My new Puma - good news and bad

[jc109]

From dealer today:

Good:

Stk No/Status: Built
Est Del Date: 07.02.11


Not so good:

Thank you for forwarding that onto me, I have the following answers for you.

1. Stereo – The stereo that you have seen on the Land Rover website is not available to the market, we have pointed this out to LRA on a previous occasion.
2. Dual Battery System – plain and simple not allowed. You can get jumper packs that have enough charge in them to run a fridge for a couple of days at a time, they will recharge from the 12v point in the car. Thus eliminating the need for the dual system and keeping warranty intact.

Whilst there are many Defenders in circulation with the things you are talking about and other aftermarket items fitted to them, as a Authorized Land Rover Dealer we cannot supply or fit any non genuine Land Rover items to the vehicles as this will inevitably have warranty implications. Work carried out by other 3rd parties must also use genuine parts and products as specified by Land Rover, to avoid any warranty implications.

[justinc]

I strongly suggest you contact Drivesafe here on Aulro, he is well versed on what is and what isn't allowable RE dual battery systems etc.

JC

[juddy]

This as come up before with regards to people having upgrades/mods done.

I can see LRA point in all this but, the other side of this is the fact that, the Defender is such a vehicle that people adapt to meet there needs.

If LR were to offer a genuine twin0battery set up then i can see there point, but they dont, so having one fitted by a high end supplier would be the way to go.

This really is a great opportunity for land rover to get a big list of non land rover bits together and authorise them for use, without invalidating warranties.

Whats also worrying is that different dealers seem to offer different things, there needs to be transparency across the board on what's allowed.

[isuzurover]

AFAIK:
In theory they cannot automatically void the warranty if you fit a non standard accessory. However it won't stop them trying at every opportunity, and the onus will be on you to prove the accessory hasn't caused the problem in question.

So line up a good (impartial) electrical engineer before you proceed - just in case you need them down the track...





p.s. - thanks for this post - just when I was getting annoyed with having to fix a few things on a couple of my vehicles - I needed a reminder that I am still much better off than someone with a new landy... :wasntme:

[Blknight.aus]

thats the Ford line...

didnt used to be the line. All the accessories that were optioned onto Big red were done prior to purchase and paid for as part of the whole package and all of them were covered by the 100,000KM/3yr warranty.

Which didnt impress blacklocks when they tried to get out of replacing the head unit and LRA told them while its not OEM it is covered by the warrenty as it was changed prior to purchase.

[Drover]

I have fitted a dual battery system, CB, an additional 4 x 12v outlets, 12v gage, winch, driving lights, LED rear lighting system and Anderson plug.

Have not had any issues with warranty claims what-so-ever, my dealer/service manager simply asked for wiring diagram to assist them when trying to decipher the new wiring set up.

At the end of the day, if LR/Dealer wants to knock back a claim then they must have justification to do so - if your work and components are of good quality then I can't see a problem.

Just my 2 cents worth......

[newhue]

I am in the process of fitting a new stereo, more speakers F and R, UHF, cig lighter sockets, air compressor, water tank, reverse camera, with most of it to run off a duel battery. I have arranged with the dealer I purchased from to do the final plug in and run what wires are required behind the dash. I am mounting the hardware and running most of the wiring. Fitting the fuse box, and creating a electrical maps for them. They are happy to plug it in and check it, then both of us are happy with what it has been connected to.

I figure it will cost me a bit more, but if I have an electrical fault they can't really start to blame accessories or a third party as the cause. Having most of the accessories run off a duel battery isolated the vehicles factory electrics anyway.

[n plus one]

Ultimately LR cannot dismiss your warranty rights out of hand because an aftermarket accessory has been fitted. The failure must be attributable to the fitment of the accessory for them to be able to reject a claim.

Theoretically, the burden of proof falls on LR, however practice suggests the oppositie often proves to be the case.

With this in mind I've picked my battles i.e. fitted the accessories that I'm either determined to have no matter what and/or am happy to enter into a stoush over in the (unlikely) event something goes wrong.

For example, I've got an aftermarket bullbar fitted as the chances of having a warranty calim denied as a result are, IMO, slim and I don't trust the skippies. However, I won't fit lockers until the warranty has expired as I know LR have tried to deny claims in the past with respect to lockers AND I feel it likely that a Puma will have at least one drive train warranty claim. However, I'm sure others would be prepared to duke it out on lockers (and more power to them!).

[jc109]

I strongly suggest you contact Drivesafe here on Aulro, he is well versed on what is and what isn't allowable RE dual battery systems etc.

JC


Done so previously. Nothing I would call definitive.

Anyway, regardless of what I could theoretically get away with, is there a way I can fit something useful that will be fully removable if/when required prior to service? I have a suspicion that a battery box in the back won't be adequate, but maybe I'm just buying into the hype with accessories and will in fact be fine with this.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to manage this issue? I want to use my car for what it was intended, but I don't want to **** the dealer off unnecessarily just to prove a point if there is a viable alternative.

Cheers.

[PAT303]

If I ever get mine I'm fitting all of drivesafes gear on it,headlight-driving light kit,dual batteries and winch kit. Pat

[eddiec]

Done so previously. Nothing I would call definitive.

