Front Diff

[Searcaigh]

Not been on the forum much recently as I have been working a lot, and when free, out and about in the dunes.

Last weekend I had a bit of a disaster that resulted in a recovery, my front diff packed in

Milage on my silver DII is 105,000 Km (about 65,000 miles) of which minimum 25% is off roading.

I had the vehicle recovered through my recovery policy with AAA (Arabian Automobile Association), first time to use it in 7 years membership.

Now the shocking news, the Land Rover Agent in UAE, Al Tayer, wanted AED11,000 (US3,000) for a new diff

Called a friend to find out if this was good, bad or what, and he advised me to put in ARB lockers. Although the Crown wheel and pinion are still required, I called ARB in Abu Dhabi and could get front and rear lockers with all the gubbins including a compressor for AED7,500 ($2,050), what a saving.

I called Al Tayer and told them to hold the repair as I was going to fit ARB Lockers, then made another phone call to a place that I usually buy all my parts from called Gulf Star in Sharjah, new front diff ......... AED2,900 ($792)

Okay this was going to be a no brainer, called Al Tayer, well tried to call them over a period of one and half hours, and eventually had to fax them to tell them what I was planning to do as nobody in the service department was picking up the phone, and only then did they call me to tell me the new front diff had been fitted and my DII was out on a road test.

I was not very happy

Fortunately I know somebody very well in Al Tayer, and the following morning I paid a personal visit to explain what had happened and to question not only this outrageous price difference of 379% but fixing new parts with no authorizaton from the customer.

So the choice was:

1. they could charge me a reasonable price

or

2. they would have to remove the front diff and AAA (not the recovery mob but another lot who work on my 90) would be picking the vehicle up to install a brand new diff obtained from Gulf Stars

Final result, an amicable agreement between Al Tayer and myself. I have bought 3 brand new vehicles from them over the past 5 years, and they risk loosing me as a potential customer for a new vehicle in the future.

Well I saved more than 50% than the original quote for parts and did not pay for labour, plus I had my vehicle now and not in two days time had I arranged for AAA to do the work.

But now more bad news .... My Nikon D100 has fungus growing on the CCD inside the damn camera and the agent here in want AED3,000 ($820)to replace it

[02disco2]

So... it still cost you $1500 to fix the truck? When Gulf Star would have been $792?

[FlyWheel]

If that were me, I would have been royally pissed. I would have settled for no less than Al Tayer undoing the unauthorized work and getting my lockers installed. But I can also understand wanting to get the vehicle out of a repair facility...esp after they put in new parts at a "discount".