p38 - L322

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seanmull

Active Member
Posts
375
Location
co. limerick Ireland
Hi i am currently driving a p38 dse manual which is running very well have a lot of work done to it but i really like the look of the L322 but i dont know anything about them. Are they as reliable/unreliable as a p38? i know they have independent front suspension and only come in auto but thats all i know . any advice welcome thanks
 
seanmull said:
Hi i am currently driving a p38 dse manual which is running very well have a lot of work done to it but i really like the look of the L322 but i dont know anything about them. Are they as reliable/unreliable as a p38? i know they have independent front suspension and only come in auto but thats all i know . any advice welcome thanks
Click to expand...

I recently upgraded from a rrc. I like it. The main problems seem top be;-

1. The alternators go. This manifests itself by making the vehicle act like a clown mobile with the various electrics etc resetting and not working. Alternators are £1000 from Lr or £250 for a recon one and not much to fit
2. The gearbox on the petrol and diesels both have issues. The petrol ones are mainly if it’s had a hard life and if the ATF hasn’t been changed. Also the transcoolers and rads block on the petrol’s (see my thread about the trans overheat) the boxes can be recon at a reasonable rate. The diesel boxes have a more terminal issues with the TC's breaking down then destroying the box. That can’t be recon and a new box is required. First symptom is not picking up drive or reverse without a delay. The delay will increase and eventually the box will fail.
3. Petrol models do about 17-18 per gallon.
4. Interesting point is the vogues all have sunroofs. Problem with that is that water can get into the rear compartment from the sunroof and that then knackers the coms system. A water shedder is available from LR but results are mixed.
5. Any poor battery will cause the electronics to shout error messages so a good battery is important.
The above list is not exhaustive but can be used to negotiate a reduction in sale price if these haven’t been done.

Service history is a must.

I love mine but like all LR it can be temperamental. Is it more reliable? I would say yes but it does need looking after and it helps to get your hands dirty.

I think each drive makes it worth it

:crazy_driver:
 
Looking at this site and my mates L322 I would say that at any given age/mileage they are just as unreliable as a P38. The big difference is the cost of spares, £60 for a P38 front airspring, £380 for a L322 front airspring for example and lots of corrosion. Diesel gearbox 60K miles unless you are lucky.
 
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Hey,

I just took the plunge and went for the L322 Vogue Diesel ... I thought the P38 was comfortable but the L322 is something else ... an absolutely brilliant cruiser and much smoother in town too.

My one has fairly high mileage and as I discovered after the event, rather limited service history so have got my fingers and toes very crossed that all goes well ... took out a warranty too, just in case.

Interestingly, although a lot of people here (and elsewhere) say that the TD6 is underpowered, I find it has plenty of grunt and is certainly quicker (and smoother) off the mark than the P38 - I've been struggling to rein it in at 30MPH ...

That's my two bits worth.
 
seanmull said:
Hi i am currently driving a p38 dse manual which is running very well have a lot of work done to it but i really like the look of the L322 but i dont know anything about them. Are they as reliable/unreliable as a p38? i know they have independent front suspension and only come in auto but thats all i know . any advice welcome thanks
Click to expand...

Had this dilemma recently ourselves. In the end we decided on a newer low mileage P38 rather than an L322. I wasn't prepared to pay over £10K on a RR and sub £10K L322's are at best 'well used'. Factor in the more expensive spare parts (1 air spring on a L322 is more expensive than a set of 4 on a P38).

I also run a Classic which I love and in comparison when I get a go in the P38 it feels like a Roller. When I was test driving several L322's it just felt like a slightly newer Roller. The feel good factor just wasn't enough of a step up to invest in a potential money pit.

Each to there own and maybe in a few years when low mileage well looked after examples are not going for silly money I'll look again, but for now we're quite happy with the P38.
 
Datatek said:
Looking at this site and my mates L322 I would say that at any given age/mileage they are just as unreliable as a P38. The big difference is the cost of spares, £60 for a P38 front airsring, £380 for a L322 front airspring for example and lots of corrosion. Diesel gearbox 60K miles unless you are lucky.
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Not sure that is very fair...

L322's do suffer from niggles but I think it really is down to how they have been maintained. If you get one that hasnt been serviced and maintained, or had a hard life towing, well then I think you are in a world of problems.

But well loved ones with service history, and I speak as someone who has owned his for over a year, are relatively trouble free. The problems with the gearboxes above can be avoided on a petrol if you buy the right car and make sure the cooling system is well maintained. I didnt know about the cooling system and it cost me. But that said it is the only fault the car has had in a year and it sailed through its last test. Also my trans cooler was the original and it had lasted 70,000 miles before bugging me.

On the deisel models I agree it is a bit more of a design fault but even then the box should last 60000.

I know the air suspension is expensive but again alot of owners report theirs being replaced at 60-70,000 miles. Thats quite a large milage before needing replacement and usualy if a compressor goes its because a leak hasnt been picked up and it is overworked to death.

