Hello, long time lurker! Just picked up my 2004 L322 4.4 Vogue . Not much in the way of service history but did get it cheap! 116,000 miles. MOT with no advisories. Rust free all over. Engine and gearbox feel lovely and just done a 3 hour drive to get it home without issue.
Bad points! Heated front seats don’t work(not an issue as never use them). Sat Nav doesn’t work but all radio and the rest work. The most concerning is a squeak from the stupid electric steering column when retracting, can I disable this. I did get a good price so have budgeted a couple of thousand for anything major(or if it blew up on the way home!)
Main jobs are full service and check no loss of oil or coolant. However no issues apparent on drive.
Any suggestions on other maintenance to look into.
Just to add this is also the most amazing car I have ever driven!

welcome and lovely car/colour!!

Check PCV hoses as soon as poss and other than that, the only thing to check is the ancillary items (water pump, radiator, gbox oil cooler and check coolant tank for leaks. you should have many miles of fun (and comfortable) driving. I have had mine for 7 years and am approaching 190,000 miles.

Just had the front chains adn guides done (£3000 ) so keep an ear open - If you don't have LPG they should last a bit longer.

enjoy!

£3000 ouch haha, that’s brilliant thanks I will check them all this week. I’m hoping that going into this with my eyes open will soften the blow when something inevitably goes wrong! For the mean time I’m just enjoying everything working! The gearbox seems perfect is it worth servicing it as you hear a lot of horror stories about them destroying themselves shortly after?

If there is no service history, I would get the gearbox oil done as well as the diffs and especially the Transfer box oil done at the same time. The last 3 are not as expensive as the main gbox but at that mileage well worth doing for peace of mind, especially the transfer box.

ref the guides, my ffrr had been working faultlessly for 188,000 miles and then one very cold day, having not been used for 3 days, I started up and suddenly heard a rattle. It was the chains tensioning up and hitting the guides. they are well known to becoming brittle at 100,000+ miles but especially if you have LPG (which I do). Holiday chicken (amongst others) on here is the man to talk to ref this engine, and if you DO get probs with the main gearbox, don't fanny around, Get it up to RRphil (on this forum - he's near manchester) for a 100% rebuild. He is GOD when it come to this gearbox adn only does these.

The one with the problems is the GM box in the TD6 so don't be unduly worried. You will get warning signs with yours if it is about to go wrong. Normally it is the torque converter slowly giving up. .

What difference does running it on lpg have on the chain guides ?????? I just dont get this comment lpg has nothing todo with chaun guides. Yes they are prone to going but it has feck all todo with lpg.

£3000 for chain guides is a bit much we just rebuilt and entire engine for that inckuding a new bottom end ouch

Most importantly, it’s green

Any other problems can be fixed

I understand it’s the heat that makes them brittle and Lpg makes the engine run a bit hotter so can speed up the brittle process, so I’ve Been told. Happy to hear otherwise as I’m just an amateur engineer who’s learned the hard way.

LPG has no effect on the heat of the engine what so ever considering the temp petrol burns at in the engine lpg burns only slightly hotter the biggest risk to these 4.4 engines is the engine thermostat at 108 degrees extremely hot cooking everything rubber or plastic hence why the stat mod to 80 degree is so important and popular.

Definitely do the lower temp themostat mod, makes everything so much calmer and stops the engine smelling (as someone on here once described it) like Chernobyl after it's been on even a short run.

Or, rather, change the stat for the lower temp non-heated one, much easier than fannying about modding and it isn't particualrly expensive (£80 or thereabouts iirc). Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

How do I do that, is that through the IID tool. I don’t have one yet but going to buy one!

+1 for PCV valves - if you take off the plastic engine cover there are two large rubber hoses towards the back of the engine - if they feel soft and squishy then you'll need to replace them and check the PCV valve.

At 116k you are in gearbox oil cooler replacement territory and possibly radiator. (the bottom rows of the radiator fins are used for the oil cooler and they can become blocked. You'll know if it needs done because once you are up to temperature you'll notice the gearbox doesn't upshift beyond 3rd

I'd also be checking all suspension bushes, linkages and ball joints - its nearly 3 ton car and the bushes can wear - there are lots of them too so see if anything advisory on MOT as they are often noticed there before you notice in the cabin. Anti roll bar linkages too give a horrible rattle off the front.

Auxillary belt and tensioner and the AC belt too I would be replacing quite soon - and the water cooled alternator and water pumps around this age too if not already been done.

Ultimately nothing major to worry about though if you stay on top of the maintenance. My 04 is coming up to 200k and I've done 100k of those. Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)