billybunters - from a bmw z4 to a mx5 se

taminga16 · Postby **taminga16** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:00 pm

I stayed in a room like yours once, it was free and the maid hosed it out every morning while I was at the gym. :wink:

Greg.

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:39 pm

yep that room was certainly overpriced and a rip off! :lol:

I degreased the underside of the mx5 today and I now think its an oil leak of some sort coming from mid centre underneath the car, this only happened 5 minutes after I exited the caravan park over this friggin thing
it may or may not have caused the damage but it certainly smacked the under sided of the car good and proper. i will have a local mechanic check it out tomorrow. meanwhile I have refused to drive over it any more :lol:

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:03 am

Pitty about the smack underneath and now the oil leak. What are those spiky things in the grate even meant to do lol? Looks like tyre spikes.

Hopefully its nothing too bad.

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 12:43 pm

just back from the mechanic workshop in alice springs. it appears that the filler plug on the gearbox had not been tightened up properly by the mechanic in orange after the gearbox oil change - if at all. i'd say during the rough dirt road runs the filler plug had come undone and eventually fell on the under tray on the sealed section.

anyway after draining what little oil was left in the gearbox all 153 mils of it another 2 litres of oil was added and car tested dríven and box appears ok according to them and 2 hours and $247 later I am out of the mechanical workshop. i'd class his price as highly over the hill. 2 hours to change the gearbox oil....I must have got stevie wonder!

i must admit the above price also included the cost for the mechanic to take the mx5 for a test run to the open limit speed section outside alice springs and see if there were any noises in 4th 5th and 6 th gears.- according to the owner of the business.

the owner only mentioned this after we were patently waiting in the service centre after we saw the car leave the garage and 15 minutes later still no car.

I thought I could do that job myself :roll:

any way I will know how the box is after I drive it around over the next few days or so.

Caffeine · Postby **Caffeine** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 12:50 pm

Yikes!

Middle of nowhere is not where you wan to be with a seized gearbox! So good news that it is fixed

Did much dirt etc get in the fill hole do you think?

KevGoat · Postby **KevGoat** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 1:07 pm

Caffeine wrote:Did much dirt etc get in the fill hole do you think?

That was my first thought! Only time will tell I suppose

Hopefully all ok now ...

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 1:09 pm

mechanic said the little remaining oil still looked clean and not smelt cooked. hard to believe but when I first noticed the oil smell I was heading towards the open limit and pulled over at a shop. wife said I was too far away and reverse back. as soon as I reversed back I smelt the oil and knew something was wrong :roll:

that might have saved the box!

I will give it a run over the next couple of days and find out. I once said I might be flying home from alice :lol:

I was only joking then

Roadrunner · Postby **Roadrunner** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 2:27 pm

speed freak wrote:Pitty about the smack underneath and now the oil leak. What are those spiky things in the grate even meant to do lol? Looks like tyre spikes.

Hopefully its nothing too bad.

Those are tyre spikes, usually used on the exit of caravan parks to stop people avoiding the boom gate on the entry side and sneak a nights stay via the exit lane after the check in office is closed.
Not sure about their legality, but not something you'd want to test ;)

Very lucky with the gearbox Billybunter!
I guess some outback mechanics have the "where else are you going to get this done" mentality when it comes to quoting...
Especially for tourists

Nevyn72 · Postby **Nevyn72** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 2:44 pm

billybunter wrote:.......and 2 hours and $247 later I am out of the mechanical workshop. i'd class his price as highly over the hill..

To be fair, if this price included the diagnosis, draining, refilling, removal & replacement of all the underbody bracing found on the SE, test driving and 2 litres of replacement gearbox oil (gearbox fill plug as well?), well..... I actually think it's not unreasonable for a remote location mechanic.

Hopefully the right oil was used and I'd be replacing when getting home just to be sure (grade/brand/contaminants). :wink:

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 3:40 pm

So what do the locals and other nomads think of your choice of vehicle for this adventure?

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 7:12 pm

have not seen a single mx5 or any other sports car since I left orange over 2 weeks ago. several have said -your the one who passed me in the little white car......no doubt on part boost :lol:

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 5:24 pm

simpson's gap nt

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 7:27 pm

Standley chasm

Roadrunner · Postby **Roadrunner** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 8:36 pm

Amazing places!
I absolutely loved Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
Your photos are bring back excellent memories and fuelling my desire to head out again to places I haven't yet seen! (Simpsons Gap is on my to-do list)