Need your help - Urgent - Service Shop Problems
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jul 2010
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Need your help - Urgent - Service Shop Problems
I need your help bad...please read.
2002 LR Disco II
187000 miles
I have owned it for 7 years
About 2 weeks ago I took my 2002 LR Disco (180K) in for a power steering leak. It is a local service shop, not a LR service shop. I have used them in the past with good luck. They diagnosed the problem as a high pressure power steering hose, not a bad head gasket. They indicated the hose needed to be replaced ($110) and the labor was going to be $440. When asked why it was so expensive they indicated, they needed to take out the radiator to replace the part. (Also, please note I placed the call at my work where all the calls are recorded. So I can pull this call back up.) They fixed the hose and I paid the $550.
A week later, we decide to go on a camping trip. We packed the vehicle and drove about 150 miles. Everything went good until the drive home.
I was driving down the interstate and I noticed the truck's temp gauge was completely below the cold mark and a orange indicator light was on. I immediately took the next exit which was a mile from the time I noticed the light was on. I got lucky and pulled into a wayside. Upon pulling into the parking spot, the vehicle was smoking a ton! I waited for a minute or 2 and popped the hood. Two nice truck drivers came over to inspect the vehicle with me. The engine was HOT HOT HOT! I noticed oil bubbling by the head gasket even. Not a lot but, you could tell the engine was mighty warm. We noticed a hose was hanging with the clamp still on it. It was the radiator top hose that all the anti-freeze came from that blew up on the engine and caused the smoke. All the anti freeze was gone.
We waited for the engine to cool about 30 minutes. I was able to put the clamp back on and we slowly poured anti freeze into the vehicle. We went slow not to pour a lot in to cause damage by adding warm anti freeze to a hot engine.
Once full, I pulled the vehicle in a new clean spot to check for leaks. We let the LR run for about 10 minutes before I ventured off. The temp was good and so was the pressure in the hoses.
I hopped back on the interstate and upon acceleration, I could tell the vehicle no longer had much power and it sounded different. Before I could put the blinker on for the next exit (which was about 2 miles from the wayside), the LR started to overheat again. I pulled over and popped the hood. No leaks, except from the radiator cap. It was like a pressure cooker! It was steaming more than ever with some of the fluid barely squirting out by the cap. However, you could tell the pressure was great and the engine was again hot.
I was stranded! I knew better than to drive it hot again. I called my parents who fortunatley were still in the area. They gave me and my girlfriend a ride back home, which is about 2 hours away.
The next day I called the service shop to let them know what happened. I indicated the hose that they last touched less than 160 miles ago, came off which cause all my anti-freeze to leak out. I also mentioned the over heating and the engine sounded different and had no power. The manager seemed to be very understanding and told me to bring it in asap. So a few days later when work permitted, I was able to get it towed back to the shop.
Today he called and said the head gasket was blown and I had anti-freeze in the crank case. He indicated that he spoke with "the boys" and they did not have to take the radiator out the week before to fix my power steering hose. They never touched the hose that came undone. My first question was, "why did your service rep tell me the reason why labor was so expensive was because they have to pull the radiator to get to the hose?" He said, "well they were able to work around it without pulling it out." I told him it seemed odd then that they did not discount the price of the service earlier since it was easier that they expect. He said nothing. He told me that the overheating was from the blown head gasket and not hose coming off anyway. So they are taking no accountability at all for this issue.
I guess my question for you guys is it possible to change the high pressure hose for the power steering with out taking out the radiator and hoses? What are your thoughts/suggestions/advice on this? I am not a slim ball who is trying to get something for free but it seems like I got lied to at some point throughout the process.
Thanks for reading this long post and your comments are appreciated.
Robert
2002 LR Disco II
187000 miles
I have owned it for 7 years
About 2 weeks ago I took my 2002 LR Disco (180K) in for a power steering leak. It is a local service shop, not a LR service shop. I have used them in the past with good luck. They diagnosed the problem as a high pressure power steering hose, not a bad head gasket. They indicated the hose needed to be replaced ($110) and the labor was going to be $440. When asked why it was so expensive they indicated, they needed to take out the radiator to replace the part. (Also, please note I placed the call at my work where all the calls are recorded. So I can pull this call back up.) They fixed the hose and I paid the $550.
A week later, we decide to go on a camping trip. We packed the vehicle and drove about 150 miles. Everything went good until the drive home.
I was driving down the interstate and I noticed the truck's temp gauge was completely below the cold mark and a orange indicator light was on. I immediately took the next exit which was a mile from the time I noticed the light was on. I got lucky and pulled into a wayside. Upon pulling into the parking spot, the vehicle was smoking a ton! I waited for a minute or 2 and popped the hood. Two nice truck drivers came over to inspect the vehicle with me. The engine was HOT HOT HOT! I noticed oil bubbling by the head gasket even. Not a lot but, you could tell the engine was mighty warm. We noticed a hose was hanging with the clamp still on it. It was the radiator top hose that all the anti-freeze came from that blew up on the engine and caused the smoke. All the anti freeze was gone.
We waited for the engine to cool about 30 minutes. I was able to put the clamp back on and we slowly poured anti freeze into the vehicle. We went slow not to pour a lot in to cause damage by adding warm anti freeze to a hot engine.
Once full, I pulled the vehicle in a new clean spot to check for leaks. We let the LR run for about 10 minutes before I ventured off. The temp was good and so was the pressure in the hoses.
I hopped back on the interstate and upon acceleration, I could tell the vehicle no longer had much power and it sounded different. Before I could put the blinker on for the next exit (which was about 2 miles from the wayside), the LR started to overheat again. I pulled over and popped the hood. No leaks, except from the radiator cap. It was like a pressure cooker! It was steaming more than ever with some of the fluid barely squirting out by the cap. However, you could tell the pressure was great and the engine was again hot.
