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Are the car manufacturers open to being contacted for customer support type issues? If so, is this just open to customers who bought new and are still within warranty, or will technical support talk to customers outside warranty, second owners, classic car enthusiasts, etc? I imagine this could vary widely between makes, so would be interested to hear how BRers have got on if they've needed to make contact . . .
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Land Rover allow you to buy documents with system integrator level details on their ECUs. How to talk to them (protocols used, voltages etc.)
I can't find the link but there's a guy who made an EAS (air suspension) tool for P38 range rovers and he did it by purchasing the documentation from land rover.
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For Land Rover info it's...
www.landrovertechinfo.com/extlrprod/market.jsp
You pay to log in for a set period on a set vehicle range and in that time you can view any files on every aspect of the vehicle excatly as the dealer can.
I seem to remember you couldn't download them but I found you could print them so I paid for 24hrs access and printed off a whole folders worth on the Discovery range I was looking after at the time.
Probably the tech bulletins were the most interesting.
Regarding the typical makers helpline I've found them to be hopeless with the usual fobbing off... *no we've never heard of that fault before sir*
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Sweet! Just on a whim i swapped land rover for bmw, it works too, same deal --> www.bmwtechinfo.com/
Good shout MM.
I knew about this other one already for bmw tech info --> www.bmw-service.de/ if you're an indie garage you can get a reasonable setup using this.
No humans to talk to though... :-/
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I received a satisfactory service from Ford Motor Company Limited. www.ford.co.uk/Footer/ContactUs
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Interesting, I had no idea there was online support available.. pity they expect you to pay for it after you've bought one of their cars though!
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A couple of years ago I imported a 1995 FIAT Ulysse from France. I needed information about the spec of the car, which wasn't to hand with the car's documentation, in order to register it at DVLA. I phoned FIAT's head office in Sluff and they provided me with all the details I needed, there and then, even though the car was about 12 years old and had previously been registered in two different countries.
I have also contacted Smart and Mazda regarding the service histories of second hand cars I was in the process of purchasing, and they both provided the relevant information on the spot. I didn't even own the cars at that stage, but did subsequently buy both.
Edited by Alanovich on 05/02/2010 at 10:57
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That's good to hear some positives, thanks.
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On a vaguely similar thread, how available are driver handbooks. My good lady (also known as 'the wife') has contrived to lose the wallet that contained all of the information for her then new Fiesta 1.25 Zetec. It is now out of warranty but the owners' handbook would be most useful for information such as tyre pressures, oil specifications and bulb replacements. Are duplicate handbooks available?
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hi
go to ford.co.uk website choose "owner services". click on buy new owners manual on the main page. this then takes you to a new website "Druckerei C.H.Beck" click on "continue in the online shop", choose the language required, click on search for handbooks (you will probably have to register to buy). input your vin number, car model & language. clik search.
results show manuals for all year fiesta's including owners and audio system handbooks. prices are about 9 euro's plus shipping. or try ebay
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focusman
Many thanks and apologies for the delay in responding. Got the information without delay and now have a happy wife (or will have when the book arrives!)
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