Hi Gents,

I am dealing with the famous suspension knocking issue on the 2014 SDV8. Car already been 2 times to Hunters with no luck yet.

On the 1st visit they have replaced the bushes and the lower control arms. It was an improvement but knocking is still clearly audible.

On the 2nd visit, i mentioned the LTB00557v8 and the service advisor said they have carried that out and all my anti-roll parts are replaced with the latest available. Massive improvement on the handling, car feels much more tighter and flat however knocking is exactly same as before.

I recently bought the car have had some other issues ongoing with the suspension. They have sorted other bits but as it all added up i have spoken to head of business to reject the car by saying i have given them enough opportunity to rectify it. But in reality i like it and i would like to keep it

He put me in touch with the workshop manager who explained ARC valve block was not replaced on the 2nd visit under LTB00557v8 as the bulltin does not instruct upgrade of the ARC valve block.

Guys at Hunters are trying to be helpful, i have mentioned about this forum and the information i had from here. They have kindly asked if we can provide a registration number that has the knocking fixed. Hunters are happy to check history of that car and do whatever needs to be done on my car and the other cars to follow.

Car is booked in for this Friday for the 3rd time, i am going for test drive with senior tech, and also they promised to arrange post 2015 SDV8 car to go out again as i mentioned post 2015 cars have the newer design twin damper ARC valve block and should not knock.

I know there are few other open topic which i have read them all but wanted to open new one and share all my experience to give it a bit more visibility under the new topic.

Sorry for the length but i am hoping this should help anyone who has deal with this in the future.

This thread contains a lot of info -

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic20857.html

Or try sending a PM to modbarra

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic29301.html[/url]

Thanks Alistair, i sent PM. I also manged to find the full technical bulletin LTB00557v8 in pdf, i like note in regards to the ARC valve saying, "On strong customer complain"... Attaching the old vs new ARC Valve Block with twin damper

I currently have suspension knock on my 15MY SDV8

When did the new design come in?

As far as i know new design came in after August 14 cars. MY15 should not have issue with ARC valve. I hope your issue due to less complex parts like bushing, control arm etc

Memzy, just one thought.

I went out in my car with Andy Green from Hunters and the best place we found to demonstrate the knocking was going downhill on North Street in the middle of Guildford. Lumpy, uneven surface. Going uphill much less obvious.

Best

Simon

Thanks for the tip Simon, noted. Going in tomorrow morning, will keep you all posted.

Hi Just had mine done and touch wood I think it has cured the knock. It took 2-3 attempts at the dealers to get it found and for them to agree to progress with the warranty claim. Try finding a speed hump and approaching on an angle so you go over on a diagonal with one front wheel lifting before the other. This would always create a knock when I needed it to but took me several 1000 miles to establish this. 2013 L405 AB 4.4SDV8 Luxor/Ivory, 2007 Vogue TDV8 Epson Green/Sand, 2008 Vogue TDV8 Buckingham Blue/Sand, 2003 Vogue 4.4 LPG Epsom Green/Sage, 1998 Vogue SE 4.6 LPG Epsom Green/Cream

Thanks for the tip CMJ, good to hear some of us managed to sort it out. Lets see how mine will go. I dropped the car on Friday morning and managed to replicate the knocking with master tech in the car who has acknowledged the problem.

Simon - thanks again for the North Street, it made the issue so obvious going down hill nearer TGI Fridays bend.

We agreed to have a test drive again with the master tech once they say it is fixed. I will also test the tip from CMJ

Car collected, after extensive tests i can happily say knocking is all gone. Car has been transformed it glides over the bumps and much tighter around the corners.

Lower control arms, anti roll bushes were all replaced earlier. Now they replaced both front air struts and the ARC valve block with the newly designed one as explained above.

It took me 3 visits and a lot of discussion with the workshop controller and with the master tech to sort this out. Even i printed out the technical bullettin and discussed with them. No idea why dealers are so resistant to do it.

