Just had the amber engine management light come on with 'Engine System Fault' displayed. Has been on for a few days now - car seems to be running fine. 2010 TD4e.

Phoned Harwoods at Lewes - they want *£150* just to plug it in!!

Needless to say, they can do one.

I think I was quoted as 120 + VAT for diagnostics by LR before Xmas. Yet only about 6 months prior to that the same dealer quoted me 85 + VAT for the same thing. Told them to do one both times as it was only to diagnose the stop/start not working very often and blowing headlamp bulbs.

Bulbs were mostly down to using Hellfrauds 120%+ and im not that bothered about stop/start.

They really do take the urine !

I was quoted a minimum of £105+VAT to see if Matland LR in Exeter could change the language of the information panel.

My local dealer here in France did it in 5 minutes free of charge.

Guess where we now get the car serviced

I can guess...

My car is coming up for an A service and MOT. Had Harwoods been more reasonable I would have got them to do it all at the same time, just to keep the book stamped. I'm sure Harwoods couldn't care less but that's another long time customer lost. Will my next car be a Land Rover? Hmmm...

The car is now booked in at CR Allen, an indie Land Rover specialist.

Sounds familiar.... I gave up on Harwoods after they wanted a similar wedge of money and half a day to diagnose that my car's electronic doh dahs were not working properly - which was actually the diagnosis that I had given to them when I booked it in. So I got the job done (and the diagnosis included in to the price) by a Landy independent and I have never returned to a main dealer, saving myself a thousand squids by now....

Having seen these prices, the £40 + vat I was quoted for a half hour diagnostic in October by the Land Rover dealer in Kendal was cheap then!

... and to be fair to my wee pet in case she throws a tantrum next time I have got her up to her uxters in muck, she has never needed to be re-diagnosed since - so I can live with the electronic candy floss as long as it keeps working - 80,000 miles on and she is going better than ever with nuffin else bust - can't fault that.

Still Lost in France wrote:

I was quoted a minimum of £105+VAT to see if Matland LR in Exeter could change the language of the information panel.

My local dealer here in France did it in 5 minutes free of charge.

Guess where we now get the car serviced

You can buy a diagnostic blue tooth reader on ebay for a few £, and a free app for your smart phone, this will give you the fault code, and allow you to clear it as well. The fault code will allow you to trace what the issue is. No need to go to expensive stealers.

Any recommendations?

Something like this is fine http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELM327-OBD2-OBDI...SwzhVWqcgF

you then have to down load an app for your smart phone. They are free.

On your head be it Dave, just ordered one. Taddy is just 10 minutes away  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

In the interests of completion...

My local Indy (CR Allen) charged me £50 + vat to diagnose. Got two persistent codes:

P1889-14 - their guess either Haldex service (oil and filter) or new pump, oil and filter for the Haldex.

P02E1-00 - their guess either new MAF sensor or throttle body needed.

I wanted to go to Austen at Bells for the Haldex work but just couldn't afford the time and 400 mile trip taking it to him.

So, booked the car in with CR Allen - a further £80 + vat to diagnose the exact work needed. No surprises, it needed the more expensive options.

Total bill for:

Plugging it in
Diagnosing from codes
New Throttle body
New Haldex pump and service
New front discs, pads and fluid
'A' Service
Regas Aircon
MOT

£1530

FML.

daveb500 wrote:

You can buy a diagnostic blue tooth reader on ebay for a few £, and a free app for your smart phone, this will give you the fault code, and allow you to clear it as well. The fault code will allow you to trace what the issue is. No need to go to expensive stealers.