L322 Anyone want to watch an L322 burn?

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Pluribus said:
So I got a call from the breakdown companies work experience guys junior assistant this afternoon. The engine is completely fecked and cannot be repaired. The crank has sheared, lots of metal where it shouldn't be and no oil where it should as it's also incapable of holding any oil pressure.

He said a new engine (according to the garage) would be €10k. I laughed at him down the phone. He also said as the value of the repair was more than the car value it would not be repatriated to the UK. I asked him if the breakdown company was washing its hands of the vehicle and he told me "yes absolutely". He then hung up.

Naturally this activated the Welsh part of me. Never annoy a Welshman, he will go above and beyond to make your life hell.

I called back and demanded a manager, not a floor supervisor or team leader. I then said the magic words "Formal Complaint". I made it clear I was lied to every step of the way, promised things that never happened, and mis-sold a policy that didn't cover the repatriation I was informed it did.

I clearly told him I intend to sue RAC for the distress and inconvenience they have caused me and my wife.

All of a sudden, I am told the cover I have does include bringing it back to a location of my choice in the UK, that my hire car is extended until the end of my holiday and whilst I still have to come over as a foot passenger, a taxi will be waiting at the port to take us and our luggage to the hire car place nearby where a decent sized vehicle is at my disposal. So thanks for the offer @Ruby Range, but luckily it's not needed!

The engine in it was fairly new - I think Saint said it only had 20k miles on it, either when he bought it, or when I did (I've forgotten which). Does anyone know what the warranty is on a new engine? I'm hoping I can get a new engine out of Land Rover on warranty, if not, it will be a fully recon engine instead.
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Certainly sounded like a broken crank to me, so full marks for great sound production on your video. I'm not right up on what engine is in your L322, I have a mate here with a 2007 V8 diesel, though it's a nice vehicle and goes like the wind, even with his big caravan behind, he fears for the future if something goes wrong with it but only because he loves it so much and would not know what to replace it with.
Good that you got the insurance people to commit to their obligations, mostly they rely on palming people off and hoping they get sick of asking and go away.
Hope you can pick up an engine or have yours repaired for better than 10K, that is probably more than the value of another RR that model.
I've often thought about trying to pick up a RR a few years old, I've missed having one since I sold my old Classic years ago after 11 years of happy ownership, (so it is possible to enjoy RR's for lots of years), but I better not aim too high and just stick with my old Diesel D1, it's fine for bashing about the bush up here.
Enjoy what is left of the holiday, and after the repairs, may you finally get all the enjoyment you expected from the RR.
 
The engine noise was pretty terminal tbh but I didn't want to say too much before it could be properly examined.
I would be interested to know exactly how many miles the engine had actually covered before failure - it would appear that the car had two responsible owners during it's fitment.
No doubt the previous owner would have an exact record of fitment so you will be able to assess the possibility of making a claim.
Taking a car to France sounds a big deal but for me France is three and a half miles away (my house to Poole docks!). And your workshop said it was ok to go.
 
Fergie46 said:
Taking a car to France sounds a big deal but for me France is three and a half miles away (my house to Poole docks!). And your workshop said it was ok to go.
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I go abroad all the time, either in this one or the freelander before it. I'm only 30 mins from Dover so it's easy. I've driven this one as far as Cherbourg earlier this year but the freelander took me on a European road trip through 7 countries and back so I'm not afraid of a long drive!

I always get my mechanics to look them over and fix anything before I go.
 
Grrrrrr said:
Be interested to know what caused the crank to fail. Oil pump went first, maybe?
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Probably just metal fatigue. I'm assuming here that the "new" engine was actually a reconditioned unit so it had done thousands of hot-cold cycles and had millions of times of flexing under load.
Whilst reconditioning brings the tolerances back to spec, it doesn't make it new metal.
 
Holy crap.....now thats a first I have heard of snapped crank on an M62....I am now going to be googling my backside off to see if I can find any other reports of snapped cranks on the M62.

If it was indeed a snapped crank the engine wouldn't even run, let alone run and make horrible noises...it would just go bang and never run again. EDIT: Seems like at times engines can still run with a broken crank!!

The early M62's where known to loose oil pump drive as the mounting bolts would work loose and the pump would 'fall off' but that was solved in the later 90's before the M62 was fitted to the L322.

The engine was a new engine fitted by Land Rover (before my ownership) at around 121k miles (I bought at 135k from memory), the mileage of when the replacement engine was fitted is in the service book. and she must be on around 210k now so the new engine would have done 90k odd miles....which is feck all for an M62.

I would want a look at the snapped crank before I took there word for it....as your vid shows the engine running, and with a snapped crank the engine wouldn't run at all as far as I know....
 
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I would seriously doubt a snapped crank.
A snapped con rod possibly but even that is very rare these days.
+1 on wanting to see it!
 
Many years ago brother in law had a austin/morris something or other camper van, he was on his way back to Lincoln from Coventry when engine started knocking but still ran so kept going (think only reason he slowed down was because of the noise) dropped the sump and crank broke ! Only one I`ve seen and in no hurry to see another.
 
