₦airaland Forum

It was the radiator after all. I had it replaced and all is now normal. No more disappearing water. Thanks guys.

I have taken the car to have the radiator checked. It was removed no leak was found. Obviously the "leak" we thought we had seen was a false clue. The radiator is ok. It was washed and reinstalled. I will observe it for a day or two before I take it to a mechanic. The problem might just be the water pump.

@ latepa, do you know what you are talking about?

Hey guys, thanks for your responses. I might have finally found the cause of the problem. It appears to be the radiator after all! I drove to the main spare parts street of Port Harcourt called Ikoku and had a spare parts dealer I know there take a look under the bonnet and in less than a minute he discovered a wet trail from the radiator! We might just have made a breakthrough. He assured me that the leak can be fixed, so I will be going back there tomorrow so this guy can link me up with a mechanic who can patch it up.I guess I did not look closely enough to spot the leakage before. Hope all goes well tomorrow and a patch up is all that is required. Thank you Nairalanders for your support. I'll keep you posted.  

Thanks all for your replies.

@ Siena, if the fault is found to be a cracked cylinder or blown gasket, how expensive would it be to repair? Hope I would not need to replace the engine.

Bad radiator?? But I suppose a bad radiator should be leaking coolant. There is no sign of a leak on the radiator. Remember, the coolant is actually green in colour and a leak would we easy to spot on the ground under the car.

I drive a 1999 Toyota Camry, V6. A great and truly reliable car. I however noticed about 3 weeks ago one morning that the plastic container that contains the radiator coolant was completely empty. This was rather odd because usually it only depletes at a very slow rate and I used to top it with water like once a month. When I found it empty I topped it with water and later in the evening on my way from work I stopped over at a filling station and bought coolant, drained the little water left in the plastic container and filled it with coolant. Two days later I discovered it was empty again! Very unusual, so I bought coolant and filled up again.

Two days later the coolant dried up and the radiator was short of fluid. I looked everywhere under the bonnet for sign of leakage but there was none. It would have been easy to locate a source of leakage because of the blue colour of the coolant. I took it to the mechanic and he opened the hoses connected to the radiator and bled the fluid and filled the radiator. He was not sure whether it was the thermostat or water pump that is the problem. He asked me to observe it for a while and see whether the problem would persist. The problem has persisted and I have to top up the radiator everyday, old-school style and it's embarrassing. I have a suspicion the water is leaking into the engine.

Please guys, if any of you has experienced this kind of wahala, kindly share your experience and how you overcame it. I intend to take the car back to the mechanic next weekend, but not before my great Nairalanders have given me a clue as to what is causing this loss of water.

PS. The temperature guage does not indicate abnormal temperature or overheating.

There is no democracy in Nigeria. If there were people would not be assuming already that the next president of Nigeria is going to be produced by PDP.

The other parties are so weak that nobody cares who they field to contest the presidency. If the other parties were perceived to be capable of defeating the behemoth called the PDP the

issue of Jonathan's candidacy would not be a big issue. Nigerian politics has always been one of personalities rather than issues.

Nice ride. 2002 model,

Changing your oil monthly is a big waste. Check out this link. http://www.moneybluebook.com/the-3000-mile-oil-change-myth-save-your-money/

Does any nairalander have a copy of this law to paste here for all to read? Is this law discriminatory or does it apply to all foreign business people?

Let's get all facts first, else we might all just be shouting ourselves hoarse for nothing.

@poster, if you have just 100k I think the last thing you should want to buy is a car. A car that costs that amount will certainly be a money pit.

You should remember that a car needs to be maintained and fueled. What if the car later develops a serious fault? In my humble opinion there are more productive things you can do with the money.Don't be in a hurry to buy a car please. Just be patient.

