6805 Error - Salutory Lesson...

[Puffster]

Had the bores going on my 220K mile D5 EuroIII - it was using 1 litre water every 50 miles - so decided to put a 2nd hand engine in.

All went well but soon after driving off got the Engine Service/ECM6805 error appeared. Generally after driving it around for a few miles it went for the rest of that journey. Carried on driving it around and after 600 miles the turbo starts to whine. When I get back to London, had a couple of instances of self-ignition (max revs, clouds of smoke). Took it back to garage.

We tried - new injectors, new intercooler, replaced the turbo, new fuel filter, checked the vac on the mounts & when we took the head off found that 2/5 pistons were burnt out/scored so replaced the bottom end...

Unfortunately, the problem has not gone away I now drive it like a complete pussy, accelerating slowly, keeping off-boost as much as possible (or low boost only) and even then (say after a sustained run at m/way speeds) it sometimes comes up with the Engine Service error & goes into limp.

I got so fed up, I went and bought a Range Rover Sport TDV6 ( ) & have taken the XC over to Ireland as an airport run taxi & so I have transport when I'm over there.

I would love to find out what the issue is and have it fixed as its a great car & I miss it. I wouldn't have bought a new one if it had been working.

[Puffster]

So, that was the situation last year...

I kept using it gently as an airport taxi and in fact left it for 8 months outside without using. When it came to start up again, it started fine after battery charged but alternator was knackered. I needed to get an MOT for it, so I took it into Greers of Antrim & they dropped one in and I got the MOT but with an advisory. So seeing as how I will be back in a couple of weeks, I decided to leave it with them to replace the hand-brake backing plates & a couple of small things. I also got the engine to fault so that they could run a diagnostic on it as well.

Rang up today and was told that they had fixed the 6805 error I was expecting something like a sensor or boost-controller etc but he said that it was because the piping for the exhaust had been fitted the wrong way/badly which allowed air to the wrong place - hence the over-boosting...



So....

Not only had the original garage installed the engine wrong the first time, but they did it again the second time. I did a rough tot up and that "mistake" cost me in the region of £12k - About £2500 for the engine rebuild & ancillaries (turbo, i/c, bottom end etc), £3500 for deposit for RRS, £5k of payments + RFL, servicing, insurance etc as no-way would I have bought the RRS if the XC had been working properly.

OK, so I didn't "have" to buy the RRS & could have had the Volvo investigated by someone else etc but it still sticks in the craw, especially as the whole thing has caused grief with my g/friend as well.

The garage is a small concern and I don't think he's in any position to be able to pay me back anything but we will be having words...

So - moral of story is? Don't always go for the cheapest option.

Now, what to sell - RRS or Volvo XC?

[RM955I]

To help you decide on which car to sell, here's some help:

Are you a fooballer/drug dealer/hair salon owner?

Do you live in Essex/Cheshire?

Do you have a hot tub installed in your postage stamp sized garden?

Is your wife orange?

Do you think that Sharm El Sheik is a posh resort?

Is your car worth more than your house?

Would you pay a lot of money for a designer watch which, when all said and done, has a quartz movement rather than a proper self-winding Swiss movement?

If you answered mainly "no" sell the Range Rover. If you answered mainly "yes" then looking on the positive side they do say that suicide is painless.

[Norfolk Jim]

Did you pay for any of that work on credit card??

If you did as little as £100 you can claim it all back even if he'd gone under.

I successfully got brand new gearbox fitted on my sons van which wouldn't go into 5th after we bought it. I paid deposit on card and the rest cash.

Van dealer no longer trading and secondhand gearboxes like hens teeth - card company agreed to pay all inc fitting costs. This was dealt with v quick under section 75 sale of goods act. I did complaint in April having bought van last August......................