Right if anybody can assist what are the following issues on the L322. HID ECUS, IGNITERS, AND VANOS? What problem do these cause?
The HID Ignitors and ECU's are vunerable to failure, not 100% sure why, but it could be the placement and exposure to the elements being tucked under the bonnet behind the headlamp unit. They are a fairly common fail item, but I would say once every couple of years maybe!
The BMW VANOS system on the M62 is used to vary the intake Cam timing at differing engine speeds and loads.
The thing that fails is actually the guide rails for the timing chains, as they wear, the cam timing changes to a point that the VANOS system can no longer efficiently re-time the chains and they then tend to rattle....
Not a show stopper, but you will find it a tad under powered, the rattle annoying, and MPG goes south.
The official procedure is to replace the whole VANOS unit although there have been reports of being able to replace just the guides, but I have to admit I have never looked into it that much (yet
)
A rattle on the M62 is usual on start up as the VANOS system wakes up, so it should go in a few seconds...a constant rattle could mean the guides a fecked.
The Later M62 engines used a Double VANOS system which is more complex, but the guides where made from a better quality material - alas these engines never made it into the Range Rover!