This week I had the cam belt etc. replaced on my 2007 TD4 HSE. It's ten years old, with 96k on the clock and in the ten months I've had it I have had no reliability problems at all.

The vehicle was booked in to an independent local to me - who I have used for years - and when I took it in I was told it would be ready to collect the next day. It wasn't; when we got there she was still up in the air and I was told this was due to the slotr in a replacement pulley being wrong - they had get another. Same again the next day.

I picked the vehicle up yesterday at tea time. She was warm as they had just finished testing, and I drove home without problems.

This afternoon I climbed in and she started exactly as normal. I revved her just a bit, and was a bit astonished to hear and feel a judder and a hesitation like a misfire, accompanied by blue-ish smoke in the rear view mirror. Naturally enough I switched off.

Obviously this isn't right. I've never seen smoke from her before, she's never hesitated.

Any ideas? Is she safe to drive?

I would not drive it until the garage decided on how they wish to deal with it. Recover, come and inspect or at their risk ask you to drive it back to them. If the belt slips due to a problem of their making it will ruin the engine, hopefully it’s something or nothing. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Good information, Yorky Bob.

Problem is - if they accept responsibility and ask me to drive it back, then what could I reasonably expect if the engine trashes itself? I can't see them fitting a brand new LR unit, I'm not all that confident about them rebuilding it, and I really don't want one out of a write-off.

In those circumstances what should I hold out for?

Have it recovered then. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Sounds a bit odd "slot in a replacement pulley". Why do you need to change a pulley to do a cambelt? I wonder if they are referring to the cam belt tensioner perhaps coming loose so that the belt jumped a notch or two when you revved it. Other possibility is they left the woodruff key out of the bottom pulley and relied on the tightness of the bolt to hold it in position with similar effect when it slips perhaps after a heating/cooling cycle. I definitely wouldn't drive it and there is a possibility of valve damage already, it only takes one turn of the engine to do it. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Recovery is the option I was thinking of, Yorky Bob.

Dorset Freelander - yes a keyway was mentioned, in the context of needing a replacement pulley. I really didn't take much notice at the time - I had faith in the garage when they told me it that it would be sorted. Your comment about the heating/cooling cycle has resonance.

Oh dear!

Given the circumstances would I be better off just getting it back to the garage on a recovery vehicle or should I get a different firm to look at it first?

In my opinion.

You need to get the firm that has done the job to take the responsibility to sort it out as it could be quite serious.

They need to inspect it and decide how to deal with it and you need to be quite firm that you do not intend to drive it in case you do any serous damage. They need to attend your home to inspect or recover it to their workshop at their expense.

Update us to what eventually sorts this out and why your car had this problem please. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Recovery to the garage is being arranged. They were most helpful on the phone. I will update with more news.

This is a bit of a pain. Having a cam/timing belt done is a precautionary service matter, the vehicle was perfectly functional when I took it in, this is the sixth day I'm without it. And as we all know, things could get a lot worse!

Dammit.

Feel your pain. Hope all gets sorted quickly. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Update:

I've just spoken to the garage proprietor. His man is working on it right now, they reckon the problem is electrical and will be fixed within the hour. Fingers crossed

Funnily enough the matter was discussed while clay shooting on Sunday, and a chap told me the symptoms sounded very much like the EGR valve not plugged back in to the electrics, or something like that.

We will see.

 FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

was reading yesterday that some young woman had taken her little Citroen to a Kwik Fit garage as there was a STOP warning light on the dash.
They diagnosed it as a failed air con system and told her it would be £680 to fix............ the car didn't even have air con !!

 FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

charlesp wrote:

Update:

I've just spoken to the garage proprietor. His man is working on it right now, they reckon the problem is electrical and will be fixed within the hour. Fingers crossed

Funnily enough the matter was discussed while clay shooting on Sunday, and a chap told me the symptoms sounded very much like the EGR valve not plugged back in to the electrics, or something like that.

We will see.

I hope that's it an easy fix

Me too!