SDK23 Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Whilst on a holiday to Portugal our Land Rover let us down once again! Saturday 8th November - Didnt start...flat battery Tuesday 11th November - Failed to start again, in the middle of using it throughout the day and when the engine was still warm. Wednesday 12th November - There was a terrible smell whilst driving, then the window on the passenger side misted up. We stopped immediately at service station on the motorway. The battery was smoking and leaking sulphuric acid. Phoned Landrover Assistance and waited 2 hours for a breakdown truck, who took it to the garage in Lisbon where they assured us there would be a spare battery to replace it. Another hour later a taxi arrived for us and took us to the garage, who then told us they didn’t have a battery and that the garage which did was at the other side of Lisbon, but would be shut in 45 minutes and therefore we would have to wait until tomorrow morning which involves a journey of 200km each way. We went to the airport by taxi to collect small hire car. Drove 200km back. Thursday 13 November - Drove back 200km to Lisbon to collect car which they said would be ready by 11.00am. At 11.00am the battery hadn’t even arrived. We waited there all day, whilst they shut for lunch. In the evening there was no hope as they hadn’t solved the problem, so had to go back to the airport to change car for a van which they promised as a suitable replacement (to put a hot air balloon in). Arrived to be given a Peugeot Partner! Friday 12 November - Still no news, they told us they couldn’t find the fault as the acid had got in the electronics so would be on Monday. Sunday 14 November - We left Portgual for 980km journey to Spain, having to leave the trailer in Portugal, which will involve another 2 days journey and petrol to collect it as the hire car replacement was not a suitable replacement and had no tow bar. Phoned Landrover Assistance, who agreed that, bearing in mind the Portuguese garage had kept the car for 3 days without any progress, it would be a good idea to transfer the car to Benidorm as the garage there knew the car very well and its history of problems. Monday 15 November - The Portuguese garage were not happy to release car as said they had ordered a part for it. Agreed that if the part had not arrived by Tuesday evening the car could go to Benidorm. Wedneday 17 November - The Portuguese garage bought in a specialist technician, who took photos, and claim that we had washed off the engine with water, and therefore the blame was ours and the work would therefore not be covered by warranty!!!! Basically, whole experience of the car’s problems we had last week has been unbelievable, compounded by the lack of help from the Landrover garage in Portugal, Landrover in Spain and the head office in England, who kept referring the matter back to Spain. The last straw was yesterday when we were accused of causing the problem and in order to release the car from the garage in Portugal we would have to pay the bill of over 400€ personally, even though the car is under warranty. It is not the first problem we have had with the car either. Two years ago, again in Portugal, the drive-shaft broke and we had to leave both the car and trailer there as well. Again, we were told we were to blame as we had driven the car off-road! Apart from this side of matters, we have had the misfortune of losing 2 days of our holiday in Portugal. Also, the inconvenience and worry of having to leave the trailer there with it’s expensive contents and the costs of retuning to collect it this weekend with a borrowed car, which will involve another 2days, an overnight hotel and another 2000km worth of petrol and tolls, which in themselves amount to over 400€. To summarise, we have lost a total of 4 days messing-around unnecessarily, incurred extra hundreds of Euros-worth in petrol, tolls and phone costs, and to top it off, have been accused of washing off the engine (never have done anything even similar, and in effect, this would not have had any bearing on the problem!) and therefore WE would have to be liable for repair fees! After all this, we STILL have no car! The question is, how can a battery exploding not be a warranty item, even if the engine has been washed (which it was not)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparg Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 this positively horrendous! - Kafkaesque. I still can't figure possible causes for the battery to explode. Certainly makes you tempted to get a Toyota! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Your alternator is the problem. Boiled batteries are caused by excessive overcharging. If they had fitted a new battery - it would have done the same thing again. (not much help now though) Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisV8 Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Sorry but my answer was to go and buy a Jeep Patriot 100% reliable VW mechanics As Les says sounds like a goosed alternator boiled the battery not nice or good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blippie Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 So Toyotas and Jeeps don't have batteries? Cheers Blippie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jårv Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 The battery has died and you leave it in the capable hands of a portuguese mechanic ..... and then you think it's your landrover's fault ?? Okay then.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llanigraham Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 1st post and you do nothing but knock what is not and cannot be LR's problem........ This could have happened to any car of any make!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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