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madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

Broken V8 (2 cars in 3 months, both broken)

Any ideas appreciated..

I bought a new Carpathian V8 in February, it had a gearbox fault which they failed to fix in 3 months so after 3,000 grumbly miles they bought it back.

Foolishly I assumed this would be a one-off so bought another brand new one (both were cancelled orders from two different dealers) 4 weeks ago.

On Saturday we drove down to a rented house in Burgundy. As the car passed through a massive 800 total miles a message came up telling me to add 1.0 litres of oil. Weird I thought.

So I bought some oil and put 0.5l in. There is no dipstick and the computer just told me “system unavailable” when I asked it how much oil was in the engine.

5 minutes later it told me to add 1.0l of oil.

So we stopped and put the other 0.5l in, so +1.0l total.

5 minutes later it told me to add another 1.0l of oil, I parked at the next French services, looked underneath, no leaks but with another bit to drive thought better safe than sorry so bought and added another 1.0l. So +2.0l now.

Continued the journey and of course it shortly asked for another 1.0l of oil.

I drove on to our rented house and parked up. After 30 minutes the computer finally got an oil reading and told me it was overfilled.. at the same time when i start the engine it tells me to add 1.0l of oil.

So now I am at a house, middle of nowhere in France, with the family and no transport.

Called LR Assist, all very helpful but nothing has happened except for phone calls saying “we are trying to find a local dealer” and “we are unable to find any hire cars”. Clear instruction “Do not even attempt to start the car”.

So I am now calling head office..

I have bought 3 new LR products in the last 3 years, a Disco Sport Hybrid 2 years ago which I sold back to them after 3 months as every time it started it gave a different error message and now two £120k V8 Defenders in a row both of which are borked.

I am so disappointed, I really love the car and have no clue what else I would buy, but at this stage they can have it back.

3rd Jul 2023 10:20am

lrFFM

Member Since: 28 Sep 2017
Location: Frankfurt
Posts: 33

2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green

Hi madcal,

I just read your post. I had the same problem on my brand new Defender V8 back in April.
The car kept on telling me to add 1l of oil, even after I just added oil.
When checking the computer oil reading, it was at full. So I went to the dealer.

When the dealer added another liter of oil, the computer reading showed less oil than before adding more!?! Now everyone was confused. As there was no way of telling how much oil there was actually in the engine, the dealer decided to drain the complete oil. Turns out, there was too much oil added by the factory in the first place and therefore the sensors were completely off!!!

Once the correct amount of oil was added to the engine, the problem was solved. No more warnings and the computer reading remains constant. I have driven 3300 km since.

At least I received a free oil change at 700 km.

Hope this helps,
Dennis

3rd Jul 2023 4:04pm

madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

Very helpful thanks.

My car is currently on a low loader but with an unknown destination… they haven’t found a dealer to fix it yet. Hopefully the same issue.

I now have a Citroen to drive for 5 days, worst case we have to fly home on Saturday then I have to fly back and get the car later.

GRRR

Ps if the factory don’t even know how much oil to put in…..

3rd Jul 2023 4:30pm

lrFFM

Member Since: 28 Sep 2017
Location: Frankfurt
Posts: 33

The P300 and D300 engines need more oil than the V8 (8.8l vs 8.0l). Maybe the person at the factory got confused... 🤔

3rd Jul 2023 4:53pm

madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

According to the LR technician I spoke to they need 8l but have an absolute max of 9.6l. He told me factory fill to around 9 to allow for early burn off. Which means mine is around 11 if we assume a dodgy sensor somewhere. And it still wants more.

Hopefully a drain and refill sorts it.

If not be aware the breakdown cover will cover getting you and a broken car home. But not getting a repaired car home so if it takes longer than a week they will fly us all home then pay to fly me back to get a fixed car later. Nice they cover the costs but a massive PITA.

We had a 110 full to the brim of luggage so really hoping we don’t have to get all that to an airport….you pack differently for a car holiday than a plane one!

3rd Jul 2023 5:45pm

Clemmo

Member Since: 03 Aug 2012
Location: Mile Oak
Posts: 1193

2010 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Stornoway Grey

Feel your pain..hope it gets resolved quickly.

