Nearly one year ago I had my 2003 Discovery SE towed to our local dealer, Land Rover of Marin. It suddenly lost all power and wouldn't rev above idle. I was told it was the fuel pump, and later told it was an emissions vaccume tube that took 2 mechanics 6 houys to figure out. Total bill was $1200.00 for a fuel pump, plugs, and some fuel cleaner I didn't need, and a whole bunch of head scratching. I actually had to negotiate this price down from $2600.00.

Anyway, I changed dealer services, just having oil/air filter changes in the last year. I recently had a smog problem, which was eventually solved with the help of this forum and a new MAF. I had the car smogged yesterday, and as it was being tested, the smog technician and I started poking around the engine with a flashlight. "What the hell is that?"

Yep, there was a fuel pressure gauge and 2-feet of tubing from the rear of the intake manifold. The tubing and gauge were just sitting on the mainfold. Unbeliebveable. I guess I should have seen it while I was changing the MAF, but I was working on the opposite end, opposite side.

I took the LR to the Marin dealer, and the service manager was unapologetic and seemingly disinterested with a non-paying customer. The Mechanic came out, looked at the gauge and said "Holy @#$%, I was wondering where that went."

He popped it off, said thanks for returning his gauge, and left me sitting in the parking lot. Thanks a bunch. I wasn't nasty, I didn't yell, and I was patient, even though my wife and twin 2-year olds have been riding around in that car. Why? I had already decided never to return to that dealer again, and it was a waste of my breath. I want nothing to do with them or their dealership again. Ever.

 

Stay away from the stealer. I don't see how it would have hurt anything though.

 

You should have at least kept the gauge.

 

Land Rover of Marin? An oil change must be $275. Head gaskets for $8k.

I found that Bay area mechanics suck real bad...so slammed with cars they don't give a shi@.

 

I agree, you shoulda kept the gauge. **** the dealer.

 

Finders keepers. Especially after what they charged you. I'd a kept it.
Your a good person for returning it though Rob. Good karma for you.

Thought about starting a sticky thread entitled "Dealerships To Stay Away From", but then I realized you should stay away from all of them.

 

To be frank, I thought about removing it myself and keeping it, but with my luck it would have leaked onto the exhaust manifold and caught fire. I figured it was better to have the dealer remove and inspect it so if there was a "complication" down the line, they would have direct liability.

One year bouncing around the engine compartment, who knows what problems it may have caused. BTW, when we found the gauge, it was dangling off the passenger side of the intake mainfold, and was warm to the touch.