Thread: Defender Td5 service at dealer or ......?

I live in Oman and have had from new, for three-and-a-half years, a LR Defender Td5 110 which is due for its 60,000 km service.

For the first three years I was obliged to have the vehicle serviced by the local Landrover agents, otherwise the guarantee would have been voided. In a way, this suited me: it was costly but I had no choice and assumed LR were doing the job(s) properly. On other occasions they did jobs for me under guarantee that they perhaps should have charged for (since no defect was involved).

The most basic service (code X071) now costs equiv. GBP 51.00 for LABOUR ONLY – that’s for changing the oil and oil filter, basically. For service X072, due now, the labour cost is GBP 92.00, an extra 42.00 for changing part ERR 6299, variously described as “centrifuge rotor” or “rotor oil filter”.

However, at 60,000 km, the labour charge is 10.00 more than at other 40,000 km service intervals. (At 60,000 km the engine coolant should be changed, but there’s no mention of this on the dealer’s price/service interval list.) So, this leads me to my first question: During services, does (should) a Landrover dealer go through a checklist of various points, then pointing out or remedying stuff that may need fixing/repairing? I think this is probably the case, isn’t it?

I should like to know the answer to that, but my main question (which does, though, tie in with it) is something else: By taking my vehicle to a small workshop, I can get an oil & filter change (labour only, obviously) for 3.00 to 4.00, with a bit on top for changing ERR 6299. This is what Omanis normally do, I understand: rather than take their vehicle to Ford, Nissan, Landrover etc., they go to a small workshop. (However, Omanis are not normally noted for taking care of their vehicles, and the received wisdom is never to buy a used vehicle from them.)

I don’t know what I should do. On the one hand, an oil/filter change is a pretty simple thing; on the other hand, my LR is still fairly new and going to the dealer’s has given me some peace of mind up to now, and would continue to do so. The workshop I’m thinking of going to was not recommended by a Landrover owner but by a workshop where I was having some metalwork done, and recommended as somewhere that “does Landrovers”. I went there and there were a number of Landrovers in the yard, and I’m certain they can do routine maintenance! However, I don’t think they’re going to check other things (maybe I should try to find that out).

I’d like to know the best thing to do. I don’t want to waste money, but want the vehicle to be totally reliable, as far as that’s possible, and to last a long time. The question is one that’s going to come up again and again (and when we leave Oman with the vehicle, to travel for a long time, should we be forever looking for Landrover dealers or be carrying routine spares and getting services done here and there in “small workshops”)?

Your advice, please.

As said above, do it yourself. Servicing a Td5-engine is not rocket science. Equipped with a few basic tools and preferably at a suitable work shop you can do the work for a fraction of the price a professional would charge you (provided you are at least minimally confident with a spanner in your hand). Getting a decent manual will help and will be worth the investment. Make sure you buy quality replacement parts and oils. In time you will gain experience and it will be even easier for you.
Another positive aspect is that you learn to know your vehicle and, as stated, will be aware what has been done and how.