It would be helpful to go for a drive with the master tech and point out the knocking otherwise they always come up with the usual "we dont hear any knocking sir".

Hi Memzy, thanks for the update. I might get in touch for your info before long as Hunters haven't actually fixed my underlying problem just patched it with yet another set of new bushes. Which will wear out.

Their reluctance is probably down to economics. For warranty work, dealers are paid for short, fixed time periods set by the manufacturer to do jobs at a much lower rate per hour than the workshop charges us punters.

As Hunters are very busy, doing this stuff means they're worse off than they would otherwise be.

Sounds a bit conspiracy theory but several industry insiders have told me this and dealers are very target/bonus driven.

Best

Simon

I am having exactly the same issue and your post and the answers are very interesting. It is just a shame that Pentland Land Rover Edinburgh dismiss all third party commentary as their engineers are all highly trained - yet cannot resolve the noise and handling issues with my car! I have had the Anti roll bar bushes replaced which did make a difference but it is still not right.

I think I have the same issue as a number of people have reported. The car makes a knocking / rumble noise at low speed, not on all bumps but some, it feels a little unstable / loose across the road surface, sways slightly when driving at normal speeds, wanders a little and all in all, is not the ride I expected, had experienced in other cars of the same mod l and my Westminster was more enjoyable!

I have contacted JLR but they are putting back to the dealership.

I am sure I will get there in the end however in the meantime, could anyone tell me if it is normal to be ale to twist back and forwards by hand the lower suspension arm. I have videos of this but not sure how to upload them.

Thank you for any feedback that can be offered.

Can I add myself to the list of SDV8 owners who have this problem and struggling to get the dealership / warranty company to approve the required work.

My car has been in Hunters (Preston) for the last 2 days for them to fix the issue. I discussed the relevant bulletin with them when I booked the car in.

They’ve just contacted me to say the car is ready but they haven’t actually changed anything. Their technician has stated that he can hear a slight knocking but claims that it’s slightly worn bushes. He also states that the bulletin doesn’t apply to my car and the warranty company won’t approve any work on my car.

To say I’m somewhat aghast with the response is a major understatement. They are effectively telling me that the knocking noise is acceptable for a car purchased on the 29th September under the Land Rover approved used car scheme.

I’ve told them on the phone that I’m far from happy and will discuss further when I go to pick the car up this afternoon. 2019 L405 SDV8 Autobiography
2023 Defender P400e HSE X-dynamic - gone
2020 Defender P300 SE - gone

2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR - gone
2013 SDV8 Autobiography - gone
2011 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE - gone
2006 L322 3.6 Vogue Se - gone
1999 P38 4.0 se - gone
199? Classic 3.5 - gone

Sorry to hear you both are experiencing the pain. Here is the affected VIN range, if your VIN falls into range chances are you have the old design valve block and bullettin applies to your car.

They initially tried to convince me that the slight knocking was acceptable but i was having none of it. They offered me to go out with another car to prove its the norm. I then asked them to get a car outside of the VIN range below then i am happy to go out which they did not bother. Once they replaced the bits i mentioned above, car has no knocking, much tighter around the corners and way smoother over the potholes,bumps etc - although i believe this is due to the new struts.

buz1500, as you have recently purchased the vehicle i would speak to the head of dealership or workshop controller. Hunters Guildford fixed my car last month. As you are also dealing with Hunters, you can ask them to check the work done on my car. PM me if you need further details on my car.

Maffya, you might like to contact Lloyd Land Rover in Kelso (01573 224345) and see if their workshop foreman, Damien Purves, can attempt a diagnosis. I have no experience of this issue as I have a 322, but my experience there, including Damien being driven in the car with me to diagnose a noise problem, has been positive. I've been a customer there (including the former business Croall Bryson) since 2000, but otherwise have no connection with them. Only Range Rovers since 1988