Hi, wondering if anyone can help me especially RRPhil. Am stuck in Spain and have what may be the dreaded ZF gearbox clutch problem, although the symptoms are slightly different. L322 2002 has done 55k miles, low for the year, I've owned it from new, never had gearbox serviced as "Sealed for Life" , been absolutely fine, smooth gear changes, no problems whatsoever. The other day I switched into Sport/Manual, and it suddenly missed a gear and then clunked in. Since then if I take off from stationary very slowly in D, the gearbox engages fine and I can continue on my journey without any problems - gears change up and down faultlessly - until I come to a standstill. Then if I try to take off with some gusto, the car revs up without moving then clunks into gear with a big bang - if done excessively it will go into Failsafe, which resets after switching ignition off and back on. Took it to a Range Rover expert here, hard to find in middle of rural Spain, he put it on the computer, told me the error codes were master control 2 and 3 , I think, said it needed 2 solenoids and ordered them. Sure enough, he received the parts, fitted them and it made no difference. Said old gearbox oil looked ok. Now he's telling me it needs taking to Range Rover Dealership for reprogramming after inserting the 2 solenoids. Can anyone shed any light?

Last edited by admisi on 3rd Sep 2013 10:29am. Edited 1 time in total

Where about are you in Spain, may be able to help you find a proper LR Indy. l=Oo\________/oO=l l:OolΞΞΞΞΞΞΞloO:l

Current
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L SDV8 - 2013 - Indus Silver, on Almond.
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L V8 - 2002 - ex-2003 G4 Challenge Event Vehicle, Stage 3: Australia
RANGE ROVER HSE 4.4L V8 - 2004 - one-of-one Overfinch
RANGE ROVER P38a 4.0L V8 - 1999 - ex-2000 TReK Event Vehicle: South Africa

Previous:
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L TDV8 - 2012 - RANGE ROVER 3.6L TDV8 x3 - RANGE ROVER Td6 x1 - RANGE ROVER Classic 3.5L V8 x1

I wouldn't be shocked if the parts did have to be coded to the car. Pretty much any parts with any electronics in them are coded unique to the car. Worth a check with someone who knows the system. My Previous RR's!
2018 P400e Autobiography
2008 TDV8 Vogue
2006 TD6 Vogue
2007 TDV8 Vogue
2007 RRS (I know, it doesn't count!)
2005 4.4 Vogue on LPG
2005 TD6 Vogue
2003 4.4 Vogue
2001 4.6 HSE
2000 2.5 DHSE
1999 4.6 HSE
1997 4.6 HSE on LPG
1995 2.5 DSE
1989 3.9 EFI classic
1988 3.5 EFI classic

I'm in Costa Blanca near Javea.

I’m assuming you have a V8 and not a TD6?

I agree that it doesn’t display all of the symptoms (yet) but nevertheless it does sound possibly like the start of the ‘bearing-then-O-ring’ problem, though 55k miles is certainly the lowest mileage I’ve seen for this to happen. I’m thinking that when you’re on light throttle the pressure requirements on the A-clutch to react the torque will be low so it’s able to hold. When you apply some throttle the torque requirement goes up so the pressure demand goes with it but the O-ring leakage prevents the necessary pressure from being generated and the clutch slips, the speed sensors report back to the ECU and it engages failsafe to protect the clutch. If the engine revs go high enough the pump produces sufficient flow to overcome the leakage and you feel the clutch engage with a bang. Having said all that, I would expect the problem to be worse when the fluid is hot, but you didn’t say that was the case.

Clearly new solenoids will make no difference. The Bosch transmission ECU has built-in adaption capability that will adjust for the characteristics of the new solenoids (it adjusts the clutch engagement pressures to maintain the shift times over the lifetime of the transmission). There’s no re-programming that the dealer can do.

Phil

Definitely gets worse when the engine has warmed up. When cold it's fine but of course in Spain in August the car reaches full operating temperature within a few minutes. Could it be a clogged radiator?

I admire your optimism but, no, I’m afraid that’s a different issue. A clogged radiator would cause the transmission to stay in its lower gears and to not upshift. It wouldn’t cause clutches to slip and generate the TRANS. FAILSAFE PROG message. The clogged radiator issue sometimes activates the TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT message when it gets bad enough (sump fluid temperature >140 deg.C).

Phil

Mechanic still insists that it is electrical related, he's worked for land rover on these cars for years. It's there any way of narrowing this down? He says the gearbox is perfect in every way except that when it comes to a standstill it just slips out of gear.

Sound like it COULD BE the gear mechanism on the side of the gearbox under the car. Try spraying it with loads of WD40 and move the lever through the gears a few times.

DO THIS before you do anything with the gearbox!

I'd suggest to follow Gary's advice first and then Phils. Clearly the advice of the guy in Spain is not working, he sounds a bit like a diagnostics mechanic, just change parts the computer tells you to change and don't think any further.

These sort of problems are seldom down to simply following the diagnostics, they require a bit of thinking on what could be causing the issue and with gearboxes, Phil is very very good. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Sorry having read the post in full it seems unlikely to be mechanism but still DO IT!

Still sounds ‘hydraulic leakage’ related to me. Could you maybe get him to remove the valve block

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Think I shall get it on a transporter to the UK and get it seen to there. Can anyone suggest the best place to take it to in the UK for diagnosis and/or gearbox rebuild that is efficient and most of all cheap, I can get it delivered straight to them and don't need it for a while. I don't suppose RRPhil would be interested in it as a project?

Well I’m certainly cheap! Unfortunately I currently already have four transmissions ‘on the go’ and I don’t have the facilities to remove/replace the transmission from/into the vehicle (I’m just an amateur working in my garage at home). Sorry I can't help at this time.

Phil

Understood Phil, if I get it trucked back to London where I live, can anyone recommend someone in London that knows what they are talking about and is familiar with the ZF 5HP24 and the Range Rover L322?