July 2011
Given the lack of dealer attention coupled with my ability to carry out maintenance on a reactionary basis rather than a preventative one I supose it's not very surprising I get caught out every so often!
There we were on our way back from the supermarket on a particularly hot Sunday when the A.C.E. pump (that had been loosing oil for a while) decided to shed all it's oil and then oveheat to the point that it started to burn the oil seals in it. Needless to say I had to pull over rather swiftly coming to a halt on the verge of a rather busy trunk road with white smoke billowing out from under the bonnet.
I jumped out, trotted round to the passenger door to reach in to the bonnet release. Having done that I suggested the wife get out to be safe, she of course didn't want to do something I was suggesting and proceeded to argue the point. Meanwhile I'm going to open the bonnet to find the source of the smoke and look to deal with it, at this point she joins me at the front of the car shouting at me not to open it, how was I supposed to extinguish the apparent fire without opening the bonnet?
Anyway, on opening the bonnet it quickly became apparent what had happened (nothing clever, smoke billowing from the underside of the A.C.E. pump gave it away!). Nothing for it but to call for roadside assistance.
This was clearly never meant to be the solution as three calls and an hour later we were told there would be yet another 75 minutes before a patrol man might get to us. So in true Landy owner fashion I set about removing the serpentine belt with no more tools than pocket knife and a wheel brace. This took a little while but with persistence I got there. We were only two to three miles from home so a slow cautious drive (no power steering, cooling pump, brake servo or alternator) and we got home without the ‘Knights of the Road’.
Well saga told we’ve now sourced a second hand pump which should arrive Wednesday or Thursday so fingers crossed it was the pump that was leaking originally and this will return us to full serviceability.
Oh yes, a lesson learnt - if you’ve got a leak, investigate and cure it before it becomes a real problem!
NOT SO FAST!!!!!
The pump arrived as promised, it was fitted in quick time and £20.00 worth of fluid added. It self bled and came up to pressure no problem. That is apart from the fountain of fluid spouting from one of the high pressure pipes to the rear ram. Well a lot of internet searching and 'phone calls and it was looking bad, arround £200.00 just for the pipes and several tails of ongoing woe on various forums. A bit more searching and the wife sourced a pair of used pipes for just £45.00 including carriage. Happy days once again.
You'd think that would be it for now but oh no!
All the ACE fitted and working it was time for a test drive. Well as I drove the car away from my drive I could hear what sounded like metal to metal on one of the rear wheels so I decided to reverse back onto the drive. As I did so I got the dreaded 'ping ping' of one of the many warning alarms and the ABS, Traction Control and Hill Decent warning lights all lit up on the dash. Here we go again!
On investigation the metal to metal sound was a rear brake pad that then came loose, turned in the caliper and took out the ABS sensor before exiting to end up laying in the back of the road wheel.
Another day's delay to source brake pads, another evening to fit them to both rear brakes and all seems good again. That is apart from no ABS, Traction Control or Hill Decent due to waiting whilst soucing a new sensor. These cost about £75 new so we're looking for a 'used' one. That's now found and due to arrive soon. When that's fitted my freindly local independant garage will be needed to reset the electronics. Oh the joys of modern engineering!
There we were on our way back from the supermarket on a particularly hot Sunday when the A.C.E. pump (that had been loosing oil for a while) decided to shed all it's oil and then oveheat to the point that it started to burn the oil seals in it. Needless to say I had to pull over rather swiftly coming to a halt on the verge of a rather busy trunk road with white smoke billowing out from under the bonnet.
I jumped out, trotted round to the passenger door to reach in to the bonnet release. Having done that I suggested the wife get out to be safe, she of course didn't want to do something I was suggesting and proceeded to argue the point. Meanwhile I'm going to open the bonnet to find the source of the smoke and look to deal with it, at this point she joins me at the front of the car shouting at me not to open it, how was I supposed to extinguish the apparent fire without opening the bonnet?
Anyway, on opening the bonnet it quickly became apparent what had happened (nothing clever, smoke billowing from the underside of the A.C.E. pump gave it away!). Nothing for it but to call for roadside assistance.
This was clearly never meant to be the solution as three calls and an hour later we were told there would be yet another 75 minutes before a patrol man might get to us. So in true Landy owner fashion I set about removing the serpentine belt with no more tools than pocket knife and a wheel brace. This took a little while but with persistence I got there. We were only two to three miles from home so a slow cautious drive (no power steering, cooling pump, brake servo or alternator) and we got home without the ‘Knights of the Road’.
Well saga told we’ve now sourced a second hand pump which should arrive Wednesday or Thursday so fingers crossed it was the pump that was leaking originally and this will return us to full serviceability.
Oh yes, a lesson learnt - if you’ve got a leak, investigate and cure it before it becomes a real problem!
NOT SO FAST!!!!!
The pump arrived as promised, it was fitted in quick time and £20.00 worth of fluid added. It self bled and came up to pressure no problem. That is apart from the fountain of fluid spouting from one of the high pressure pipes to the rear ram. Well a lot of internet searching and 'phone calls and it was looking bad, arround £200.00 just for the pipes and several tails of ongoing woe on various forums. A bit more searching and the wife sourced a pair of used pipes for just £45.00 including carriage. Happy days once again.
You'd think that would be it for now but oh no!
All the ACE fitted and working it was time for a test drive. Well as I drove the car away from my drive I could hear what sounded like metal to metal on one of the rear wheels so I decided to reverse back onto the drive. As I did so I got the dreaded 'ping ping' of one of the many warning alarms and the ABS, Traction Control and Hill Decent warning lights all lit up on the dash. Here we go again!
On investigation the metal to metal sound was a rear brake pad that then came loose, turned in the caliper and took out the ABS sensor before exiting to end up laying in the back of the road wheel.
Another day's delay to source brake pads, another evening to fit them to both rear brakes and all seems good again. That is apart from no ABS, Traction Control or Hill Decent due to waiting whilst soucing a new sensor. These cost about £75 new so we're looking for a 'used' one. That's now found and due to arrive soon. When that's fitted my freindly local independant garage will be needed to reset the electronics. Oh the joys of modern engineering!