Freelander problems

One would expect the reversing lights to be also permenantly on.

They obviously didn't fix it last service take it back and tell them to fix it properly, for free, as they didn't fix it last time.

Seems a bit odd that you have two "gearbox related" faults, in that HDC control needs to know about a particular setup of the box (a DII needs LR to be selected etc) and the rear wiper needs to know if the box is in reverse. My guess would be a bad loom connection somewhere, probably between the gearbox and the body control computer.

Surely if you have selected low 1st then HDC is a little superflous. if memory serves, HDC limits speed to around 8km/h which is fairly cracking on if you are trying to crawl down rocks or somhthing.

Is this not marketing over reason again?

Regards Stephen

AIUI Freeloaders don't have "Low 1st", they rely on HDC to compensate for havig only one 'box

Stuart

If they did it free or cheap last time or only charged for actual labour time spent trying to find the fault, why should they do further work free?

This compensation and 'everything should be perfect and free' culture actually causes everything to be more expensive. Now if *you* were a typical customer then garages would change all components remotely connected with a faulty function at the first attempt and charge for it. For instance, in this case the computer, loom, sensors and dashboard, possibly more. This would come to about £2500 perhaps. If this did not cure it, *then* I would reasonably expect a free rectification.

Huw

Simply because they said it was fixed. If they were "unsure", "no fault found" or "fault cleared during investigation" they should have said so not that the fault was "fixed". It's called being honest with the customer.

If the same fault recurs very shortly after being "fixed" there are only two conclusions: Either they didn't *actually* fix it in the first place and lied to the customer or the part(s) they used have failed. New parts can fail early in their life, bath tub curve etc

Failed parts will be under warranty, the manufacturer pays for providing shoddy goods. A prudent and good garage would look a bit deeper as to why the new parts failed, are they really faulty or being pushed outside their limits by some other fault?

I'm paying for experts to do a job, If I'm told that the job has been done and completed I that has to be the case. If the same job needs doing again within a reasonable time(*) they patently have not fullfilled the contract. Having to do the job again for free is incentive to do it properly, correctly and completely the first time.

Thats because garages these days employ unskilled oiks with minmial training rather than proper mechanics with decent fault finding skills. A semi trained monkey can do the routine servicing stuff but a decent garage should have at least one proper mechanic for the "out of the ordinary".

(*) Difficult to define but within 4 weeks would be "reasonable" in my book assuming normal sorts of mileage (say

There is the other and most likely conclusion in that it worked while they had it and it failed again later. Not satisfactory but not uncommon. There is a simple remedy in doubtful cases and that is to replace every posible component with no regard for cost.

More and more garages will replace all possible components in a system for this very reason. It is also the reason that garages do not attempt gearbox and engine repairs any more. Too many come-backs. Far more profitable and less hassle for them to just replace a gearbox or engine with new at vast initial cost even if the repair would have cost a fraction but had a higher risk of not being successful. As you say, the new component is under manufacturers warranty but this is not without cost. Of course there is a small cost saving for the garage because it can employ grease monkeys rather than skilled mechanics.

Then you have to pay an element of insurance. A very high element. In fact if I was your repairer and your attitude was known to me, I would either give you a price up-front for replacing everything at no expense spared or ask you to go elsewhere. Simple.

It is not worth the hassle with difficult customers with unrealistic expectations. Far more satisfactory to employ oiks/fitters who just change major assemblies and components.

If they had fixed the symptoms at the time then as far as they, and you, are concerned, it was fixed. If the problem recurs after a time then further investigation and possible repairs are justified. If everyone took your attitude then every possible component that could cause a recurrence, however remote the possibility, would need to be changed 'just in case' or the bill for the initial repair would need to be inflated to cover any possibility. Would *you* work for nothing and possibly supply expensive components needed to complete a satisfactory repair for nothing? Maybe you would, but you would not survive long in a tough business. Someone has to pay the bills. That someone has to be the customer because money cannot legally be printed by car repair garages.

Huw

So it's unrealistic to expect the job to be done correctly

Fixing the symptom is not the answer you should fix the cause " yes sir we've fixed your ABS fault we've removed the bulb no more symptoms of a fault"

At the moment Mercedes trucks have a problem with the clutch system on the bigger trucks instead of using brake fluid the use a liquid called 'pentosin' (sp?) one of the problems is it affects the seal in the slave cylinder allowing it to draw air in so the driver loses the pedal to remedy this you can either bleed up the clutch and have it come back in

2 or 3 weeks or you can replace the slave cylinder as the driver I know which I rather have done for reliabilities sake if they couldn't find the fault they should have said not passed it off as done as for changing every item in the system try taking it to somewhere with a half decent workforce and not some cowboy firm

Pentosin is a brand and the oil type is probably LHM fluid which is very well proven and does not cause a problem with compatible seals. Garages are well used to dealing with know-it-alls and always have a good laugh at their expense. And no, before you jump to conclusions, I am not connected to the motor trade.

Huw