'03MY L322 Petrol 114k5 miles

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Did the 65 mile round trip to the Merc mechanic's workshop yesterday, motorway light foot max 65mph on petrol. iCarsoft continuously connected measuring coolant temperature showing 229ºF (109.4ºC) without variation. Checked that when going up a hill and down variation + 10º max. Dash temp gauge never varied off the vertical (unless you count ½ a needle's width up then fall back)

Checked coolant gasses staying on petrol -- lots of bubbling up which changed the fluid from blue to yellow eventually. So from your info sniffer fluid will only change when subjected to combustion gasses, must assume the worst :(
No idea which bank (or both) has the bad head gasket -- wasn't able to do compression tests as mech is a Merc mech and backed up with work for next month and not taking in anymore non-Merc work. Still no mayo on dip stick, or coolant resovoir cap.

Collected old electric thermostat and bridge. Mech says he checked continuity and was OK. But I could'nt see how
any mechanical movement could result from heating the element so gunked the innards were with chalk . Rubber gasket had about 1" of it missing :oops: Which is how mech found it. So guess that and the leeching on the rear of bell housing hose to heater and union were doing the job of purging until such time as "Low Coolant" message came up on dash. Removal of coolant resovoir cap (on arrival after 35 miles) didn't show any coolant loss at all. 18.2mpg

Tried removing electric thermostat element and internal coil connections broke. But for those following:
Elec-thermostat-old-84deg.jpg

No discernable indication of operating temperature marked

Some moisture noted around coolant tank cap and purge screw. Could've been not completely tightened yesterday
½ litre of water added this morning, and purge procedure as above done again

Flapping about on the interweb found:
"It cost me just under £90 to get it to the uk via amazon so the 80 degree mod is cheaper"
This is a non-electrically operated thermostat of the standard spring construction that poster says he's used on both 4.4L L322 and his V8
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HAH8AU8/ref..._ttl_sol_0
 
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After a run, is the rad top hose solid?

Yes. But when I'd run it on LPG with the fault showing (in ignorance) the top hose hadn't ballooned up as others in LPG woes' threads (with LPG leaking into the coolant) had reported. But it was very hard

Is Vaporizer the same as Reducer? If not, which is which in my picture above?

... Clarice, CLARICE! I'm sorry...
 
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Yes. But when I'd run it on LPG with the fault showing (in ignorance) the top hose hadn't ballooned up as others in LPG woes' threads (with LPG leaking into the coolant) had reported. But it was very hard

Is Vaporizer the same as Reducer? If not, which are which in my pix above?

... Clarice, CLARICE! I'm sorry...

Dupe post -- mod'r pls delete
 
Vap and Reucer are the same thing....different name, same piece of kit.

If the rad hose is very hard, then something is pressurising the cooling system....

Oh....and Coolant caps don't need to be tightened FT (Fecking Tight) just nipped up, the seals should hold back normal pressures - if you are having to really gun it down to stop it leaking - this again tells that the system is over pressure.
 
Thanks again for the reply. Learning curve again.
Which piece of kit in my pix is it? The one with the Prins label on it?

Yes, the top hose is rock hard but not ballooning. The system does seem to offer more Hisssssh! from escaping gas when I open up the coolant resovoir pressure cap than I'd expect from other cars. But there again "other cars" (10 years a Passat and later) also give a long Hisssssh! when their systems are de-pressurised.
 
Thanks to Dave this morning for his time and a cuppa :) Good to meet someone who actually knows these systems. And met with a mech who confirmed diagnosis

... Neither knew of Clarice's whereabouts though
 
See the Range Rover L322 being put through its paces on Fifth Gear (series 28 ep 2) broadcast last night?

Marvel at how Vikki Butler Henderson actually got it started without having the steering column IMMO being rebuilt by BBA Reman.
Gasp at how there's no <tick, tick, tick> on tickover due to faulty timing chain guides.
Be amazed at the temperature gauge actually staying at "normal".
Catch your breath when you realise there's no oil leaks from the cam cover gaskets
Cringe at how she unashamedly tells the world how wonderful the L322 actually is without describing the inbuilt by- design battery drain fault.
Forgive her everything as you realise how fruity this qualified racing driver actually is
vicki-1687224c.jpg
 
See the Range Rover L322 being put through its paces on Fifth Gear (series 28 ep 2) broadcast last night?

Marvel at how Vikki Butler Henderson actually got it started without having the steering column IMMO being rebuilt by BBA Reman.
Gasp at how there's no <tick, tick, tick> on tickover due to faulty timing chain guides.
Be amazed at the temperature gauge actually staying at "normal".
Catch your breath when you realise there's no oil leaks from the cam cover gaskets
Cringe at how she unashamedly tells the world how wonderful the L322 actually is without describing the inbuilt by- design battery drain fault.
Forgive her everything as you realise how fruity this qualified racing driver actually is
vicki-1687224c.jpg

Yes but she can afford to pay whatever it costs to fix the f*cker. Good driver though and very tasty ... [the L322 love, honestly!]
 
Yes they are my pics, (gleaned from internet) who else would have put them up?
Ah so, (pardon my Asian)...you didn't change the uppers (rears), well that's what I'd do next.

Have had the uppers (rear) both control arms changed now and the tramlining and the occasional cardiac-stopping lurch is even worse now. Mech took it to a kerb, put OSR wheel flat to the curb's side and moved the steering and found that the steering could still be moved about an ⅛ of a turn with some kind of click inbetween. Some slight clunking has returned to front end when going over rough roads too.

One of the removed top control arm's sleeve rubbers was very badly deformed and ripped internally:
Upper-control-arm-old-deformed.jpg

Upper-control-arm-old.jpg

After I'd done a trip to Hemel Hempstead and back (M25/M1 and country roads) the lurch fault got progressively worse until I was driving the last 15 miles or so in trepidation as to whether it was going to throw me into a side wall of the Blackwall Tunnel. Eventually took it back to mech who tried driving it around and it wouldn't do it. Until it did and gave him a cardiac...! He's since been underneath with a pry bar and can't find anything amiss. So it's going on a ramp today to see / check even more with wheels off. The lurch / tramlining's a bit like wheel bearings or track rod ends on a normal car... MF

... Clarice 'phoned. Was so relieved to hear from her! Asked her where she'd been as her team colleagues had been round making all sorts of accusations against me. She said she'd been on a course at MI5 for a year. And not to say anything as it was all very hush hush. Oh, and to stop calling her Clarice. She said her real name's Cressida...
 
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Have had the uppers (rear) both control arms changed now and the tramlining and the occasional cardiac-stopping lurch is even worse now. Mech took it to a kerb, put OSR wheel flat to the curb's side and moved the steering and found that the steering could still be moved about an ⅛ of a turn with some kind of click inbetween. Some slight clunking has returned to front end when going over rough roads too.

One of the removed top control arm's sleeve rubbers was very badly deformed and ripped internally:

Would be easy to think perhaps bent steering rack or bad mounts but from the visual memory of the rust that was starting on my subframe/engine cradle, to which I believe the rack is mounted I'd be closely inspecting said cradle for weld fatigue in the first instance, shouldn't be too difficult to assess.

I am no expert, and I don't have mine anymore.
 
Will see what Mech has found -- he's insistant now that he's experienced it that he will find the fault
MOT's just been done and no sub-frame - engine cradle rust noted. Although, of course that's no guarantee.
Have suggested that after the bottom control arms were changed the then shop re-did the tracking. Which could've taken into account the top control arms serious rubber fatigue. And when top cotrol arms were changed that threw the tracking wildly out? But I'm not a mechanic so guessing...

Thanks your thoughts. The old arm's pix now posted
 
Will see what Mech has found -- he's insistant now that he's experienced it that he will find the fault
MOT's just been done and no sub-frame - engine cradle rust noted. Although, of course that's no guarantee.
Have suggested that after the bottom control arms were changed the then shop re-did the tracking. Which could've taken into account the top control arms serious rubber fatigue. And when top cotrol arms were changed that threw the tracking wildly out? But I'm not a mechanic so guessing...

Thanks your thoughts. The old arm's pix now posted

Tracking is important although that wouldn't account for the clicking.
Is the clicking low or high?
Seized/worn/rusted top strut bearings worth listening for, under load, ie. static lock to lock on grippy tarmac....also good for checking cradle I'd imagine.
 
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Tracking is important although that wouldn't account for the clicking.
>>Is the clicking low or high?
Seized/worn/rusted top strut bearings worth listening for, under load, ie. static lock to lock on grippy tarmac....also good for checking cradle I'd imagine.

Clicking low or high? What do you mean? Position or tone of the click? Seems to come from (as heard at the driver's position) very front end sort of nearside but inboard a bit. Tone is a "click" rather than a "thump".
I've done lock to lock and nothing sounds -- no clunks nor clicks. Mech couldn't find anything under load which is why he's got it on a ramp this afternoon (I hope) to see what's loose off load

>>Top strut bearings. Could you point me to where you mean on the diagrams?
Front-susp-chart-amp-parts.jpg

l322-front-suspension.jpg

Dunno if there's anything at the rear end that could cause such a lurch?

I know a bag had been replaced and the air pump re-built by previous keeper. Apart from that I've got no info about undercart in previous ownerships
 
Hopefully have solved this for richard he popped round with his car and very quickly I found his lpg vapouriser is leaking lpg into his coolant.
Repair kit on order job done....

Yes, drove to Hemel Hempstead and back on what was in the LPG tank and found that the temperature needle didn't move hardly at all with the new coolant gasket installed. Very impressed. Here's a pic of the old gasket barrier as removed:
LPG-reducer-old-coolant-gasket.jpg

Note how badly deformed this rubber barrier is. It's the original from the system's install in Sept'09

I still have the "O" rings and the other barrier that doesn't have the centre hole (think this could be for the earlier Prins system) if anyone needs
 
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