Booked in with dealer on 10 June and the 'Master Technician' is to go for test drive with me to assess...

Test drive completed with Master Tech at main dealer today (me driving/ his preference)..

Smouldering:
There was a slight burning/ smouldering smell from the front wheels after the drive, the tech noting that the front near side was hottest.. he said they never have issues with the front calipers (Brembos) and that having personally checked the car out when it was recently in for a lot of work (including the fact that all brakes had much life in them/ the fronts being cleaned by his colleague) there was no useful purpose to be served in my leaving the car with them to further inspect... the main thing being the issues were now logged and any deterioaration would be covered under warranty.

Slamming:
I mentioned the gear slam or thump and he said that the software 'would have been upgraded on this car'... again, having been over it with a fine tooth comb recently, he said there are no issues.

Rumbling:
Likewise - nothing to worry about - with the occasional compressor rumble.


Steering:
I also mentioned the ongoing query I have with steerig vibration/ resistance partic when turning at low speeds. He said that he has 'never had a rack fail on one of these in 10 years', the power steering pumps are robust and there were no failing components on the steering; and having changed the servotronic valve recently, again any deterioation would be covered under warranty (he observed it might be a particular road camber as the query is more noteworthy when turning left towards our house/ downhill... and when I asked if this might be a 'quirk of these cars' he went along with that).

So, after 20 minutes with the Master Tech, I was on my way home in the car. What can you say, he was a nice guy, I know they were recently over it with a FTC as the 'making good' bill was near £2k and they had found things I had not at that time...

Interesting. There has to be a reason why your front N/S wheel gets hotter than the other side, though? Still, like your chap said, I suppose you've another 11 months of warranty left.

I've also asked the dealer to confirm the gearbox slam is normal and to confirm all software updates are up-to-date.

Maybe you just need to drive it now. Put some miles on the thing to build up your confidence.  Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

After driving the car the smell is still there.. I did mention to local MD that the smell could also be originating from the engine bay and he said its just that these cars are big powerful lumps that will have that type of smell... But the more I sniff the more I'm starting to think that the smouldering might be the smell of hot oil either dripping, leaking or seeping onto a hot engine part... And I have noticed a golf ball sized patch of what looks a dried up oil leak on the garage floor which I think might be from the front passenger side of the engine bay. No warning lights are on. I did also report to the MD a couple of weeks ago that the car was maybe racing a little at idle and sounded burbly which it had not done before.

the patch of unknown liquid on the garage floor might be remnants of the a/c .. ... - .- -.




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Thanks.. if "a/c" means air con fluids, my observation is that fluid usually dries up and leaves no stain (or at least it has on prev 4x4 we've had)?

The stain I mention is not a black oil stain but a sort of syrup coloured stain.. and then there is the 'hot oil smell' from the engine bay...

It will get checked out anyway as the car will be going back to the MD again because the new door paint finish is scruffy/ not what you would expect on the lower inside of the door where it meets the new rubber bottom seal... and there is very intrusive wind noise from around the new driver's door window frame at 40mph and above.

The car is now back at the MD for the new driver's door to have remedial work done, tailgate corrosion addressed and whilst there has been further examined for this long standing smouldering smell is it brakes/ is it oil on hot metal/ is there a slight oily discharge from the engine bay? issue... And a telephone call received today was that after much dealer time spent investigating they have now found a problem which was referred to as an oil spill from the recent service, some form of oil leak linked to the radiator/ some sort of leak linked to the radiator. Anyway, what I was told was that 'its a big job' the parts have been ordered and it will be done under warranty.

Gearbox slam is either the gear linkage jiggling or your gearbox is getting confused when adapting. Mine does it every now and again but generally is faultless. 
07 Supercharged - Still breaking her in!

Boot soundproofing part 1 - http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic15612.html
Custom exhaust - http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic15296.html
18" wheels for Brembo equipped cars - http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic15052.html