L322 Looking to buy a L322 4.4V8, any tips?

Hey all,

I finally managed to dry my tears after selling my beloved '86 ex-mod Defender last weekend. So i'm looking for something else. I've always liked the L322 for its looks and i found out they early ones are getting within affordable price range here in Holland. When i bought the defender the list was easy. If it runs it's good

The L322 will give me about 200hp and a ****load of comfort more, but i'm sure there are things i need to check before buying one. Do you lads have any items, weakspot, points of interest, etc i should be aware of beforebeing blinded by love for the car and buy it anyway?

Thx in advance

Full service history is a must, lots of people rant on about full dealer service history but if you're using the same grade of oil and filters the main dealer uses then what's the difference? providing the services have been on schedule using the correct oil/filters etc I suppose its a personal thing. Common problems are the alternator, compressor and battery ask to see if these have been done also make sure the air suspension works, gear boxes are "sealed for life" blah blah....make sure the gear changes are smooth and not jumpy or notchy, I serviced my gearbox twice as soon as I got it and its very very smooth I don't feel any changes at all (apart from downshift when planting the foot) and my one is on 90k miles.

Unless you can afford one made after 2006 and can repair it yourself or have bank balance like David Beckham's don't bother.

the gearbox will fail without doubt serviced or not,anything around 90 k miles onwards your on borrowed time,make sure its had a recent recon thats pretty much the biggie, do expect high repair bills its never cost me less than £500 to fix mine except the battery which was only £140, ps get a vogue imo & enjoy

Full service from a reputable garage you can check with, air suspension changes to all heights relatively quickly and light is on switch, air con works, low ratio works, lcd dash pixels , accelerate slowly up a slight incline if possible and listen for a cattle grid noise which the torque converter, leaking cam and timing cover seals, pcv valve pipe work been changed at rear of engine, some start up rattle is normal but not ideal but a rattle when warm points towards vanos units failing , sat nav works, check for water behind side panels in boot, changes smoothly through the gears, listen for suspension clunking or banging which can be front or rear suspension arms or bushes,check oil and coolant levels, buy as later model as you can, keep back some cash for repairs and test drive it for as long as you can and very often faults are cleared and then return fairly quickly after you part with your cash, be very clear on your warranty, keep back a couple of grand and we'll see you back here in a couple of weeks, think that's about it ....

I have a 2003 4.4V8 with 114k and FSH and drives lovely (when working) but I'll tell you some of the issues you might face, ALL of which currently affect mine

Gearbox issues: "transfer box neutral" (likely low box motor) "trans overheat" (Likely oil cooler), "trans fail safe" (not sure yet but could be the box itself).

Engine issues: PCV fails and can cause oil to spew from seals etc like mine did. Rattle on cold start up like a diesel due to worn Vanos and timing chain etc. Various oil leaks inc rocker cover gaskets and front timing chain gaskets. Coolent loss due to a number of things but most likely culprit is the rad which tend to fracture.

Apart from that it's great, mine is a very nice drive ornament and storage locker at present and great for picnics on the drive

Don't let the above put you off just remember these problems can be part of any Land rover purchase and considered optional extras but in all honesty I'm thinking about selling D2 Td5 I've not long bought as a runaround workhorse and putting the cash into the L322 as its such a nice motor to drive and be in and just using that with an LPG conversion instead.

I have also drove the TD6 but I just don't like it, doesn't feel as sumptuous to drive, I was even advised to buy the TD6 over the V8 as the TD6 engine is pretty bulletproof, just the gearbox to deal with but I bought a V8 with known gearbox issues lol. Why because I love V8s and don't care much for diesels................and I might be a bit stupid at times

Thx for the info all I've been googling for the sounds which is shouldn't be hearing, that will help. The full service history will be a must for sure now. That should tell me enough i hope. Maybe just spent a little more for sell problems in the future

wammers said:

Unless you can afford one made after 2006 and can repair it yourself or have bank balance like David Beckham's don't bother.

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why one after 2006?

Jaguar took over from BMW, don't get me wrong, I like a challenge and I bought it without checking the service history which is an expensive mistake but I do love fixing it but mine cost me £6k 2 years ago and I bet I have spent the same again or not far from it, it's an addiction and I probably have a few issues that need dealing with

Remember, you only ever hear of the bad ones in the forums, the BMW V8 has a nice note to it (I've not heard the Jag one) and im currently looking for an induction kit of some sort just to expand on that lovely V8 note, but cant seen to find one at all . they're also very comfortable to drive air suspension works a treat!!

Koen said:

why one after 2006?

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They were improved then in particular the diesel models.

I'm not rich enough to afford a diesel We pay 2275 pounds per year road tax for a heavy diesel beast like that, petrol version are "only" half of that. I mainly ride my motorbikes. It's just handy to have a car when i need one. Might as well be another of my toys then

The price range between a 2002 and 2006 is almost double here. Even a 4.2 is then an option. The 2002/2004 start from about 5300 pounds. Average around 7800. i won't touch the lower range, unless i know what i need to spent and or what the issues are. 2006 models start around 12000 pounds and thats just too much for a car i barely use (i got 6 motorbikes ). Cause i use the bikes a lot i'm not too worried about high repair costs, but it would be nice if it was fixed already or the price is low enough that i can fix it without cutting into my motorbike collection hobby budget

Well i went to have a look at the first one today. It said it is green, but turned out to be grey. Some sort of coat. Easy to remove he said. He wanted it to try. Try and cover some scratches me thinks. It started nice, no rattle nothing. Garage owner used it as his ride. Maintance was done by him ofc, but failed to fill in the books. Meh. Didn't bother to test drive it. Next. Just hope they won't all be like that

Most likely a vinyl wrap which is very common, you should drive as many as you can to get a feel for whats is good and bad. i maintain my own vehicle and don't fill in the book, there isn't much left that hasn't be renewed on mine .

yeah maybe, but it looked like a cover up too me. I understand that you don't fill in the book when you do it yourself, but he's the garage owner (he has been riving it for 4 or 5 years). Should make sense to fill it in as thats part of your normal job too right? Ah well, i do have 4 or 5 i can have a look at too, but i wanted a green one, guess i'll have to settle for blue

Hey if you feel something wasn't right with it then you are right to walk away, always listen to your instincts.

What holidaychicken said. Especially this:
keep back some cash for repairs
&
keep back a couple of grand

Definitely has a cash reserve.
Battery £140 (has to be a good one)
Evidence of service and fluids changed.
Water in the boot/boot floor and side panels
Ensure the satnav and other bits on this works.
I would suggest early 2005 with BMW engine and manual hand brake if you can find one.
Make sure everything works....everything.....take your time.....about 2hrs to do everything...
get one and enjoy..

That water in the boot thing, is that just a doorseal which needs to be replaced or is it something more horrible? Do keep in mind i had a old defender. When it was raining, you got wet, very simple

no rear lamps can leak.
look carefully