Thread: show us your L322

Originally Posted by Camo

Has a HR towbar but I think its going to be too low for my 4x4 camper trailer. What do you guys do?

I think you will be happy with your new truck...

Agree the tow bar is too low, it is actually not Aus standards (430mm). You may struggle to find someone to make a new tongue (Queensland Towbars used to do one), I made my own (can pic if wanted) and threaded a HT bolt to stop the rattles, they are heavy because of the solid shaft, which presents problems for manufacture.

Originally Posted by harlie

The tongue is long to allow for the larger than average crumple zone – it brings that heavy cross member forward away from the rear bumper.

If you look deep in the owner’s manual there is a spec for the towbar tongue. It provides the max allowable length measurements. You will also find it should have a solid shaft as apposed to RHS due to the length. Have a look under the car, it’s more substantial than jap built 3.5t rated vehicles (and D2,3,4 for that mater). Combine that with a solid shaft and there’s no issues. The 4 HT bolts securing the trailer coupling will shear long before the towbar fails.

Suggest you talk to Hayman Reece they have a clue and have one in their cat. that will suite, but you will find no one will have in stock – order in from china...

Originally Posted by Daniel

The correct ATF is Valvoline synthetic ATF #1272 - this ATF is to Dexron VI spec.

I don't know what "Max Life" is and I wouldn't trust anybody that uses a name for ATF - only the manufacturer's code can be trusted. And make sure that such an ATF code is specified on your service paynment receipt.

If the fluid is changed by a dealer then ensure that they do a complete change and not just a partial change (only drop the sump). For a complete change the 5 litres out of the sump is changed as well as a complete flush of the tranny and from all the pipes and cooler circuit. This takes a full 20 litres of more to do it properly. 20 litres of #1272 will cost $275 at wholesale. A filter will cost $150 from a dealer. plus labour.
So if you're being quoted anything less than that they are taking short cuts at your expense.

Anyway there is no hurry - looking at the condition of your truck and if it's only done 100k then you have plenty of time to get this right.

Hope this helps?

Have you made sure that the factory recall/front diff replacement has been done on your truck? This is a far more critical matter than an ATF change.

Thanks again. Will take my time to find someone who knows what they are doing..might end up just buying everything and doing it myself (or take it to MR and pay for the labour)

Camo

Have you made sure that the factory recall/front diff replacement has been done on your truck? This is a far more critical matter than an ATF change.

Yep was the first thing I checked. Was easy as.. I rang landrover and gave them the VIN number of the car and got an answer right away.

I hooked the camper trailer on yesterday.. sits a bit low but will do for a few trips I guess.. makes it easier to un-hook the trailer with suspension setting on high but still have to lift a bit.. say about 90kgs on the ball.

Cheers

Camo

Originally Posted by Camo

I hooked the camper trailer on yesterday.. sits a bit low but will do for a few trips I guess.. makes it easier to un-hook the trailer with suspension setting on high but still have to lift a bit.. say about 90kgs on the ball.
Cheers Camo

I have a large tool box on my drawbar in which I place all the heavy items such as spare battery, tool kit and a hd spare wheel. My draw bar weight at the coupling is about 150 kgs. Makes it a very safe tow vehicle like that as the EAS adjusts the vehicle height anyway. When I tow another trailer (which has other requirements) I made up a tow tongue out of 50mm squre tube (with 8mm wall thickness). It is about 600 mm long and comes out dead straight. It costs me $15 for the tube and then I just drilled one hole for the pin and another couple for the trailer coupling.

I tow trailers with anything up to 3 tonnes in them regularly and you can't get a better tow truck than the L322 td6 (if only my RRC which has a GMC 6.5 turbo diesel had EAS - but that is the next project convert it to EAS).

Originally Posted by Camo

Yep was the first thing I checked. Was easy as.. I rang landrover and gave them the VIN number of the car and got an answer right away.

Do you know If the L322 has not for some reason had the diff recall done, will Land Rover still carry out the work free as a recall/warranty item?

Originally Posted by 2nd Rower

Do you know If the L322 has not for some reason had the diff recall done, will Land Rover still carry out the work free as a recall/warranty item?

Mine was done at some point.. the owners had no idea it had been done.. but they did have it serviced at a landrover dealership all of its life. Would have been fixed at a service I bet.

Pretty sure you can still get it done. Just call a landrover dealership

Camo

I was talking to a Tech-Rep at Nulon and he stated that their new 100% Synthetic Multi Vehicle Auto Transmission Fluid is compatible to Texaco ETL 7045E ( The Original Fill) in these boxes and retails around $220-$240 for 20 ltr's.
Would this be safe to use ?

There is so much dis-information on this gearbox's oil type; it's very hard to decide which oil should be used.

responses to 2 questions -

1. ATF - it doesn't matter if any ATF manufacturer lists their product as being "compatible" with any other's ATF. What is most important is that the ATF is listed on GM ATF spec sheet. I researched that and Valvoline #1272 is. I don't recall any "nulon" products being listed.

2. Diff recall - My diff went during my 100k warranty period and I had to battle LR to fix it under warranty. I had a major discussion with LR Australian Technical Services Manager pre failure about the issue. She (yes that's right it was a woman with basically no knowledge of mecahnical issues) was adamant that there would be no recall (although every body around the world was aware of the common failures) and when I raised the point that my local dealer had already replaced 2 or 3 with LR (incidentally with no LR subsidy for the cost of repairs) she dismissed that as of no consequence. Anyway a couple of months later my diff went out the back west of Moree on a weekend - tow truck bills, hotels bills, rental car bills, headaches etc.
After some battling LR covered the diff repair and a minor part of the other costs. Some months later my dealer contacted me to tell me that the diff had to be repaired as part of the "recall" procedure. I then got another diff repair/replacment done. It was not an official recall and it was left by LR for each dealer to contact L322 owners to have the work done. So I wouldn't trust any body to know which L322 has had the diff done and which hasn't unless you've seen it done yourself. LR were hopeless initially and the National manager of Customer Relations was quite happy to be quoted as saying that LR have no obligations other than the manufacturer warranty. When I mentioned the statutory warranty under the Trade Practices Act - he stated that there is no such thing! Like all vehicle manufacturers and most dealers, they are a very stubborn and illiterate mob that would probably be better off selling life insurance or something like that.