sounds like you have the same issue i had rumbling noise that sounds like its coming from the rear of the car at around 25-30mph and at around 50mph when in high gears. I had my TC changed and transmission refurbished solved the problem no more noise and car is smooth as silk when accelerating at any speed and no noise.

Matt

hi there im new to this site and not to sure how it works so hopefully am posting in the right place. Here goes ibought my rr 4.4 v8 recently and it vibrates when I get to 25 mph 1500 rpm [ cattlegrid effect ] it only happens at low throtle in third gear but disappears after 40 mph and doesn't happen in manual/sport ive read a lot of these threads and this sounds like torque converter failure ! all my gear changes are fine so im hoping ive caught this problem early. my car has down 125000 miles and I don't think the box has ever been touched before , could anyone tell me the process of how to pinpoint the exact problem pls or any other relevant info would be much appreciated thanks. 2003 range rover se autobiography 4.4 v8

Hi mate, it deffo sounds like you have a torque converter that has started to break up. The reason for the gate grid feeling is at 25-30mph the torque converter tries to lock its clutch to improve driving. The effect you are feeling is essentially the clutch slipping as it cannot lock correctly. In sport/manual mode the torque converter does not lock its clutch at any speeds hence why you cannot feel the effect in these modes. The torque converter is a sealed unit and can't be serviced and the only way to solve this issue is for it to be swapped out. A gearbox fluid change won't help/solve this problem as it's a physical failing of the unit. I had the exact same symptoms as you and as soon as the TC was replaced the issue was resolved.

Hope this helps and welcome to the world of Range Rover ownership and the great world of fullfatrr.com

Matt

hi and thanks for the response ok at least I know exactly what the problem and fix is now I have a friend who is a competent mechanic would you recommend I have him remove the tc and send it off tobe reconditioned or do I need to buy a new 1 ? also with my mileage being quite high do I need a whole new box or will I get away with just doing the tc many thanks

Hi mate

You can buy reconditioned TC's already done, not massively expensive compared to a brand new one from land rover which is the best part of £800-£1000 just for the part.

I had my TC changed by Tameside transmissions as they are only round the corner from me. They wanted around £1300 to change the TC, new fluid, filter and labour with a 12 months warranty. Or they could change the TC, fully recondition the transmission, new fluid and filter for around £1500 so I decided to have it fully refurbed even though there was nothing wrong with my auto box there are seals and bearings that wear over time and eventually need to be replaced before they cause any major damage so for the extra few hundred quid I deiced to have the whole transmission done. Now means I have a full 12 months warranty on any part of the auto box system.

Up to you what you have replaced and the ZF unit that you have is a very reliable and strong box but at that mileage while you are going to the effort of having to remove it anyway to change the TC you might as well have the box reconditioned for future piece of mind, ZF do a refurb kit for the box so a transmission specialist can easily do this work.

If you need any other help or advice let me know

Matt

Hi im looking for some advice if possible from you experienced people .
i have a TDv8 4.4 2010 and when cold i get at slow speed a surging like the sensation of being towed with an elastic band going forward pulsating motion . if you put your foot down the car is like hitting the rev limiter . this isnt as noticable when in sport . on a day if the sunny weather has warmed the car up before starting it or been warmed up from drivin it often i dont get the issue and drives ok .
i have a slight noise under the car like a timing chain noise but not very loud .
when warm this symtom isnt that noticeable but the noise is still noticable under the car stationary and driving and its no louder either way . and no codes

could this be the chain being slack within the DD295 transfer box causing the backlash effect and would this chainge when warm / warm oil within the TX Box.

its not got any worse and in my mind im thinking of either the Torque converter/ TX box hopefully not the Box
Hope this discription makes sence.
Andy

Transmission issues which appear when cold and then improve as the fluid heats up are often related to low fluid level. The higher viscosity of the fluid increases the residency time in the sump and the pump can begin to suck air and cavitate. Certainly a relatively straight forward and inexpensive thing to check. Just make sure that you only use ZF Lifeguard Fluid 8 to top-up, and follow the instructions to the letter.

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