Anyway, regardless of what I could theoretically get away with, is there a way I can fit something useful that will be fully removable if/when required prior to service? I have a suspicion that a battery box in the back won't be adequate, but maybe I'm just buying into the hype with accessories and will in fact be fine with this.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to manage this issue? I want to use my car for what it was intended, but I don't want to **** the dealer off unnecessarily just to prove a point if there is a viable alternative.

Cheers.

I've installed drivesafe's dual battery kit to our Defender and I don't see any reason why you couldn't install this in such a way as to relatively quickly remove it if/when it needed a service. Might be quicker to do so if the battery was in a box in the back (although I don't know if the longer cable run would cause problems with charging), but I'm sure with a little creativity you could mount the battery + drivesafe's kit in a box in the boot and just linked up to the battery with some wingnuts...

Then when the warranty's out you can just migrate it back to the front and make it a bit more permanent.

[jc109]

I've installed drivesafe's dual battery kit to our Defender and I don't see any reason why you couldn't install this in such a way as to relatively quickly remove it if/when it needed a service. Might be quicker to do so if the battery was in a box in the back (although I don't know if the longer cable run would cause problems with charging), but I'm sure with a little creativity you could mount the battery + drivesafe's kit in a box in the boot and just linked up to the battery with some wingnuts...

Then when the warranty's out you can just migrate it back to the front and make it a bit more permanent.

That's the sort of thing I was thinking. Thanks Eddie. I've bought the second battery already (Optima yellow top) and have received advice that I could just charge it from a cigarette lighter, ensuring I disconnect it whenever I stop. I'm a little dubious. A longer run to a proper isolator is preferable if it can be done effectively and without the need to drill otherwise unnecessary holes.

I'm pretty annoyed that they're being so stubborn about the whole thing. I also get the impression that anyone who isn't buying a RR or D4 is considered a bit of a waste of time. I would have thought that things would be easier.

I could just say stuff you all and do what I like and hope for the best, but firstly I am getting a corporate deal with free scheduled servicing which would be foolish to jeopardise, and secondly I fully expect to encounter issues over the first three years which will see me back at the dealer and I don't need a fight on my hands when I get there.

Why so difficult?

[nugge t]

Don't suppose there is another dealer that isn't too out of the way??

[jc109]

Don't suppose there is another dealer that isn't too out of the way??
Ah the joys of life in WA.

Two dealers. One owner.

Albany 400km as the crow flies.

Otherwise Port Lincoln at roughly 2200km.

I’d consider an east coast dealership as I’m never averse to a good road trip and all my family are over there (in fact I’m already planning a lengthy trip that way mid-2011), but I’m locked in now anyway with deposit paid and delivery date confirmed.

[SloMoBro]

I have an 07 Def with dual battery fitted plus other bits and pieces and never had an issue with warranty claims. Have you tried contacting LRA directly to confirm what the dealer is saying?

[nugge t]

Ah the joys of life in WA.

Two dealers. One owner.

Albany 400km as the crow flies.

Otherwise Port Lincoln at roughly 2200km.

I’d consider an east coast dealership as I’m never averse to a good road trip and all my family are over there (in fact I’m already planning a lengthy trip that way mid-2011), but I’m locked in now anyway with deposit paid and delivery date confirmed.

If you fitted a snorkel you could make Johannesburg an alternative:)

[jc109]

If you fitted a snorkel you could make Johannesburg an alternative:)

Well I was once a submariner, and the skills are still fresh. How much harder could it be?

[nugge t]

I will take the advice from anotehr poster and look to another dealer in teh new year ...in my case it is a a mere 200kms but I suspect will be worth the extra effort.

[jc109]

Thought you might be interested in the response receieved today from LRA. They seem much more comfortable with the idea...

"Thank you for your email in relation to putting on after market accessories onto a Land Rover Defender.
Land Rover Australia provides many approved genuine accessories that can be fitted to your vehicle by an Authorised Land Rover Dealership that will not affect your new car warranty in anyway.

"However if you choose to fit an after market non approved accessory and have it installed by a Non Authorised Dealership any problems that arise to your vehicle that can be attributed to either the fitting of or installtion of a non -approved accessory may void that portion of your warranty, however it does not nescessarily void your entire warranty.

"This is due to non approved accessories having not been tested and approved by Land Rover and as such may have unknown affects to the operation of your vehicle.

"I hope this serves to answer your query however, if you wish to discuss the matter further then please don’t hesitate to contact me on the number below, Monday to Friday, 08:00 till 18:00 (EST)."

This leaves far more wiggle room than the dealer would have had me believe. As I said earlier, I have no interest is p***ing the dealer off unnecessarily, but come on! No mods whatsoever?

[PAT303]

It doesn't say you can't have mods,it simply says if the non approved mods cause a failure that part only and the part it damages is not covered by warranty and the warranty on every other part of the vehicle is still covered.That is a good deal,actually it's a very good deal. Pat

[jc109]

It doesn't say you can't have mods,it simply says if the non approved mods cause a failure that part only and the part it damages is not covered by warranty and the warranty on every other part of the vehicle is still covered.That is a good deal,actually it's a very good deal. Pat

Pat, you might want to read my post again.