I am really happy for Forlan. He has been so consistent over the years and is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

I have lived PHC for ten years and I can say it's not a good idea to come here for the first time with the mindset that it's an expensive city. A lot of poor people live here and they are coping just fine. If you know how to live within your means are not concerned about competig with your friends, then you will be just fine. You can find a good 2-bedroom flat for 250k. Tra sportation fares are not exorbitant except during fuel shortages. I think transport is cheaper here than in Lagos because distances are so long in lagos and you need to take several hops to get to your destination which is one reason why I dread Lagos whenever I go there. However I think food and clothes are a bit cheaper in Lagos unless you wanna go high brow. All in all, as somebody who has travelled around a bit, I think Abuja takes tne cake for Nigeria's most expensive city followed by Lagos before PHC

Thanks guys for your responses. Quite a pleasant surprise that Siena made a contribution 3 months after my initial post and revived the thread. The noise persists and the clueless mechanic just waved off the noise as no problem. I am still left with the occasional squeak, too scared to let any mechanic fiddle with car and cause serious damage,

We are just sinking in a sea of corruption. Check out this link.


http://www.saharareporters.com/articles/external-contrib/4308-efcc-v-patience-jonathan-vice-presidents-wife-farida-waziri-a-efcc-please-provide-an-update.html

@milkan05, my point is that people should not expect permanent change to take place overnight, especially when we are talking about a problem that has lingered for many years.

Why are Nigerians so gullible?

The level of poverty in Nigeria is so embarrassing. Whenever one steps out and  decides to observe their surroundings critically, one cannot but see suffering and hardship all around. Is it the chaotic urban transportation system in a place like Lagos? So undignified with human beings crammed in rickety, old and unsafe buses like sardines in sweltering heat. Whenever I take a ride in these buses my heart bleeds for Nigeria.

I have noticed before now that Goodluck Jonathan truly has a poor command of the English language. Even his reading is poor. This is inexcusable for someone of his level of education. We should stop seeing English as a foreign language. It is now the universal language of business and diplomacy. Somebody mentioned that Mugabe did not fare better when he was interviewed on CNN. I beg  to disagree. Mugabe speaks impeccable English, and is one guy I enjoy listening to, not because I am a fan of this man. It is always a delight when one listens to a statesman with good oratorial skills. Some notable Nigerians who speak excellently are Wole Soyinka, Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Anyaoku, Maitama Sule. They express themselves eloquently  and always use the right words to make themselves perfectly understood. The acting president's sloppy English is an indication of his personality, meaning he does not aim for excellence. Let's not make excuses for mediocrity please. This man was a lecturer. What kind of products would you expect such a lecturer to turn out?

Peeps, the complaints posted on the website appear to be very genuine. We should take our time to read through them and learn one or two facts.

@sultaan, thanks a mil for the user manual. The manual says either Dexron II or Dexron III will do.

My camry is about a year old now and I feel I should replace the transmission oil (ATF) that came with it since I don't

know when it was put in the car. The ATF that is available at the filling stations I checked is the Dexron II type. From

the research I carried out I understand that Dexron III is the recommended type but my mechanic says Dexron II will

serve nicely. Guys please help out with your experience to guide me. Thanks.

@lagerwhenindoubt, if you think your gateman only earns 10,000 naira then think again.

@poster, ok go ahead and get married.What ever you see you take. Nigerians are so accustomed to "managing".

I can't believe that peeps here are telling the poster straight off to go ahead and get married. They are not considering the cost of living in Nigeria today.

There is accommodation, transportation, health care costs, feeding, relatives (whether you like it or not), clothing, social responsiblities like church activities. There are so many responsibilities you will be faced with once you are married. Your in-laws are there too. Plus when the babies start falling in.

@ poster, you better sit down and think this matter through thoroughly before you go ahead and marry. Being constantly in debt because you cannot make end meet is no joke.

I am always a step ahead of those attendants. I always make sure they have the meter reset to zeros b4 they dispense.

Of late I have noticed that the fan belt of my 99 Camry makes a squeaky noise after start-up after the car has been parked for a hours or overnight. This noise lasts for a few minutes while I drive before it stops.

I have inspected the fan belt and it it still appears quite strong. Peeps, what can I do to make this squeaking go away?

Thanks guys for your responses.

@3NRNEST, please enlighten me more about alibaba.com

I am interested in trading on Ebay. If you have experience in trading on Ebay, please share with us what is involved. I live in Nigeria.

I've had the same experience with my '99 Camry several times before. I did not let anybody take a look at it and the issue has not arisen again for a few months now. I suggest you don't rush to take it for repairs. Just observe it for a while,

My next car just might be a Maxima. What with all the recalls associated with the recent Camry models. Toyota's image has really suffered of late.