New Range rover owner with a few questions

I posted a post in the introduction section but thought I would post in here as I have a few questions about the car I have just bought. It’s an 03 L322 Range Rover 159K miles. No service history (but I’ve written to the last owner).

This is my first JLR vehicle though not my first 4x4. I always fancied one knowing the reputation for reliability. But I thought that “they can’t be all that bad can they ?”

So I bought her last week. At the moment she is running really well. Gear changes are smooth and no juddering or funny vibrations. Engine runs very nice. All fluid levels seem fine after a week. No smoke and she pulls and accelerates like a dream. Air suspension works fine

I would say at this stage that the car is running fine at the moment but …

The only issue I had was after a day of ownership I started trying different things and when I selected low ratio via the switch behind the gear lever nothing seemed to happen. No light came on the dash and I didn’t hear anything. The car did seem to change though and it drove a little “weird” as though it was in low ration but very very low ration. It had the effect of a slipping clutch and at one stage when I stopped at the top of a hill at a junction it wouldn’t pull away. I had to reverse a little and took another run and then it made it. It would pull away on the flat but it took some time.

When I stopped the car and switched the engine off for a few minutes it righted itself and its been fine since. The dreaded “transmission failsafe prog” display came up. But this has not come up in the past week and the car is fine but I haven’t touched the low ratio switch since.

Is this something to do with the transfer box. It not a problem to fix as ill just get it done but would appreciate any advice off the forum guys.

I tried the hill descent control switch and this illuminated a light on the dash but I didn’t actuall try the facility

Is there anything you thing I should do as preventative maintenance such as gearbox oil and filter change. I would like to get it into a proper Land/range rover garage which I am lucky to have quite local to me in brum.


Thanks again

Phill

Your not the first to have this issue, basically the hi-lo is selected via an electric actuator and as most L322s are never taken off road this actuator basically become sticky/partially seized, until the moment a 'new' owner decides to have a play, inducing an Oh fcuk what have I done moment)

Option 1 is don't touch it again,
Option 2 is exercise it and hope it frees itself,
Option 3 is remove actuator to strip it on the bench and exercise it off the car before refitting.

If Option 2 works a few times in a row successfully then I suggest you activate 2 or 3 times a week to keep it free and usable.

(There is an option 2.5, the console switch can get sticky from spilt drinks, dumb idea placing cup holders above electrics!)

mlotrstl322 said:

Your not the first to have this issue, basically the hi-lo is selected via an electric actuator and as most L322s are never taken off road this actuator basically become sticky/partially seized, until the moment a 'new' owner decides to have a play, inducing an Oh fcuk what have I done moment)

Option 1 is don't touch it again,
Option 2 is exercise it and hope it frees itself,
Option 3 is remove actuator to strip it on the bench and exercise it off the car before refitting.

If Option 2 works a few times in a row successfully then I suggest you activate 2 or 3 times a week to keep it free and usable.

(There is an option 2.5, the console switch can get sticky from spilt drinks, dumb idea placing cup holders above electrics!)

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Thanks a lot for the reply. I'll leave it for now and perhaps get it looked at when it goes in for something else. Would it be an idea to get a gearbox oil and filter change anyway due to the milage (assuming the previous owner hasnt recently done it)

If there is no history with car then at the very least the condition of the oil needs evaluating.

In ideal circumstances it should be a light colour, not dark and burnt smelling.

If it's dark then I'd arrange a couple of sump dumps, maybe 500-1000 miles apart, and only once the condition was good would I then pop in a new filter.

Filter NEEDS to be genuine, it's branded FILTRAN.

See other gearbox thread for correct oil spec.

I would change ALL the fluids if it was my car including pumping new brake fluid thru system and then you KNOW its new

oakey said:

I would change ALL the fluids if it was my car including pumping new brake fluid thru system and then you KNOW its new

Click to expand...

Talking of which, check the brake pipes, in case they haven't been renewed yet.

+1 on brake pipes.

I presumed you have bought the V8, if not then the TD6 utilises a GM gearbox, different oil and filter and at your mileage it's either had a refurb already or it's gonna need one, along with the torque converter.
It's made of softer cheese than the petrol ZF box.