Who knows exactly how the hoses are clipped onto the transmission cooler ?? I just received the brand spanking new one The connections seem all quick connectors but not sure how the connectors "unlock" as the cooler is in quite a tight spot  MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Im betting you either have to push it down for it to release and hold the collar up onto the end as you then lift it off or its like some others where a C clip needs to be slid out a little to allow it to come off.

Strange they have used such connectors on such a critical piece of pipework... FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Totally agree KP, I wouldn't have expected quick connectors for this sort of stuff either. Still there is no trace of leakage after all this time and pressure on the system. So the design seems to be quite sturdy.

Which brings me to my next question:

Looking at the website of Furitech (see below), my gearbox is now condemned apparently. So my question is what to do. The gearbox was changing gear very well till I parked it. I only noticed very very faint "something doesn't seem right here" before I parked (that prompted me to check what was going on).

My plan is to change the transmission cooler, then flush the gearbox with cheap ATF or diesel about 2 or 3 times and then do a filter change. During the filter change I plan to remove the mechatronic unit and take out the Delay Accumulator Piston (indicated as a potential cause for the 3-4 shift issue I was having before). I may also do the ECU upgrade. Assuming the gearbox is fine, than the big question (again referring to below Furitech quote), should I ditch the car to avoid having to change the gearbox..............

I only do short runs with this car (5 kms) so the gearbox never got a lot of work (no high speed either as my route just doesn't allow). Also, apart from the 3-4 shift, it functioned very well. It just doesn't go to 4 unless you are accelerating mildly and downshifts are fine.

The Problem…
Its known as the “Transmission Milk Shake” and although it may sound appealing to those milk lovers out there this shake will set you back into the Thousands of Dollars to repair. The shake accrues when the transmission cooling system fails by allowing coolant into the transmission and transmission fluid into the cooling system. When this accrues the transmission is a write off and no amount of flushing will allow the transmission to recover. The engine will not be damaged it will most like be better off due to the lower boiling point of the water oil mixture but all your rubber hoses will be effected.

The Culprit…
Automatic transmission need to keep cool and maintain and operating temperature and to achieve both they need to run the ATF through a Heat Exchanger normally fitted to one or both of the radiator tanks. These days vehicle’s use a new external Heat Exchanger which is hooked into the coolant lines around the heater hose circuit. Both types are know for failing and from when the BA falcon was released they suffered radiator problems then from 2004 most of fords had switched from the radiator style to the external style. Still there are issues with both of these units and with no alternative or know fix. or is there? MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

If you like the car and haveli led after it and you have the money for a new box keep it. Do your flushing while you source a new box and wait for it to expire. Might be days maybe months.
If you don't have the £££ for a gearbox think about getting rid at a cheaper price? [img]http://www.fuelly.com/driver/rob2529/range-rover[img/]
04, 4.4V8, Vogue Oslo Blue with LPG.
"You can sleep in your car, BUT you can't race your house!!!!"

If something can't be fixed with a hammer....... You have yourself an electrical fault!

Thanks Rob for your response.

First of all, I will try to get that oil testing kit you mentioned and keep an eye on oil quality. I plan to do the first flushes stationary (engine running, going through the gears but no driving) and then after that two more, each after a week of using the car. Then I will test the oil a few times to see what the quality is.

Money wise I can afford the gearbox, I may beg RRPhil to find me one and refurbish it, or look at parking the car till I find a good one (provided it does pack in).

Since I also still have the 3-4 shift issue (that will kill a good selling price anyway), I first need to address that and that may also mean replace the box or refurbish it. Now refurbishing here in Nigeria, no way, I don't know of any outfit that can do it and the state of most "workshops" is not confidence inspiring. I'd rather do it myself on the coffee table (doubt SWMBO will "approve").

Sofar I spent a bit of money on the car that will be lost as soon as I sell it and if the gearbox is duff, I can't sell it for a good price anyway. Now assuming we stay here for a while longer or go to a country where taking the car is a good option, then it seems a waste to sell it here (lose money) and buy a more expensive one there for the cost of transport (per container that is relatively cheap) and some import/handling duties.

Apart from maintenance I spent the following "extra" on the car :
New fuel pumps
New A/C (although in hindsight that may not have been necessary)
New front struts (one can argue whether that is normal maintenance on a FFRR)
New rear brake calipers
New MAF (not required in hindsight)
New Lambda sensors (not required in hindsight)
New parking sensors (shouldn't be normal maintenance I think)
Second hand DVD changer (I guess mine died in a water ingress incident)
Upgraded Bluetooth module (Wiggs, mine was probably a water ingress victim)

All that money would "go to waste" if I get rid of the car.

The tricky bit is, if the gearbox comes out OK (so I could theoretically sell it for a good price) then would I keep the car, being worried the gearbox could pack in on me. The crux is, how likely is the packing in. If I read the Furitech site, 100% but I have a feeling it isn't that black and white. Also, should I replace all the cooling hoses ?? I would expect those hoses to be "oil resistant" anyway as the outside is subject to it (I know the hoses are layered but still...........

