I have a coolant leak and it's affecting my alternator (like many have as I've seen on the web). I have found where the leak was coming from the engine vent hose. Does anybody have any idea where this is located and how to fix? Has anybody had this problem and fixed it? Any information would be a great help.

 

they were recalled a long time ago better make sure it was replaced at the dealer.

 

No Recall. Just a Technical Service Bulletin. TB-0081. The fix was to install a new quick connector and hose from the engine to the coolant tank. $5.96 from the dealer. Took me less than 5 minutes to fix it myself. Its upsetting that this cheap part may foul a very expensive alternator.

 

I believe all recalls have an associated Technical Service Bulletin (TSB). Other TSB's are informational-only and not recall status.

In this particular case, I checked my old service receipts for my 2008 LR2 and found that my LR dealer replaced this overflow hose (part # LR019341) as a recall item. My receipt says it was recall campaign Q081.

 

A quick search found this:

Letter dated Dec. 14, 2009
RE: service Action Q081-Si6 Engine Vent Hose Coolant Leak
LR2 2008-2010

"Land Rover has identified a concern regarding a coolant leak @ the quick connector joint securing a vent hose to the engine. The coolant leak is a drip; therefore, a vehicle may lose coolant over extended length of time. The loss in coolant could lead to engine overheating issues which in turn could trigger the reduced performance strategy.

Additionally, because of the proximity of the hose to alternator, there is a concern that over time the alternator may not keep the battery fully charged which may affect vehicle starting."

"Contact your LR Retailer for an appointment to have Service Action Q081 completed. The repair process should take no longer than 15 minutes."

 

It's disappointing that the Land Rover dealer never notified me or thousands of other owners of this inexpensive fix that could save their engine or alternator. I took my lr2 to the dealer exclusively from 2009-2013 for everything. They never once mentioned a bulletin and that I should have it fixed. During my warranty period, I had several airbag sensors replaced. 2 days after my warranty ran out another airbag sensor failed. I took it to them and told them one of the sensors they replaced failed again and that it should be fixed for free since it was done under warranty. They told me it was a different sensor this time and that it would be $1200 to fix it. 2 days out of warranty! It was at that point I stopped going to the dealer. I've basically told everyone I know never to buy a landrover product because of the amount of issues I've had with it. Next problem I see in the schedule of lr2 problems is the rear diff problem. I'm already saving up for that.

 

Are you having as issue with your alternator?

And they probably did replace the hose, and you might not have noticed it being on the invoice, as it was covered by warranty. What color was the fitting on the hose that you removed?

 

Yes, my alternator is having issues. The light is coming on for at least 10 minutes out of each drive I take.
And no, they did not replace the hose even though it was under warranty when the bulletin was issued in 2010. I Had my car in there for oil changes and many other issues that year. The service adviser told me they don't replace anything that isn't under a recall. They would have to had seen a problem occuring to go ahead and replace it. The fitting on the hose that was leaking on my car was white. I replaced it with a black one.

 

Ok, your dealership is in the wrong then.

It was not a recall, however it was a service action. Service actions show up on the DDW, and are supposed to be taken care of when the vehicle is in for service, not like a TSB where it is more of a reminder to the tech of what could be causing an issue. This one particularly has 4 options to it when preformed, the first two being to check to see if it is the new style hose, and go no further if it is. This basically means that it is not a 'fix if there is a problem' but fix it if it has not already been fixed.

Call your dealership, and ask them if the Q081 is open in your DDW, all they will need is the last 8 of your VIN, and you can call any LR dealership.

If it is, I would be speaking to the manager at the dealership that you were using, as it should have been done(unless you declined it being done due to time, ie wanted your vehicle back asap and didn't want the extra 15 minute repair handled)

Unlike a recall, a service action does expire, and does not go beyond the warranty period, so from LR there is nothing, however it does seem that your dealership did not properly handle the situation, which LR did handle correctly by pretty much saying if you ever took an LR2 to the dealership while under warranty, your hose should have been checked to be correct, and replaced if it wasn't, despite it leaking or not.

 

To gather more information, you might want to buy/borrow an ODB2 Scanner and check if you have any DTC codes that are specific to the alternator or something else.