Evening.
First time driving to Italy for seven years, have done at least 50k trouble free miles in europe over the years.
Spent two weeks before leaving prepping the disco 4, she had such a good going over it's unreal.
Dream journey to our first overnight stop in Macon, and literally at the doors of the hotel she decided she didn't want her power steering fluid any longer. Nothing obvious as she emptied reservoir really quickly so nothing spurting out and there was fluid absolutely everywhere anyway. Saturday night at 7pm. Rang RAC. They let us down a bit (not a priority as not on a motorway, no small kids etc). Spoke again slightly more forcefully this morning, a mechanic was sent out but he was in reality a recovery truck driver. Nowhere open on a Sunday to buy some p/s fluid or atf to do a test to see where the leak was. So she got hauled off on a big yellow taxi to be dropped at LR in Macon tomorrow, all happened in a bit of a blur.
After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing we've now got a hire car from Lyon airport and have arrived in Annecy as planned. We only have the hire car for 3 days so can get to our place in Italy tomorrow, and drop the hire car locally over there.
However......I'm very nervous of main dealers, their overcharging and malaise, and of course could end up booked for 3 weeks which will completely screw us up.
So my question to you all is this:-

Anyone got any contacts around the Macon area like a trusted independent etc who I could pay to step in and sort it effectively for me? Would be likely worth having the old girl moved.

Many thanks guys.

John
Post #23416409th Jul 2023 9:32 pm
View user's profile Send private message 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Any competent garage could help your issue, nothing special about a PAS leak, best asking around locally...

Good luck  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Also, make sure it's Cold Climate Power Steering Fluid that you put in it and not ATF  2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

I can't help with the Macon contact unfortunately, but I had a similar experience of being stranded recently - drove all the way to the Alps and then just 20 miles from our destination, the car's display showed "gearbox fault" and the car stopped. 1am and we were in the middle of nowhere.

RAC experience similar to yours - a truck eventually delivered it to a LR dealer who told me it needed a new gearbox at a cost of €11k(!) They then said there was a shortage of parts so they could not fix it until September (this was July).

So I got the car transported back to my local LR dealer in the UK where I have a decent relationship and some goodwill. It took forever, and there was plenty of hassle with hire cars, and eventually a train journey back home, but I just could not get comfortable with what the French LR dealer were telling me and was anxious that I would end up paying way too much.

Punchline was that the UK LR dealer "replaced a valve" on the gearbox and it was apparently fixed, so in the end felt like I'd very much made the right decision, even though it took months to get resolved. 2024 Range Rover P550e AB

Just to hopefully put this to bed. Now en route back to UK with the Disco.
After a lot of bad info from the breakdown company's european partners, we found the car had been moved. Twice. It never went near LR.
The independent garage who were affiliated to recovery tool almost two weeks to repair the car, new high pressure hose. Has cost a fair amount of money of associated accomodation, being overcharged for the repair, and a tyre miraculously being damaged on the journey off and on their trucks and ramp (100 percent wasnt when we last saw it as I did a walk around.

The garage and the breakdown company were not great to be honest. I will be checking their work when back in blighty and sucking out the universal ps fluid to replace with the right stuff.
Damage looked almost identical to the other person posting on this thread - I wonder if the shaped hoses soften and move too close to the fan, and then possibly 'pulse' when on full lock bringing them into contact, as it blew when executing a real tight manoeuvre. 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

To add.
What I would have done differently looking back is handled it myself however I could. Either by transporting the car the 800km to our place in Italy for me or a local garage to.sort (who i could 'control' somewhat), or by having either my mechanic pal fly to France with a hold suitcase of tools,the bits and met him there, or had him come over with the trailer and tools etc.
Live and learn. A very simple repair that gained more arms and legs than an octopus has tentacles, and so much stress........
Anyway, now en route to Calais..... 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.....

I have heard of lots of similar stories of recovery on the continent and the useless garages and unknown damage appearing...

At least you are on your way now...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-