 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > Brand new Puma drifting to the left |
 
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599   
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So now we have our first issue with the Puma.
When I got back from Barca last weekend, I had the first chance to drive the Puma properly and noticed that it was drifting to the left and also was swerving to the left under braking. When I took it in to LR N1 City for the radio fitment, they did a wheel alignment and according to them it's sorted. However, the braking thing, they will require the car for at least a day to be able to diagnose and fix, so it has to go back in next week *sigh* In the meantime, the wheel alignment has sort of worked: the Puma does not drift so much on a smooth road. But on a bumpy street, it will swerve as soon as one wheel hits a bump/speedbump/etc. Also, as soon as a gust of wind hits, it swerves to the left. |
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10th Mar 2010 12:17pm |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599
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Update:
Fr@ck, Fr@ck, & Fr@ck! Just got a call from LR N1 City, the braking issue had to do with grease on the brakes due to over-filling at the factory. But for the drifting issue, they have picked up an alignment problem between the chassis and the suspension. So now it's going to the panelbeaters for a more thorough diagnosis. Did I say FR@@@@@@CK!?? What are the options here? Get it fixed or ask for the vehicle to be replaced - and will they agree? |
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10th Mar 2010 12:18pm |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599
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Jah, but as someone else told me, 'And risk getting a bigger lemon?' |
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10th Mar 2010 12:37pm |
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| fekete Member Since: 24 Dec 2008 Location: Here on the other end of the computer Posts: 3626  
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I don't think you would get one any worse than the one you have that's miss aligned...There is no way i would be happy with a vehicle that needs to be put on a jig and straightened
 NEVER TAKE LIFE SERIOUSLY. NOBODY GETS OUT ALIVE ANYWAY |
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10th Mar 2010 12:41pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4502 
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I would point out to the dealer that you bought the vehicle from him, not Land Rover. If she is drifting to the left or wherever there is a serious fault with the vehicle. This is up to him to rectify. A drift to any direction is a danger to you and other road users. You have notified him of the fault, which you have proof of. Should there be an accident on the public road that can be traced to this drifting issue I have no doubt that either your insurance company or that of the other party involved will have an issue with the garage as they let you drive away after being notified of the problem. Have a quiet pleasant word regarding the above with the no. 1 in the garage. This may help them look more sympathetically at this issue. Insurance companies are strange beast. If they can get out of paying they will. If they can shift the cost onto someone else they will. They garage will not want even a sniff of blame coming their way. Give it a go. To my mind to properly fix this will need a body off job. It would be easier to change the chassis than to start realigning bits and pieces. Good luck. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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10th Mar 2010 9:50pm |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6041 
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Well, demand a new vehicle, but take the replacement out for a thorough test drive before you say "yes" and accept it. |
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10th Mar 2010 10:26pm |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599
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Yep, I'm also tending towards this option. |
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11th Mar 2010 7:34am |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599
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Just came back from picking the landy from N1 City.
What do you know, they claimed it's all fixed and it drives straight. They corrected the toe on the rear axle by adjusting the washers fitted to the left rear radius arm mounting to correct the thrust angle. They did not send it to the panelbeaters, since they thought they were fixing it in-house. Sounds all good & well, but as soon as I drove one block, the landy showed the same behaviour as before. *sigh* So I went back, but by that time everyone had left, except for the salesperson and I informed her of the situation and will hear from her tomorrow. Our next step is to take it back and tell them to give us another one since: 1. they have sold us a defective vehicle; and 2. they are clearly unable to fix it Ah, the joys of owning a land rover  |
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11th Mar 2010 6:05pm |
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| CapeLandy Member Since: 21 Jul 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 558
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Hate to say it mate................... told you not to
No seriously, I know how you feel with these idiots at N1 - but where the hell else? Unfortunately we don't have the variety of choices like in the UK as far as dealers are concerned. Chin up and keep at them |
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11th Mar 2010 8:23pm |
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| daan Member Since: 11 Mar 2010 Location: western cape Posts: 12
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my defender puma 2,4 ( june 2009 and 12.000km )has a power problem and also has been to N1 city where i bought it new for the 2nd time now.
They re-wrote the computer program and the wiring to the exhaust was changed ( so they say ) and the car was delivered back to me. The problem is even worde and i took the car to a dyno-tester to have a paper proof of my power loss...after we showed them last week theursday..and after i send all details to land rover SA they now are goiing to pick up de vehicle again to short it out again.... The sales department is oke, the technical department think they are close to god. How can you fix a power problem if you do not test it first and after to see if it was succesfull. The problem nowadays is that when the computer says everything is oke, the are in the dark... to be continued. daan I love my landies |
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16th Mar 2010 11:17am |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599
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Hi all,
After my chat with the DP on Friday, he asked me to come in yesterday and he would be in the car when I drove it to see what the issue is. I get there at 0800, no sign of the DP, I get saddled with Gustav, who acts as if he's doing me a favour to even see me. He drives the car, agrees that it's pulling to the left but claims it's a wheel alignment problem. So off we go to  , and I stand there while they swap the front tyres around. I drive it around the block, still no change.
They hook it on the wheel alignment machine, and while the tech is fiddling, I ask him some questions about the figures. He points out to me that there is a 0.24deg difference between the right & left caster angles, which effectively means that the front right wheel is always ahead of the left! Since you can only adjust the toe on Defenders, this means that it will always pull left, and that possibly this may be resolved by spacers - not something I want to contemplate. FYI, the 3rd wheel alignment print out is here: http://tinyurl.com/yc2y45q I go back to N1 City and inform Gustav of this, and his whole attitude is 'they all do this on SA's cambered roads, get used to it'. So I filed a complaint with LRSA. Within minutes of my case being assigned, the DP phoned to apologise that he wasn't there, he was stuck in traffic, I must call him with any issues, etc. I was around LR N1 City/ from 0800 until 1030 - was he stuck in traffic the whole time?
Tomorrow I am having the landy analysed at Hillstar Panelbeaters (LR approved) - they have a computerised chassis alignment machine that will reveal all. Armed with this info, I am going back to N1 City on Thursday where LRSA have instructed Gustav to send the landy to a suspension specialist. |
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16th Mar 2010 11:35am |
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| lrdxb110 Member Since: 09 Jul 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 224  
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I'm just amazed a brand new defender pulling to the left
 I don't know why its so hard to accept the (LR) mistake and have it replaced. Have you tried contacting LR in the UK? Just hope you sort out the issue soon, I can just imagine you going back and fourth repeating the same thing again, again and again. '08 LR Defender 110
'08 Mini Cooper S - Sidewalk '86 MB 500 SL '79 MB 450SEL 6.9 |
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16th Mar 2010 1:57pm |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2599
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Well, the complaint has been lodged with LRSA, no use contacting LRUK, they will just refer me back to LRSA. Look, to be honest, our roads in SA are slightly- to heavily-cambered to the left for drainage. However, another Defender driver drove my Puma yesterday from work to his house (25km) and agrees that this is way over what he experiences in his 10yr old 110, and cannot be dismissed as road camber-induced. |
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16th Mar 2010 2:04pm |
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| CapeLandy Member Since: 21 Jul 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 558
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You are lucky you even had the honour of meeting Gustaf himself. I never get that high up.  |
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16th Mar 2010 2:05pm |
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