Ah S*#T!! Lo de Marcos to Mazatlán

 

On March 30th we left La Parota RV Park in Lo de Marcos.  It was a late departure, we didn’t drive through the gate until 11 a.m. We had intended to leave earlier in the morning but the final packing up took us a bit longer than expected.  Our destination for the day was Mazatlán (MZ) and our plan was to simply drive straight for the border, stopping every mid afternoon to spend the night at a gas station rest stop.  It would be 3 nights and 3.5 days of driving to get to the border.  Although we’d talked about stopping in Mazatlán for a week or so, by the time the end of March came we felt ready to head out of Mexico.  When we got to the states we figured we’d spend a week or so in Arizona while we waited for the temperatures to warm up further north.

I guess the morning didn’t really get off to a good start, given we didn’t get on the road until just before noon.  But little did we realize how bad the day would get.  Within five minutes of leaving the RV park we  snagged a low hanging branch stretched out over the middle of the road.  Don’t you know….it happened to snag the TV antenna.  That is the same TV antenna we had to replace after ripping it off with a low hanging branch the night before we arrived in LDM for the season.  At our first stop for fuel I had a chance to assess the damage.  Thankfully the antenna did not break, the branch simply pulled it up screws and all, tilting it backwards.  With some Eternabond tape I was able to re-attach it to the roof.  Phew!  No need to purchase another replacement TV antenna.  Then we tried plugging our Garmin RV GPS in, it had failed on us on the way down in Phoenix.  We thought the issue was the magnetic mount that the GPS plugs into and so had ordered a new one while in LDM.  Apparently, that didn’t solve the issue.  All in all, neither leaving late nor the TV antenna incident was all that bad. As for the GPS, we had a backup on in the truck that we were able to use.  Minor inconveniences all in all.  It wasn’t until we merged onto the 15D toll road, off of highway 68 that things got really interesting.  

After considerable conversation about whether we’d taken the right route as our surroundings weren’t looking familiar, the RV Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) gauge went from reading full with four green bars to empty, a yellow warning light then a flashing red light followed by two check engine lights coming on!  OMG….this couldn’t be happening.!  No not here in Mexico!  Sadly these diesel rigs are notorious for DEF header failures which is exactly what these flashing warning lights were indicating.  Dan was dreading it happening since the day we bought the RV, but hoped if/when it did that it would at least be in Canada or the States, not Mexico where DEF systems aren’t necessarily as common not to mention the language barrier dealing with such a serious issue.

Typically what happens when the DEF header fails is all these lights come on then the engine “de-rates” limiting the speed the vehicle can drive to 5 mph, allowing just enough motion to keep going although at a snails pace, until you can get to a service centre.  And, everyone warns NOT to turn the engine off as it likely won’t start again or allow you to move if you do.  So, here we were half an hour south of Tepic and 3.5 hours from Mazatlán, basically in the middle of nowhere.  What could we do but continue to drive and wait and see what happened, wondering how long it would be before we de-rated.  Meanwhile I googled where the Freightliner service centre’s were hoping one was in Tepic, a fairly big city.  I also dug out the number for Good Sam, our roadside assistance provider just incase.  Thankfully, there was a Freightliner service centre in Tepic so on we went, tensed to the nine’s hoping we’d make it there without the engine dying. I can’t even imagine having the RV towed and all the hassle that would bring moving three cats and a dog into the truck while we followed along.  And let’s not even think about the damage and havoc it would inevitably cause to the inside of the RV being towed down Mexican roads!

