I recently took my RRS SC 06 to the Salisbury dealers prior to a family trip abroad; just to check a couple of warning lights that can usually be cleared on the whizzy LR diagnostics laptop as had bee done before. My cruise control was being intermittent - something I wanted driving down through France.

The LR dealership hooked up the laptop and umm'ed and ahh'ed without concluding anything specific but advised replacing the brake switch (the plastic module under the pedal) which often triggers non related electronic issues and warning lights in the complicated electronics that make up this vehicle. For £25 +£95 labour and peace of mind, I said yes.

Driving back from the garage, four separate warning lights came on (engine, suspension, brakes and so on) but it was too late in the day to return to the dealership. I arrived home to find a strong smell of brakes, but I put this down to the recent change of pads and disks the day before by my excellent local garage in Pewsey. I resolved to go back to the Salisbury dealership the next day to sort the warning lights. However, when I started driving the next day, before long all four brakes were steaming and smoking. Clearly this was not the smell of freshly fitted disks and pads. I realised the brakes were all locked on. I drove to the nearest garage and who I thought were the culprits - Pewsey.

I initially - wrongly - accused the Pewsey garage for messing up the disc / pad replacement, but it was in fact the fault of dealership - the brake switch had not been fitted properly causing the braking system to be permanently on as I drove. The Salisbury dealership admitted the fault and reimbursed me the labour cost of fitting the switch... Um...whoopee. However there was no time to follow up further as I was off abroad.

Now I am back. I am going after the dealership for this farcical event. Before launching into them I was hoping to get your collective advice.

I drove in the region of 100 miles with all brakes locked. I am aware that 'blueing' in colour can show evidence of heat damage to the discs, but this apparently isn't present. A recent local garage inspection suggested the colour of the brake fluid (fairly black) indicates the brake fluid may have boiled. The reduction in the life of the disc and brakes from this is difficult to quantify, but this is also a factor. I am worried about other damage that may have been caused.

So........ gentlemen, your learned wisdom is most welcome:

1. What other symptoms or indicators of damage should I be looking for, aside from disc blueing and brake fluid colour? In fact, what other damage may have been caused?
2. What would a reasonable estimate on reduction in life of the 100 miles driven with 4 x locked brakes.
3. What other arguments for extracting reimbursement from the dealership can I employ, aside from the time and effort it took me so sort out their problem.
4. What choice insults would you like me to sprinkle my conversation with?

Many thanks in advance.

Tim

Not what I'd expect of them. Ask to speak to John Ottons, I'm sure he'll be embarrassed to say the least. I expect the switch was changed by an apprentice who hasn't been informed of the need to take care with them.

FWIW, it takes 5 minutes to change the brake switch which costs £11.10 from Advanced Factors...

I would probably expect permanent damage to have been done to the brake discs - it's the last thing you want with new discs.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

How in the name of all that is Holy do you screw up replacing the brake pedal switch?

Put in hole, turn anticlockwise. The End. 2008 MY Java Black TDV8 HSE

You press the brake pedal when installing it or release it before fitting.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Actually, the chap who did the replacement was their most experienced LR technician, and was introduced as such with some reverence as to his skills. To be fair to him, once I had limped to the Pewsey garage he immediately helped them worked out the problem as they were trying to fault trace - unless the switch isn't properly seated until it made a loud 'click' which he had them do over the phone.

And yes, I was gobsmacked that it took £95's worth of labour to a) run a quick diagnostic check and then b) replace a little plastic switch in an easily accessible place.

Thank you for the pointer to John Otton. I shall follow up this week. I did start to have the conversation with a manager at Westover re what they were going to do about it but I had to head off travelling the next day. To suggest driving 100 miles with the discs locked is fine for a car - which is basically what they implied when I asked what they were going to do about it - is slightly laughable however.

Thank you both for your advice, if anyone has anything to add I would love to hear it.

Quote:

And yes, I was gobsmacked that it took £95's worth of labour to a) run a quick diagnostic check and then b) replace a little plastic switch in an easily accessible place.

If you ever want your "tea leaves" read, I'd happily oblige for nothing.

I expect £95 is their hourly labour rate. John Ottons is the man in charge of the workshop and former owner of the dealership.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Paddi wrote:

How in the name of all that is Holy do you screw up replacing the brake pedal switch?

Put in hole, turn anticlockwise. The End.

I still don't understand how a partially fitted switch can apply the brakes ???

(Or have I missed something )

Well it is the brake switch... Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

yes, but I just assumed that the pedal actually applied the braking force (with the help of the servo), the switch just told the ECU that the brakes were being applied, and hence the brake lights. Or is it brake-by-wire now ?

The pedal does apply the brakes, but there's still a feed from the brake switch to the ABS module which can control the brakes as it sees fit (It's one of the most impressively advanced systems around, IMO, when you consider what it does. ).  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver