My P38 4.0 HSE is great - when its actually on the road!!
In the last 2 years Ive had a hose blow in Manchester City centre - some people actually hit the deck as it sounded like a bomb going off!! I had a new radiator fitted, hoses, water pump and thermostat.
Then the battery went a few weeks later - a bigger problem than it would appear as I'd parked the car with the drivers side up against the garage wall so i could get my other car in whilst I did a bit or work on it. That involved two trolley jacks and a lot of heaving!
Not too long after that the car ground to a sudden halt and had to be trailered back. Dashboard display said it was gearbox failure! It was the alternator that wasnt charging and consequently got car suggesting all sorts of problems!! Nothing prior to this had suggested anything was wrong. That was reconditioned and replaced.
Then there was the overheating problem that was finally identified as a cracked heater matrix - a fault that I believe is extremely common yet missed by independant land rover dealers just outside Bolton despite having car for 2 days! So the matrix was replaced along with various dashlights. The badly fitted dvd player wiring was rerouted. A couple of months later the pulleys started making unsettling noises and all were replaced along with belt.
Four new tyres were fitted. Two weeks later got a puncture in one and got friend to pick me up, take me home and get spare - Ive got LPG and spare wheel well is taken up by tank. I have the spray to inflate tyre in emergency but didnt want to use it when I could get spare relatively easily. Then the locking wheel nut adapter started to split so called Tesco breakdown as the original brace looked like it wasnt helping as it was offset - they arrived late and didnt have a wheel brace that was big enough for wheel nut adapter! Managed to get it off in the end with crappy original and pints of wd-40! Trouble is the air suspension meant that I hadnt realised the problem and the tyre with about 500 miles on it was ruined!!
Then Mr white van man decided to hit it. Was offered £3.5k cash in lieu of repair. I considered selling the car to a breakers. Then I decided that considering the work I'd had done it would be wiser to keep the car as a replacement could bring the same and more problems. A full lower body respray was done and all dents and scratches sorted. Lovely!!
The engine blew on way back from paint shop!
Seeing as I'd just spent all that money on a respray I had no choice but to get engine replaced. Was very lucky to find brand new short engine on ebay for £1250. Got heads skimmed for £100 and spent £300 on gaskets, tappets and oils etc. The car deided to lock out the guy who was fixing it - had to smash window to get in. Put key in ignition and everything opened! So 2.5k later I've got a freshly painted car with new engine - fantastic!
Then I couldn't get in it! AA turned up and prised the door open and lifted the lock. Turns out the linkage on door handle had come off!
Then the brakes went - lost 90% of braking. Called AA who noticed that fluid was low. Topped it up and followed me home. Everything OK. Until 2 days later - it went again. This time I was near independant dealers in Stockport. They did diagnostic check there and then but couldnt find anything. Suggested relay changed and made appointment to call back.
Then it went again and I didnt want to chance it again so booked into local garage who did my BMW and MOTs - wouldn't go anywhere else.
Of course the car hasn't shown any signs of a problem so we've decided to go with replacing accumulator as there obviously is something and much googling seems to indicate this as favourite fix.
Fingers crossed thats it now!!
I think my next car will be another MK 1 Escort / A35 or similar ultra simple car!!
In the last 2 years Ive had a hose blow in Manchester City centre - some people actually hit the deck as it sounded like a bomb going off!! I had a new radiator fitted, hoses, water pump and thermostat.
Then the battery went a few weeks later - a bigger problem than it would appear as I'd parked the car with the drivers side up against the garage wall so i could get my other car in whilst I did a bit or work on it. That involved two trolley jacks and a lot of heaving!
Not too long after that the car ground to a sudden halt and had to be trailered back. Dashboard display said it was gearbox failure! It was the alternator that wasnt charging and consequently got car suggesting all sorts of problems!! Nothing prior to this had suggested anything was wrong. That was reconditioned and replaced.
Then there was the overheating problem that was finally identified as a cracked heater matrix - a fault that I believe is extremely common yet missed by independant land rover dealers just outside Bolton despite having car for 2 days! So the matrix was replaced along with various dashlights. The badly fitted dvd player wiring was rerouted. A couple of months later the pulleys started making unsettling noises and all were replaced along with belt.
Four new tyres were fitted. Two weeks later got a puncture in one and got friend to pick me up, take me home and get spare - Ive got LPG and spare wheel well is taken up by tank. I have the spray to inflate tyre in emergency but didnt want to use it when I could get spare relatively easily. Then the locking wheel nut adapter started to split so called Tesco breakdown as the original brace looked like it wasnt helping as it was offset - they arrived late and didnt have a wheel brace that was big enough for wheel nut adapter! Managed to get it off in the end with crappy original and pints of wd-40! Trouble is the air suspension meant that I hadnt realised the problem and the tyre with about 500 miles on it was ruined!!
Then Mr white van man decided to hit it. Was offered £3.5k cash in lieu of repair. I considered selling the car to a breakers. Then I decided that considering the work I'd had done it would be wiser to keep the car as a replacement could bring the same and more problems. A full lower body respray was done and all dents and scratches sorted. Lovely!!
The engine blew on way back from paint shop!
Seeing as I'd just spent all that money on a respray I had no choice but to get engine replaced. Was very lucky to find brand new short engine on ebay for £1250. Got heads skimmed for £100 and spent £300 on gaskets, tappets and oils etc. The car deided to lock out the guy who was fixing it - had to smash window to get in. Put key in ignition and everything opened! So 2.5k later I've got a freshly painted car with new engine - fantastic!
Then I couldn't get in it! AA turned up and prised the door open and lifted the lock. Turns out the linkage on door handle had come off!
Then the brakes went - lost 90% of braking. Called AA who noticed that fluid was low. Topped it up and followed me home. Everything OK. Until 2 days later - it went again. This time I was near independant dealers in Stockport. They did diagnostic check there and then but couldnt find anything. Suggested relay changed and made appointment to call back.
Then it went again and I didnt want to chance it again so booked into local garage who did my BMW and MOTs - wouldn't go anywhere else.
Of course the car hasn't shown any signs of a problem so we've decided to go with replacing accumulator as there obviously is something and much googling seems to indicate this as favourite fix.
Fingers crossed thats it now!!
I think my next car will be another MK 1 Escort / A35 or similar ultra simple car!!