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My Renault Master van snapped its crank a four years ago still ran but was jumping all over the place and making a hell off a racket
here it is, number two conrod cap was still on but well loose and a sump full of bits
 
As Saint says, the paperwork clearly states it's a brand new engine supplied a and fit by Land Rover.

I'm not taking the mechanics word for it at all. I trust a random French garage as far as I can throw one. The car is being delivered back to my local specialist and I will let them tell me what's actually wrong with it.

I emailed LandRover about the standard warranty on a brand new engine but have not heard back yet. I'm hoping it can be swapped out, but if not I'll go and get one on the never-never from a dealer and let them deal with any problems....
 
I think we've just found a companion for supapete.
WAKE UP....
That 25k engine you thought you had is actually 90k, I'd love you to get a LR replacement but I very much doubt it.

Buy a new engine, that's utter lunacy imo.
Stick a used motor in it, like what you bought!!!!
Alternatively, find an approachable pikey and bung him a monkey.
 
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Saint.V8 said:
Holy crap.....now thats a first I have heard of snapped crank on an M62....I am now going to be googling my backside off to see if I can find any other reports of snapped cranks on the M62.

If it was indeed a snapped crank the engine wouldn't even run, let alone run and make horrible noises...it would just go bang and never run again. EDIT: Seems like at times engines can still run with a broken crank!!

The early M62's where known to loose oil pump drive as the mounting bolts would work loose and the pump would 'fall off' but that was solved in the later 90's before the M62 was fitted to the L322.

The engine was a new engine fitted by Land Rover (before my ownership) at around 121k miles (I bought at 135k from memory), the mileage of when the replacement engine was fitted is in the service book. and she must be on around 210k now so the new engine would have done 90k odd miles....which is feck all for an M62.

I would want a look at the snapped crank before I took there word for it....as your vid shows the engine running, and with a snapped crank the engine wouldn't run at all as far as I know....
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Depending on where the crank breaks....oh yes it will run, seen it a number of times on all scales from a 500 CC 4 cylinder Fiat Toppilino to a V12 398 Cat.
Recently on here, a Td5, snapped crank across web between front main and number one big end, still running!
And because the Germans can do everything better than everyone else, of course an M62 could snap a crank and still run.
 
Pluribus said:
I have had it with this car. I have coveted a range rover since I first set eyes on one as a young boy in the early 80's. I have lusted after them. This year I was finally able to achieve my dream car.

And it has broken me.

I had a reasonable budget. I purchased way under that budget and had the extra money to do it up. I did exactly that. It's had a complete new gearbox. A new TC. New wheel hubs, new brake discs and calipers. New OEM everything.

I've taken that budget and blown way over it.

Now its developed a spontaneous electrical problem, a huge juddering on full lock both ways and a head light that works when it wants to.

I can afford to get it fixed, but I just dont want to. I hate this car now. I cant wait to see the back of it.

I genuinely wouldn't care less if it was stolen by the local pikeys and torched. The only thing I would be ****ed about is I am not there to watch it burn.

I loved owning her. I loved driving her. I loved the power, the luxury. Now I hate her. She does not deserve the money I've spent on her.

They say never realise your dreams as you will only be disappointed. Well I am.
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I really really feel for you mate. Its an awful situation to be in. I am in the sake position with a renault trafic van. I am ready to scrap it and loose 3-4 K
I cannot help with your faults but I bet there is plenty of help on its way. A great bunch of people on this site
Regards

Mark
 
myfirstl322 said:
I think we've just found a companion for supapete.
WAKE UP....
That 25k engine you thought you had is actually 90k, I'd love you to get a LR replacement but I very much doubt it.

Buy a new engine, that's utter lunacy imo.
Stick a used motor in it, like what you bought!!!!
Alternatively, find an approachable pikey and bung him a monkey.
Click to expand...
There is no way I'm going to buy a new engine for it. Not a chance in hell.

Yes, I misinterpreted what Saint told me about the age, but the fact still stands that it was a brand new engine supplied and fit by LR, not a dodgy recon job done on some random industrial estate, and it's still done less than 100k miles. It should not have broken in the way I was told it has.

Please bear in mind I've still not been told which garage the car was taken to, only that it will be repatriated to my local specialists sometime within the next 2 weeks, so I don't know if what they say has happened actually has. Remember, I've had nothing but lies and incompetence from all but one person at the RAC. All I know for sure is a French mechanic thinks he can get €10k out of me and that's never going to happen.

Since I've owned it it's only ever been on normal roads or motorways. The only time I ever took it off road was when I parked it on my flat, paved driveway to wash it. I don't exceed speed limits as there are so many cameras near where I live and where I drive in France that I would lose my licence pretty quick if I did and it's an auto so no-one can accuse me of putting excess stress on the engine through misuse of the gears. It's never towed anything as far as I am aware and the heaviest thing I've carried in it is one of my more portly friends....
 
It shouldn't matter if you have towed a horse box every weekend and then took it across 4 ploughed fields and crossed 2 small rivers to wash it off. This is what they sell the vech as a go anywhere do anything 4x4 and so by the sound of it it has had a very easy life. Unfortunatly they will I believe consider the car too old and try and wash there hands of it.
 
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