Great write up and i agree 13k is not too shabby i would not want a new small car either.
anyone know if there is a vac line pic for the TDV8 4.4?
that would be real handy i want to replace mine just as maintenance  2012 Vogue 4.4 TDV8 - Current
2014 Navara V6 - Gone
2004 Vogue TD6 - Gone
Grand Cherokee - Gone
Discovery V8 (LPG) - Gone
Discovery TD5 - Gone

This might have been covered already but I'll also document it here for the record.

The M62 occasional startup rattle can be an easy fix. So before taking the entire engine apart:

First approach is use of the correct filter, that's the MAN one. With the plain flat bottom. Not the others with a plastic ring at the bottom.

If already using the above MAN filter, the next thing to check are the VANOS solenoid seals. Those are at the front of the cam covers under the camshaft position sensors and tend to harden and leak over time.

Using the wrong filter AND having a leaking solenoid seal will allow oil to drain from the VANOS system and cause a bried rattle at starup.

TomV8 wrote:

Fantastic write up vs322. Huge thanks for posting, it is very interesting and enjoyable.

I am 3.5 years and 30,000 miles into my own 2004 L322 V8 adventure. They are such lovely vehicles. I thought I’d only do a couple of thousand miles a year in mine, but my family and I like it so much, we’ve done five times that mileage.

Good luck with it going forwards and please keep the updates coming.

I was saying the exact same thing when I bought mine! Planned to use the Freelander as a daily. Ended up doing the exact opposite. Now I can't imagine myself driving anything else. Maybe a 2012 one or a L405.

The Freelander is nearing 300K km and turning 20 next month!
Still in great shape and a keeper for life.

Decided to tackle the control arms and bushes job yesterday. What an absolute b**ch! Both to remove AND to fit. Should have ordered the complete arm in the first place. Would have saved us a day!

Airstruts coming up next...

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After getting locked out a couple times, I decided it was time I got the fat girl a proper spare key. As the immobilizer ECU had to come off to be read,
unfortunately had some collateral damage to the HDC-LOW switches. I had been trying hard to preserve the almost pristine foundry centerpiece by various invisible and fully functional tricks but since the pcb fittings are all broken and one contactor set missing now, I guess it's time to let go and move on. So I ordered a decent looking pre-owned one and will weigh my options once it's here.

Back to the new key, I was astonished by the quality of this aftermarket fob. The factory one looks so unworthy of a car that expensive, originally...

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For the record, the new Arnott air struts were tested in all conditions and I couldn't be happier with them. Ride is so smooth now. Also, you cannot imagine how many different noises could emanate from a worn out strut...

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