Buying a Rangy? Here's Everything You'll Need to Check and Test!

Buying an Range Rover L322 for the first time can be a bit daunting, but in this video I give a careful overview of the things you need to inspect before laying-down your hard earned cash! While this video is specifically on the MY10-12, many of the things you need to check will be the same across all model years.
i take a look around the outside, showing you areas of concern; on the inside, to show you what things to test; a look under the vehicle, to give you an idea of the kinds of mechanical issues that can happen; and, of course, under the bonnet to show you the kinds of things you need to check for there. The only thing I didn't do was drive it -- and this is something that you will have to do yourself! In the test drive, you must check the usual suspects which are the same (for the most part) as any other vehicle!
This is a pretty exhaustive checklist, so the video is pretty long; however, to aid keeping track, I have placed banners that give specific details of things that you can write down and carry with you. However, there are (obviously) many things I could not include due to space. Feel free to comment if you want more information on a specific element!
--------- Contents of the Video --------------
0:00 - Opening Credits
0:26 - Introduction
2:45 - The Arctic Circle and Pivi Pro's Hard Reset Function
5:14 - Headlamps
7:08 - The Bonnet Sensor
7:44 - Wiper Cowl
9:47 - Door Handle Cable
11:08 - Rear Tailgates, Lights, and Other Things
17:50 - Rear Wheel Arches and Door Sill
23:02 - Interior Checklist
28:07 - Park Brake Operation
31:17 - Low/High Range and TRS Functions
33:15 - Parking sensor and Other Modules
34:20 - Code Reading
37:21 - Underneath!
43:50 - Engine Bay and Correct Cold Start Sound
50:18 - Closing Remarks
39:34 - End Credits
The intro and outro are from: EEAAEA
Performed by: VVibeTrix (Johanna Ahola-Launonen, Maarit Laihonen, Matti Häyry, Mikaela Mansikkala, Satu Haiko)
Music: Matti Häyry
Lyrics: Matti Häyry
Arrangement: Matti Häyry, Mikaela Mansikkala, Lacce Väyrynen
Recording: Matti Häyry, Lacce Väyrynen
Studio engineering: Matti Häyry, Lacce Väyrynen
Producer: Lacce Väyrynen
Executive producer: Matti Häyry
Mastering: Kesthouse
With Permission from: (c) Matti Häyry and Polite Bystander Productions 2019

[@barriecole2488]

Very detailed video explaining the things to look out for 👍 regarding water ingress we have studied this rather thoroughly as we have come across this issue several times and my findings are as follows . Water ingress will penetrate where the upper tailgate bolts to the body, it will then run down inside the rear pillar then emerge through a spot welded seam dripping down behind the trim panels onto modules either side or both. This has been identified by removing all trim and panels in the boot area’s to witness the leak, the fix is to undo the hinges one at a time support the tailgate

[@barriecole2488]

And apply some good quality sealant such as butyl putty or tiger seal the refit hinge , we have not seen any side rear window leaks, also the sunroof rear drain and housing can leak onto the headliner and run 2-3 feet backwards and run down behind the trims , the other place for leaks is the rubber seal around the rear opening water gets into the channel where it pushes onto the vehicle runs down inside then deposits water in the spare wheel well.this is first hand experience seen and investigated by ourselves only by completely stripping the rear boot area to be completely sure

[@shedlock2000]

That’s very interesting! Thank you for the info and for your experience! Does the tailgate need to be realigned when revolting it, or does it just go back whence it came?

[@barriecole2488]

When you remove the nuts and bolts the washers will reveal a paint line so you can easily line it back up to the original position

[@user-co7yh7pw5c]

i can't tell you how disappointed i was when i realized you sold your new defender 110. i spent a year researching them and watching videos about them from the source and from owners. i found your videos to be very helpful in making my decision to buy one. i ordered a defender in february 2021. it started as an SE and went to an X dynamic and then all the way to an X with just about every option. we took delivery on june 7 2021 and it was wonderful. i have owned it for 2 1/2 years now and it is the finest machine i have ever owned. i learned from you how to change my own oil and do at every 5,000 miles. i have owned 3 suburbans, a tahoe, a land cruiser, a hummer h2 and multiple 4 wheel drive trucks. none have been as pleasant to drive or as capable as this land rover. thanks for your insight and information.

