Agreed they are very complicated after all it's a Landrover product...
Main dealers are overpriced and very often without knowledge and training (apprentice's usually carry out the service work no doubt whilst gawping at their phone) just as Phil and Grant down the arches are cheap but also without knowledge so a well respected Independent specialist is the safer and more cost effective option IMHO of course. 94 Disco 300 TDI Gone
96 Defender 300 TDI Gone...Should have kept it.
2003 Freelander ES TD4 Gone
2002 Defender TD5 Gone
2005 Freelander HSE TD4 Gone
2015 Freelander 2 Metropolis Keeping for now!

Sperly wrote:

CED wrote:

Get your local garage to do it £350 and avoid main dealers and so called special independents . Never have seen the point in having a mechanic who wants to charge £100 or more per hour. It’s only a car for god sake , what makes you all think it’s such a complicated machine

With the greatest of respect, any modern Land Rover is a highly complicated bit of machinery compared to "just a car".

Each to their own, naturally......

There is nothing special about the TD4/SD4 engine. Its just an ordinary 21st century car engine originating from PSA group. Jules

Exactly, any mechanic worth his salt can work on such an outdated vehicle engine . As for the issues of special knowledge, I think main dealers are the last place you want to be looking .As an example. I had the dreaded fuel gauge reading low problem, asked my local garage who I trust explicitly, and he said it was perfectly possible to do this modification without removing the tank completely , result £130 plus vat. Well happy. All this main dealer £800/900 price is just one big rip off.

I certainly concur regarding Main Dealers. They charge on average >£160+vat/hr, yet pay the apprentice who is cutting his teeth less than £20, so yes, best avoided.

In the interests of objectivity, I will temper my earlier comment with the following. Yes, the engine is relatively easy to work on if that is your fortè. For the average owner however, it's not an option.

Mechanical knowledge aside, the single biggest issue for the average mechanic to get his head around is knowing how to access the defective part in the first place. As an example, recently my SD4 developed a leaking EGR Cooler gasket. Part was only £15, however.......

Main Dealer labour rate alone (3.0 units) £480+ vat

Local mechanic with no knowledge or experience of Land Rover Freelanders £350' ish (with no guarantee of how good the job would turn out)

Independant LR Specialist with plenty of experience in Freelanders....2 hours labour @ £100/hour

Now, which do you think that I plumped for?

With respect Sperly ., I still say the engine is the ancient Peugeot/Ford diesel unit than any garage of any repute has worked on countless times , so I don’t see where any problems should arise.

You pays ya money you takes ya choice, when I look to buy a car the mere sniff of a Halfords/Bobs garage stamp in the service book does not fill me with joy, an up to date service history by a respected Independent goes a long way to offsetting the cheaper price good old Bob might charge for servicing compared to the resale price when its time to move it on. 94 Disco 300 TDI Gone
96 Defender 300 TDI Gone...Should have kept it.
2003 Freelander ES TD4 Gone
2002 Defender TD5 Gone
2005 Freelander HSE TD4 Gone
2015 Freelander 2 Metropolis Keeping for now!

Here here. Which probably explains why I recently got nearly £13k for my fast-approaching 8 year old HSE Lux. Look after it and prove that you have, and your resale price will be significantly higher. No brainer in the long run.

Best to play the Long game if you want to retain a decent value in your FL2  94 Disco 300 TDI Gone
96 Defender 300 TDI Gone...Should have kept it.
2003 Freelander ES TD4 Gone
2002 Defender TD5 Gone
2005 Freelander HSE TD4 Gone
2015 Freelander 2 Metropolis Keeping for now!