Where we were when the DEF system began to fail

At 2 p.m. we pulled into the Freightliner service centre in Tepic.  To get into the lot we needed to unhook the truck from the RV so Dan could back in.  I’ve become quite good at unhooking the truck fairly quickly, so even though we had to do it while stopped on a busy street, we didn’t hold up traffic for too long.  At least four men came out into the entrance way when we backed in, curious to see our rig I’m sure.  Using google translate we explained our issue.  Dan also had the quick thinking to have me take a video of the dash while he was driving with all the warning lights on so we were able to show them that.  Of course their first question was “do you have DEF in the tank?” - duh, of course!  But fair enough question I suppose.  Then right there in the entrance of their centre they went to work to remove the access panel to the DEF header where they unhooked and blew on some connections before plugging them back together.  Sadly, this wasn’t enough to fix the issue.  Although the lights temporarily were off when we restarted the engine, the lights all came back on within a couple minutes.  They then tried to clear the codes, but told us they didn’t have the software to clear them.  And, as much as it sounds like we were just conversing as you would normally, I have to say the language barrier made this situation even more stressful.  Even with google translate things are lost in the translation causing frustration for both parties. After about an hour of trying to trouble shoot and even a test drive around the block with them, we were no further ahead.  Then, mysteriously all the men just disappeared.  They simply walked away back into the service yard leaving us sitting there scratching our heads.  I guess they were done and I guess they weren’t going to charge us for the time they had taken trying to help us?  Interesting.  As I got the truck and positioned it to re-connect to the RV one of the men came out and gave me the name and number to the Freightliner service centre in MZ.  That was basically our only option, try to get to MZ and hope that they could help us.  So we started up the RV and took our chances, knowing it could choose to de-rate us at any time.  We were 3.5 hours still from MZ and knew we wouldn’t get there before dark.   We’d have to stop for the night somewhere along the way and then hope again that in the morning the engine would start up.  

We ended up finding a Pemex, arriving just in time before darkness set in shortly after 7 p.m.  There was a Pemex on both sides of the highway.  The south facing one was open and actively lit up while the north facing one essentially closed.  Although it had a big lot, it was not well lit and had numerous pot holes.  But, it was our only option for the night so we took the chance and stayed there.  It was a very quiet night with no issues, thankfully.

The morning of March 31st we rolled the dice and attempted to start the engine after a night of rest.  Once again, our Beautiful Beast roared to life for us.  Within minutes though, her warning lights were all lit up again.  What were we to do though but forge on in hopes we’d make it to MZ on our own.  While Dan drove I googled the Freightliner service centre, Camiones Venice.  They are a chain service centre and by sheer luck they had means to communicate using WhatsApp, a calling and texting platform widely used in MX. The reason this was so “lucky” was because having the ability to text would allow me to use google translate to communicate.  There was no way I could “call” and try and convey our issue.  As much as I’ve been learning Spanish over the last number of years, it’s a totally different level of language mastery needed to communicate over the phone.  To me it feels like I’m in the path of rapid fire when I try and speak to someone in Spanish over the phone.  I basically freeze and don’t know how to move forward at all. And without any visual queues they just keep on rapid fire speaking as if that will help me understand better 😬 I couldn’t even order a simple pizza over the phone let alone explain a mechanical issue.   Sheesh! So, while Dan drove I texted back and forth using google translate talking to their call centre who were making arrangements for an appointment at their MZ location.  

A snip of my WhatsApp conversation with the service centre

After explaining the issue we were having, sharing the video clip of the dash while we drove with all the lights on and confirming the location in MZ had the “software” needed to diagnose the problem for certain, the friendly customer service agent advised me that they were booked up but could get us in on Monday April 3rd.  That sounded great, but we had to also think about what we’d do with the three cats and the dog while the RV was in for service.  Ideally, having a mobile mechanic come to us in an RV park would be best.  To do that though, we needed to be able to tell them where we’d be located.  Given the time of year, RV parks are typically emptied out so we were fortunate to get a space in Las Jaibas RV park where we’d spent one night on the way home last year.  Having secured a spot, I relayed the location and the appointment was set for a man named Irían to come to us on Monday morning.  We breathed a sigh of relief once we made it all the way to the park without the engine de-rating on us.  

A few fellow Canadian RV’ers, most stopping over briefly on their way home

Our spot under a Mango tree

We booked ourselves in for a week, hoping that would be enough time for the issue to be diagnosed and fixed but also knowing that Semana Santa was creeping up on us quickly.  A few other RV’ers were in the park, some who’d been there for most of the winter while others were there for a short stop over as they made their way home. And because we knew our mom’s would worry, we didn’t share what was going on.  Instead we just told them we’d decided to stay a week in MZ 😉 

