b'Dec 2022 Trackwatch.qxp_Trackwatch Layout 17/12/202210:21 pmPage 21The rest of our group carried on and We were able to enjoy Undarra Lava morning to come and get us to takewe hoped that eventually when we tubes and Cobbold Gorge. We then us home. How lucky are we to be parthad the car sorted we would meet up started heading south towards of such an amazing Club, we cantwith them. We limped back to Mt Winton. Just before Winton we could thank Jen, Marion and Brett enough. Carbine and called RACQ to organise hear a noise so pulled over, popped We did have NRMA Premium road-a tow truck back to Cairns. We hadnt the bonnet, and coolant was spraying side assist, but used up the majoritycleared the codes so they could see everywhere; it was overheating!We of our allowances in the three weeksthem this time. Back into the did notice the radiator cap was a little we were stuck in Cairns. Before themechanic went the car. Over the next broken. This was a completely trip we had taken the car in for athree weeks it went in and out of the different issue to before. Once it had service and it was looked over tomechanic four times. They would find cooled down we carefully drove the make sure it was right for the trip. Itsomething they thought could be the car the 15km into Winton to the servo just goes to show that no matter howissue, we would pick it up, pack up in the hopes of finding a radiator cap. prepared you are, these things canthe camper trailer, take it for a spin, Unfortunately one servo in Winton was go wrong. Although not much wentand it would be thrown into limp mode closed, and the other didnt sell right with our trip, we did still get toagain. It was only happening while radiator caps and we didnt have any experience camping in the Daintreetowing and going uphill.service to call RACQ.and doing the Bloomfield track, andDaniel especially was so disappointed We had booked to go to The Age Of pretty much everything around Portas his 40th birthday rolled around and Dinosaurs in Winton, so pressed on to Douglas, Mossman, Palm Cove Cairnswe knew we werent going to make it do that, which would give the car a and Mission Beach. We still dontto the tip. However our friends still chance to cool down properly. When know exactly what our issue is withwent to the tip that day as we had we had finished the next town was the car, its booked in for next month.planned. A random stranger near the Longreach and that was another We will look at doing the Cape againtip sign was having lamingtons with 177km away! We took it slow, keeping though, as soon as we can. her kids and overheard our friends a very close eye on the temperature Corinne Wayenbergsaying they had a candle but forgot a gauge. We literally rolled into thecake. This lady then offered one of servo at Longreach and it startedher lamingtons for them to use as overheating again. We spoke to thecake! Our group sang happy birthday mechanic there and he seemed toat the tip and got photos to send to think it could actually be the motor, asus.this is a common issue with theThe fourth time we took the car to a Mitsubishi MN Tritons. He advised usdifferent auto electrician as we that if we were able to get it home tocouldnt get in to the one we had Albury, we should do it as it would beoriginally used. They were not able to at least a month before they could fixdiagnose it butsuggested it could it. be the solenoid for the turbo booster. From early on when we had our carIt may just need a clean out as the pin issues, two families from our 4x4 Clubcould be getting stuck, or it could had expressed to us that if we need-need a whole new one which would ed them to come and get us to letneed to be ordered in. We cleaned it them know and they would be there. Itout ourselves and decided if it didnt was time for us to call them. We hadwork we would leave anyway and limp put it off, not wanting to put them out,home if we had to (2600km).and looked into other options but theyAt this stage we were too late to were not going to work without beingmake it to the Cape at all, and we stuck in Longreach for a longerwere due to head west to Undarra period. We made the call and theyand Cobbold Gorge the next day. We started arranging a car trailer for oneset off and I could feel anxiety with of the cars to tow the car home andevery hill we went up, but thankfully it the other car would tow our camperappeared our issues had been fixed! trailer home. They left the nextTRACKWATCHDECEMBER 2022 19'