We've got a set of Milenco Aero's that we use on the P38's and L322's without any issues. General consensus on the caravan groups seem to rate them too. We'd buy them again if anything happened to them.
https://www.milenco.com/products/mirrors/milenco-aero-3-mirror
David.
I’m hoping that tomorrow I should receive the new transfer box I’ve ordered. I’m not taking a risk on another used one so this time I ordered one from Land Rover so hopefully I won’t have any issues this time around!
David.
I managed to obtain a replacement gearbox for the car. I flushed the oil cooler and lines in both directions with 2 litres each way of Lifeguard 6. When I refitted the box I had exactly the same fault present.
It turned out that it was actually the transfer box that was grinding and banging rather then the gearbox. A replacement transfer box was purchased and fitted but it turns out that it’s now whining on the motorway which is driving me nuts so I’m going to ask the company I got it from to replace it tomorrow.
Never rains but it pours!
David.
I keep thinking about doing similar to our Vogue SE but I want it to work with the original sat nav screen. With the sat nav unit in the boot it must be fairly easy to pick up the feed to the screen and switch the feed when the reverse lights come on.
Well, we got 3 months and 2.5k miles before any problems with the L322 arose.
Unfortunately, it appears to be quite a major problem and quite an unusual one too! My gearbox has died! It’s quite unusual as the ZF 6HP26 box tends to be very robust and doesn’t give much trouble.
When I serviced the car I replaced the solenoids, the filter, the seals and the oil. It’s been driving perfectly, no signs of slipping or any bad changes either. It lost drive very suddenly too. I was going through the field to collect one of the trailers and I’d gone into low as I came through the gate, driven about 30 yards into the field and heard a funny noise. It was as if a piece of wire was caught on the car.
I stopped, got out and had a look and when I went back into Drive I had no drive. I eventually got it into D but it was stuck in 2nd. I limped it down to the house and did some troubleshooting as the faults codes were pointing to the transfer box. Eventually after exhausting everything else, I drained the gearbox oil to find that it had gone from being nice and golden to burnt, stinking and black within 2.5k miles.
I’ve now sourced a replacement gearbox which turns out to have been a good buy as it was a genuine LR replacement supplied in 2017 so I’ve got that to fit now. Thankfully LR only quote 5.7hrs to change the gearbox on the Supercharged L322.
David.
Mild steel exhausts for P38's have been the one job I've hated on them the most as they never seem to fit properly. Once this one we have now needs one it's going to get a Double S stainless one. They're not cheap but I've read that they fit first time without needing modifying and should last a long time.
You're lucky as when ours sounded tappety and it was coming and going it was the liner hitting the head! Glad yours isn't such an extreme problem.
David.
The VSE that I put the new engine in (only one I've got now) passed it's MOT without any advisories.
It's done 712 miles since the new engine went in it 12 months ago so we're half way to it having the running in oil change!
David.
When the DSP amp in my Vogue SE started failing, it was only the rear speakers that worked. It could be that your car has the right amp but it's just dropped a channel or two in the early stages of failing.
Only way to be sure is to remove it and read the numbers off it.
David.
Interesting post on the Supercharged, Simon. I had my Supercharged smoke tested recently due to a very small lumpiness at idle when cold. There was nothing found on it. The JLR specialist who smoke tested it said that vacuum leaks on the 4.2 SC engine are very rare.
David.
Took the P38 to the local dealer today to get the throttle body heater. As I left our village the car beeped and told me the front left indicator bulb was faulty so I managed to grab one of them whilst the dealer. 2 mins to fit it in the dealer carpark saw that issue fixed.
Then after work I changed the throttle body heater. The old gasket was fairly horrible and was leaking on one edge.
Am going to miss this one when it’s sold. It really does drive nicely.
David.
Gave my P38 a quick check over and a wash today in preparation for a potential new owner coming to have a look at it on Thursday and noticed there was some pink staining that had started to appear around the throttle body heater pipes.
Going to call the dealer and see how quickly they can get me one tomorrow. I thought I’d have to remove the throttle body but it looks like Henry managed it without so here’s hoping.
David.
Makes sense as it's from the left hand side of the car where the reducers are mounted. Does it even happen on brand new ones?
Sounds like you're being kept busy, Simon!
Mine is running great on LPG at the moment but more often then not I still get the EML light on for high fuel pressure. Have had a good look around it but can't find any signs of an emulator or fuel return. Other then changing the reducers I've done no work on the LPG so I'm wondering if the previous owner just put up with the EML light being on all the time.
