Breakdown help in Belgium

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After more hours hanging on the phone to the UK breakdown people, we've all tried various LR garages in the area. Most have closed down for the summer holidays, they won't re-open for another 2 weeks! There's an offer to repatriate the car in about 3 weeks time! My idea is to get the car back here, then I can assess the situation regarding the fault code and have found someone local who has a fault finder. Give it a couple of short test drives, see what happens. The insurance need to see a certificate from the recovery garage to say the car is fit to drive in limp mode. Sounds like the only sensible option. The other cunning plan is to ger my partner over with her disco and a trailer. :) There's no other quick option.
 
Having wasted more time on the phone today, a friend from Luxembourg called in at the recovery truck place at Houffalize. Haad a lengthy chat with matey there who explained that the fan belt had lost about a third of its width at one point and was likely to fail and potentially cause a lot of expensive damage.My friend showed me a couple pics to prove the point. Recovery man said he wouldn't want to tackle to belt change on the Rangey, he'd never done one before.

On the way to somewhere else with him I noticed a local garage who reckon they can do all mkaes, I'll give them a try on Monday morning. They also do a courtesy car for €30 a day, their labour charges are a reasonable €60 an hour.
 
The local garage can't do anything or at least 2 weeks! But, I contacted a LR specialist near Malmedy who ISTR using about 14 years ago when a previous car blew up its torque converter. They can look at the car tomorrow and do the belt, thy've got them in stock! But it also depends on what other faults they find, it may be a drive home in limp mode jobby. Thanks to someone above for sening the pic, it makes explaining the problem a lot easier. I note it says on there to inspect the belts regularly. Obviously the previous owners didn't, it was a shopping car! Fingers crossed it'll be back on the road, but somehow, knowing the RR, I doubt it.
 
roythebus said:
The local garage can't do anything or at least 2 weeks! But, I contacted a LR specialist near Malmedy who ISTR using about 14 years ago when a previous car blew up its torque converter. They can look at the car tomorrow and do the belt, thy've got them in stock! But it also depends on what other faults they find, it may be a drive home in limp mode jobby. Thanks to someone above for sening the pic, it makes explaining the problem a lot easier. I note it says on there to inspect the belts regularly. Obviously the previous owners didn't, it was a shopping car! Fingers crossed it'll be back on the road, but somehow, knowing the RR, I doubt it.
Click to expand...

Heres a better pic of routing the belt for you, just in case.
Sounds like you might be in luck, hopefully the fault can be cleared or doesnt reapper. I only drove in "limp mode" for a short while and it was absolutly not what I would have done for a long distance. Towing a 3t trailer with a moped springs to mind :rolleyes:.

J
 

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  • TDV8 belt route.pdf
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Thanks, it may be of help to them, but as they are an approved dealer they "ought" to know, but every little bit helps. It seems you have to take off the fan belt to change the main one.

The next delay will be the European recovery agent dragging their feet! Mind you, it's quite nice here at the moment, I'm getting on with restoring my 40-odd year old chalet caravan.
 
roythebus said:
Thanks, it may be of help to them, but as they are an approved dealer they "ought" to know, but every little bit helps. It seems you have to take off the fan belt to change the main one.

The next delay will be the European recovery agent dragging their feet! Mind you, it's quite nice here at the moment, I'm getting on with restoring my 40-odd year old chalet caravan.
Click to expand...
Yes as said earlier the little belt needs to be cut off before you can change the “annaconda”

As long as you have something to keep you busy :).

J
 
marjon said:
Yes as said earlier the little belt needs to be cut off before you can change the “annaconda”

As long as you have something to keep you busy :).

J
Click to expand...

I have just had another look at the pics I posted. If I see it right it looks like the big belt could be changed without the little 1 being changed.
Why you would struggle more and only change 1 while you are in that far I dont know. but in a pinch it could be done without cutting off the small belt.

Just an observation as I always thought that you had to remove the small belt to do the big 1.


You back on the road yet @roythebus ?

J
 
An update, no I'm not on the road with the Range Rover. The car was eventually taken to a dealer at Waimes who had a slot they could fit it into. But, the recovery truck didn't manage to get it there in time, so it's still sitting there with no idea when they can do it. I did manage to get a hire car last Friday so at least I'm mobile again.

I've found a local garage who are willing to look at it this week and have a bit of spare time, a typical village garage, but well kitted out and they have the diagnostics to do it. The next problem is the breakdown insurance company are wittering about the maximum I can claim. I'm trying to keep costs down, so far it's been about £1200 for 2 tow trucks and a hire car for 2 weeks. the more expensive option is to get myself home and leave the car here for them to repatriate. That sounds like a lot of faffing around. there's no public transport here, a bit like the Lake District but with trees, the nearest bus route is a good 7km away. Or drive hire car to Calais and go on the ferry as foot passenger. But repatriation will take up to 25 days.

So the plan this morning is phone dealer, get idea of time, if it's not within the next week, get car to local garage. I've got plenty to do here, I've got a 45 year old chalet style static caravan that needs a bit more TLC and restoration. At least now I'm mobile again I can get out to the local "bricolage" DIY store to get things.. Thanks to all for your help.
 
roythebus said:
An update, no I'm not on the road with the Range Rover. The car was eventually taken to a dealer at Waimes who had a slot they could fit it into. But, the recovery truck didn't manage to get it there in time, so it's still sitting there with no idea when they can do it. I did manage to get a hire car last Friday so at least I'm mobile again.

I've found a local garage who are willing to look at it this week and have a bit of spare time, a typical village garage, but well kitted out and they have the diagnostics to do it. The next problem is the breakdown insurance company are wittering about the maximum I can claim. I'm trying to keep costs down, so far it's been about £1200 for 2 tow trucks and a hire car for 2 weeks. the more expensive option is to get myself home and leave the car here for them to repatriate. That sounds like a lot of faffing around. there's no public transport here, a bit like the Lake District but with trees, the nearest bus route is a good 7km away. Or drive hire car to Calais and go on the ferry as foot passenger. But repatriation will take up to 25 days.

So the plan this morning is phone dealer, get idea of time, if it's not within the next week, get car to local garage. I've got plenty to do here, I've got a 45 year old chalet style static caravan that needs a bit more TLC and restoration. At least now I'm mobile again I can get out to the local "bricolage" DIY store to get things.. Thanks to all for your help.
Click to expand...
Hope all goes well for you
 
Just back from the local garage at Erezee, a vey helpful chap there, speaks English as well which is a rarity in Wallonie. He's arranged a recovery truck to get the car from the dealer, who say they've got no idea when they can even look at the car! So hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll have some idea of the problem. Fingers crossed it won't be an expensive fix, but then it's a Land Rover!
 
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