Gents, what a crappy week and a half its been with the rangey.
Needed a new transfer box as it was noisy. Had some supply chain issues with a company - it eventually turned up on Thursday. My mechanic came today so we could fit it (having removed the old one earlier in the week). Sadly, he's off work from Monday for 8/10 weeks after an operation which is why the supply chain issue I had has really screwed the situation.

So a reconditioned box eventually arrived, actually had an Allmakes tag on it. What a difference to the way the shafts turned between the old and new box - jeez it was obvious there was a bearing fault in my old box!

The box that came out was an IAB500280, the tag on the new one is an LR049160. It came with a transfer box selector lever solenoid pre-fitted, had to refit my own shift motor and the hi lo sensor. It wasn't too much of a drama to refit, we had the front up on some high ramps with the air suspension set to high. The box subframe is a pain with the exhaust hangers in the way, but all in all not too bad. There was a leak from the autobox wiring loom sleeve seals so while it was in bits we put a new one in place. The transfer box has been filled with the correct "special transfer box oil" and the gearbox topped up with the same m1375.4 atf from when it was previously serviced.

Now I will say we dropped a bit of a b*llock in not disconnecting the battery before we started - but we'd needed to get the car out of park etc I recall.

Anyway - car once everything was refitted the ignition was turned on and all hell broke loose. Transmission failure, HDC fault, orange solid stability control light (?) lit, and the hi-lo range switch lights flashing and not working, also no selected option light working on the rotary knob for the difflocks etc. The gearlever position indicator does work or seems to.

So basically we have no drive - sometimes trying to go from R to Park will start the grinding noise like the park position lock is engaging so can only do that with the engine off. Used my IID tool and got :-
VDM - U0403-68 invalid data from transfer case module algorithm base failure
TCCM - P0915-00 gearshift position circuit range/performance
ACTM - U0401-94 Invalid data from ecm - component failure unexpected operation
- U0402-94 Invalid data from tcm - component failure unexpected operation
- U0416-94 Invalid data from vdcm - component failure unexpected operation
- U0403-94 Invalid data from tccm - component failure unexpected operation

These recur after clearing with IID.
Also tried battery off for 30 mins, no joy there. Battery is good and charged.

Fluids have been double checked with the car on the flat, running, and are at correct level. Loom connections to the transfer box and the gearbox all seem spot on.

Our supposition was that the transfer box was stuck in neutral. You can roll the car backwards and forwards while the gearlever is in park. So tried to do the calibrations with the IID tool - the hi lo and the clutch - the tool told me that they worked ok - no change. Then we tried to take the shift motor off to see if we could move the selector manually - it won't move. We didn't know if that was correct or not so grabbed the old box - you can turn the selector cog quite easily - the only difference between the two boxes mechanically at that point was hte old one had its solenoid removed - so we moved the lever it goes into ont he old box - still the selector cog turns.

I'm really up against it here - the mechanic is a good pal of mine and is no fool - neither am I - but we're now wondering if the box that has been supplied could be faulty?

Could really do with some advice.....

TIA


J 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Has the selector shaft attempted to be moved with the tail-shafts removed, turning the flanges at the same time? Is does sound as though there is a problem with the TC.

BTW, the gearbox can be pulled out of park without battery power by operating the small white tab at the RR corner of the selector mechanism. At least remove the 20A suspension system fuse to disable the suspension system.

So, to further this we've spent some time on it today before my pal goes under the knife.
Gearbox in neutral, one wheel off the ground so prop will spin (and normal play in other prop), took shift motor off again and the cog it turns to select will not move (it maybe has 2 degrees of rotational turn but thats it). This is with ignition on, ignition off, no difference.
Took the hi-lo sensor off - the keyway in the shaft that turns the sensor is in a slightly odd position - comparing it to the old box that came out.
We had a concern that somehow the shift solenoid being off the old box could somehow cause the selector cog to turn freely - so operated its shaft by hand - selector cog still turns freely. We've refitted it to the old box anyway as the new box came with one preinstalled - which even if it was faulty we have established doesn't cause the selector cog to jam irrespective of solenoid energised or not.

