Member Since: 07 Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 42
LR Main Dealer experience & intrigue......
Had an interesting time at my local LR main dealer this morning.
I received the recall letter from LR GB for my 2005 DIII to have the brake vacumn pipe/servo replacement as part of their general recall (work code P019 I believe?) so off I went to the local LR dealer to get the work done.
1h30m goes by, car comes out all nice & fixed, I get in it & find the air suspension warning lamp illuminated on the dash. I go straight back into the service reception & tell them that this wasn't like it when I came in, they take it back into the workshop & 30 mins later they inform me that the "delivery & exhaust valve" on the air suspension mechanism is faulty & losing pressure & would I like them to fix it as they have, as luck would have it, run a diagnostics on it, got the root cause of the issue & have the parts & the ramp time. I said 'no' as I have a private warranty on the vehicle that will need to be used for the work & they advise me that it's safe to drive as it is but the work will need doing.
So my question to the LR experts out there is, in doing the manufacturer recall work for the brake vacumn hose/servo issue is there any way they could have damaged or screwed something up that would result in this issue as it seems to me to be more than a little unfortunate & coincidental that I go in with one problem & come out with something completely new in problem terms that has never been seen before on my car?
Interested to see what people think but then maybe it's just the sceptic in me having worked for a prestige car dealership some years ago and knowing what goes on...........
26th Jan 2011 3:26 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
Have a look round the other forum topics related to the vac pump recall (its P017 actually I think). There are a few with older D3s who have not visited a main dealer in years, got their vehicles running as sweet as a nut only to find after a few hours in a main dealer for the first time in years that it comes back with a fault (or list of faults) that were not there when it went in............
Could be coincidence, could just be being sceptical as you say. For my part it looks like the FBH was playing up when it came back - seems to have sorted itself out now, so again could have just been coincidence.
Its a shame that when you maintain an older vehicle to a high standard and understand all of its quirks and potential faults that the prospect of taking it into a main dealer for the first time in years actually makes owners worried.
My other concern is that some dealers are returning vehicles having done this recall work stating that they fitted a new servo. On getting home the owner takes a look only to find that it is blatantly obvious that the servo has not been changed aka mine and two other forum members recently that I can think of.
My other concern is that some dealers are returning vehicles having done this recall work stating that they fitted a new servo. On getting home the owner takes a look only to find that it is blatantly obvious that the servo has not been changed aka mine and two other forum members recently that I can think of.
I assume Land Rover get landed with the bill for a new servo being fitted??? Run silent, run deep!! HM Submarines Conqueror, Churchill, Renown, Ocelot, Porpoise, Onslaught.
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26th Jan 2011 4:52 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
Old Sailor wrote:
I assume Land Rover get landed with the bill for a new servo being fitted???
One presumes so. I am about to ring the dealer who did mine and ask for a complete list of what was changed and see what happens.
I'd ask if they did any software/firmware updates to the car- I recall that the enhancement programme (the one that also removed the pre-heat timer function) carried out in 2006 had the effect of knackering my compressor & thus requiring a warranty replacement.Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
Member Since: 20 Dec 2009
Location: oldbury West Midlands
Posts: 1207
D3 FELLA Got my recall p017 done this morn at stratstone stourbridge took all of half an hour while i waited didnt need a servo, just added the strange looking bit of pipe that is supposed to sort the problem ,with referance to your just coincidence , i got some 19" wheels put on mine last year at local tyre shack when it came of the ramps had light on dash and suspension wouldnt raise or lower no damage to compresser but ended up having to get a new one at stealers who said again it was just leaking and probably on the way out anyway funny how somthing extra allways comes along when anyone touches it ,its the D3 demons
26th Jan 2011 6:55 pm
D3fella
Member Since: 07 Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 42
LR GB have picked up the slate for the brake hose vacumn/servo work, a nice £207 in parts & £188 in labour, my private vehicle warranty will now be given the details of the air suspension work requirement that will be done at an excellent private LR expert near me who is half the price & highly regarded.
Some interesting comments from people about software updates & potential other things triggering further issues, as was said in the first reply to my post, it's ironic that a 5 year old car gets taken out of main dealer circulation at the first opportunity based upon cost & quality of service & has no issues for 30k miles & then the minute a dealer gets their mits on it something completely new goes wrong with it.
I'm not casting aspersions but it looks decidedly dubious from here & the reaction of the guys in the dealership was flaky to say the least. I did chuckle when the technician went through his fault diagnostics for the 'new' fault & showed me his print out as when I said I wouldnt be having the work done by them as I have a private warranty but thanks for the read out & I went to walk off with the paper print out it all got a bit tetchy as they had done 30 mins of 'free work' for no return payment/business in their view & I was walking out with their diagnostics, whatever happened to customer value add?
