"Stranded in France" of last week...similar tale....

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Riggy

New Member
Posts
48
Location
10 mins north of Tarbes, foothills of the Pyrenees
Hi Guys (and Gals), and possible especially Jason2.....
I watched that post of last week with avid interest as I/we have been living here for just over a year (plus 6 months edge of Lot/Dordogne) and have had atrocious service/been unable to find decent Land Rover orientated garage since we left the area (Vincent de Bourg of Lauzun, Nr. Eymet...excellent garage and service for any vehicle). I also posted last week of a possible near death experience with my Disco engine only to find that they are chain driven and it was my auxilliary belt that had gone. (Duh!)
Here's the rub. We got dumped at the edge of the payage by our recovery vehicle ( covered by insurance) and no amount of persuasion or money would get him to drop the vehicle at the nearest Land Rover garage, even tho' it was two k's away. Finally got the disco to the garage and asked for a 'aux. belt change' (after advice from the forum here). That was last Thurs/Fri., having been treated with total disinterest on three occasions(my French is reeeesonable, so long as it don't get tooo technical) by the manager of the Land Rover garage/dealership/agency. It was booked in Friday afternoon for the belt change so at 5.45 that afternoon I phoned to be told all had gone home and would have to wait til Monday.
Today, I went with wife expecting to pick vehicle up only to be told that job not started apart from cleaning vulcanised rubber from engine compartmernt and around pullies.....and (1)they think there was something wrong with one or more pullies before the belt went. (2) They have to wait for a 'tool' (grippe?) because they can't get they left hand pulley wheel off...(3) when they have the tool...Wed/Thurs...they have to remove the radiator and fan to get at the pulley with this tool, then refit new belt and 'run her up'. (4) Only then will they be able to tell if one or more pullies is damaged(?) leading to 'beaucoup d'argent' as the receptionist put it.
From knowlege on the forum re this problem, am I being "fitted up" here? as today has been the first day that the manager took the trouble to talk to me properly (and show the problem on the car) and the receptionist even tried to converse with her little bit of English.
Riggy.
 
Voulu - ou un bon ingénieur français qui parle anglais de Land Rover - ou quelqu'un qui peut négocier en français aux garages au nom de pauvres personnes ignorantes de Grande-Bretagne.
 
"
Today, I went with wife expecting to pick vehicle up only to be told that job not started apart from cleaning vulcanised rubber from engine compartmernt and around pullies.....and (1)they think there was something wrong with one or more pullies before the belt went. (2) They have to wait for a 'tool' (grippe?) because they can't get they left hand pulley wheel off...(3) when they have the tool...Wed/Thurs...they have to remove the radiator and fan to get at the pulley with this tool, then refit new belt and 'run her up'. (4) Only then will they be able to tell if one or more pullies is damaged(?) leading to 'beaucoup d'argent' as the receptionist put it."

Do you think this paragraph holds water?
Riggy.
 
Riggy said:
Hi Guys (and Gals), and possible especially Jason2.....
I watched that post of last week with avid interest as I/we have been living here for just over a year (plus 6 months edge of Lot/Dordogne) and have had atrocious service/been unable to find decent Land Rover orientated garage since we left the area (Vincent de Bourg of Lauzun, Nr. Eymet...excellent garage and service for any vehicle). I also posted last week of a possible near death experience with my Disco engine only to find that they are chain driven and it was my auxilliary belt that had gone. (Duh!)
Here's the rub. We got dumped at the edge of the payage by our recovery vehicle ( covered by insurance) and no amount of persuasion or money would get him to drop the vehicle at the nearest Land Rover garage, even tho' it was two k's away. Finally got the disco to the garage and asked for a 'aux. belt change' (after advice from the forum here). That was last Thurs/Fri., having been treated with total disinterest on three occasions(my French is reeeesonable, so long as it don't get tooo technical) by the manager of the Land Rover garage/dealership/agency. It was booked in Friday afternoon for the belt change so at 5.45 that afternoon I phoned to be told all had gone home and would have to wait til Monday.
Today, I went with wife expecting to pick vehicle up only to be told that job not started apart from cleaning vulcanised rubber from engine compartmernt and around pullies.....and (1)they think there was something wrong with one or more pullies before the belt went. (2) They have to wait for a 'tool' (grippe?) because they can't get they left hand pulley wheel off...(3) when they have the tool...Wed/Thurs...they have to remove the radiator and fan to get at the pulley with this tool, then refit new belt and 'run her up'. (4) Only then will they be able to tell if one or more pullies is damaged(?) leading to 'beaucoup d'argent' as the receptionist put it.
From knowlege on the forum re this problem, am I being "fitted up" here? as today has been the first day that the manager took the trouble to talk to me properly (and show the problem on the car) and the receptionist even tried to converse with her little bit of English.
Riggy.
Click to expand...


OHHHHH GOD! Here we go again:eek:

From paddocks the belt is £9.99,belt tensioner £22.91 & Idler pulley £20.56 all of these I would change through a matter of course if they have never been changed before "Prevention's better than cure":)

As for the rest France is a lot more laid back than the U.K people don't/wont/can't by law work after hours,weekends,bank holidays etc so things take a little longer!

Any garage could have sorted your auxiliary belt out for you, you probably would have had more success taking your local mechanic a box of short bread and explaining the situation or getting your local Mayor to phone the garage up "It's not what you know but who you know".Again what can I say a dealer should have those bit's in stock if not they can get them for the next day and what's this tool to get a seized pulley off!!!

Jason
 
"OHHHHH GOD! Here we go again...."

