Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: London
Posts: 141
UK to Europe, Italy Trip 2024
Planning to take my SDV6 / 2016 Discovery 4 to Europe early 2024. 55,000 miles on the odo.
Other that general bi/yearly oil change and service maintenance would you recommend taking anything that might breakdown on the car seeing as it seems a bit of a struggle to get parts and LR technical labour lately.
Mainly on-road driving. Will cover about 5000 miles across the alps, winter tyres for the journey in case.
Been recommended an ODB scanner and a basic tool kit for minor issues.
Any advice on general leaks, things to look out for before setting off?
Would love to have recommendations for insurance/breakdown cover as it’s a bit pricey lately!Discovery 4
Oct 2015, 2016 build
SDV6 Santorini Black SE
New engine at 42k
Car camper
26th Dec 2023 4:18 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14437
In my D3 and D4 when travelling to Europe, I just checked the oil, added fuel and went.
Both cars did this without issues even when approaching over 200,000 miles. Sometimes I think you can over think these things.
The only other thing I had was good European breakdown cover, which was RAC annual ,because we travelled to Europe a lot each year. D4 HSE EU6 (Known as Jeeves)
New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!) Sold
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
26th Dec 2023 4:29 pm
pwheeldon
Member Since: 14 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1505
If you need RAC cover I can highly recommend using Brian on here as he got me a great deal.Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
Discovery 3 s 2005 Auto Bonatti Grey Gone
Discovery 3 SE 2005 Manual Zambezi Silver Gone
Range Rover Sport HSE 2006 Black
Aston Martin DB7 VV
26th Dec 2023 4:42 pm
pwheeldon
Member Since: 14 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1505
I took out the policy last year and my D3 broke down 4 hrs in to France, RAC sorted a hire car, hotel room and a garage to fix the car, taxis etc too, can't fault the service we got.Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
Discovery 3 s 2005 Auto Bonatti Grey Gone
Discovery 3 SE 2005 Manual Zambezi Silver Gone
Range Rover Sport HSE 2006 Black
Aston Martin DB7 VV
26th Dec 2023 4:44 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73100
Just be aware of the policy limitations, specifically the limit of “market value” for repatriation costs. And whatever you think it will cost to repatriate a D3, it’ll be way more. The risk of taking an old and low value car far from home.
26th Dec 2023 5:22 pm
kim0785b
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: London
Posts: 141
A agree, I have a case of Cranxiety perhaps since I had the engine replaced a while ago.
Moo wrote:
In my D3 and D4 when travelling to Europe, I just checked the oil, added fuel and went.
Both cars did this without issues even when approaching over 200,000 miles. Sometimes I think you can over think these things.
The only other thing I had was good European breakdown cover, which was RAC annual ,because we travelled to Europe a lot each year.
Discovery 4
Oct 2015, 2016 build
SDV6 Santorini Black SE
New engine at 42k
Car camper
26th Dec 2023 5:23 pm
kim0785b
Member Since: 12 Feb 2021
Location: London
Posts: 141
That’s good news, do you mind me asking how soon they got in back to the UK? Did they manage to fix it in France?
pwheeldon wrote:
I took out the policy last year and my D3 broke down 4 hrs in to France, RAC sorted a hire car, hotel room and a garage to fix the car, taxis etc too, can't fault the service we got.
Discovery 4
Oct 2015, 2016 build
SDV6 Santorini Black SE
New engine at 42k
Car camper
26th Dec 2023 5:24 pm
Gary_P
Member Since: 03 May 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 1670
From personal experience and reading on this forum I would note a couple of things (my car Is a June 2015 (2016 MY) with about 50k miles:
On a car about that age and mileage, I’d check the rear propshaft centre bearing is sound. These always tend to go, although not normally a show stopper, if you’re doing that kind of mileage the, my understanding is that you’ll feel significant effects by the end of your journey.nThe rubber shield around the centre bearing splits and it starts to slap about. Mine went at about 30k miles.
On my short trip to France this year, had the car serviced and checked over by my excellent local independent. Then two days into the trip the tailgate actuator ( regulator) stopped working. At first intermittent , then completely failed, making life very difficult for loading/unloading. This fault seems common on the forum. On older cars the puller in it snaps and on more recent cars the strength of the pull from generated by the solenoid gradually disminishes and eventually isn’t enough to pull the latch open.
Lots of information on the forum about both these issues.
Enjoy yourself. Great cars to tour in.Gary
-------------------------------------------
self-amalging repair tape for emergency tubing repairs. Toolstation stuff seems better than Screwfix version (they were bought years apart though)
set of fan spanners as they are pretty much a LR thing. not too expensive when they come up on here..
Dean
====================================
2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
2011 D4 Landmark - Stolen from same dealer before I paid for it
2011 D4 GS - Stolen whilst at dealer ... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
1996 300Tdi - Eaten by tin worms
26th Dec 2023 7:25 pm
pwheeldon
Member Since: 14 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1505
kim0785b wrote:
That’s good news, do you mind me asking how soon they got in back to the UK? Did they manage to fix it in France?
pwheeldon wrote:
I took out the policy last year and my D3 broke down 4 hrs in to France, RAC sorted a hire car, hotel room and a garage to fix the car, taxis etc too, can't fault the service we got.
They did manage to fix it in France and I picked it up on my drive back to the ferry. The garage were really helpful and even stayed open late so I could pick the car up after dropping the hire car off.Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
Discovery 3 s 2005 Auto Bonatti Grey Gone
Discovery 3 SE 2005 Manual Zambezi Silver Gone
Range Rover Sport HSE 2006 Black
Aston Martin DB7 VV
26th Dec 2023 8:00 pm
pwheeldon
Member Since: 14 Jan 2020
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 1505
With regards to repatriation, I couldn't find a policy that would guarantee it, so my worse case plan was a return visit with a trailer or some tools to strip everything of value.Discovery 4 GS 2009 Auto Stornoway Grey
Discovery 3 s 2005 Auto Bonatti Grey Gone
Discovery 3 SE 2005 Manual Zambezi Silver Gone
Range Rover Sport HSE 2006 Black
Aston Martin DB7 VV
26th Dec 2023 8:01 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73100
Ah, now that brings back memories.
26th Dec 2023 8:15 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13563
A set of replacement bulbs - some countries require these by law and trying to find the correct bulb at a rubbish hour in a foreign land isn't nice. Likewise, high-viz for each occupant which can be put on before exiting the car - stuffing it in the boot isn't good enough. Ensure you have a warning triangle that can be accessed without first having to empty the boot. A flashing warning beacon is a "nice to have".Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
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