So, to recap - nothing we can do to the new gearbox by way of taking any 'load' off it causes free play at the selector cog. My assumption is that when we've tried to start the car the first time after fitting the new t/box is that the hi-lo sensor and the shift motor (which also possibly acts as a sensor?) have had a hissy fit cos the box's selector is somehow locked solid. And we've been unable to clear the faults that show on IID tool - they are ever present.

My next step was battery off, which I've had to do anyway as it's been flattened by all the messing around (it's a good newish battery). We've hoofed the old box under the car, removed the loom from the new t/box, put the sensor and shift motor on the old box, connected the loom up and for belt and braces will earth it via a jump lead on the casing. Hoping that battery off overnight will provoke the car into being fooled by the old t/box being connected to the loom and reset itself.

That doesn't definitely condemn the new box as we have some electronic gremlins going on but we do wonder if they all stem from the 'locked' selector mechanism on the t/box.

Really clutching at straws here - am over £1k deep and the frustrating thing is it drove into my garage with no electrical faults showing, just a noisy t/box bearing, and now it is completely u/s and not communicating properly. I did have the option of putting the old box back in - but that doesn't really achieve anything other than make the car drive again with a failing transfer case bearing - and it's not a particularly nice job to do n the floor if I'm honest - so if this replacement box is coming back out I only want to be putting in a one that works!!!!!!!

Anyone got any thoughts/observations? Ultimately - what we kinda need to know is whether in all circumstances you should be able to turn the selector cog (instead of the motor doing it for you)? 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

Here is the transfer case section from the D4 wsm. It shows how the range change/clutch engagement motor and shafts work.
http://www.fullfatrr.com/gallery/albums/us...20case.pdf

I suggest that the solenoid fork be manually operated to check that it moves between the 2 positions, noting that the default position is with the solenoid retracted.

Last edited by GraemeS on 16th Dec 2018 8:17pm. Edited 1 time in total

Replace the duff bearing in your transfer box? I dont know how deep is buried or what your facilities / abilities are. BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

AJ - the old box has to go back there's a surcharge on it so that's not an option (as there is with all suppliers I called). 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

GraemeS wrote:

Here is the transfer case section from the D4 wsm. It shows how the range change/clutch engagement motor and shafts work.
http://www.fullfatrr.com/gallery/albums/us...20case.pdf

I suggest that the solenoid fork be manually operated to check that it moves between the 2 positions, noting that the default position is with the solenoid retracted.

jonnyboy, I was assuming that the new box was faulty and would be going back for a refund hence my bearing suggestion. BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

Hi AJ, what I want them to do is send me a not-faulty one and a shedload of cash to cover labour/fluids etc. But that latter part will no doubt not happen.
Before I speak to them I need to definitively know that the box has somehow been supplied in a locked up or incorrectly assembled state (they're all reconditioned). 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

The transfer box splits down the middle seam so it’s easier to open to replace the duff bearings. If the spline for the hi low sensor is in a funny position it would seem that the box is stuck between the 2 ratios hence not engaged with either and effectively in neutral. Not that I recall there being an actual neutral position, which is probably why the cars toys have come out of the pram as it’s seeing something it’s not expecting.

Your only real option is to get the company to replace the box, or strip it down and see what the problem is, but I would hazard a guess that’s not an option!

Have you tried taking the sensor and the solenoid off the other box and swapping them onto the new box to see if that helps? There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

I would be wanting to check that the fork operated by the solenoid moves freely between its 2 positions and when in the same position as the one in the old box then I would expect the motor shaft to move similarly to the old box.

You should be able to discuss the situation with the people who provided the refurbished box as aren't they the experts?

Hi nmj

The boxes all come with no shift motor, no hi-lo sensor, just the shift solenoid (probably as its such a swine to fit due to needing to be energised), s the new box has my original shift motor and hi lo sensor on. 2007 Vogue TDV8 with 255/55/20's fitted

GraemeS wrote:

I would be wanting to check that the fork operated by the solenoid moves freely between its 2 positions and when in the same position as the one in the old box then I would expect the motor shaft to move similarly to the old box.

You should be able to discuss the situation with the people who provided the refurbished box as aren't they the experts?

Good luck it sounds an awful situation. Hope you get sorted promptly BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

Have you contacted RRPhil for some assistance?