It's annoying me though and I'd like it putting right though.
One thing I have noticed is very occasionally it makes a loud noise under load, almost like a fog horn kinda noise but fainter. If you let the car go into overrun it stops, and if you switch to petrol it stops too.
David.
Right, I’m getting some serious grief about the number of cars I have sat around at the moment so this needs to go. I’m going to be washing it and trying to get some pictures of it at the weekend. I’m not going to have time to get the rear bumper sorted so will be prepared to negotiate on that accordingly.
If anyone wants a cracking, sorted P38, give me a shout :) I’d love it to go to an enthusiast home.
David.
I've just done this on one of ours last week so it's fresh in my memory...
If you lift the coolant bottle out of the way it does improve access. You don't need to completely remove it. The rear screws on the modulator are awkward but not bad. I used just a standard open ended spanner to loosen/tighten them.
The bleed nipples on the calipers are easily accessed when the car is on it's wheels from the back of the wheel so unless you need the wheels off, it's probably not worth it.
Ours had 2 new calipers fitted, all new brake flexi hoses and the front calipers were removed for cleaning and painting so all our fluid was lost. To get it bled properly took about 3 attempts, however, the last time I just changed the fluid it was easily done on the 1st attempt.
Also, like you say, follow RAVE to a tee.
David.
My Dad had a couple of D2 ES’s that he bought new, I previously owned a D2 4.0 V8 ES, and whilst I was running a P38 my brother in law was running a D2 ES.
IMO, the D2 is a bit like a Defender with a nice interior. The P38 is much comfier inside it and is much quieter to munch miles in. ACE does cure the body roll but that’s about all I liked about them.
For some reason, D2’s rot horrendously compared to P38’s too.
David.
Well, the RR was thrown into service today. It’s done short trips around home for the last few weeks and hasn’t given me any problems so today I decided it would be the weapon of choice for a trip to meet a friend at Lymm Services.
In October I bought a sports exhaust for the XFR in Essex and had it transported to a friend of mine in Welwyn Garden City. He also had an alloy wheel, side vents for the Range Rover, deployable side steps for the Range Rover, and a few other bits. I also collected a genuine Land Rover boot mat on the way down in Carlisle. Thankfully, rather then having to go all the way down south which would have involved an overnight stay, we met at Lymm Services where we were able to have a coffee outside in glorious sunshine before we both went our separate ways home Smile
The Range Rover covered 468 miles in it’s stride without batting an eye lid at it. There’s a feint rumble from the drivers front wheel bearing which got irritating after a while, thankfully though, it’s quiet enough that the radio didn’t need to be that loud to drown it out. It’s definitely next on the list of things to do though!
It cost me £33 on LPG to get from Lymm Services to the LPG station we pass in Paisley on the way home, according to the trip computer it was 225 miles. So 225 miles for £33. Can’t grumble at that. In my last one that was on Petrol I used to get circa 300 miles to £100 of petrol in 2014, so a significant saving. Not enough to make me convert one myself but when buying one that’s already converted it’s a pleasant benefit.
David.
We’ve got a 2007 Supercharged L322 and a 2012 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography.
If I were walking out onto the driveway a choosing a car to do a long distance trip in, I’d walk past my P38’s every day of the week. The refinement of the L322 is way ahead of that of the P38. The pre 06 facelift cars weren’t as well refined as the later ones from a comfort point of view.
I had to collect the caravan from servicing today in the 4.4 TDV8 (it ticked over 23k today) and towing with that thing is incredible, you don’t feel the 8 speed box changing gear, it’s got so much torque that you don’t know there’s a 30ft caravan behind it, and in the wind the rack and pinion steering on it is so tight that you don’t feel the movement from the caravan.
I love my P38’s and have spent a lot of time replacing all of the bushes on ours with genuine LR bushes and they drive better then most P38’s I’ve ever driven, we spent over 4 grand putting a brand new “fettled with” 4.6 engine in one of ours last year too. Credit where it’s due to the P38 as I do love them, they’re great for doing what they do, however, I personally find that the L322’s are better cars in every way.
It’s easy enough to check the logbook to see which ones are real.
There’s apps on your phone that will show you what model they are after entering the registration number. Both of mine show as “Vogue SE” when looking them up.
David.
We're getting there now. All brake hoses are replaced, the rear brakes are rebuilt but the arch liners aren't back in yet. I need to use some tar removed and get some treatment rubbed into them to clean them up properly.
The front brakes have also been stripped, cleaned and painted too.
David.