[@shedlock2000]

Hallo, Fred! Thank you for your kind words, and I’m extremely pleased to hear that my videos have helped you to take good care of your defender! I’m also very happy to hear that you’ve had trouble free ownership for the last few years - I hope that trend continues! There was much I liked about the defender, for sure, but it became very problematic over the last few years and JLR did not look after me (or Finn), so o really didn’t have much choice. It was very disappointing for me too - this past few years has been very hard for a number of reasons. I hope you’re brings you a lot of smiles well into the future! Thanks for continuing to stop by the channel, pal! It’s very good to have you here. ☺️

[@jamesa5980]

So pleased Fred Dibnah lives on. Stumbled across this channel and love the content

[@shedlock2000]

😆😆 I consider that a massive compliment! Thank you! I met the fella once when I drove tipper trucks back home. I lived in Derbyshire and drove out of the local quarries; Fred needed some stone for that pit shaft thing he was building at the back of his house and I was lucky enough to get the load. Wrote off the rest of the day, though, as I spent it chatting with him and drinking tea at the pit head!

[@jamesa5980]

@@shedlock2000I am truly envious of your encounter. The man was a legend and my comment was very much a compliment. You have an engaging way of talking to camera that echoes the great man and some lovely turn of phrase that delights. Keep up the content. I have a recently purchased 2010 autobiography 4.4 tdv8 which has had some teething problems since purchase but we’re getting there. Thanks for takin the time to share with us your experience

[@shedlock2000]

@@jamesa5980 He was a grand chap and, like many of his ilk, gone too soon. I very much enjoyed my afternoon with him and was sorry to hear that he passed away not many years after. A great loss. Thank you! That's very kind of you! Not everyone appreciates my rambling style -- so it's nice to hear that some people do! I do envy you being able to find a TDV8 -- I wish we had them here (don't get me started on why the engine isn't -- it was designed for America and does meet emissions specs here, given that it was an American design)! I wish you the best of luck with it and hope you manage to sort out the issues over time! I do love the Land Rover community, which is why I like to make these videos -- I am a bit disappointed that my more recent L462/L332 stuff has been less popular than my L663 stuff; there's a lot of work goes into these videos because I am not as quick as others and it's hard to see 40 hours of filming and editing garner 400 views. Still, I suppose it's useful to some! 🙂😊

[@adamtwrm]

I’ve had a few L322s and also had the 5.0 SCV8. It had a number of quirks but was an amazing car to drive. Things like the digital dash would never show the fuel gauge as full when I brimmed the tank, CV gaiters continually splitting on NSF, adaptive dynamics wires needing to be done. As a side note- rear washer wipers can spill water down the inside of the glass. Best to replace entire motor, not a massive job. Something you didn’t touch on- rear prop centre bush can perish leading to a thumping noise and drive. Best to replace entire rear prop and not mess with CV knuckles etc.

[@shedlock2000]

Yeah, I’ve had the centre bearing issue on my LR3 - I did actually mention it in the recording, but it didn’t make the edit (I mentioned many things that I had to delete because the video became too long). I do think it’s interesting that the NSF fails more than the other side - the same is true here (even though we have a different NSF)! Good to hear from you, Adam! Hope you have a good New Year!

[@ahacres8871]

I agree with the rear drive shaft replacement. I had the hanger bearing rubber go very soft. Got a bit off thudding and vibration which is typical with the fault. Rather than separate the shaft, I replaced the whole driveshaft. CV joints had slight play. I would rather rebuild the NP-10 engine. Great satisfaction from doing it yourself and knowing its done right. A lot of people did not know that this engine was assembled in the Bridgend Factory in Wales!

[@B1zcoch0]

As always best content , thanks for helping me with my discovery 5

[@shedlock2000]

You’re very welcome! I’m glad I was of help! All the best to you and yours for the new year!

[@richard3004]

Great video, regarding water in left rear compartment, it’s normally the rubber sealant between body and roof that cracks (hairline crack) and water seeps in down the cables and right into electrical modules, all my RRs have had the same issue so now when I get one first thing i do is pull roof strips up and clean and seal it.

[@shedlock2000]

That’s very interesting, Richard! I wondered where it came in. Mine seems fine there, but I suppose it’s hard to say from a cursory look. How do you pull the roof strips? You mean from the top where the roof rack attachments are?

[@richard3004]

@@shedlock2000yeah them are the strips, I just used a thin scraper, down between roof and strip and lever upwards then once it pulls up pull away from the body side, there on a sort of plastic expansion/ spring clips, bit weird but work fine, all of mine have cracked from very back edge near tail gate to about 18”-2ft toward the front, roughly ending where the C pillar is. Iv also found when replacing the strips the very last clips never seems as tight again so a small blob of sealant under it then weight it down a bit and they have been fine. Also iv put a smear of sealant around both tailgate hinges and where the roof joint comes down, just on the inner sides of then tailgate hinges the seam continues down and the panels are joint the wrong way to to speak so any water would run into the D pillar- as in the overlap is opposite to what it should be. Anyway i just used a decent sealant, not just normal silicone and when cleaning it just a tooth brush and soap then once dry blasted it with brake cleaner then any sealants have stayed perfect but no leaks since, it’s amazing how much water does get in there.

