Nov and Dec 2011: Greg had the engine changed in our GQ from gas/petrol to a 4.2 turbo diesel, while in Adelaide
Engine guaranteed for 3 months. He did 2000 Kms and then joined me in England as my dad had just died.
Car in storage until we returned from Europe mid December 2012
Ok so far?
Booked to stay on the Hawkesbury for two weeks over Xmas, to have a family gathering in Sydney.
Decided to travel via Princes highway.
Engine died just before Moruya
Complete rebuild required.
RACV excellent help. Got into a caravan park in Moruya, car went to the registered NRMA mechanic.
FIVE weeks later, we pick up the car, and get told to take it to a diesel specialist in Wollongong as it needed fuel and turbo calibrations checked.
On the way the air conditioning stopped working.
The water pump spewed water.
And the engine was making a clunking noise on arrival at the garage in Wollongong.
Turns out the Moruya mechanic had put the old belts onto the wrong pulleys, instead of replacing them.
The injector pump was half mounted.
The water pump wasn't replaced.
The harmonic balancer locking nut wasn't correctly tensioned and fell off within a couple of hundred Kms.
The bottom radiator hose wasn't replaced.
The correct diesel cold air intake had not been fitted to the air cleaner ( this was down to the Adelaide mechanic)
The guy in Wollongong wouldn't let us drive it any further...in fact he was surprised we got that far. He contacted the Moruya guy who agreed to pay our hire car fees and we headed on to my daughters in Sydney.
Got the car back yesterday.
In the meantime the storm had caused $1500 damage to our caravan awning which had been left out as we expected to be back in Moruya on the following day....the storm was two days later!
Now getting a new alternator cos that gave up and died as we arrived back in Moruya.
Greg thinks that what has happened is just not fair! Oh....and while we were in the van, asleep, some group of young teenagers drank ALL our grog plus a box of beer Greg had left under the van.....plus they stole my bike! Police can't do anything because of their age and ethnicity.
We are now $17000 poorer and the knockon effect of that isn't good!
This could be a tale of woe, but we have been accepted as locals in this lovely little town , the Riverbreeze CP people have been great, we have seen a lot of this area instead of driving through, we've met Terry in Lake Illawarra, and the local bottle shop is doing really well.
How about that for a first topic from us!
Cheers
Greg and Dee
