Just a quick note on the timing chain - I recently helped (a bit) with a friend's TD6 that the head was off (valve and a piston needed replacing - long story) and while it was all apart the timing chain was checked against the factory spec - it didn't need replacing and that engine has 250,000KM on it, so no dramas there. In fact, all the internals in general were in great condition. The hash marks on the cylinder walls were still clearly visible. Pretty impressed by this engine all in all.

The trannie is another story. It sounds like you have mairly low milage on yours, so get is serviced now, before it becomes an issue. Sealed for life is just LR's way of saying they won't touch it while it is in warranty, and they don't say it is for the life of the vehicle - it is sealed for the life of the trannie, which will be very short if you don't look after it.

Mine's got 119k on it and it shifts brilliantly. I'm still gonna drain and flush it, though!

Anyway, for those that are interested, the data sheet for Texamatic is here:

https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/PDSDet...Format=PDF

And Transmax III is here:

http://msdspds.castrol.com/ussds/amersdsf....ehicle.pdf

The properties are very, very similar. I wouldn't hesitate to use either and the decision would be based on what was available at the time.

Right, the more I look at this, the more I'm convinced that you really don't have to use Texamatic. Total's ATF33 is broadly similar:

http://www.quickfds.com/out/16242-41642-10938-018746.pdf

Mobil's Delvac Synthetic ATF is marginally thicker at 40 degrees but is, again, broadly similar to the others. It might be a better bet if your tranny's got leaks or is feeling 'worn'. That extra bit of viscosity might just make the difference.

Shell's Spirax S4 ATF HDX:

http://www.epc.shell.com/Docs/GPCDOC_X_cbe...261820.pdf

Also looks perfectly acceptable. It meets the requirements set out by GM, so again I can see no reason not to use it. I'd bet the cost of a rebuild that after 5k miles you could drain a sample from five different gearboxes using five different ATFs, send those samples to a lab and they'd be indistinguishable from each other.

Good work, misteralz, when it comes down to it, it is your car, us none tribilogists will no doubt continue to follow the herd  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

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Thanks! I'm following the herd because I could find Texamatic for a reasonable price.
I'm no tribologist, but I do have a decent enough understanding of oil and how it operates. It's kinda essential in my job - I'm a reliability engineer, specialising in rotating equipment! Anyway, the inner workings of an autobox are full of little valves and seals and the thing that's going to kill those is dirty oil, not oil with a slightly different viscosity or additive package. Please don't get me wrong - I'm not saying you shouldn't use Texamatic, I'm saying that there's no real reason I can see to use it exclusively. As it stands, because I ordered 20 litres of it, I'll be using it for a proper flush and any top ups as required, with interim drain/refills going on until it's gone. I'll probably do a flush every two to three years and I'll use whatever ATF that's close enough and reasonably enough priced. If that's Texamatic, then so be it. If it isn't, it isn't. I'm firmly of the opinion that regular clean oil of a similar specification is a better bet than the exact correct oil being tortured over a longer interval.

Price today 20l Texaco ETL 7045E, Transmission Oil Texamatic 7045E

Watsons £65.04 (inc VAT) delivered.

TRP parts £87.02 (inc VAT) collected in your own tin (!!).

Whatever oil you use remember to fit a quality filter or you will regret it!
I know £1200  Mine was a blue one!

Of course. I'm currently weighing up whether to drain, then refill, then flush with old filter in place, or drain, replace filter, refill then flush. Decisions, decisions... 2003 Vogue TD6/1992 Classic 300TDi/2x 1991 Golf GTI/1966 Volkswagen Kombi/2x 1968 Volkswagen Kombi/Probably something I've forgotten...

I have used Dexron VI (6) as GM the manufacturer in Strasbourg of the 5L40E announced that Dexron 6 can be used. As I live in Sweden I cannot get the original Texamatic, so if you can get it I would use it. I just had to be pragmatic. I did one flush, pan drop and transmission filter change at 118,000 km, old oil coming out was black. then after a 3km test drive I just did a drain. Then after 200km I did another pan drop, filter change and drain. Now I have been running on Dexron 6 for 6 months and 13,000km all through the Swedish winter where cold starts are at -25C also quite a few summer non-stop 400km trips. Everything is OK, box was good before the first fluid change but shifting is slightly better, quiter and smoother afterwards. I did this as preventative maintenance. Takes about 1 hour to do a pan drop and flush as I have done 3 now. Summary if you can do it, try for the original Texamatic if you can, but Dexron 6 seems to be OK. I used a MPM Dexron 6, but if you look at the BMW forums they use the Mobil 1 Dexron 6 in the 5L40E transmission.

this is an excerpt of the GM announcement:

General Motors DEXRON®-VI Global Service-Fill Specification
During early 2005 General Motors released a newly developed automatic transmission fluid (ATF)
for the factory fill of all GM Powertrain stepped gear automatic transmissions. The new fluid
provides significantly improved performance in terms of friction durability, viscosity stability,
aeration and foam control and oxidation resistance. In addition, the fluid has the potential to
enable improved fuel economy and extended drain intervals. Since the performance of the new
fluid far exceeded that of the DEXRON®-III service-fill fluids available at the time it became
necessary to upgrade the DEXRON® service-fill specification in order to ensure that similar fluids
were available in the market for service situations. This latest upgrade to the service- fill
specification is designated DEXRON®-VI.
Since General Motors introduced the first ATF service-fill specification in 1949 it has been
periodically necessary to upgrade the specification. This upgrading process ensures that
available service fill fluids are of an appropriate quality for use in transmissions that have been
designed around the factory fill fluid performance. It should be noted that, as with previous
upgrades, DEXRON®-VI fluids are designed to be backward compatible with earlier transmission
hardware. More importantly, earlier type fluids are not forward compatible with transmission
hardware that was designed to use DEXRON®-VI fluid, i.e. DEXRON®-III is not compatible with
the most recently designed transmissions, and the use of these earlier type fluids could result in
transmission damage. All current calibrations and certification tests are now conducted with
DEXRON®-VI ATF. DEXRON®-III fluids should not be used for these applications where the
owners manual recommends the use of DEXRON®-VI. GM does not license or support obsolete
ATF specifications or the use of fluids that are being marketed against cancelled specifications.
All DEXRON®-III licenses expire at the end of 2006 and will not be renewed. Beyond that date
GM will only support the use of DEXRON®-VI fluids for use in Hydra-Matic transmissions. Fluids
sold in the market after that date bearing claims such as “suitable for use in DEXRON®-III
applications” or similar wording should be avoided. DEXRON®-VI licensed fluids are fully
backward compatible and can be used in all applications covered by earlier GM ATF
specifications.
The use of unlicensed fluids and/or non GM approved aftermarket additives may prove
detrimental to transmission performance and void warranty coverage.
There is a published list of GM-approved brands of DEXRON®-VI (see page two of this release).
This list represents the companies who have conducted the appropriate testing and received GM
approval. Company name, license number, and brand name are shown. This list will be updated
on a regular basis as more approved products are added.