Austrian Technical idiots

[keithjh]

Hi All,

Having just returned from an overland trip to Bosnia, with several other Land Rover Owners, i have some advice never break down in Austria and if you do make sure you have your own spares and spanners.

Anyway one of the vehicles as 300TDI Disco broke down near Villach in Austria, at this point i was in Bosnia 250 miles away, basic problem was expansion tank goosed engine overheated, The AA european breakdown service towed said Disco to Villach Land Rover main agent, this is where the fun started 2 days to get a expansion tank cost nearly £50, fitted tank started truck blowing water out of header tank like a volcano, refused to order a head gasket until stripped, that would be another 2 days and could not strip for 2 days, would not order head set either, finally admitted they dont do repairs only servicing, what sort of main dealer is this i think.

So know only thing left for it i drive back 250 miles strip head off under a street lamp, replace gasket plus head, (only took a spare head with me at last minute) as its warped like a banana and we return to bosnia together quicker than Land Rover Austria could have got the bloody head off, left Bosnia to Austria at 1230 was back in Bosnia in less than 24 hours It would probably have taken them a week to find out the head was warped as i am sure they would have put the head back on, without checking to see if it was warped, and then spent another 2 days thinking about it.

So the moral is do not go to Austria without spares and spanners.

And to cap it all in Bosnia, we needed a Radiator and CV joint, found them on the shelf at a garage but for the pricely sum of Euros 500 0r about £400

So take your spanners and spares if you ever go to that part of the world, as spares they wont have and dont know one end of a spanner from a hammer.

Keith

[BogMonster]

You didn't mention the war or something did you?

[JimAttrill]

Of course the 200/300tdi head was designed in Graz, which is in Austria (well it was last time I looked)

[Guest diesel_jim]

Villach is where my mum comes from.

Strange that you got that service, as there's quite a lot of defenders out in that neck of the woods.

I'd contact LR head orifice (Or TATA) and just let them know how cr@p their dealers are...... what if you were doing the job at home...how you supposed to get spares then?

[q-rover]

I used to live in Linz.

[Mo Murphy]

I had a holiday in Innsbruck once.

[FridgeFreezer]

You take a spare head on holiday

When my header tank developed a weep, a Russian chappy soldered it up for me for approximately nothing. It's still going strong now.

[q-rover]

You take a spare head on holiday

Obviously he is Worzel Gummage.

[JimAttrill]

There is a village in north Austria called fücking (ignore the umlaut I put it in to fool the system). They get annoyed because Brit tourists steal their signposts.