Our Sunday Misadventure at 8 Mile
Yesterday, we took a ride in my aunt's Toyota Fortuner which had come back from service at Ela Motors about week earlier. It was put in for clutch replacement but it came back with more problems than it started with. This led to our adventure at 8 Mile.
When we started off, everyone was hyped. It had been a while since we all boarded the Toyota 'Maserati' Fortuner and everyone was excited about a drive out of the city. I mean staring at cars passing by Ela Beach all day is boring. We were going to visit another aunt at Malolo Estate and then maybe, if time permitted, take a drive around.
On our way to Malolo, we veered into Kennedy Estate to see the second phase of the project. I was interesting for me as I am looking to invest in a house and it would give me some ideas to work with especially with my piece of land at the Iagamaga Estate in Bomana.
I am still thinking of a design to build on the property, but that is for another blog.
We drive around and the new houses look impressive with the option of either high or low posts available. I also like the floor to ceiling window designs especially for our type of climate. After about 10 minutes of driving around we decided to press forward to our target destination - aunt Julian's house.
We arrive and aunt Julian is hanging the laundry with the kids playing in the yard. Charlotte runs to open the gate but couldn't and then her big sister comes to help and her baby brother, who doesn't want to miss out on the action comes to help too.
So stay at aunt Julian's place for about an hour before we decided to head back when trouble begins. Our does not start and from the clicking sound of the alternator I assumed it was a battery problem. I did a headlight test which confirmed it.
The headlight test - put on the headlights and see how bright they are. A flat battery will not shine brightly and there will not be much difference between the normal and high beam.
Aunt Julian's husband is a mechanic so she calls him. He arrives an hour later and then gives the Fortuner a jump start. However, when he sees the dashboard lights flickering, he suspects that it could be an issue with the alternator.
So we all get on Fortuner and head back, but they (Julian and family) decided to drive behind us in their trusty 80 series Land Cruiser just in case we had troubles on the way - and we did find trouble on the way.
It was at the freeway when my aunt noticed the vehicle losing power and as we headed toward the Hohola tunnel, she decided that it would be best to find a safe location to part the vehicle. This was a good idea and by then the all the headlights were off and we were literally driving in the dark.
So we head down to Hohola round about to make our way to the government flats when the vehicles dies at the second round about. Anyway, the trusty Land Cruiser then tows the Fortuner the rest of the way.
Half of the passengers get on the Land Cruiser while me and aunt steer the Fortuner. Unfortunately, the vehicle uses power steering and it starts to lock up and the brakes also lock up. This resulted in the tow rope breaking when she used the handbrake.
So all the way we are driven by the initial momentum and then near the Mosque and lamb flaps market there is a group gathered watching two drunks argue and fight. People are walking around and it is scary because we are unable to signal them with the horns.
Needless to say, we managed to get the broken down vehicle into a safe parking spot and everyone got on the Land Cruiser back home.
It would have been a different story had aunt Julian and her family not followed us.
 |
| A sampel of a Toyota Fortuner. |
When we started off, everyone was hyped. It had been a while since we all boarded the Toyota 'Maserati' Fortuner and everyone was excited about a drive out of the city. I mean staring at cars passing by Ela Beach all day is boring. We were going to visit another aunt at Malolo Estate and then maybe, if time permitted, take a drive around.
On our way to Malolo, we veered into Kennedy Estate to see the second phase of the project. I was interesting for me as I am looking to invest in a house and it would give me some ideas to work with especially with my piece of land at the Iagamaga Estate in Bomana.
I am still thinking of a design to build on the property, but that is for another blog.
 |
| An artist's impression of the Iagamaga Estate, Bomana |
We drive around and the new houses look impressive with the option of either high or low posts available. I also like the floor to ceiling window designs especially for our type of climate. After about 10 minutes of driving around we decided to press forward to our target destination - aunt Julian's house.
We arrive and aunt Julian is hanging the laundry with the kids playing in the yard. Charlotte runs to open the gate but couldn't and then her big sister comes to help and her baby brother, who doesn't want to miss out on the action comes to help too.
So stay at aunt Julian's place for about an hour before we decided to head back when trouble begins. Our does not start and from the clicking sound of the alternator I assumed it was a battery problem. I did a headlight test which confirmed it.
The headlight test - put on the headlights and see how bright they are. A flat battery will not shine brightly and there will not be much difference between the normal and high beam.
Aunt Julian's husband is a mechanic so she calls him. He arrives an hour later and then gives the Fortuner a jump start. However, when he sees the dashboard lights flickering, he suspects that it could be an issue with the alternator.
So we all get on Fortuner and head back, but they (Julian and family) decided to drive behind us in their trusty 80 series Land Cruiser just in case we had troubles on the way - and we did find trouble on the way.
 |
| This is an example of a Toyota H80 Land Cruisers |
It was at the freeway when my aunt noticed the vehicle losing power and as we headed toward the Hohola tunnel, she decided that it would be best to find a safe location to part the vehicle. This was a good idea and by then the all the headlights were off and we were literally driving in the dark.
So we head down to Hohola round about to make our way to the government flats when the vehicles dies at the second round about. Anyway, the trusty Land Cruiser then tows the Fortuner the rest of the way.
Half of the passengers get on the Land Cruiser while me and aunt steer the Fortuner. Unfortunately, the vehicle uses power steering and it starts to lock up and the brakes also lock up. This resulted in the tow rope breaking when she used the handbrake.
So all the way we are driven by the initial momentum and then near the Mosque and lamb flaps market there is a group gathered watching two drunks argue and fight. People are walking around and it is scary because we are unable to signal them with the horns.
Needless to say, we managed to get the broken down vehicle into a safe parking spot and everyone got on the Land Cruiser back home.
It would have been a different story had aunt Julian and her family not followed us.
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