Picked up my first l322 today and my first post on here, so hello all.

It’s a 4.4tdv8 with 213k miles, I drove it back home (roughly 230 miles) and everything was fine. I did notice however that the temp gauge never sat in the middle and on the odd occasion when I looked at it, it seemed to be lower than when I last looked.

My question is, where is digital needle “suppsosed” to sit when sat at say 65mph for a few hours on the motorway? Does it fluctuate and sometimes go below half way? Seemingly all other cars I’ve had the temp gauge sits bag on in the middle and never moves.

Picture of car just because and also temp needle, the is was after 2/3 hours of motorway driving.


Thanks

Click image to enlarge

Should stick bang in the middle almost certainly a failed thermostat leaking excess coolant into the radiator. The remedy is to replace the whole thermostat housing inc the top part. Even if the top part is reusable the plastic becomes brittle with age and they break during dismantling. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Thanks for that, am I going to do any damage to it if I drive it whilst I get it booked in somewhere?

I’d drive it gently until it’s fixed. It may prevent the DPF regeneration cycle from starting so best get it done without too much delay. Just remembered when mine went bad that the actual thermostat and it’s housing can be replaced on it’s own which makes the job easier but it’s not available as a spare part and comes with the whole coolant mixture assembly so depending on how knowledgable your local LR Indy is you may get lucky with a cheaper repair. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

I’d drive it gently until it’s fixed. It may prevent the DPF regeneration cycle from starting so best get it done without too much delay. Just remembered when mine went bad that the actual thermostat and it’s housing can be replaced on it’s own which makes the job easier but it’s not available as a spare part and comes with the whole coolant mixture assembly so depending on how knowledgable your local LR Indy is you may get lucky with a cheaper repair. BTW also check your coolant level in the header tank. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Also it is worth replacing the O rings in the big hoses that connect to the thermostat housing from the front. 2012 Vogue TDV8 in Aintree green over sand

Just a quick update on this, the coolant was way overfilled. I know this isn’t normally seen as a problem but I syringed about 1.5 litres out and I still don’t think it’s down to the max line on the bottle.

I went over to a friends today and he plugged his code reader in, there were a few errors but nothing at all to do with cooling or thermostats etc. would you expect a code if the thermostat was the issue?

I also noticed that the gauge was actually higher today, not fully bang on in the middle but a lot better than what it was.

For the mileage the car has on it (214k) and the price I paid for it, I don’t think I’m going to bother going down the thermostat route etc. does any of the info I’ve given above and the fact that the gauge is now sitting higher change anyone’s mind or still thermostat?

Click image to enlarge

The thermostat is mechanical so won’t throw a fault code. As the weather gets colder the effect will get worse esp at higher speeds with more airflow through the rad. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Perhaps it was a bit sticky and is now freeing? Monitor and enjoy the car! It is a lovely colour. 2012 Vogue TDV8 in Aintree green over sand

Before you start replacing things it's worth checking that the temp really is low and it's not just a sensor error?

Take the coolant to mid way between low and max lines and see if that puts the temp needle where it should be

I can’t see the level, the coolant tank/bottle is absolutely filthy 😂 can’t look inside either because it tapers down into a small hole

cass wrote:

Before you start replacing things it's worth checking that the temp really is low and it's not just a sensor error?

If the temp changes as you drive at different speeds it’s the thermostat. If the coolant tank is filthy it is a good sign the oil cooler is also leaking (or has leaked) so this should also be investigated. If you are new to L322 ownership it’s well worth getting a specialist to give it a thorough inspection do you know what you are in for. With that kind of mileage you may be lucky as most of the common fail items will likely have been fixed, 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)