[@shedlock2000]

That’s solid information, thanks Richard!

[@DrivenHard]

You are giving me anxiety about shopping for one of these mate lol. There are so many little things to look out for. I guess either having someone like yourself or taking it to a certified Land Rover third party shop be able to do a proper pre-purchase inspection? As you mentioned in the video, buying from someone who has taken care of it, drives it well etc is your best chance for a problem free ownership.

[@shedlock2000]

😆😆 the point of this video is to point out potential issues - there’s no guarantee you’ll find all of them on a vehicle! Not only that but there are such issues with all vehicles - you just have to know what they are! lol! Take your time when going around them and all will be as well is it can be!

[@glynlewis3441]

With regards to water ingress in rear behind boot trim panel on my 2006 l322 Tdv8 I removed the modules,dvd and sat nav parts Sealed under the rear window seal on the inside of the wing this is wear water was entering I cleaned treated and added extra seam seal to the inside edge of wheel arch were it joins the outer skin of the wing as the water would run down the panel run around wheel arch and rot the corner out closest to the rear doors.This shows as rust bubbles on the outside of wing panel were the bumper joins to body and up around wheel arch area (Rusting from inside) what I found was I would repair the wing then 12 months later the rust would blow through again after cleaning treating and adding extra seam sealer to inside of wing I never had the problems again. When I removed modules, I found there is a plastic vent in floor and the water sits in this area and rusts out the floor I wax oiled the inner wing and floor then refitted all the parts car was great and this fix the problems Hope info helps someone.

[@shedlock2000]

That’s excellent info Glyn! Thanks for sliding by and adding some thoughts. Seems like there are a few points of water ingress on the l322 at the rear for folk to look out for. How did you find where yours was leaking from?

[@DavHill77]

Happy New Year to you me old china.

[@shedlock2000]

Happy new year, Dave lad! All the best to you and yours!

[@johnshopkins4786]

Excellent video my friend. I am currently on the hunt for my new-to-me '10-'12 5L SC. It's really the only option we have here in Ontario. The first thing I do when I check a car out is crawl underneath and inspect for oil leaks and excessive rusting. The little things like the rubber trims, the gas shocks for the hood and tailgate, even the peltier units in the seats are pretty straightforward for me to fix. I just worry about big ticket items like the transmission or timing chain. I am only considering one with a verified history of having the timing chain done. Do you recommend this vehicle for a competent home mechanic?

[@shedlock2000]

Hi pal! Thanks for reaching out! (I don’t know if you know this, but they named a hospital after you 😆)! Absolutely. The vehicles are very easy to maintain with the basic equipment needed for most things. You should definitely get yourself a GAPIID tool, though. The big items (like the transmission) are issues, but they’re also things you can service and fix yourself to a certain extent. The bigger challenges are CanBus stuff or audio, to be honest. There are issues with the transmissions, so you should probably look into that pretty soon (regardless of a dealer service history - which is unreasonably extended and the ultimate cause of most issues).

[@antoniopalmero4063]

Cheers, always something to do on a L322 RR , I have a 2007 vogue 3.6 tdv8 . Loads of car for a few grand .

[@shedlock2000]

Hahah! Yes, the fiddling never stops! lol! They’re really excellent value for money these days! I hope yours is looking after you!

[@antoniopalmero4063]

@@shedlock2000 yes not too bad , steering wheel adjustment has simply just stopped without warning , rear prop centre bearing needs replacing and front lower arms need doing . These will get sorted very soon . These are lovely motors but we must keep them out of the hands of peasants who put a tenner in every time and never service them .

[@shedlock2000]

Haha! Yeah, the steering column adjustment is a well-known issue with these! I’ve no idea why it’s so problematic! Swap the whole propshaft, not just the centre bearing: the UJs tend to fail not long after the centre bearing, and then you end up pulling the whole thing twice!

[@antoniopalmero4063]

@@shedlock2000 ok , will do . Steering adjustment does its thing when you switch on and will move to all 3 of the presets but the adjuster knob thingy does nowt .

[@shedlock2000]

The switch does fail and sometimes the motor too - they’re costly to fix, I believe. At least you got it programmed in before it packed up! 😆

[@DrivenHard]

Which year do they stop making the shifter you have here and change it to the horrible round one that goes up and down?

[@shedlock2000]

The shift lever changed in 2012 - but the round knob also came with the 8 speed transmission - which, for some reason, was never available in Canada. That’s to say the round knob in the L322 never came to Canada!