I’m not sure about the Techies info. ‘’ an extra litre for burn off”

Surely not?…Not how engines are built today.

Clemmo Make today a little better than yesterday but not so good as tomorrow....
Defender 90 HT............Pangea Green
BMW X3 Msport............Carbon Black
Mini Electric................Grey. (wow!)
MGB Roadster……..........Vermillion
Honda Benly CD200....Maroon ------------- Chausson 98.........7.5m of fun

3rd Jul 2023 6:12pm

madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

You have to hope that’s not how they are built today but an automated oil fill not getting it right is also hard to believe.

I think a shonky sensor, some part of LR cost cutting somewhere has failed.

We will see, it’s still on a low loader 6 miles from me not even in an LR garage yet

3rd Jul 2023 6:41pm

Moo

Member Since: 01 Oct 2021
Location: Bath
Posts: 1048

I hated not having a dipstick in my D4. I never trusted the computer. Love having a dipstick in my D250. Its crazy how such a simple solution is removed on modern engines. Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy.

3rd Jul 2023 7:27pm

TexasRover

Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 798

2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White

Exactly and why? So many modern cars have no more dipstick. When you buy a used car it is nice to check the quality of the oil!

Stupid

3rd Jul 2023 7:48pm

Defendit..

Member Since: 09 Aug 2020
Location: 's-Hertogenbosch
Posts: 370

lrFFM wrote:
The P300 and D300 engines need more oil than the V8 (8.8l vs 8.0l). Maybe the person at the factory got confused... 🤔

P400 & D200/250/300 needs 8.8 L
P300 & P400e needs 7.0 L No Mud flaps for my 90.!
-----------------------------------------
P300 S MY21 on air, adv.+ offroad pack, DRL+fog, Dinamica Suedecloth + Ebony headliner/Cross Beam- Many Mods..

3rd Jul 2023 11:50pm

madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

Well it’s now on its way to an LR dealer near Lyon. Fingers crossed!

4th Jul 2023 10:45am

lrFFM

Member Since: 28 Sep 2017
Location: Frankfurt
Posts: 33

Defendit.. wrote:
lrFFM wrote:
The P300 and D300 engines need more oil than the V8 (8.8l vs 8.0l). Maybe the person at the factory got confused... 🤔

P400 & D200/250/300 needs 8.8 L
P300 & P400e needs 7.0 L

Thanks. You are absolutely right. I meant to write P400.

Best,
Dennis

4th Jul 2023 10:53am

Huttopia

Member Since: 23 Feb 2016
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1968

madcal wrote:
Well it’s now on its way to an LR dealer near Lyon. Fingers crossed!

Good luck, hope it is an easy fix

4th Jul 2023 1:00pm

madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

Today’s update, it broke on Saturday, it went to the dealer on Tuesday.

I got myself a hire car on Tuesday so at least we don’t have to cycle 20 minutes to the supermarket anymore (first world problems…). LR sent a Taxi to take me from our house to the car hire place which was nice of them.

However, Thursday afternoon and the dealer are still waiting info from LR on what to do about it; draining oil and refilling to correct level is a no-brainier it seems but they are worried the “fill me up with oil” message may mean something is properly wrong so are waiting for guidance.

We have to leave our rented house on Saturday at 9am and the car is currently 2.5 hours drive south of where we are in France. So collecting Saturday would mean a drive down in the hire car, collect our car, drive back (since I could not get a one-way rental), drop off the rental then drive home, which is 7 hours to Calais, then 2 more hours in the UK so would mean 14 hours of Saturday driving, not ideal with the family!

Worst case it isn’t ready and we get a train all the way home, then I will come back next Friday to collect and drive it home. Not really what you hope for with a brand new £120k car on your summer holiday.

I am finding it hard to feel love for LR right now.

6th Jul 2023 1:45pm

madcal

Member Since: 04 Apr 2017
Location: suffolk
Posts: 40

They now know what to do (my French will be tested trying to understand this tomorrow, we already established they speak no English) and are confident the car can be collected tomorrow after lunch. So a little train journey for me for 2.5 hours to collect tomorrow.

Fingers crossed that’s fixed.

Thanks for all the ideas.

6th Jul 2023 5:45pm

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