Member Since: 14 Jul 2012
Location: surrey
Posts: 109
** Cry for help disco 4 stranded in France**
Evening.
First time driving to Italy for seven years, have done at least 50k trouble free miles in europe over the years.
Spent two weeks before leaving prepping the disco 4, she had such a good going over it's unreal.
Dream journey to our first overnight stop in Macon, and literally at the doors of the hotel she decided she didn't want her power steering fluid any longer. Nothing obvious as she emptied reservoir really quickly so nothing spurting out and there was fluid absolutely everywhere anyway. Saturday night at 7pm. Rang RAC. They let us down a bit (not a priority as not on a motorway, no small kids etc). Spoke again slightly more forcefully this morning, a mechanic was sent out but he was in reality a recovery truck driver. Nowhere open on a Sunday to buy some p/s fluid or atf to do a test to see where the leak was. So she got hauled off on a big yellow taxi to be dropped at LR in Macon tomorrow, all happened in a bit of a blur.
After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing we've now got a hire car from Lyon airport and have arrived in Annecy as planned. We only have the hire car for 3 days so can get to our place in Italy tomorrow, and drop the hire car locally over there.
However......I'm very nervous of main dealers, their overcharging and malaise, and of course could end up booked for 3 weeks which will completely screw us up.
So my question to you all is this:-
Anyone got any contacts around the Macon area like a trusted independent etc who I could pay to step in and sort it effectively for me? Would be likely worth having the old girl moved.
Many thanks guys.
John
9th Jul 2023 9:32 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4400
Sorry can't help with local info, but I had the same thing happen a couple of years ago on holiday (UK so not quite so stressful as being abroad!)
I managed a field repair that got me home. Hope you get sorted.Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
10th Jul 2023 9:14 am
jonnyboy54321
Member Since: 14 Jul 2012
Location: surrey
Posts: 109
Just to hopefully put this to bed. Now en route back to UK with the Disco.
After a lot of bad info from the breakdown company's european partners, we found the car had been moved. Twice. It never went near LR.
The independent garage who were affiliated to recovery tool almost two weeks to repair the car, new high pressure hose. Has cost a fair amount of money of associated accomodation, being overcharged for the repair, and a tyre miraculously being damaged on the journey off and on their trucks and ramp (100 percent wasnt when we last saw it as I did a walk around.
The garage and the breakdown company were not great to be honest. I will be checking their work when back in blighty and sucking out the universal ps fluid to replace with the right stuff.
Damage looked almost identical to the other person posting on this thread - I wonder if the shaped hoses soften and move too close to the fan, and then possibly 'pulse' when on full lock bringing them into contact, as it blew when executing a real tight manoeuvre.
24th Jul 2023 11:41 pm
jonnyboy54321
Member Since: 14 Jul 2012
Location: surrey
Posts: 109
To add.
What I would have done differently looking back is handled it myself however I could. Either by transporting the car the 800km to our place in Italy for me or a local garage to.sort (who i could 'control' somewhat), or by having either my mechanic pal fly to France with a hold suitcase of tools,the bits and met him there, or had him come over with the trailer and tools etc. It would have ended up cheaper. By quite some margin.
Live and learn. A very simple repair that gained more arms and legs than an octopus has tentacles, and so much stress........
Anyway, now en route to Calais.....
24th Jul 2023 11:49 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13912
Not great but sadly you are too often at the mercy of the breakdown company and their ‘associates’.
Anyway, glad you got back ok. Not great but at least you’re back in control.New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
25th Jul 2023 12:05 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8110
I have said several times on this forum and elsewhere, never keep the PS held in full lock always back off a fraction as that is when the PS is working at maximum pressure and relying on the safety valve to blow, that is when any weakness in the system will blow.
Couldn’t you have continued your journey without PS?- ok it would have knackered the pump but it may have worked out cheaper and been hard work.
You have my sympathy I have been in your situation, even had a RR relayed back from St Tropez after the engine seized.It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
25th Jul 2023 8:13 am
Gary_P
Member Since: 03 May 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 1523
Just out of interest, which breakdown company are you with?Gary
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Discovery 4 HSE 2016MY
25th Jul 2023 10:05 am
ratrunner
Member Since: 20 Nov 2015
Location: cotswolds
Posts: 194
I think he said RAC, could not have been a worse breakdown company in my experience.
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