[@alexolga11]

Hi, do you know is it worth to buy a new defender, or its not worth will be in a shop all the time

[@shedlock2000]

The new L663 defender (which I’m assuming you’re meaning) is the most reliable model in the range these days. Mine was one of the first production defenders and both of mine suffered significantly from faults as you can see from the videos on my channel. However, it seems that later models have been (overall) quite reliable - though many suffered from component shortages due to Covid. The 2.0ltrs are to be avoided, as they tend to blow up (a few 6cylinder engine failures have been noted), but otherwise the drivetrain seems very robust so far. There are issues with the electronic gadgetry at times, but the vehicles are generally quite problem free post MY22.

[@bobthebarsteward]

Water ingress into the modules in the rear boot section, this may not be water ingress as such, but condensation? I'm new to the RR idea/scene/ownership, but have seen such problems in other vehicles. At the very least it may be worth trying the electrical contact grease you can get, forget what it's called but it has to be worth a try on all the electrical connectors, what's the worst that can happen?

[@shedlock2000]

The water ingress is a well known issue in these vehicles and is not condensation. Some vehicles suffer really badly from it. The grease may be ok in the connectors, which are not sealed like the external connectors; but the problem is that water also gets in through the casing of the modules here and there, which adds an extra dimension of difficulty. The fix is to stop the water ingress, which can be done by adopting some of the techniques mentioned in the comments.

[@rippinmachines]

Have you ever been concerned about the coolant crossover pipes cracking? Or would you think they would start to dribble a bit first?

[@shedlock2000]

The crossover pipes were an issue on the 4.4Na and the 4.2SC, but I haven’t heard of an issue with the 5.0SC. I swap the crossover pipe on those older engines every 100,000 miles as it was a known issue. The water pumps tend to do about that, so I swap the crossover pipe when I do the pump. On the 5.0 there are some pipes under the blower that need to be done when the supercharger isolator is changed (also about 75-100k miles). They tend to crack spectacularly and there is a hose outlet that can sometimes sheer altogether.

[@rippinmachines]

@@shedlock2000 I finally found my L322 after searching for quite a while. Went for the best I could find. Oil changed every 6 months or 5000kms, all new rotors and brakes, tranny serviced, deployable side steps, control arms and ball joints done, very clean with no rust on the body or frame . Autobiography (360 cams, wood/leather steering wheel etc.) and only 113,000km. No timing chain issues and I just want to do my best to avoid any catastrophic failures. Also comes with a powertrain warranty that covers me to 2026. Very excited!

[@shedlock2000]

@@rippinmachines Outstanding! I hope you get good service from her. Sounds like just the right thing. What year is it, which engine, and what did you pay in the end?

[@rippinmachines]

@@shedlock2000 5L SC. I've read a lot about the coolant crossover pipes / water pump and plan to inspect with an endoscope. It is pretty mint with most wear items addressed...so I am hoping for it to be problem free for a while. It was also stored inherited garages its whole life so all the weather striping / window seals are mint.

[@shedlock2000]

@@rippinmachines Ahh, yes. There are some issue with the crossover pipe, but they're generally less prevalent than the two pipes that run under the supercharger. You can try to take a look with the scope, btu IDK if you'll see much nor whether or not you'd be able to see anything indicative. I would suggest you buy them to keep in stock (just in case) and replace same whenever you swap the waterpump and/or SC isolator.

[@strapamotortoit]

The “gunky kinda paste” you claim Land Rover uses is seam sealer, used on almost every production car since the 80’s/ 90’s. You cannot just sand down the rust and paint, the corrosion comes from inside the two skins in the tail gate.

[@shedlock2000]

Yeah, I couldn’t think of the correct term at the time (and not all my viewers know what seam sealer is 😉). I think I did say that sanding and repainting won’t cure it, but it’ll make it prettier for a bit longer. The best solution is to try and avoid the corrosion in the first place - which is why I’ve used 3M tape here. The textured vinyl that I applied to my last one over the rust did stay sealed for several years (and was still sealed when I sold it), but it certainly isn’t a cure.

[@strapamotortoit]

The corrosion comes from inbetween the two skins inside the tail gate due to moisture. The only “cure” or mitigation of this is getting a brand new tailgate and filling it with cavity wax. I fitted dozens of new tailgates under warranty during my apprenticeship. Trying to clean up an existing rusty tailgate is a loosing battle.

[@shedlock2000]

Oh! You’re talking about the tailgate - not the wheel arch! Ok! Yes. It’s a bit of a never ending story when one starts to go. Mines only just starting to fail, but my last one was repaired by the seller pre-sale, and it did about 4 years before the rust started to come back again.

[@ahacres8871]

@@strapamotortoit I miss Hammerite Waxoyl. Cant find it over here. I used to buy the beige colour. Good old sticky stuff. They do an American version of a Waxoyl here, but it seems different . The other stuff they sell here at Canadian tire or as we say (tyre) is just garbage and expensive garbage too!

[@barriecole2488]

There are 2 parts to my previous comment 😊

[@shedlock2000]

☺️