26th Jan 2011 6:58 pm
buda
Member Since: 24 Jan 2010
Location: strathclyde
Posts: 334
I start to sweat when I have to leave my vehicle out of sight with landrover tech or any other for that matter, for the precise reasons stated here.
Your car could end up with "the apprentice",or the mechanic who knows naff all about electrics or electronics and would never take resposibility for bumping ,knocking, bending sensors,stretching cables, spilling water,oil or whatever on connectors, or who doesnt care even if they do know the damage or trouble it can cause, as it can bring in more revenue for the workshop and can say it was on the way out anyway.
Of course there are great guys(and girls to be "pc") out there, but I bet most of the forum members here dont know one, or have access to some of the recommended sponsors on here.
I dont even take my eye off the guy who replaces a tyre for me,
Ive been in engineering maintenance for 25 years , and can count in one hand who I could trust to do a really good job (although not in vehicle maintenance but same kind of technology).
26th Jan 2011 8:09 pm
Darryl
Member Since: 20 Dec 2009
Location: oldbury West Midlands
Posts: 1207
Who may i ask is your warranty with?? I have one of the (so they say) better AA ones but when i came to claim they dont want to know with air suspension, if its not on the list of componants they wont touch it dont want to worry you have you tried em yet with the issue??
26th Jan 2011 8:14 pm
Mike767
Member Since: 15 Oct 2008
Location: Congleton, Cheshire.
Posts: 138
D3Fella.
It might be worth running the car to see if the fault clears. If the battery is on the way out (4-5 years seems about right) and your dealer left the power on in the workshop (heater fans running, radio etc), low charge states can cause nuisance suspension/transmission faults.
My 4 1/2 year old battery needs changing and I get messages/lights on cold mornings.
26th Jan 2011 9:16 pm
D3fella
Member Since: 07 Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 42
@ Darryl - The warranty is with a firm called WMA. Not heard of them before but they were supposedly very good but my opinion has changed somewhat.
Was telling the tale to a friend of mine in the motor industry today & he said the best you can get is the AA or RAC. Both have "electrical & mechanical failure" as their remit for what elements they cover but he said that in recent times all warranty firms have dropped their labour rate allowances by 25% as ultimately all they are is an insurance company taking a risk as to whether your car is likely to cost them money.
He said fortunately 95% of the cars he shifts (top end BM's, Merc's, luxury end of the market basically) he never has any issues with but those where customers have had to use the warranty he provides have ended up having to foot approx. 20% of the overall repair bill & that typically is the deficit between the garage labour rate & what the warranty companies will honour.
Sounds like the moral of the story is if you are unlucky enough to have to invoke a private vehicle warranty be prepared to pick up some of the labour costs!!
Mine goes in for a new power steering pump tomorrow at my friends garage (on warranty!), 400 quid bill, the deficit to me is 89 quid which I can live with. Will be asking him to take a look at the new fault to in order to get his views & will update via here.
27th Jan 2011 6:08 pm
Darryl
Member Since: 20 Dec 2009
Location: oldbury West Midlands
Posts: 1207
I also had electrical problem when central locking wouldnt work (rotten Wires) Another claim AA didnt want to know about wiring not covered according to them
27th Jan 2011 9:45 pm
D3fella
Member Since: 07 Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 42
OK so an update -Car went in & had the steering pump replaced on warranty, cost of work £489, I pay the £89 as the warranty firm won't meet all the labour cost but I can live with that.
WRT the air suspension light that has mysteriously started since it was literally driven out of the LR dealer having been back for the recall work, my friend whose garage I use said that whilst it cannot be proven that the air suspension compressor fault was LR's making it is ironic that the location of the compressor under the car is right next to one of the jacking points & that its a common issue when the AA/RAC/Tyre fillters etc lift the car up they mistake the compressor protective casing for part of the jacking point which results in him seeing a few of these faults a year caused by pressure from the vehicle lifts used. So, whilst I cannot prove it, if I was a betting man I think the compressor has been damaged on the vehicle lift in the workshop but there you go.
I can honestly say I am very dissatisfied with the LR dealer & I am looking forward to getting my customer Services survey through from them that they promised me & that I hope they have enough space in all the fields for me to fit my comments........
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funny how somthing extra allways comes along when anyone touches it ,its the D3 demons 
but when i came to claim they dont want to know with air suspension, if its not on the list of componants they wont touch it 
dont want to worry you have you tried em yet with the issue??
