Hello All,

I’m new to this forum (actually it’s the first I’ve ever joined) and very happy to have found it, great write ups and many active members.

After looking around for a project vehicle and the many complaints from the girlfriend that my hands are getting too soft I bought my first L322. Luckily living in Dubai there is a over abundance of them for sale, but sadly what goes for “perfect inside and out” here is a long way from what someone with low average intelligence would say in the countries about 6 flight hours to the west of here. Nevertheless after a few weeks and 18 different viewings I found one that doesn't seem too abused with 110,000k on the clock. Unfortunately it is facelifted but it is still a start.

Took it for a 4 hour test drive and everything was working except the nav (that will be a project in its itself. Just a hint now, nav and amp held in place with a full water bottle). Put it up on a rack and found the bushing in the front to be mostly shot and a small bit of oil leaking from the back of the Cam/rocker cover gaskets and possibly rear oil seal, also the forward underbody protection was missing, guess it was removed when the facelift was done.

Decided that this 2004 Range Rover HSE 4.4V8 was going to be it and after hours of haggling and tea drinking (yes it is the Middle East) beat them down 30% to GBH 4,400.00 cash then drove it a bit round town and home. The next morning just a few drops of oil under engine and surprise surprise the shocks are down and a “inactive air suspension” greeting me inside. I should have ordered Storey’s EAS Activate a little sooner.

I had seen during my testing the the front air bags had been replaced and the rubber still seemed supple and smooth and thought I was lucky. So I put it on a recovery truck and off to have the faults cleared from a close by Indy. Worked fine afterwards.

Today starts the healing and transformation, got some time on a lift for a good look and poking about underneath, no new surprises.

Here is the list of projects for this week:

1. Cam/rocker cover gaskets
2. Bolt grommets for cam cover
3. Tie rods LH RH
4. Lower arm LH RH
5. Coolant/Antifreeze flush and change
6. Oil+filter change
7. Air filter
8. Pollen filter
9. Fuel Filter
10. Air Box
11. Pull off the horrible sidesteps and mud flaps


To my chagrin during my long pre-buy testing I did forget it check one thing ( It was 47c outside so I’ll forgive myself), the air filter and now have found that during the facelift 1/3 of the airbox was cut away to be able to shove it in between the new lights and engine bay electrical box. It is a snug fit but its still sucking in hot air from the engine bay and the engine side of the MAF is loose too. I’m sure this is the cause of my too lean long term trims on both banks. Note to self, check for vacuum leaks.

I’ll start to fab a new airbox and was thinking sticking a Donaldson’s PowerCore filter in it. I have one on my other truck and it works great for dust and sand. Has anyone here used them before?

Rear seal and transmission rebuild are the next big steps but someone else will have to do that for me, just don't have the space, time or know how.

I do need to get some tyres on it soon, it is running on 19” rims and I have thought about finding something smaller, they just don't feel right after the last 7 years on 16” rim with big rubber on my other truck.

Off to the garage now to get started and plan to be done by Thursday this week, it should be a cosy 45c in there now.

I’d look forward to any suggestions or tips on set-ups, repairs and fixes that any of you have.


Big Thanks to Haylands/Pete, reading your posts was a great motivation to get under a car again.


Photo of this weeks progress to follow.

The photo in the post are the first and second day of ownership, I’ll leave it to you to decide the order.


Bova

_______________________________
2004 4.4 V8 Chawton

Certainly the right colour for your climate, good luck with the transformation....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Nice project, keep us posted!  l=Oo\________/oO=l l:OolΞΞΞΞΞΞΞloO:l

Current
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L SDV8 - 2013 - Indus Silver, on Almond.
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L V8 - 2002 - ex-2003 G4 Challenge Event Vehicle, Stage 3: Australia
RANGE ROVER HSE 4.4L V8 - 2004 - one-of-one Overfinch
RANGE ROVER P38a 4.0L V8 - 1999 - ex-2000 TReK Event Vehicle: South Africa

Previous:
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L TDV8 - 2012 - RANGE ROVER 3.6L TDV8 x3 - RANGE ROVER Td6 x1 - RANGE ROVER Classic 3.5L V8 x1

nice colour...


rims look like 20'' to me... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Yes definitely 20” wheels NOT 19’s sir

Yep, nice looking project car .

Agree on the wheels, look like 20"style 11 copies to me, the dish in the centre is deeper than the genuine articles! There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

Yep, they are 20s

I'm looking for new rims and tyres now, please send suggestions for smaller rims and bigger rubber.

I thought I was going to spend the afternoon in the garage but ended up in the next city over sourcing parts after visiting the official dealer here and finding prices between 50% and 100% higher than in Europe. I'll give it a go tomorrow morning again and come back with updates and photos.

It’s been a while, I had to go to Beirut for work and have not had a chance to do much work on the RR.

I did manage to do all the things planned in my last post except removing the side steps but I did drop in a new radiator after pressure test the cooling system (much easier than on my Chevy Suburban).

I had hoped that replacing the valve cover gaskets would fix the slow oil leak but it seems that I still have one, much slower but changing the rear oil seal will be on the list when the transmission come out in a few weeks.

Next steps will be transmission oil and filter change along with a new cooler and cooler lines. In the last days when I’m in traffic the transmission has been heating up to around 140c and the shifting goes into protection mode.

Received my RSW All Comms and have a long list of things to do.

Air suspension system CAN error.
Air suspension Articulation Validity Fault.
Air Bag Supply voltage less than 9.6V
Instrument Panel Module EBV function fault received from ABS ECU.
Transfer box Noise on actuator signal


Did manage to take the RR out to see the desert but it’s still not in condition to go off the pavement.

Thanks to the forums here, without them I would be lost with getting this RR running correctly.

Cheers



Bova

_______________________________
2004 4.4 V8 Chawton

Air suspension system CAN error.
Instrument Panel Module EBV function fault received from ABS ECU.
Transfer box Noise on actuator signal

Are pretty standard faults and don't effect the operation of anything...

I haven't seen the other two but if everything works I wouldn't bother too much with them....  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Pete thanks again for the information.

I'm trying to trace the instrument panel fault because I have the problem of when I turn on the headlights the instrument cluster background lights as well as all the dash buttons and switch lights come on for about 5 seconds then fade out until all of them are not working. If anyone here has had the same problem please let me know how you fixed it.

The transfer box is throwing a warning that it is in neutral. On some short drives there is no warning then on others it the warning comes and goes every few seconds for a minute or two then stops. The transfer box is not in neutral and works correctly when shifted between high and low range. I've read all the posts here regarding this problem and I'll be going by a few Range Rover wrecking yards this week to see if I can find a replacement.


After going through all the Diagnostics on the All Comms last night I did get some concerning reports.

0x121 P0000 Camshaft control bank 1 fault.
0x18C P1616 Electric thermostat circuit fault.
0x11A P0171 Lambda control adaption exceeds lower limit bank 1.
0x11B P0174 Lambda control adaption exceeds lower limit bank 2.
0x151 P0000 Secondary air system fault bank 2.

Seems like it's going to be a lot of work in my future.



Bova

_______________________________
2004 4.4 V8 Chawton