More opinions ??? MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

What a pickle! condolences!

Some thoughts:
I've no idea about transport in Lagos, but as your suffering from an extreme lack of a good Rover mechanic, is it possible to easily get the car somewhere where it can be fixed by qualified people? (I'm guessing Europe or maybe S Africa would fit the bill.). I don't suppose you have any AAA/RAC type coverage with a tow to the nearest LR dealer which may be a few 1000 miles away?

You seem pretty mechanically competent. I know I couldn't do it, but is there a shop you trust that should remove the transmission and due a swap/exchange for one in th UK? I don't know how 'plug n play' these units are.

If you have and frequent flier points (many expats do), how about searching for a VERY competent LR transmission guy who would really like a nice African safari with a little work on the side to help defray costs? He may be able to bring the necessary parts as excess baggage and do it in the spare room rather than the dinning room table.

Lastly, if you are using it on short runs in town, and aren't worrying about getting marooned in the wilderness, what have you got to loose with the transmission flushed, repair the cooling system and see if you're lucky.

Good luck, mate.

RR2008HSE, thanks for your reply.

There are too many horror stories about cars here coming back from the workshop "worse then they went in", first hand stories by the way. Parts are removed, replaced by worn/second hand/copycat parts that had nothing to do with the work the car was in for etc. etc.

Our company employs a few mechanics doing the cars and generator sets but they are not gearbox mechanics. Going to the local dealer of LR is an option but I know that I pay at least 5 times more than a EU dealer. The price they quoted me for a paper air filter was ridiculous (that's why I have a K&N in now).

Anyway, getting someone over here could be an option but I'd rather ship a new/refurbished box to here and have our guys install it. That won't be an issue for them.

Alternative is doing the refurb myself, looking at RRPhil teardown post, I should be able to do it, if I had my tools here (I have some of the tools needed but not all), and getting the refurb kit is easy on E-Bay. And if I really wanted I could do the work in the spare room (and sell it to my wife as "education for our daughters" although not sure that will fly since she happens to be a teacher and quite switched on ).

Anyway, I am first going to see if I get the car going again (the parts are here and I just need to find good quality ATF or flush it with diesel). MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Latest update, our mechanic has replaced the transmission cooler. Yesterday they were flushing the crap from the the cooling system and filled the gearbox with the first load of Toyota T-IV (the best I could find for flushing and quite cheap).

So two more fluid changes with a stationary car and then I plan to do some mild driving for a few days and replace the ATF again.

Will keep you posted on progress and results  MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

New update. Yesterday evening I picked the car up from the shop and drove it home.

3-4 shift issue still there but listening to the mechanics, they may not understand how to check the fluid level. Also when I got home, I used the Faultmate to clear the various fault codes and check transmission temp (86 C) so no way the level is correct. Also reset the adaptations due to the new ATF.

The box has had 3 "stationary" ATF changes using the Toyota T-IV fluid. The last drain I saw was still cloudy but at least felt like ATF to the touch and not "watery muddy milkshake".

Not sure whether the incorrect fluid level makes a difference to the 3-4 shift issue but will check tonight to see if temp has come down (it sits in 30 plus parking garage so cooling down takes a while) and then check the level.

After the level check I will use the car for a week, only doing short trips before I have another ATF change. Then another week or so of driving before I do another fluid change, potentially taking the filter out as well and removing the mechatronic unit to see if the Delay Accumulator Piston shows any "issues". MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

Good luck, mate.

I was wondering how you were making out having to troubleshoot the serious stuff on your own.

I have been working on cars and motorbikes from the first one I owned. My dad (who did the same on all his cars and still does at 77) taught me a lot and the rest I learned myself. Combined with the Faultmate, a very helpful Dutch dealer, some help from the FFRR forum members and good logistics you can come a long way.

Still if the gearbox needs to be done in a serious way, then I may be screwed or forced to get a refurbished one to here.

Now on progress, I just finished checking the level and I was right, the boys overfilled the transmission by some 1.5 liters. Now I don't believe that could cause the 3-4 shift issue (underfilling may according to some information I found a while ago on the net) but I haven't been able to test it as the security situation is such that going out after 19.00 is not recommended at the moment. So I will have to wait till I can do a drive in daylight, maybe I just do the spin to work in it tomorrow.

To be continued  MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

The FFRR is running again. The cooling system has been cleaned thoroughly so that also takes care of that (I wanted to clean it anyway after so many years and having had water in it previously).

The new TC went in without a hitch, not the easiest job as there is very little space there but the boys got it done quickly.

Right now I have had the car running for a week and a half and had another oil change (still Toyota ATF) and the latest drain did look a lot "clearer". So next week or two, we'll do another drain and then when I get the correct ATF or good replacement, we will do the filter as well. Than another ATF change to get rid of most of the Toyota ATF.

The car is running very well in tiptronic mode, even better than before (which beggars the question, how long has the cooler been leaking !!!). I still only take it for very short runs though, just want to not overdo it until the ATF is quite clean. MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!