Monday morning came and at 9:50 I went to the park entrance to wait for Irían’s arrival.  Ten o’clock came, then 10:30 and I told myself, don’t stress…it’s Mexico.  Time is only a suggestion for the most part.  At 10:45 I went into the office where I met Rafael, the park manager.  He is a super friendly man who speaks perfect English and he offered to help by calling the local Freightliner service centre.  Sadly, he just got the call centre when he called as the local shop did not have a direct line.  It was then that he said “well, it’s 9:50 now so I guess they have some more time”.  DUH!  I hadn’t realized the time on my phone was wrong.  I thought I set the time to update automatically but apparently I hadn’t.  Didn’t I feel silly!  Ok, let’s not worry then. I’d just go back and wait a bit longer.  Sadly the true 10 a.m. came, then 10:30, then 11:00 and no Irían.  I went back to my text conversation to ask for help and of course that ticket had closed.  A new thread was opened and someone different was now helping me, they recommended that I call their call centre and open a formal ticket to ensure I got service but also said that Irían should be there the following day, Tuesday April 4 at 10 a.m. You can likely see where this is going.  Tuesday comes and again another no show.  This time Raphael offers to help me by calling the call centre to open the “ticket” they recommended previously.  He goes through details of our issue, sends the video again, gives them our VIN and they then tell him….the warranty expired APRIL 3, 2023…the day PRIOR!!!!!!  Whaaaaatttt? Could this get worse? Plus, in order to have anyone show up we’d have to pay $2600 pesos (approx $250) upfront via a bank deposit.  They would not take credit nor cash.  AND, once the mobile mechanic came and diagnosed the problem, we’d have to pay him upfront for the work BEFORE they did anything. Wow!  Oh and I mentioned it was getting to be the busy period of Semana Santa…that meant that we could guarantee nothing would happen between at least Thursday April 6 and Sunday April 9th.  Needless to say, we were very hesitant to given them money up front not knowing if anyone would even show up let alone how long it would take to fix the issue. 

In hopes the Freightliner help centre could “help” we called them.  They’re located in the States. What a joke that turned out to be.  The number to dial is literally FTL-HELP.  After explaining our issue and hoping they might be able to help us in liaising with the local service centre they told us there was nothing they could do, they don’t have anyone that speaks Spanish and all the Freightliner service centres are individually owned.  They had no means to follow up or enquire as to the status of our service etc.  They did confirm that the main engine/chassis warranty had indeed expired but that if it was a DEF issue, that warranty was good until April 2025.  Concerned that the Mexican service centre would not file through warranty given what they told Raphael, we asked what our options would be.  The help desk told us the service centre would have to file through them for warranty purposes.  And what if they didn’t we asked? Well, if they didn’t and we ended up having to pay out of pocket we’d have to write an email to Freightliner USA along with the service order and details from them of the service provided.  They would then decide whether they’d reimburse us.  But, wouldn’t that all be in Spanish?  And they don’t have anyone who speaks/knows Spanish??  Ugh, freaking lovely! So much for the “help” centre helping us in any way shape or form.  I’m not sure what their purpose is.  Maybe it is just to send tow service to you when broken down.  Before depositing any money into the service centre’s account, we asked Raphael to help us by calling other diesel mechanics.  He got through to one who said they’d send a mobile mechanic but would get back to us on how much it would cost us.  After waiting a day, they finally got back to us and quoted $1850 ($140 Cdn) pesos for the mobile mechanic call out.  Reasonable considering what a mobile service call would cost in Cda or the US. But if it was a DEF warranty issue, we had to go through a Freightliner service centre or there would definitely be no coverage or reimbursement.

Next step was to pull out our Good Sam RV Roadside assistance plan and read the fine print.  Although we weren’t in need of a tow truck (at least not yet) our plan indicated they would attempt to assist in arranging for a mobile mechanic to come to the disablement location as an alternative to towing the RV. After all, if it could be fixed without a tow, that would save them a lot of money.  And, they had a number to call when in Mexico which should make the language issue a little less of a barrier assuming they would speak Spanish.  The fellow I got was very helpful, he confirmed that we weren’t stranded on the side of the road anywhere and that we were safe, I explained that we needed help in getting a mobile mechanic to our location to diagnose rather than risk trying to drive it and being de-rated necessitating a tow.  He said he’d make connections locally and would get back to us.  Great!  Within half hour I got a WhatsApp text from another Good Sam employee asking me for more information, our VIN, the problem, our location etc.  All sounded wonderful until they asked me “where do you want to be towed, what service station?”  For crying out loud, we didn’t want a tow!  We were asking for assistance in getting a mobile mechanic to our location.  The conversation I had with the first person obviously didn’t get relayed accurately to this person.  When I clarified we were needing help in getting a mobile mechanic they told me I had to call a different number as they were just responsible for arranging towing.  Ugh, by this time it was past 9 o’clock and we said screw it and decided to just sit down and watch a movie to try to unwind.  

