S
Simon Isaacs
Guest
Right, hows about this for a garage trying to rip you off.....
Bought the Disco (200TDi), came with a 3 month warranty, I have to pay 50%
of all costs.
Replaced the cambelt using the place where I bought it from (my usual
practice, then any comeback for cambelt its easily dealt with).
Coming back from Billing it popped the head gasket, so as the head gasket is
covered by the warranty, it duly went back.
Dealer has agreed to replace the head gasket under the warranty, pointed out
the 50/50 split. Okay, but I want to be able to inspect the engine when it
is stripped. Symptoms were overheating when towing, strong cankcase
compression, no pressurising of coolant, and no mayo in the oil.
Took them a week to get round to even compression testing it.....
They had the head off. Gasket had gone between no. 3 and the oilway, hence
compression. Bores in excellent condition, still with honing marks, so
suspect this engine had been subject to some work before I bought, as it
only did 1400 miles between MOT in Januay and purchase in July.
They ring me up today to say it is ready, 3 weeks after they took in......
That'll be £300 sir,
No £150 surely (i expected £300 max the final bill and then split 50/50,
based on the local LR dealer quote over the phone)
Oh no sir, we have had to a lot of work.
Really? I decided to go in and speak to face to face and find out what this
work was...
Yes, to remove the head on these you have to remove the cambelt and water
pump, the belt was all chewed up, and then we found it was one of those with
the cambelt problem, so we've fitted the repair kit to solve it from
happening again. (said cambelt has been "binned" and is not available for
inspection).
I pointed out that being a pushrod engine, the 200 TDi does not need the
cambelt to be removed as the head and cam are separate, and that the 200TDi
was not subject to the cambelt problems associated with the 300TDi. I then
proceeded to point out that I had used the same engine servicing place they
had got the head skimmed at, and knew their charge for a head skim and leak
test, and that is was less than £30, not nearly £100...
When I asked which head gasket they had fitted they looked blank, so I asked
about checking the piston protusion, and explained the 1, 2 and 3 hole
gaskets...
At this point I was told I did not know what I was talking about, the bloke
in the garage knew what he was doing, and that he had rebuilt several
engines.
I explained that this year so far I had completely rebuilt the engine in
SWMBO Suzi, re ringed a friend's V8, rebuilt a 3 bearing 2.25 and a 5
bearing 2.25 for other friend's, and had an EFi V8 waiting for my loving
attention to put in the hybrid as compression was low on its current engine.
I then dug out the HBOL which I had taken with me, read out the section
about head removal. Mechanic looked at the floor and went white...
They went quiet and told me they would serve small claims court papers on
me. I laughed, went to 2 local specialists where friends from my club work
and got signed statements on how to remove a head on a 200TDi, which I have
photocopied, and will be giving to the bloke tomorrow lunchtime. Obviously
I have the originals safe and secure.
If he refuses to back down, how do I play it from here? Straight down to
Trading Standards and let them deal with it?
Could I end up losing the Disco?, I have had to borrow my old dears Berlingo
while she and the old man are in France (stub axle on hybrid stuffed,
another story...) and they are back soon.
Why is this bloke and his mechanic such obvious numpties?
I may well end up removing the head once I have it back just to satisfy
myself that the job has been done right! Buggrit!
--
Simon Isaacs
Peterborough 4x4 Club Vice Chairman, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster (how
much more....)
3.5V8 100" Hybrid, now LPG converted
Part owner of 1976 S3 LWT, Fully restored, waiting on the appointment with
the nice man at the MOT station!
Suzuki SJ410 (Fiancée's) 3" lift kit fitted, body shell now restored and
mounted on chassis, waiting on a windscreen and MOT
Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next
1993 200 TDi Discovery (the Pug 106 is dead, long live the Pug)
Peterborough 4x4 Club http://www.peterborough4x4.co.uk
Bought the Disco (200TDi), came with a 3 month warranty, I have to pay 50%
of all costs.
Replaced the cambelt using the place where I bought it from (my usual
practice, then any comeback for cambelt its easily dealt with).
Coming back from Billing it popped the head gasket, so as the head gasket is
covered by the warranty, it duly went back.
Dealer has agreed to replace the head gasket under the warranty, pointed out
the 50/50 split. Okay, but I want to be able to inspect the engine when it
is stripped. Symptoms were overheating when towing, strong cankcase
compression, no pressurising of coolant, and no mayo in the oil.
Took them a week to get round to even compression testing it.....
They had the head off. Gasket had gone between no. 3 and the oilway, hence
compression. Bores in excellent condition, still with honing marks, so
suspect this engine had been subject to some work before I bought, as it
only did 1400 miles between MOT in Januay and purchase in July.
They ring me up today to say it is ready, 3 weeks after they took in......
That'll be £300 sir,
No £150 surely (i expected £300 max the final bill and then split 50/50,
based on the local LR dealer quote over the phone)
Oh no sir, we have had to a lot of work.
Really? I decided to go in and speak to face to face and find out what this
work was...
Yes, to remove the head on these you have to remove the cambelt and water
pump, the belt was all chewed up, and then we found it was one of those with
the cambelt problem, so we've fitted the repair kit to solve it from
happening again. (said cambelt has been "binned" and is not available for
inspection).
I pointed out that being a pushrod engine, the 200 TDi does not need the
cambelt to be removed as the head and cam are separate, and that the 200TDi
was not subject to the cambelt problems associated with the 300TDi. I then
proceeded to point out that I had used the same engine servicing place they
had got the head skimmed at, and knew their charge for a head skim and leak
test, and that is was less than £30, not nearly £100...
When I asked which head gasket they had fitted they looked blank, so I asked
about checking the piston protusion, and explained the 1, 2 and 3 hole
gaskets...
At this point I was told I did not know what I was talking about, the bloke
in the garage knew what he was doing, and that he had rebuilt several
engines.
I explained that this year so far I had completely rebuilt the engine in
SWMBO Suzi, re ringed a friend's V8, rebuilt a 3 bearing 2.25 and a 5
bearing 2.25 for other friend's, and had an EFi V8 waiting for my loving
attention to put in the hybrid as compression was low on its current engine.
I then dug out the HBOL which I had taken with me, read out the section
about head removal. Mechanic looked at the floor and went white...
They went quiet and told me they would serve small claims court papers on
me. I laughed, went to 2 local specialists where friends from my club work
and got signed statements on how to remove a head on a 200TDi, which I have
photocopied, and will be giving to the bloke tomorrow lunchtime. Obviously
I have the originals safe and secure.
If he refuses to back down, how do I play it from here? Straight down to
Trading Standards and let them deal with it?
Could I end up losing the Disco?, I have had to borrow my old dears Berlingo
while she and the old man are in France (stub axle on hybrid stuffed,
another story...) and they are back soon.
Why is this bloke and his mechanic such obvious numpties?
I may well end up removing the head once I have it back just to satisfy
myself that the job has been done right! Buggrit!
--
Simon Isaacs
Peterborough 4x4 Club Vice Chairman, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster (how
much more....)
3.5V8 100" Hybrid, now LPG converted
Part owner of 1976 S3 LWT, Fully restored, waiting on the appointment with
the nice man at the MOT station!
Suzuki SJ410 (Fiancée's) 3" lift kit fitted, body shell now restored and
mounted on chassis, waiting on a windscreen and MOT
Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next
1993 200 TDi Discovery (the Pug 106 is dead, long live the Pug)
Peterborough 4x4 Club http://www.peterborough4x4.co.uk