My car has 102,000 miles on the clock, the gears change beautifully and the car is a dream too drive. I didn't consider having the gearbox oil changed until I read another thread on the forum concerning a car reaching the 100,000 mile and other members recommending the oil change.

Do I do it when i have no problems, will it create problems?


Regards


Elena

I did mine at about 88k.

It only made things better, much smoother, but if it ain't broke..... Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

How long are you keeping the car though? FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

It's a difficult call.

One one side, is the argument of not touching it until it needs to be touched.
On the other hand, you do regularly change your engine oil, you don't leave that until the engine goes bang.

Changing the gearbox oil is not likely to break the gearbox, unless the garage doing the job utterly screws it up. However, having work done on the box might show up any pre-existing weaknesses, possibly leading to other problems. My plan was idiot-proof ...




Until someone designed a better idiot

CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The GM gearbox NEEDS regular ATF changes. Just follow the normal service interval with the OEM filter (not cheap aftermarket ones).

The ZF is supposedly sealed for life, until you start reading the fine print. The 6HP26 (in all the 6 speeds) is 100,000 miles or 10 years according to all the info I found (including ZF).

I have had a GM box (Chevy Astro) that didn't have the ATF changed forever and it turned "sticky" causing all kinds of shift issues. I ended up flushing the box with diesel and got it in good health again (but quite expensive with two filters and several flushes, no megaflush option in Holland at the time).

My GMC Vandura also had a bit of a backlog, so I did the same but the one died a few months later anyway. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Hi Kingpleb


I would like to keep her for another year at least and i will also be replacing the discs and pads in the next few months, so probably worth doing. Any recommondations for the West Midlands or Warwickshire area, my usual mechnic is saying if it isn't broke don't fix it but I would like to avoid a problem rather than end up with a new gear box.

Regards

Elena

Just checked the workshop manual and it says filled for life. I still maintain, especially since the GM gearboxes have a tendency to eat themselves, to replace the oil and filter.

The oil does deteriorate because it is subject to a process similar to thermal mechanical cracking. One of the processes that refineries use to make heavier oil into lighter derivatives. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

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Thanks for the advice, better to be proactive I guess.

I replaced the ATF and filter of my ZF box and the small niggles went away. That was at 50,000 mls and 6 years. Be glad that your box is fine (many of the TD6 GM boxes don't last that long by the sounds of it) so I'd treat it to some fresh ATF and a new filter Maybe even do a megaflush to really get all the crap out and then do the filter. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

I've just changed my gearbox oil a few weeks ago at 50,000mls. Just the oil this time not the filter, I'll change the filter and oil again in July. I had no problems with the box at all very smooth gear changes. I got the impression after the oil change that it was even smoother but that might be my imagination. The colour of the old oil was very slightly dark when it was in the drain container but if you dipped your finger in the oil it came out clean no bits came out with the oil either. The drain plug was clean also. I'm glad I change the oil as now I can, hopefully, see what condition the gearbox is in. '88 RR Classic, '90 Classic, '93 Classic, '02 Discovery TD5, '55 Discovery 3, '01 P38 4.6, '06 L322 Vogue TD6, 2012 L322 Vogue TDV8, 2017 L405 Autobiography
Wife. '01 Freelander, '07 Freelander 2.

To be honest, I am surprised you even question it.

Consider the price of a change and the price of a new gearbox!

Do change the oil, filter and pan. Do not even question it and you'll have peace of mind.  l=Oo\________/oO=l l:OolΞΞΞΞΞΞΞloO:l

Current
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I have to agree with the above. There is no way you wouldn't change the oil in your engine.

Ok the gearbox oil isn't subjected to the carbon, like an engine, but it is still subjected to high temperatures and oxygen, this and the pressure it is subjected to in the box will cause it to oxidise and break down. Plus you will have particles of metal from the bearings even if the box is perfect and the oil "Looks" good.

If anyone has issues after an oil change then it is nothing other than either a coincidence or the oilchange was not carried out correctly.

Thanks guys, I have printed the instructions on changing the oil and I will take it to my my mechanic just to show him how straight forward it is., anything I should look out for that may indicate a problem. Also which oil is recommended.

Thanks guys, I have printed the instructions on changing the oil and I will take it to my my mechanic just to show him how straight forward it is., anything I should look out for that may indicate a problem. Also which oil is recommended.

In the Wiki are the oil recommendations.

Things to look out for are metal shavings in the oil pan and on the magnets. I suggest to take a picture of the empty oil pan if there are any shavings to be seen and ask RRPhil is he reckons there are major issues by posting the pic on here.

Also the colour of the ATF (ask the mechanic to pour it into a clear plastic bottle so you can see the colour well). If it is quite dark and smells a bit "burned" then it was very much time to replace it.

Also you could feel the consistency of it, if it is still very slick/oily it is fine but if it starts feeling a bit "sticky" when you rub it between your fingers, it has deteriorated quite a bit.

All of these things are very subjective unfortunately. Having the ATF analysed is the best way to go but that goes a bit far to be honest. I mean the oil is out anyway.

Most important is correctly filling the box afterwards. So the car should be level, then the box should be filled according to procedure, run the engine for a bit and cycle through the gears 2 or 3 times (leave it in every gear for say 5 seconds) and then final fill with engine running in idle, in park and fill till it comes out of the fill plug hole. I don't know if the GM box also needs to have that done at a specific temperature, like the ZF needs.

Edit, cut and paste from the workshop manual : Draining and refilling the transmission is carried out via a drain plug, located in the sump of the transmission and a
refill/level plug located on the left hand side of the transmission. When checking the transmission fluid level the fluid
must be between 35°C and 45°C. Only Texaco ETL-7045E Automatic transmission fluid should be used for refilling /
topping up the transmission. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!