Disco 4 (LR4) Alternator replacement - eye-watering quote from dealership

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1970Jules

1970Jules

New Member
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7
Location
Ripon
The alternator died on the Disco 4 in the snow, got it recovered to the dealership who have just quoted me £600 +VAT + labour to replace it! What's so special about a genuine LR alternator that makes it twice the price of a Denso alternator from a supplier?

I wish I'd kept it on the driveway and done it myself now...
 
1970Jules said:
The alternator died on the Disco 4 in the snow, got it recovered to the dealership who have just quoted me £600 +VAT + labour to replace it! What's so special about a genuine LR alternator that makes it twice the price of a Denso alternator from a supplier?

I wish I'd kept it on the driveway and done it myself now...
Click to expand...

hi

there known as smart alternators , genuine ones i think are around £200 , which are indeed Denso , must only fit genuine

doesn’t suprise me with dealers, can u get a local garage to replace it for u if u bought the alternator
 
1970Jules said:
The alternator died on the Disco 4 in the snow, got it recovered to the dealership who have just quoted me £600 +VAT + labour to replace it! What's so special about a genuine LR alternator that makes it twice the price of a Denso alternator from a supplier?

I wish I'd kept it on the driveway and done it myself now...
Click to expand...

Land rover ripping you off. Their spares prices are ridiculously high. https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-LR065246 petrol or https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-LR072756P1 diesel OEM. Genuine diesel is around same price as petrol version
 
Last edited:
gstuart said:
hi

there known as smart alternators , genuine ones i think are around £200 , which are indeed Denso , must only fit genuine

doesn’t suprise me with dealers, can u get a local garage to replace it for u if u bought the alternator
Click to expand...

Thank you for replying so quickly and confirming that it would be much cheaper if I'd done it myself. It's stranded at the dealership now so I don't have much choice. On the diagnostic unit at least it confirmed that it's the alternator and not the "smart charging" unit which controls it (yet another computer in a car).

In the usual style I was told, "it's unusual for one of these to go on a Disco 4". They said that about the secondary turbo in December!
 
1970Jules said:
Thank you for replying so quickly and confirming that it would be much cheaper if I'd done it myself. It's stranded at the dealership now so I don't have much choice. On the diagnostic unit at least it confirmed that it's the alternator and not the "smart charging" unit which controls it (yet another computer in a car).

In the usual style I was told, "it's unusual for one of these to go on a Disco 4". They said that about the secondary turbo in December!
Click to expand...

Motor manufactures are fast moving towards throw away cars that cannot be serviced by the owners. It makes more money for them and the dealerships.
 
1970Jules said:
The alternator died on the Disco 4 in the snow, got it recovered to the dealership who have just quoted me £600 +VAT + labour to replace it! What's so special about a genuine LR alternator that makes it twice the price of a Denso alternator from a supplier?

I wish I'd kept it on the driveway and done it myself now...
Click to expand...

Is your name really Jules or have you stolen it to replace a gay sounding Julian? ;):D
 
1970Jules said:
Thank you for replying so quickly and confirming that it would be much cheaper if I'd done it myself. It's stranded at the dealership now so I don't have much choice. On the diagnostic unit at least it confirmed that it's the alternator and not the "smart charging" unit which controls it (yet another computer in a car).

In the usual style I was told, "it's unusual for one of these to go on a Disco 4". They said that about the secondary turbo in December!
Click to expand...

no worries , have u ever seen this picture , shows some of ur wiring , lol

62EC2883-9550-43F9-828D-E3F952ED7FA6.jpeg
 
@1970Jules - Might be worth pricing up having a good indy go and pick it up from the dealers, might still come out ahead.

I did something similar when the clutch release bearing went on a car of mine. AA towed me home, then I got marque specialist garage to come and pick it up. They gave me a ridiculous quote to fix it, so I hunted around and found I could pay them off for work done so far, then have another reputable garage come pick it up from them and fix it - all for less than the first garage wanted. Told them what I was going to do and they dropped the price to inline with what it would cost me to go elsewhere.Worth a try!
 
Anything else apart from a denso will cause you issues sooner rather than later.

Loads of threads on the D3/4 forum with people asking about various electrical issues and often comes down to non oe alternator being the issue quite often taking the battery with it as well.

Not cheap about 250 odd quid Iirc.

Long gone are the days of the A127 70 quid jobs.
 
wammers said:
Motor manufactures are fast moving towards throw away cars that cannot be serviced by the owners. It makes more money for them and the dealerships.
Click to expand...


Mate at work runs a new Mondeo, its a year old so rang up to book it in for a service its done 12k and they said doesnt need oil until its done 22k, another was telling me his BMW can go 30k between oil changes, its just mental, both diesels!

I think once we go full electric cars then they will be truly thowaway, pretty much like any lower cost current white goods and as they will be autonomous brand snobbery will go out of the window as who gives a **** what babge its got on it as you wont be driving it?
 
1970Jules said:
The alternator died on the Disco 4 in the snow, got it recovered to the dealership who have just quoted me £600 +VAT + labour to replace it! What's so special about a genuine LR alternator that makes it twice the price of a Denso alternator from a supplier?

I wish I'd kept it on the driveway and done it myself now...
Click to expand...

Surprised they didn't just try to sell you a new disco, that's all they seem interested in these days. Took my 2014 D4 into Marshalls at Bedford last year for a Sat Nav update. Two hours later some little tw*t came over asked if he could help and "are you to do with the construction work we are having done" (I am admittedly a bit scruffy). I explained what I was waiting for and asked if it was common for it to be difficult getting the updates installed, he said "I wouldn't know most people upgrade their vehicle before the sat navs are out of date".

They never could get the update to work.
 
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