The next morning we decided to try another route all together.  We were becoming very leery of waiting on any local mechanics to help us so Dan reached into the emergency toolkit he prepared and low and behold, he was able to “fix” the issue himself!!  I am totally serious, even though it sounds too good to be true.  Being a perpetual planner and having researched everything to know about these notorious DEF system failures as soon as we bought the RV he built and programmed a circuit board using instructions from an RV FaceBook group.  The sensor itself is what is failing, thinking there is no DEF fluid when in fact there is fluid in the tank.  Called a “DEF simulator” it tricks the sensor into thinking there is always 3/4 tank of DEF.  We weren’t sure if it would work, but on Wednesday morning April 5th Dan hooked it up, successfully cleared all the error codes from the engine computer with his BlueFire app and started the rig without ANY lights coming on!  It indeed WORKED!  He then confirmed through the RV FB group that it should work indefinitely so long as it’s kept plugged in and should get us to another service centre without any problem.  They key was ensuring we kept the DEF tank topped up as the gauge would always read 3/4 full while this was hooked up.  Not a problem!

The waterproof plastic box in the upper right corner of this picture contains the circuit board wired to the DEF header.  Bungees securely attached it to the frame of the RV.

This is what it looks like as built

Having temporarily fixed the issue and confident we could continue our journey out of Mexico, we spent the day exploring the Golden Zone of MZ.  What a big and busy city, even busier during the height of Semana Santa. We like the contrast of MZ to LDM, they are complete opposites to one another.  LDM is the small quiet authentic feel beach town while MZ is the busy huge city full of resorts, restaurants and all the shopping you’d ever need.  We were also pleasantly surprised at our stay in Las Jaibas.  Although not on the beach and surrounded by an unsightly concrete wall that separates it from the new condo development, there is a beautiful breeze that keeps air moving.  It also has a small pool which is a nice option to have when not on the ocean.  We also really liked the climate in MZ.  In LDM when we left it was starting to get pretty hot as spring approached.  In contrast, in MZ the temps were cooler and with the strong breeze we even put long sleeves and pants on at night.  The city also has beautifully maintained bike paths throughout.  A great opportunity to use eBikes to explore.   We like the contrast between the two locations and made the decision that we’ll definitely spend more time in MZ next winter (so new eBikes on order lol!)

Here are a few random shots of our brief exploration of MZ during our short stay

Mazatlán is well known for it’s stunning sunsets.  Such vibrant colours!

No way to get a clear shot of this given all the people during Semana Santa.  Maybe next year.

Yep, you’re seeing right….it’s a scorpion!  First one I’ve encountered in MX, although I know they are prevalent.  This guy curled up in the sun shade we had over the cat tent.  I was glad I found him before he found me!  Hard to tell size in this picture, I’d say he’s about the size of a tree frog.

View of the beach along the malecon.  No swimming signs everywhere due to a wicked rip tide.

Malecon

All kinds of construction underway.  Cranes as far as the eye could see!

Cool little taxi’s called Pulmonias.  
A bit too loud and windy for us though, we’ll stick with the regular taxi’s

Another interesting version of an open air taxi

Traffic circle right at the start of the malecon.  All kinds of interesting vehicles including many quad’s that were also for rent on the main street.  
We particularly loved the bike lanes that seem to be everywhere throughout the city (although not captured in this picture)

Although our week wasn’t up until Friday April 7th, we decided we’d hit the road on Thursday.  We didn’t need to exit Mexico until April 23, but knowing we had this issue only temporarily fixed we were eager to get back on the road.  Our goal was to at least make it to the States where we could try again to have the issue fixed at a Freightliner service centre in either Tucson or Phoenix.

Lo de Marcos to Mazatlán

Total # tolls = 8

Total cost of tolls = $113p ($9 Cdn) + $240p ($18 Cdn)+ $405p ($30 Cdn) + $350p ($26 Cdn) + $495p ($37 Cdn) + $1145p ($86 Cdn) + $595p ($45 Cdn) + $230p ($17) = $3753 pesos ($268 Cdn)

Total driven - 174 miles (278 km)

Accommodation cost - $3600 pesos ($271 Cdn) for seven nights at Las Jaibas RV Park, MZ

Fuel - Filled in Lo de Marcos: $2902 Pesos ($217 Cdn) - 117.5 litres @ $24.70 pesos/litre ($1.86 Cdn/litre)