I was stranded! I knew better than to drive it hot again. I called my parents who fortunatley were still in the area. They gave me and my girlfriend a ride back home, which is about 2 hours away.
The next day I called the service shop to let them know what happened. I indicated the hose that they last touched less than 160 miles ago, came off which cause all my anti-freeze to leak out. I also mentioned the over heating and the engine sounded different and had no power. The manager seemed to be very understanding and told me to bring it in asap. So a few days later when work permitted, I was able to get it towed back to the shop.
Today he called and said the head gasket was blown and I had anti-freeze in the crank case. He indicated that he spoke with "the boys" and they did not have to take the radiator out the week before to fix my power steering hose. They never touched the hose that came undone. My first question was, "why did your service rep tell me the reason why labor was so expensive was because they have to pull the radiator to get to the hose?" He said, "well they were able to work around it without pulling it out." I told him it seemed odd then that they did not discount the price of the service earlier since it was easier that they expect. He said nothing. He told me that the overheating was from the blown head gasket and not hose coming off anyway. So they are taking no accountability at all for this issue.
I guess my question for you guys is it possible to change the high pressure hose for the power steering with out taking out the radiator and hoses? What are your thoughts/suggestions/advice on this? I am not a slim ball who is trying to get something for free but it seems like I got lied to at some point throughout the process.
Thanks for reading this long post and your comments are appreciated.
Robert
Last edited by rbaker; Aug 1, 2011 at 06:56 PM.
No. I did both hoses and the pump, the radiator never had to come out. I did take the hoses off though.
My 2 cents. They took the hoses off and forgot to tighten a clamp, or over tightened one, and it blew off. The thermostat is usually the place that happens. Then when it overheated you blew the head gasket.
I find blown head gaskets and slipped sleeves are usually because the engine overheated, not the engine is overheating because of a blown head gasket. Although it will once the damage is done ;-)
My 2 cents. They took the hoses off and forgot to tighten a clamp, or over tightened one, and it blew off. The thermostat is usually the place that happens. Then when it overheated you blew the head gasket.
I find blown head gaskets and slipped sleeves are usually because the engine overheated, not the engine is overheating because of a blown head gasket. Although it will once the damage is done ;-)
They screwed it up, they need to fix it.
Call a attorney tomorrow and have him call the shop.
And unless you tell the other person that the phone call is being recorded you cannot use that in court.
Call a attorney tomorrow and have him call the shop.
And unless you tell the other person that the phone call is being recorded you cannot use that in court.
dealers will tell you the same thing when it comes to selling work. You write it up as the most amount of work on the planet, but then turn around and move stuff out of the way.
that being said, they were the last to touch it, they are biting the bullet on this one. like spike said, call a lawyer.
that being said, they were the last to touch it, they are biting the bullet on this one. like spike said, call a lawyer.
Pro Wrench
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,918
Likes: 86
From: St Louis MO
You can if you live in Missouri, and 37 other states that allow "one party consent". Well, I haven't bothered looking up the ability to use it in court, just the legalities of the actual recording. One party consent states allow recordings as long as one party knows they are being recorded (and it may be the party doing the recording).
Mudding
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Elizabeth City, NC
You can if you live in Missouri, and 37 other states that allow "one party consent". Well, I haven't bothered looking up the ability to use it in court, just the legalities of the actual recording. One party consent states allow recordings as long as one party knows they are being recorded (and it may be the party doing the recording).
Get a lawyer, or someone who is good at pretending to "be" a lawyer for a couple hours. Nobody wants to get sued. I used to be a paralegal, and a lot of times all it takes is a couple phone calls in a mean threatening voice from someone claiming to be a lawyer.
This is something that will never go to court, they will fix your head gaskets and they will do it for free, if you get a "lawyer" that can talk mean enough, or write a mean letter (on something that resembles a law firm's letterhead). First thing to do is go to the shop and talk to the owner, not the manager, tell him/her that before the power steering hose there was no problems, after the power steering hose it overheated because of a loose radiator hose. Say it firmly and confidently in your big boy voice. If you don't have a big boy voice get someone who does. Tell the owner that if he/she does not fix your car for free you will get a lawyer and this will go to court. Meanwhile you will tell everyone you meet about the terrible service and how your car got screwed up. Remind him/her that one unsatisfied customer compounds exponentially.
Your car will get fixed. I used to do this for a living, now i use my powers to benefit others, you are welcome.
Winching
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 514
Likes: 5
From: IL
A High Pressure power steering hose is routed underneath the radiator and I don't believe it can be removed without the radiator being removed.
Last month I had the radiator out for an engine change and this line under the radiator was very corroded so I spent the 100$ on the part to replace it since like Rover quoted you, the radiator needs to come out to replace it.
LR may debate the clamp that was not secured and they will probably say the removed another clamp if they indeed fess up that they removed the radiator.
Like the previous member suggested your best bet is to draft a letter to the owner stating the facts and if the matter is not resolved that you will take legal action. It will cost you at max $250 to get a well wrote letter from an attorney but I would give it a try myself trying to save a few bucks.
Good Luck
Last month I had the radiator out for an engine change and this line under the radiator was very corroded so I spent the 100$ on the part to replace it since like Rover quoted you, the radiator needs to come out to replace it.
LR may debate the clamp that was not secured and they will probably say the removed another clamp if they indeed fess up that they removed the radiator.
Like the previous member suggested your best bet is to draft a letter to the owner stating the facts and if the matter is not resolved that you will take legal action. It will cost you at max $250 to get a well wrote letter from an attorney but I would give it a try myself trying to save a few bucks.
Good Luck
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kinsella
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