Hi guys
I'm a 300 tdi 110 owner of 12 years and decided to invest in a new XS...just wanted to run a couple of questions past you. Obviously I've been used to the behaviour and sounds of a 300...and the XS is different, but there are a couple of things that just don't seem quite right. I did go back to the dealer, but they've not really been a whole lot of help. So if you don't mind...can I run the 'problems' past you lot for thoughts and (helpful) comments?

Engine noise
I know it's gonna be very different to the very solid and familiar sound of the 300, but we have 2 things that seem VERY different on our XS. The first is the amount of air intake on start up and warm up. It's flippin loud - not quite Typhoon loud...but it does turn heads. Is that normal? Also we have a 'rattling' sound that comes from somewhere in the driver side wing - around the air intake...when you put your ear to the air intake it's quite loud - but not sure its just not reverberating. From under the bonnet it's hard to locate. It increases with revs and doesn't sound very 'engine natural'. It's constant. I got to listen to a 110 xs (wasn't sure whether it was 2.4 or 2.2) on a landrover experience and it didn't make that noise which first raised my suspicion. However, when I went back to the dealer, we checked out a same model and there seemed to be the sound, albeit at a reduced volume. It doesn't seem right somehow.
Any thoughts?

The second issue is with the internal heat, coming from the gear box tunnel. That used to get hot in the 300, but in the XS is gets super hot - especially on long journeys - 2.5-3000 rpm/80mph - after about 30mins it really heats up. The heat spreads all over the metal work, seats, hand brake etc, all become hot - like too hot to touch in places. Have taken to turning the AC just to make it comfortable to drive on the seats...again, something that doesn't seem very right to me.

Basically I'd love to be able to go back to the dealer with some info and ideas, rather than them just shrug and say 'don't know...'

Any input would be gratefully received.
Thanks

I've not had experience with the 2.2. engine specifically, but they've all got their own set of rattles and clatters. I have a friend with a TD5 which is nearly the same vintage as my TD5, and it's got a whole different symphony. In my particular model the transmission tunnel and cubby box area get very warm on a long run. I used to worry about it but I don't any more. A lot of warm air blows back from the radiator and engine, especially on motorway runs. You could use the cubby box as a slow cooker. it's been OK for 30,000 miles and the temperature gauge sits just left of centre from bleak midwinter to high summer.

Not an engine I am familiar with but on the gearboxes low oil levels could be causing the heat up of everything as the oil will cool as well as lubricate

This is only a presumption given that I have no knowledge of that engine but the loud intake noise could be to do with a problem for the electric fan that cools the engine? Perhaps the thermostat which tells it when to kick in is not working right and thinks it should be on at full whack all the time?

Only an idea... Or is your air con just on all the time? Sometimes I hear other cars go by on a hot day with their air con on high and it sounds like there's a commercial turbine jet engine spooling up!

As for the gear tunnel area, I have an ancient 200tdi and get a lot of heat coming up from there on a long run. My suggestion to get around that would be to place some sort of heat reflective material in the gearbox tunnel. And as others have suggested, check out the oil level. If it's low that will of course increase friction and thus heat, including the fact that oil is the 'coolant' for it anyway - as said above.

Best of luck

The engine noise is normal. Ours sound like a blowing exhaust. Not so sure about the heat

I had a 2012 xs and had same issue with heat, left leg really cooked on commute to work, only had it over a winter but could imagine it would have been hellish in summer

Can't say I had the engine rattles though

Re engine noises , cant help , re tunnel heat , you havent experienced seatbox heat , untill you have travelled with a V8 CSW in 45C !
There is nothing you can do about it , as its down to the design , they are built of aluminium , which is a very good conductor , the arrival of turbos , under the bonnet have made the biggest difference , the TD5 with wing front vents was obviously an attempt by Land rover to address the matter , I have noticed a drop in passenger side temp, since changong the engine from V8 to TD6 , but driver side seems about the same , even with the exhaust pipe wrapped . Not sure what side exhaust is on a 2.2 , but wrapping the exhaust might help a bit .

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful feedback.
To clear up one point, the temp gauge is exactly as should be, just below half way, so heat us from gear box. There's only 3.5k on the clock, so I would have anticipated there being no issue with low gearbox oil just yet, but is there a chance it would be low coming from the factory?? It sounds though as other people have the same issue with the 2.2...which makes for interesting long drives!! is there an easy was to check gearbox oil level?

Iano said:

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful feedback.
To clear up one point, the temp gauge is exactly as should be, just below half way, so heat is from gear box. There's only 3.5k on the clock, so I would have anticipated there being no issue with low gearbox oil just yet, but is there a chance it would be low coming from the factory?? It sounds though as other people have the same issue with the 2.2...which makes for interesting long drives!! is there an easy was to check gearbox oil level?

Click to expand...

The temp guage and engine may well be at normal operating temp , what heats the seatbase is all the heat that has been removed from engine/rad /exhaust/turbo AND gearbox . It is highly unlikely that all or even most of the heat is coming from the gearbox , so even if you wrapped your gearbox in asbestos mat it isnt going to make much difference to the seatbase temp , sorry to give you bad news

Yeah it can be low on oil from the factory-from experience. Do xs have carpet or rubber on the tunnel?

The xs 2.2 has rubber/foam type material rather than carpet, which I thought initially was a good idea...

Does anybody have any hints about checking the gearbox oil level easily?

I have been driving my parents 2.2 this weekend and that is very loud on the air intake side of things, a proper whoosh when you put your foot down!

No rattles from the wing though.

Can anybody advise on a quick and easy way of checking the oil level in the gearbox?

Iano said:

Can anybody advise on a quick and easy way of checking the oil level in the gearbox?

Click to expand...

Normally tratterers assume it's empty if it's not leaking.

So on this subject of gearbox oil...I read a post about a level check plug and change process on a 200tdi. I'm guessing that it'll be a little different on the xs...or has little changed there? on that note, we did notice that gear changes got ever so slightly crunchier after the first few weeks of having the vehicle...so think it's a good idea to take a look...