Thanks for the tips old chap but aren't you being a little sharp? get out of the wrong side of bed?
I'm no dummy, but haven't worked on a vehicle for over twenty years, let alone a modern deisel. I recently bought a TD5 manual but was posted a bog standard Disco manual so have nothing to work from. Also, towing it 25 miles was not really a safe option now was it? Thus it is with the local dealership (whom every ex-pat in the area has had bad service from at some time or another and are desperately trying to find a good, knowlegable L/R or across the board 4X4 dealer, )where I'm trying to obtain satisfaction without having my wallet emptied.
I thought the idea of a forum was to swap info/ideas and help along those with less knowlege and experience, not denegrate a newcomer for asking what may seem to you the simplest of questions.....or am I wrong?
Riggy.
 
I didn't say I was stranded in France, I said I was in a similar predicament to the guy last week who said he was....but he was having trouble with a L/R dealer, as I am now.
That is.....communication problems/possibility of being ripped off through lack of technical communication skills in French combined with lack of knowlege re the Disco.
Riggy.
p.s. A red hot poker plunged into a large glass of whisky and orange squash will do that cold the world of good. If it hasn't gone after an hour....have another, after two hours, if it still hasn't go.............
 
p.s. A red hot poker plunged into a large glass of whisky and orange squash will do that cold the world of good. If it hasn't gone after an hour....have another, after two hours, if it still hasn't go.............
Click to expand...

Dont know about the red hot poker but am on mi second "Hot Toddy" of the night!

The last time I went to our local dealer it was a Friday 4.15pm to order a very important part for a up and coming gearbox change the guy seid he was busy sending his orders off on his puter and would be with me soon.

After about 15 mins I asked my man if he could hurry up cos I had me wife and kids outside in car and was in for a bollokings:eek:

His reply was that he could'nt stop as his puter was blocked with his order stuff and had to send that off first to free his screen!

Another 15 mins later "Oui Monsieur a nous" ZZZZZZZZ! oh Right,****-wake up!

Sorted bits out I wanted and asked that magical question "When" to which yeh man looks at his watch 5.01pm "Oh it's too late now (5pm deadline) I wont be able to order it until Monday so it should be here Wednesday!!!!!

I know that's not a good example but Unfourtunately a lot of the time you have to stamp yeh feet,Growl & even become a sneaky git to get anything done here!

Sounds like they did'nt look at it in time to order bit's for the weekend so they are waiting for them to arrive-Tuesday-Mine did:)
 
Right. Then there's the aux belt layout on your disco:


My guess is that they are reffering to smallest of the pulleys in the picture (leftmost and topmost in the layout).
I'm not too familiar with the Td5 engine (since I don't have/had one) as much as I would like to, but what I know is:
- to replace the aux drive belt you need to remove the viscous fan
- to remove the crank pulley (and I think the pulley above it - not sure) you need to remove the radiator and use a tool to grab hold of the pulley while undoing the bolt

I can't tell what tool (an extractor maybe) is needed for the left pulley, I will check the manual maybe I'll find something.

My opinion is that all 4 points make perfect sense (excepting the "tool" thingy which I can't help you with and 2 days delay which there's no point to comment).

"Grippe" means "seized up", and my guess would be the same - one of the pulley's bearing is/has seized up.
They will have to check for further problems (other things that could seize - like A/C compressor and so on) after replacing the belt. I guess they checked everything by hand but the final answer can come only after fitting everything back, start the engine, heat it up, full throttle, test drive etc.
 
cipx2 said:
Right. Then there's the aux belt layout on your disco:


My guess is that they are reffering to smallest of the pulleys in the picture (leftmost and topmost in the layout).
I'm not too familiar with the Td5 engine (since I don't have/had one) as much as I would like to, but what I know is:
- to replace the aux drive belt you need to remove the viscous fan
- to remove the crank pulley (and I think the pulley above it - not sure) you need to remove the radiator and use a tool to grab hold of the pulley while undoing the bolt

I can't tell what tool (an extractor maybe) is needed for the left pulley, I will check the manual maybe I'll find something.

My opinion is that all 4 points make perfect sense (excepting the "tool" thingy which I can't help you with and 2 days delay which there's no point to comment).

"Grippe" means "seized up", and my guess would be the same - one of the pulley's bearing is/has seized up.
They will have to check for further problems (other things that could seize - like A/C compressor and so on) after replacing the belt. I guess they checked everything by hand but the final answer can come only after fitting everything back, start the engine, heat it up, full throttle, test drive etc.
Click to expand...

Are you sure your foreign? Your English is better than half the English people I Know!
 
Thanks cipx2, the layout of your diagram is nearly correct, except it doesn't go round the crank pulley. Top left pulley is correct and the 'grippe' as you say (and I have since deciphered) is that the pulley is siezed (or really difficult to get off) on the shaft....the wheel itself as with all others, turn ok, but as to viability when a new belt is fitted, only time will tell. I want to have a new tensioner and idler pulley fiited with the new belt also. The rest of what you say re the fan and radiator removal now makes sense. It also may need a new viscous fan as there is some lateral movement on it when holding/moving the fins.
Thanks for the help,
Riggy.
 
Sure I'm sure, Jason. I'm not "stranded" in any way or form to my present location :) ... Thanks.


Oops, the top leftmost pulley is from the alternator, so we can forget about it.
My guess is that they want to replace the bearing from the fan pulley:



Riggy, what do you mean by "it doesn't go round the crank pulley"? It has to. How everything else would turn if not? All automotive engines have a crank pulley that drive the aux belt. Or maybe my english failed on me this time?
 
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