Hi Everyone,

I am a newbie on here, and recently purchased an L322 2003 V8 model. Lovely car, but i have a small list of niggles

1) It has a pretty major oil leak which i only discovered after parking on my driveway after collection. Upon a brief inspection it looked like both head gaskets may have been the cause, however the garage who sold me the car is adamant it isnt. They said it was the "oil return banjo joint working loose". I am not sure what that is, but sounds like a fob off to me. There is so much oil, you can smell it burning on the exhaust when you pull up at the lights.

Any ideas on the above? Can an oil return banjo joint really cause this and where is it located? the oil leaks are noticeably at the rear of the engine

2) transmission oil temp sensor triggers a warning during warm up. Its very odd, because once warm, the sensor never throws up issues. Is this a major job to fix?

3) engine whistle - is this related to breather hoses? i noticed that one of the breather hoses on the top of the engine appears to be collapsed (or very nearly)

4) 15mpg average noted on center console - is this related to breather hoses? seems lower than i expected.

Any thoughts on any of the above points are gratefully received.

Cheers

hi 1,3 and 4 can be related, if you are talking the PCV breather hoses at the back of the then that is a common fault but can have drastic effects if they block, they also can leak oil, and when not breathing correctly return bad mpg..
 V8 facelift Range Rover Autobiography 22" wheels.
1976 Harley Davidson Iron Head Sportster

The M62 petrol rocker cover gaskets are prone to leak. The tend to go near the back and will leak onto the exhaust. Do you have a warranty?
Tran temp could be a blocked cooler. Quite common.
Mine returns about 18mpg on mixed driving. Not to bothered as run LPG 90% of the time. [img]http://www.fuelly.com/driver/rob2529/range-rover[img/]
04, 4.4V8, Vogue Oslo Blue with LPG.
"You can sleep in your car, BUT you can't race your house!!!!"

If something can't be fixed with a hammer....... You have yourself an electrical fault!

The oil return banjo connection is down on the oil sump, well below the exhaust system, and impossible to leak onto exhaust parts. Unless you turned gravity off.
Oil leaking from rocker covers can hit the exhaust.
Oil leaking from the PCV system can hit hot parts.
My vehicle averages about 16mpg US, which is just above 19mpg UK.

Breather hoses on top of engine?
After removing the engine cover, toward the back of the block?
There's a couple coolant hoses back there, as well as some "breather" hoses.
Generally, if they're soft, they need replaced.
You could get a whistling noise if 1 or more of the PCV hoses is split.
You might also get a "lean" engine code, sucking in air where you shouldn't. Jim
2000 NAS HSE
2005 NAS HSE

where are you? I have a good garage near me who is pretty good with engines.. cheers
Rich

Burning oil smell at the lights sounds like rocker cover gaskets.

Mine showed the symptoms you describe and were replaced.

I completely concur with the above comments regarding vapour pipes. Get them replaced ASAP.

Fuel economy on my V8 is 18.4mpg on mixed roads and creeps up to over 21mpg on motorways. Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

http://www.fullfatrr.com/wiki/PCV_Hose_Repair

Hi

As you bought the car from a garage, I would return it to them and tell them to fix 1 & 2 (unless they advised you of the problems before you purchased the vehicle or you bought it sold as seen).

They are probably liable under the sale of good act to fix 1 & 2. vehicle not as described

Andy 56 TDV8 Vogue SE
9 Freelanders, 2x 2002 TD4ES, 2001 TD4, 2002 1.8GS, 2000 XEDI, 2x 2000 1.8ES, 2004 1.8 & 2000 1.8 GS (rolled)
91 Lotus Carlton (sold)
90 Lotus Elan (BRG)

Gazellio @ Prestige Cars wrote:

http://www.fullfatrr.com/wiki/PCV_Hose_Repair

Scuttle loose below the windscreen try clicking it back down....

Hi Everyone

Many thanks for your valuable inputs. The PCV valve and associated piping will defo be looked at by my local garage, i don't think i can convince the dealer to replace that. I am amazed that so many components on a RR (even with a BMW engine) are prone to failing, must be something to do with UK. Had Audi 4.2 for several years now as everyday car and never missed a beat - i guess i have been spoilt by German engineering

In the mean time, the dealer that sold me the RR had agreed (after some very long discussions) to take the car back and resolve the issues they think are an issue.

When i get the car back (hopefully tomorrow), it will go for another inspection to determine whether they have actually done any work or not.

I believe the exhaust burning smell could be down to 2 issues:
1) the rocker covers like you suggest, although they don't look so bad ironically. Presumably, i would have thought you can see oil staining on the down pipe, even if it is burning off?
2) as the leak was pretty bad from the main body, the oil was being blown onto the transmission housing and onto the rear silencer when driven, where you can see significant oil staining - i am "hoping" this issue goes away when they resolve the oil leak. Do the rear parts of the exhaust get hot enough to burn the oil sufficiently to create a smell in the cabin when stationary after driving?

When i learn of the fault with the transmission sensor, i'll let the forum know, but i wont accept the car back until resolved.

Thankfully, if anything occurs after accepting the car, i do have a year warranty, all be it limited to £1000 per claim.

A possibility for item 2 in your original list is a faulty fluid temperature sensor

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

I love digging old threads up but was the oil leak ever cured and what was it. I've got exactly the same issues with my 04 vogue, pcv and hoses were changed under warranty (there was an assumption that the pcv was causing the smoke which was later discovered to be oil leaking onto the exhaust and burning off). As the dealers garage was in Leicester and I am in Derby, I opted not to return the car for further diagnosis.
Any ideas (not pcv).
Thanks.

you could do no wrong, by getting some latex gloves, and some clean tissue, and wiping round the rocker gaskets both sides, with engine cold. run it for a journey, and wipe again to see the oil etc. these rocker gaskets are made of rubber, and they harden. they can also crack. then the oil is free to run out. its true the PCV system is also leak friendly. but if you are prepoared to get your wrists a bit dirty, you could find the possible cause, and then get them changed. -they also leak around the inside rocker gasket seal, and let oil into the spark plug wells. (there is an outer and inner gasket) so, if you can open the 10mm (hidden) nuts that hold on the rocker cover inspection covers, (black grooved plastic covers) you might well see oil in those plug wells. with say a couple of cotton buds on a toothbrush stick etc. this would mean rocker gaskets, and you might then want to change the plugs as they are completely exposed to be changed easily with rocker cover off.
perhaps consider a steam clean of the engine compartment.