Dear community,

my first post, owner of a l322 5.0 SC since 10 days, first range rover ever.
And it seems that I have the honor to start it with the true landrover experience: It has an issue.

Bought it from a private owner but got it checked by an independant expert a day before the purchase - without any relevant issues.

On my way home, at some point I noticed the engine light (yellow, constant) and that it makes a strange noise, which however is only really noticable from outside or with lowered window. Soundproofing is excellent.
Investigated the next couple of days, spoke with the expert who had checked it, sent him a video of the noise and today brought it to an independant workshop, who by no means is knowledgable abour land rovers in particular.
After his investigation, he was sure that it is the transmission, but couldn´t help me any further indicating that he has no expertise in transmissions.

Now, the noise it not there when you start the engine cold. It appears after a couple of minutes, very quit at the beginning but after short period of time it becomes louder than the idle engine itself.
As far as I can tell it´s independant from the gear (P, N, D) and independant from engine rev and driving speed. Always the same constant noise. When the engine is turned off, it quacks for another second or so and then is quit.
The gear shifts are soft, no vibration or anything. As far as I can tell, the transmission works perfectly as it should.

Gearbox Converter and Clutch was replaced in 2022 roughly 15k km ago.

I try to link two short video of the noise.
https://youtu.be/BE71qus9_Yc
https://youtube.com/shorts/yGSfSA0fC2c?feature=share


Unfortunately, it´s very hard to find an expert where I live (mid of Germany) and the one I found can offer only something is 3 weeks.

I´m grateful for any ideas.

Best
Raphael

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Does switching on/off the A/C make any difference?

Thank you vs322.

Based on the A/C and ventilation settings it had when I brought it vs when I picked it up from the indie, I think he also had that idea and checked it with different settings.

I just checked by myself. Started the engine and turned off A/C and ventilation completely and let it run for a couple of minutes (always had A/C turned on and on auto before). No difference.
Noise is maybe there directly after engine start but barely noticeable at the beginning, then louder and louder over time.

Suggestions:

Changing from high range to low range - if there is a difference in noise then that could point to the transfer box.

Get it up on a ramp and take a proper look underneath and get the codes read. 2010 5.0 SC Autobiography Overfinch in Bentley Silk White pearlescent, 22" Overfinch wheels with 285/35x22 tyres

Thank you winco. High/Low also doesn´t make a difference.
Had the chance today to get a high level check from a local indie transmission specialist. He is very sure that it is NOT the transmission making the noise.

He checked the error codes -
System too lean Bank 1
System too lean (bank 2)

Based on that he assumes that there is a leakage on any hose/tube and that this leakage also makes the noise. Again, couldn´t help me any further.
Hard to find any mechanic willing to dig deep into a 14 year old luxury car.

The sound is loudest below the car, so seems to come from anything close by the transmission. Ordered a stethoscope from amazon yesterday. Maybe it helps.

By the way:
- Since I red that the error codes might come together with loss of power: Power is there and engine runs well, didn´t notice that there is too little, although I have never driven another l322 5.0 SC so have nothing to compare it with. but it provides significantly more power than any 4.4. TDV8 I drove.
- I just remembered that multiple times at startup received Fuel tank cap loose or missing warning message, but its´t sometimes there, sometimes not, could this be related?

A vacuum leak seems likely! Good news probably.

Had it on a ramp today.

[img]https://ibb.co/ZfWsFJW[/img]

Picture from under the center of the vehicle, looking towards engine. In the circle marked in green, there is a small opening with rotating parts. I believe this is where the sound comes from. This is where it is loudest and to me it appear as if the frequency of the sound would match with the rotation. See also video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ugKKZgpVnbk

What is it what can be seen through the opening? [/img]

Last edited by NerdmitBrille on 17th Aug 2024 11:05am. Edited 1 time in total

Torque converter?

Normally that hole would have a bung in it. What can be seen rotating behind is the flexplate. A sort of thin metal flywheel with teeth on the outside for the starter motor.

The fact the bung is missing might indicate work has been performed. Has the engine or gearbox been removed recently? There are 4 small bolts that secure the flexplate to the torque converter. They are fiddly and easy to drop into the abyss. The bung might have been removed in an effort to retrieve a lost bolt, but a lost bolt would be on the other side of the flexplate. The bolt might have been left there and has lodged itself in contact with the flexplate, making the noise.

An easy to say suggestion might be to remove the gearbox. Then start the engine. If the noise is still there, then we know it is not the gearbox. You will then have full visibility of the flexplate to ascertain the noise. 2010 5.0 SC Autobiography Overfinch in Bentley Silk White pearlescent, 22" Overfinch wheels with 285/35x22 tyres

The missing bung is LR008866 2010 5.0 SC Autobiography Overfinch in Bentley Silk White pearlescent, 22" Overfinch wheels with 285/35x22 tyres

Wow, this forum impresses me. Thank you for the quick and detailed feedback.

Acc. to the data from the former owner, the torque converter and clutch have been replaced in 2022, the water pump in 2023 and somewhere in 2024, the steering column and the lambda probe have been replaced, roughly 5000km before I bought the car.
So, not really recently.
I will try find out from the independent expert if the bung has been there when he checked the car the day before the purchase. I have pictures from the under body in his report, but not detailed enough to encounter it.
Aaand, if I´m lucky a “friend of a friend”, who is a former land rover technician, will visit me and take a look in the next couple of days.
Will keep you posted.

Finally, the “friend of a friend” visited me yesterday and checked on the car.
He was super knowledgeable and relatively quickly identified the issue comming from the PCV valve diaphragm, explaining the noise and the Lean error codes.

Aaand if you know, you know.
Found this video of a Jag with the 5 liter. Sounds exactly like the noise mine is making, also the noise when he turns off the engine is exactly the same.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xrHbRKvhDXk

He wasn´t sure yet how much effort the replacement on the 5.0 SC is, but first of I´m super happy that it is identified and that it is neither the transmission nor the engine.

Great news!

Yes, excellent news and hopefully not too much money to fix...

Keep us posted on developments...  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
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