2015 LR4 Head Gasket Replacement

[AaronRover]

I have run into some major issues with my Land Rover. Currently I owe $18k on this vehicle (2015 Land Rover LR4 HSE LUX), recently I took it to a shop to have the below performed.

Upper Cooling System Refresh
Water Pump
Radiator Hose / Assembly
Heater Pipe
Coolant Pipe w/o Inner O-ring
Cooling Hose
Throttle Body Heater Hose
Cooling Hose
Coolant Pipe
Coolant Outlet Flange
Thermostat Assembly
Oil Cooler Seal
Water Outlet Plug
Intake Manifold Gasket
Intake Plenum Gasket
Oil Cooler
Drive Belt Multi-Rib Serpentine Belt

Lower Control arms replace with 4-wheel alignment.

Total Cost: $7,857

Now the fun begins..... after spending this to have things fixed I picked the car up and 3-4 days later received P0303 Code: Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected. So I take it back to the mechanic shop to have them assess and determine the issue. They are telling me that the head gasket is blown and that they will not fix it, that they are not at fault. I don't know that I can fight this and win. I asked what the estimated repair cost would be. The suggestion per the shop is "Left side head gasket has failed - suggest replacing both sides". The scope of this work is listed below.

Cylinder Head Gaskets (2)
Cylinder Head Bolts
Bolt
Exhaust Manifold Gasket (2)
Spark Plugs
Valve Cover Gasket (2)
Spark Plug Tube Seal Left/Right
Fuel Injector Seal Kit
Time Chain Tensioner
Valve Cover O-ring
Oil and Oil filter kit
Machine Shop Fee

Grand Total: $8,805.99

I do not see the logical reason for me dipping into another $8k on a vehicle I still owe so much on, so I am trying to talk myself into taking this task on myself. I am no mechanic but I learn quickly and believe I could complete this task... obviously in a large chunk of time. I guess my main question here is, does this seem like it could have been the mechanic shops fault? Has anyone else done this themselves? And would it be dumb of me to try and tackle it?

Appreciate any feed back, thanks!

 

[itsaguything]

You were told a head gasket was blown… but I see a lot of other work prescribed that have nothing to do with a head gasket.
Moreover, these prices look like dealer rates with dealer parts. Have you tried an Inde with dealer parts?

Out of interest, how many miles on the vehicle? What average schedule did you use for oil changes?

 

[AaronRover]

This is an Indie shop, Eurobahn is the name. I agree, I am not sure why they believe they need to perform all that was listed instead of just trying to deal with the head gasket side they know is bad.

Vehicle has 118,000 miles, oil changed about every 5,000 miles while running 20k oil.

 

[AZCACTUS]

How did they determine it was a blown head gasket? I believe the engine is basically the same used in my 2010 Range Rover Sport HSE LUX- the 5 liter NA V-8. In 2008 thru 2014, cylinder 3 is in the right bank, not the left. (https://www.roverparts.com/resources/videos/rover-engine-firing-order/)

A misfire can be due to a number of factors including: over-heating due to cooling system leak, a misaligned valve cover gasket leaking air (lean misfire), bad fuel injector, or a bad spark plug. If they performed a leak down test, it would verify a bad gasket. Is any coolant missing from the tank? generally an indication of a cooling leak.

While I would not recommend starting your auto repair experience on a Land Rover, if you are mechanically inclined it can save a huge amount of money and give considerable satisfaction.

 

[scapistron]

Did they actually do a compression test or test the coolant for exhaust gasses?

 

[itsaguything]

get a quote from the dealer. 118,000 with 5000 oil changes isn’t problematic on its own… provided all the servicing was done.

still confused why the extra work is needed.
Spark plugs should have been completed by now, of course. Exhaust manifold gasket? Why?.

You state you are not a mechanic. Why are you willing to risk it?? Nonetheless, don’t start the work without the workshop manual.

 

[AaronRover]

They did a test to determine exhaust was mixing with the coolant. I am willing to risk it because I wont put another $8k into the vehicle that I just spent that much on while owing $18k. I either pick it up and it sits for the remainder of the loan, or I try to fix it myself.... if I am successful then I will sale it and repay what is left on the loan. If I fail, then it sits anyway. I really am not sure what to do.

 

[itsaguything]

Perhaps a proper diagnosis from an LR specialist is in order before things start to get torn apart…. This estimate does not match the diagnosis given.

 

[jlglr4]

$8k for that coolant work and control arms replacement seems outrageous to me. The coolant system work should have been like $3k-4k. What do control arms run $1500 or so?

Shops do charge lot for head gaskets, but I’d do my own compression test first. This place might just be trying to rip you off.

Did you overheat after the coolant job? Any symptoms that caused you to get the work done in the first place?

 

[ftillier]

I had the coolant system freshened up in 2022 at an independent shop for about $1500, water pump, front and rear crossovers, fan and serpentine belts, some of the hoses. Not the thermostat housing though, as they didn't recommend it be replaced if there were no symptoms. You had a bit more work done with extra hoses and the oil cooler too, but it should not have been thousands more IMO. I'd find a different shop if you can.