,150 baht, the bulk of which was the two CV joints. The engine's now running much warmer, right at the level it used to before the thermostat was removed, however, there doesn't seem to be any fast idle at warmup. I'm thinking that maybe the automatic choke won't be absolutely necessary with a warmer thermostat in the car.

Is there anything to watch out for after the thermostat replacement? In replacing a thermostat, is it necessary to drain and re-fill the cooling system?

Extended type cab were called 'Supercab' there are a few Estate types here I have seen as well as single cabs..

They had a long run from the 1960's up to about 1988, few minor changes before they had the 1.4 lt engine.

Yeah, apparently they were made till the late 1990s, amazingly enough. The engine they used was the same as the old Mazda GLC car (or early rear-wheel-drive 323) - a real sturdy old fashioned mill, with a timing chain rather than the risky belts they use nowadays.

Thanks guys, I'm definitely not a short-leg style driver- usually put the seat all the way back & max recline even in a Cadillac.. However thus particular truck is a "king cab" one with room behind the seats. I'll test drive it soon & report back.

My motorbike mechanic has a friend who is selling a cute little "truck" or El Camino style vehicle- Mazda Familia. I researched it a little, seemed to be based on the old Mazda GLC or early 323. Weird thind is this ones about a '93. Anyway seems a stout little machine, for 30,000, and I'd like something for carrying. Anyone familiar with this unusual and perhaps Thailand-unique model?

So Clare you didn't take my advice on the window film eh?

Was your advice no film at all? I felt I couldn't refuse a free offer, and its true my air-con is a little underpowered. It was a struggle insisting on the 30/60 with the Thais pushing for 90..

I was offered free tinting on a recent used car purchase & all my Thai friends suggested 90%! Ended up with something like 60% on the back & 30% on the front side windows. It's still way, way too dark - thank goodness for the parking lot attendants or I'd never be able to back up after dark. I'm with those who prefer little or no tint, but then I drive mostly at night.

CQ,

In Thailand i doubt the thing has ever worked as it is not cold enough?

Oh, its nearly always cold enough for the auto choke to work. It worked the first couple of months I owned the car, and whenever I started the car late night or early morning, it started right up and had a high idle for a short while, till the engine warmed up. The same guy who removed the thermostat told me I 'didn't need the choke' when it went bad a week or so after he did a head gasket repair on the car.

Pretty soon its going to get down to around 15 degrees at night here in Isaan, so a choke and a thermostat will be a huge plus I think.

Only acceptable car modification I can think of:

เครื่องปิดอากาศอัตโนมัติ which literally means automatic device to close air intake

Thank you so much raffo77!

I'm having a thermostat installed in my old Honda Civic, and asking the mechanic to check to see if the currently non-functional automatic choke can be cheaply fixed or replaced. I'm not using my usual English speaking mechanic.

Thanks. But the problem is those translation programs don't really work for something like this. For example "thermostat" is "wow nam" in Thai, but Google translate gives a long confusing answer.

Can anyone share how one says "automatic choke" in Thai, & How to write it in Thai as well?

Do you remember where this white plastic box may have been located?

Under the rear seat, behind the driver.

Hmm, really? So what is it?

Thanks Lampang! Well, I haven't smelled that gas smell in a good long while now. Since my last posts here I had the head gasket redone + head shaved by a different shop (4,500 baht), and a new electric fan motor (2,000 baht), and the car's running noticeably better.

Do you remember where this white plastic box may have been located?

Also, any other advice to a person new to the difficult adventure of French car ownership?

^ They were jammin with your stereo maxed out while repairing your car.. Blew out the speaker no doubt.

Haha.. no. I'm sure its a short or other electrical problem. In fact it reminded me of the famous Peugeot nightmare about "remove the battery and the computer is scrambled".. hope its nothing like that..

Guys I only had the big V8 style American cars from yesteryear: wouldn't fit well outside the US/Canada/Australia/Middle East & maybe Latin America or Africa.. But they were incredibly reliable & durable.

About the Peugeot, got it back today & its running great. Runs very cool, seems to run better overall, esp at very low engine rpms. Funny thing, after such good work, the left side stereo speaker isn't working all of a sudden! Always something.. Wonder how that happened.

So, I have a new question for all - is it possible to do a head gasket replacement and head shimming/shaving in one day?

That's all it took for them to do my Nissan engine. 2 liter, aluminum block. He just pulled it and had it taken over to a machine shop that has the milling machine.

Thanks Tywais. Its definitely an amazing turnaround, but I guess its possible. When I dropped the car off he seemed to imply that they were next door to the machine shop, and the staff were all super energetic young guys.

The engine did look cleaner, as if they'd been at work on it, though it wasn't a very dirty engine in the first place (not a good sign, I know - the most reliable cars always have the dirtiest engines).

No, Warp, the car looks quite good - there are several pictures of the Peugeot in another thread: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849455-considering-peugeot-405-however-weak-air-con/?p=9785007

So, I have a new question for all - is it possible to do a head gasket replacement and head shimming/shaving in one day? That's what my new mechanic claims he's done. I went by today and he said its all finished except he's going to replace one of the electric fan motors tomorrow, should be done by 4 pm. He said the head was 4,500, and the electric motor should be 2,000.

Should I believe him that he actually did the head that fast? It took my old mechanic two weeks for the same work on my Honda!

The Honda, yes. Now running strong & reliably for a few months after head gasket repair - a very encouraging tale.

About your Peugeot with the cracked block, phil, is it the 2.0 liter? Mines the 2 liter and thus has the cast iron block, other XU series engines are aluminium block. Which ones more likely to crack?

Underlying causes have all been listed already in your previous thread with the Honda, a motor is motor beyond a bit of personal engineering differences by different manufacturers.

Sorry, I don't recall those underlying causes, will have a look... do you mean the fan, thermostat, or the water pump being broken in the past? That's what I find in the old thread. But obviously those initial causes have been fixed long since.. the fans spin, I've seen them myself, and I doubt the water pump could have been non-functional for the 3 weeks I drove the car before this problem arose. The point I'm making is, what difference does it make what caused the car to overheat many moons ago, if the residual problem is a - as is often the case - a warped head, or as is more rarely the case, a cracked block? Or are you saying that the problem may be that the system needs to be 'bled' - that there is air in it? Again I don't see how it ran for weeks like that... We could see by looking that there are zero water leaks from the hoses, radiator, etc. That leaves the thermostat - maybe this is just a bad thermostat?

I have to admit I thought it a bit strange that the mechanics were so quick to diagnose the head gasket, without checking the thermostat. Perhaps its just that in their experience the head's the cause 90% of the time, so they just jump to that conclusion.

Ah, thanks phil. I guess that explains why you see so many 405s with Toyota engines installed. Strange that this model, with the unreliable engine, is considered very durable and reliable in Africa and France.