The parts price is mainly due to the fact that its a newer model and as we all know until its replaced by the latest model LR have great fun s****ing money out of you.

I remember my first RRC and thinking how those new P38 owners were being had over with expensive parts... thats moved on now and its L322 owners.

Saying that parts can be sourced at good prices as can ATF etc.

The main moan is any electrical faults which although annoying arnt likely to leave you stranded. These are almost entirely down to battery problems or damp electrics.

I plan to replace my battery once a year and my radiator once every two years to pre-empt any of these probs.

One other thing.... at the back of the engine near the firewall are a few hoses. These corrode after about 40/50,000 miles as they are rubber and carry engine oil vapour. thats important because they can cause damage to the engine if they do fail. If you get them checked asap and replace them then the BMW engine is pretty bullet proof. I had mine done on purchase and again they were the original ones and had lasted that long.
Wasnt expensive to change just handy to know.

everytime she has a service her oil and filters etc are changed even if we have only done a few thousand miles.

the rad is £160 and takes an hour to fit at home.

Now if you look at an l322 at a dealer and its say £11000..you can ask,
  1. Has the ATf been changed (£200)
  2. has the rad and trans-cooler been changed (£500)
  3. have the breather pipes in the back been changed (£60)
  4. when was the battery last changed (£120)
If those have been done and she has been looked after I think you will have a pretty good car. If they havnt then get a grand knocked off....;)
 
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finlander said:
Not sure that is very fair...

L322's do suffer from niggles but I think it really is down to how they have been maintained. If you get one that hasnt been serviced and maintained, or had a hard life towing, well then I think you are in a world of problems.

But well loved ones with service history, and I speak as someone who has owned his for over a year, are relatively trouble free. The problems with the gearboxes above can be avoided on a petrol if you buy the right car and make sure the cooling system is well maintained. I didnt know about the cooling system and it cost me. But that said it is the only fault the car has had in a year and it sailed through its last test. Also my trans cooler was the original and it had lasted 70,000 miles before bugging me.

On the deisel models I agree it is a bit more of a design fault but even then the box should last 60000.

I know the air suspension is expensive but again alot of owners report theirs being replaced at 60-70,000 miles. Thats quite a large milage before needing replacement and usualy if a compressor goes its because a leak hasnt been picked up and it is overworked to death.

The parts price is mainly due to the fact that its a newer model and as we all know until its replaced by the latest model LR have great fun s****ing money out of you.

I remember my first RRC and thinking how those new P38 owners were being had over with expensive parts... thats moved on now and its L322 owners.

Saying that parts can be sourced at good prices as can ATF etc.

The main moan is any electrical faults which although annoying arnt likely to leave you stranded. These are almost entirely down to battery problems or damp electrics.

I plan to replace my battery once a year and my radiator once every two years to pre-empt any of these probs.

One other thing.... at the back of the engine near the firewall are a few hoses. These corrode after about 40/50,000 miles as they are rubber and carry engine oil vapour. thats important because they can cause damage to the engine if they do fail. If you get them checked asap and replace them then the BMW engine is pretty bullet proof. I had mine done on purchase and again they were the original ones and had lasted that long.
Wasnt expensive to change just handy to know.

everytime she has a service her oil and filters etc are changed even if we have only done a few thousand miles.

the rad is £160 and takes an hour to fit at home.


Now if you look at an l322 at a dealer and its say £11000..you can ask,
  1. Has the ATf been changed (£200)
  2. has the rad and trans-cooler been changed (£500)
  3. have the breather pipes in the back been changed (£60)
  4. when was the battery last changed (£120)
If those have been done and she has been looked after I think you will have a pretty good car. If they havnt then get a grand knocked off....;)
Click to expand...


You forgot to mention the steering column failures, folding mirror failures, copious amounts of water leaking in and screwing the electronics in the rear nearside, the corrosion, especially around the window frames, door handles failing, battery drain problems and 60K for a gearbox is frankly appaling:mad:
 
Datatek said:
You forgot to mention the steering column failures, folding mirror failures, copious amounts of water leaking in and screwing the electronics in the rear nearside, the corrosion, especially around the window frames, door handles failing, battery drain problems and 60K for a gearbox is frankly appaling:mad:
Click to expand...


I did mention the electrics which covers alot of that. Most of the car runs off the electrics as I found to my cost when the alternator gave up!...couldnt even get the key out of the ignition until a booster pack was on.

I did mention the water leaking in the nearside and the rather silly shedder you can buy.

havnt had a door handle failure and from what I have read it doesnt appear to afflict every car so wouldnt like to judge that. Same with the wing mirrors.

As far as I remmeber the streeting colum motor failure is fixed now if the motor is replaced with a new one. The new ones dont do it. Another thing worth checking

As for corrosion well that can be a prob on alot of modern cars but i can report that my baby has none and boy have I had a good look.

Bear in mind what we mostly see on these sites is when things go wrong and people rarely write a thread saying 'everything still going well' so we can get a jaded view.

