Over the last few weeks the fatty has developed a chirp/squeal under acceleration. When taking it easy or cruising along at 70mph it doesn't happen, but when I apply more power that's when it happens. I don't have any loss of power, judder or fault codes. It hasn't got any louder, it's just annoying. Took it to mj fews to see if I could get a proper diagnosis but no chance as too busy though he did say it was definitely coming from the drivers side top of engine. Now my question is, if it is the manifold gasket, would it still be safe to drive as I'm going on holiday to the Highlands in 2 weeks time? I would much rather be in the fatty than hire a car for obvious reasons. Any input would be appreciated.

3.6 tdv8.

Split IC to intake hoses are common on these engines but I assume you have already replaced them as a preventative measure. Any leaks on the intake will show up as oily deposits so a good inspection is the first step. No better way to drive in the highlands than in an L322 - well worth the risk of breaking down rather than doing it in a hire car. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Thanks jaygee, that was my first port of call and yes the top ic hoses was replaced last year. I still checked them and they ok. Got no oily deposits anywhere but then I've not really had a good delve.
I was thinking that myself, do I go in the fatty and take the risk or just hire a car? Hmm decision decisions.
Thing is, I can't do nothing now as I'm going to be away working until next week and I then go to the Highlands the week after.

I chirp/squeal also could be a slipping aux belt - is it noisy on morning cold starts? 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

No it's not, although the chirp seems more quiet when cold. I also get it when stationary and rev the engine but nowhere as loud and only briefly even if I hold the revs.

A chirp / squeal indicates something friction / bearing related rather than air leak related. Boost leaks sound like a hiss IME. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

My thoughts exactly jaygee, all the cars I've owned over the years I've never had a manifold gasket fail on me so I can't say on what they sound like when they fail. Jeff at mj fews said it's very rare they should fail on these engines but reading up on here, it sounds like that do fail. A friend of mine is going to service it for me next week in avonmouth so will have a good nosey from underneath when he's got it over the pit. He's quite clued up on these.

I have the 4.4 TDV8 and my pax inlet manifold cracked. It is a known fault caused by poor quality manifold materials which apparently couldn't take the flexing caused by 2 turbos. It was upgraded in post 2011 versions.

Did your cracked manifold make the chirp / squeal noises ? 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

not that I noticed, but with the turbo whoosh and other road noises, it may have been there. The crack was only very slight and the RP would kick in at the very same spot on the motorway going to work - just as a slight uphill commenced.

It's not the intake manifold, I had a new one replaced just after I bought it when a crack appeared on that, I too had the RP bong. I've checked both intake manifolds and both don't appear to have cracked.

Now here's something interesting that I could be on to, though it may make me look a right knobhead. Got to work this afternoon to pick up truck, another driver was there, so while a had half to spare I had a real good look at all the hoses vacuums etc etc, all good. But then when I switched the engine off I could hear the turbo actuators doing their shutdown cycle and was actually making that chirping sound but a lot more quiet and yet that exact chirping.
Now I know nothing about turbos or even much about the 3.6, but give me a Saab 9-5 and I can write a book about it. How often do the actuators move and are they prone to coming loose? I know they are known for seizing on these engines, but would they actually make a chirping sound if there is a problem with them?

My previous 3.6, had a chirp.
I searched for it for a couple of months.
New belts, pulleys, idlers. Still there.
Finally diagnosed by local independent as exhaust manifold.
When he got it apart, it had warped, snapped several studs.
New manifold and bits and a lot of labour later. No chirp.

No loss of performance, no more smoke than usual. It was remapped and did smoke a little when enthusiastically used. That was before the repair.

Getting it repaired sooner rather than later might save more broken studs.

Hopefully it isn’t as bad as I had 👍🏽

Thanks for that chugga, I really do hope it's not that though. It a had a new manifold a week before I bought it, cost the previous owner a fortune, engine out jobby.
Did yours sound like it was coming from the top front of the engine and was it constant under acceleration yet disappeared when cruising?

Incidentally chugga, what was the cost of having the belts and tensioners done on yours? I really need to go back through my service history to see if it's actually been done.

My recollection of the money spent is a bit vague as it was all around 2016 to 2017.
I bought the parts genuine LR and fitted them myself.
£300 or £350.00, I think.

I wear hearing aids and not always accurate locating the noise source, which is very annoying in life.

A combination of my wife telling me the direction of the noise and listening carefully, I would have said it sounded at the front, hence the change of the other bits!

The repairs carried out on the manifold were between £2.5 & 3k with the vat. Most of it was labour for the task.

It was never noisy unless accelerating. Got more noisy and raspy the longer it went on.

I think it was about 160,000 miles when that happened?