Hi All

The Mrs has just acquired a 2012 RRS, 54,000 miles, one owner, lovely car. But, as I'm learning, it being an RRS, there a few niggles to sort! So I'm hoping that there'll be some help and guidance to be had!

1. The dashboard illumination, specifically the speedo and tacho needles, will sometimes flicker. I've found that by energetically moving the dash illumination rheostat control up and done this seems to cure the flicker - for now at least. Is this a common issue, and would replacing the headlamp switch likely resolve the problem? It looks to be a very easy job, and there are plenty of replacement switches on Ebay for a few pounds. Does a new switch need to be coded to the car?

2. The OSR passenger door lock seems to have a life all of its own. Sometimes it unlocks and locks normally, sometimes it doesn't. Operate the lever above the interior door handle and the door locks and unlocks, but this lever only moves a little when any of the remote locking switches are used, or indeed the locking button on the driver's door. I've tried a gentle bit of lubrication of the lock and the lever, but to no avail. Is replacing the door lock the best option?

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

Cheers

Jack

Rear door locks are on ebay ..common problem Always listen to old people or when they die you will live on in ignorance.
The avatar is a picture of the man with a big cock.
Learned to 4x4 on 100 mile beach and Frazer Island QLD
Dont spend money on old cars you will never get it back

Thanks. Yes, after a web search clearly the rear door locks are a common issue. So, for solutions, there are £35 Bay locks, Ridex brand from literally dozens of sellers, plus the Autodoc website.

There are other various other branded locks on a range of websites, priced at anything up to £150. It's also quite confusing because some descriptions mention double locking, remote locking, double seal etc etc. The more expensive ones claim to be German-made.

These of course pre-suppose that this is a DIY job. Now I've changed the locks on my old Volvos several times without too much stress, and I reckon I could strip a 1998 Volvo V70 door down in my sleep. But watching a couple of RRS videos clearly there's a bit more at stake and to do. Removing the window actuator for one, with warnings about flimsy plastic clips and slipping glass.

So, would it be best left to the experts?

Local generalist garage have said they'll "have a look" - their labour rate is £70 an hour, so if it runs to a couple of hours I guess that £150 plus parts, but they couldn't give me a parts price over the phone. I suppose they'll need to strip the door, order parts, wait for delivery, then put it all back.

Nearby RR independent specialists charge £95 an hour, and immediately diagnosed the issue over the phone and said that they could sort it easily in one go. I guess as RR experts, they'll have the parts on the shelf, plus of course the genuine expertise and knowledge - and stocks of plastic clips and fasteners that might get destroyed along the way.

The tricky bit is that they quoted £150 for the lock - which to me suggests they are after fitting a higher-end product, maybe even a genuine RR lock.

So, at the one extreme I've the option of a DIY repair using an Ebay pattern part for under £40, at the other a £400 RR specialist job.

Not in the best of health just now, I don't really relish the idea of DIY. It looks fiddly more than difficult, but I am worried that I might get stuck. On the other hand £400 seems a lot for a door lock! Then again, I have a deep suspicion that a £35 Chinese pattern part is possibly a bit of a false economy.

I'd be interested to know from anyone who's needed to replace a door lock under similar circumstances, what you did and how it worked out.

Thanks

Jack

I've fitted a few aftermarket latches

They've all failed in under 4 months or so

As frustrating as it is, only fit genuine

I've had all four replaced at my indi over the last 4 years one of the rears was faulty as soon as I purchased it , I presume that genuine LR parts were used but having checked the invoices they were all around £175 Inc labour, £400 does seem very expensive.

Jack4Gracie wrote:

Thanks. Yes, after a web search clearly the rear door locks are a common issue. So, for solutions, there are £35 Bay locks, Ridex brand from literally dozens of sellers, plus the Autodoc website.

There are other various other branded locks on a range of websites, priced at anything up to £150. It's also quite confusing because some descriptions mention double locking, remote locking, double seal etc etc. The more expensive ones claim to be German-made

Thanks

Jack

I’ve done an Evoque one and they all use the same part if I remember correctly. If you’re not feeling up to it, I’d send it to the specialist - actually who is your specialist? I’ve not done an RRS one but the Evoque one can be done in under an hour. I’m sure someone like Disco Mikey can give you an accurate timeframe on how long it should take to do one.

If you’ve bought the car from a garage, can you not get them to sort the issues?

If changing a door lock which can be done standing up rather than under the car is a problem for you then heaven help you if you need to change the crankshaft position sensor or pay the £2000 to get it done Always listen to old people or when they die you will live on in ignorance.
The avatar is a picture of the man with a big cock.
Learned to 4x4 on 100 mile beach and Frazer Island QLD
Dont spend money on old cars you will never get it back

Thanks to all for the comments - much appreciated.

The car is booked in with the indie specialist next Wednesday. Interesting comments about the longevity of cheap 'n' cheerful Chinese parts. I've run Volvos for years, and there too found that essentially, you tend to get what you pay for!

Yep, the car is a very late model L320, and has the keyless entry and start etc etc, so really all the more reason to leave it to the professionals I suppose.

As for the comment about DIY and fixing things, I've always generally preferred to do my own servicing and repairs on all our cars. However, I find it's getting more difficult as newer cars tend to be less DIY friendly. A good example is the rear calliper my V70 needed recently. At one time something I'd do easily, now you need to tell the car's computer! Also, I had Covid last November, and still feeling the consequences quite badly, hence I'm reluctant to tackle anything beyond checking tyre pressures just now!

Fingers firmly crossed that a crankshaft sensor isn't needed any time soon!

Cheers

Jack