I have my experience and 4 mates who have l322's who havnt reported any real problems so I try and balance that.

I agree that the 60k gearbox is appaling and when i bought mine that, with the rapidly rising cost of deisel , was the reason i went for the 4.4. seemed much more cost effective.

At the money we are talking about, p38 or l322 , we are prob talking a 2002/2003 model... thats 10 years old and if the car has been ragged senseless, not cared for and smashed around then things will go wrong.

Landrover have a lot to answer for that. The gearbox overheat is a known problem but it still isnt on the service list to check these parts. The ATF should be changed at 50000 miles but LR insist it sealed for life. Interesting because ZF dont agree and they built it....

A bit of research shows this and if you keep ahead you can head alot of problems off at the pass...

Just like buying a good p38 its very important , as I said , that its been serviced well and just as importantly well loved.

Thats down to the buyer to check. I cant believe I have some special bullet proof l322 so mine was well loved and perhaps alot of these faults are reported by people who didnt buy well loved ones.




Anyway thats my 2 penny worth and I hope it helps....
 
I have been thinking along this lines myself but the price of spares on th L322 is scary, have mulled over a Disco 3 (basic coil version), GC 3.0CRD, Sorento or just keep the P38 going but at 15 years old and 162K I just wonder how much longer it will last even though it has never let me down except a gearbox problem but it still got me home. Will wait till the MOT in may and see, might be worth throwing some money at the old girl as the bodywork and mechanicals are all pretty good. Ideal motor woud be a P38 with the TD6 on coils.
Davie:D:D
 
Datatek said:
You forgot to mention the steering column failures, folding mirror failures, copious amounts of water leaking in and screwing the electronics in the rear nearside, the corrosion, especially around the window frames, door handles failing, battery drain problems and 60K for a gearbox is frankly appaling:mad:
Click to expand...

I remember the diff /s failing as well:confused:
 
DeRanged Rover said:
Hey,


My one has fairly high mileage and as I discovered after the event, rather limited service history so have got my fingers and toes very crossed that all goes well ... took out a warranty too, just in case.

quote]

So following on from the above, I followed the advice of peeps on here to check out the MOT history, call up the relevant garage and ask them to send me whatever service history they had ... the garage was very helpful and so here goes:

2006 L322 - TD6

Oct 2009 - New Turbo
Jan 2010 - No 6 Injector and Fuel Pump
Aug 2010 - Front and Rear Brake Pads
August 2011 - Supply and Fit Gear Box Torque Convertor Oil Cooler

So ... it looks like its had quite a few issues in the past which have now hopefully been sorted out.

Question - Is there anything else I need to be looking out for?
Click to expand...
 
JohnP38 said:
I remember the diff /s failing as well:confused:
Click to expand...


The front diffs did fail but that was a recall matter and is I believe can still be done for free if it hasnt been already. Simple job give the registration and chasis number to a dealer and they will tell u if it has been done. If it hasnt they should do it and then that prob is solved....

If it hasnt been done I would walk away as this was quite a prominent recall and any car who has missed it would say me 'not looked after'.....
 
Datatek said:
I reckon BMW didn't want the competition a reliable LR product would pose and went for cheap and nasty.
Click to expand...


actually with the Zf is a very very good box but the weakness is a badly designed radiator/ transcooler and the rather stupid advice of life time fill on the ATF. Apparently this might be to do with eu rules on recycling oil and the expected life of it. Great if you want to comply with these rules but rather rubbish if you want your gearbox to live.

The simple cure is make sure the cooling system is well maintained and ignore the lifetime fill sticker....


The fault with the Diesel boxes is that LR get them from GM and they arnt really upto it. Unfortunately there is no replacement and upgrading the box would be rather expensive and not worth it.... I think Bemble may be able to confirm that the problem is the alloy the valve body is made out of. Its to soft and when the TC brasks up the bits act like sandpaper and wear it awy until it has a nervous breakdown and gives its owner one.

I dont think BMW have an agenda as I believe they fitted the same boxes in there X5 range so that would be soiling their own badge.
 
bought a 2003 '52 plate TD6 Hse last january for £11500 the only service history was a reciept for a new gearbox 3 month s earlier ,got it serviced and since then its not done bad but the list is
diesel leak on low pressure pipe to high pressure pump ,had to remove the inlet manifold to get to it,
blown O' ring on trans oil cooler return line
knackered inline fuel pump
1 knackered injector
knackered rear hub top bush
air suspension went to lock out and had to have it reset was the relief valve in the spare wheel well leaking ,
also scrubbing tyres so had a full 4 wheel alignment done.
front diff/ prop coupling splines went but LR did it on recall and fixed the susequent oil leak from the diff where they'd changed it .
all in all not a bad list for a car thats done a 116k and its ended up costing about a grand on all those bits plus another 500 for 4 tyres and about another 100 or so coming up for a fullset of brake pads and a couple of back discs .
after all that still glad I bought it and not a P38 as after driving them both the L322 is miles better.
just my opinion.
 
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