I don't mean for this to be a complete rant... just perhaps a reaction to the shock at the cost of basic service in the UK (I've been away a long time).

It's no wonder that the price of L322's are so low... only DIYers can afford to repair them.

I usually do my own service anyway, but given that I'm flying in from Japan, picking up the car (bought sight-unseen) and immediately driving to Prague (and won't have the space, time, or tools to do it myself), I was looking into getting a place to do a gearbox service done on it before I arrive. I specifically wanted to include the replacement of the valve sleeves and the bridge seal (not just the mechatronic sleeve) but no place seemed willing to take the extra ten minutes to drop the valve body to do it.

The prices I got for doing the service (not the megaflush, mind you, so max 7 litres of fluid, new pan/filter, and (sometimes, although not always) the mechatronic sleeve) was anywhere from £550-£650.

The service kit (pan/filter, 7 liters of fluid, new bolts, mechatronic sleeve) are admittedly more expensive in the UK than the EU. Cheapest place I could find online for the kit in the UK was this place, although (cheeky!) they've removed one of the usual 7 liters of fluid that comes with the kit, leaving you with 6, and the change usually requires 6.5, so you still have to buy the bottle they removed, for another £15. Then you add VAT and shipping, and you're up around £210. https://www.bristoltransmissionsshop.co.uk...t-22-p.asp

The service takes, what, an hour? That's worth north of £300 these days?

So at this point, I'm just going to get a liter of ZF Lifeguard 6 (and the necessary tools to open the fill hole), make sure the gearbox is full, drive it to Prague and do the service there. For what it's worth, the price of the kit (the full kit) in Czech Republic is £131 (https://www.adrautodily.cz/cs/katalog/detail-zbozi/sada-dilu-vymena-oleje-automaticka-prevodovka/zf/1068-298-062/5945258).

End of rant, apologies. Although thankful, I guess, for helping to make such a great vehicle so inexpensive to purchase.

I completely agree- they make out the box is full of magic and charge accordingly, I realise it’s a fairly skilled job to do it properly but that really doesn’t warrant the ridiculous price they charge, I can understand £400 or thereabouts but much more is a Micky take 2009 (2010 MY) 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography
2007 TDV8 Vogue SE
2005 BMW E63 645ci
2024 Porsche Macan

thing is , even if you are a novice at DIY car mechanics , you can do this job , so many videos to follow on YT , just take your time and be methodical , no need to get fleeced

There is a place in Kent that will do a mega flush for less than you have been quoted,
Freeway, sales/service

Does take a fair while longer than 1hr if done properly sir...

bembo449 wrote:

There is a place in Kent that will do a mega flush for less than you have been quoted,
Freeway, sales/service

Cam-Tech-Craig wrote:

Does take a fair while longer than 1hr if done properly sir...

A couple of points on your prices above, the labour rate and job time is about right, although you say the sump & filter is £45 - but what quality? you may be pricing Britpart and they're quoting ZF...
The transmission oil, again, they're probably quoting ZF Lifeguard 6 (Yes, they will buy at trade rates and sell at retail, that's just how it works in business) and they will be quoting you retail for the LR bolts. I have no idea why they're saying 10 litres - maybe they buy it in 5 litre bottles?

If you're happy with the labour rate, why not ask them if they can use cheaper parts?

What area of the UK were you looking for a price?

Place I had mine done 4 years ago, took oil changes in as the last job of the day, keep them draining over night to ensure that they get as much old oil out as possible, cost £350 then.

Did mine a couple of weeks ago due to the jack skidding into the bottom of the pan

Left it draining for 10 days and managed to get almost 8 litres out

I’m using this oil:
https://www.smithandallan.com/products/tra...ternative/

They do a Lifeguard 6 alternative as well:

https://www.smithandallan.com/products/tra...ternative/

Great price.

That's the stuff i've just done a double-flush on mine with, going to run it a month or so and do the valve block seals & filter, I fully expect the cooler and some of the contents to have drained somewhat plus I'll be tipping out any fluids from the valve block itself so it'll be nearer the dry fill quantity than the service quantity - which thinking about it, the service quantity never included a filter change, I'd guess that will increase the quantity required as the filter and tube will hold a fair bit.

I've already replied to your previous post on this.

Filter, AG55 oil, mechatronic sleeve and valve seal cost me about £100.

I've done the gearbox service. ZF publish a fantastic Step by step workshop guide on how to service these boxes. Print it off and mark off each step as you go.

On a driveway, doing it methodically and checking and rechecking against the workshop manual, it took me about 5 hours (note this wasn't just an oil and filter change though and I was removing the mechatronics pack to replace the seals). If you were just replacing oil and filter, I'd say 3 hours on a driveway. In a workshop on a ramp, a simple oil and filter change wouldn't take more than 60-90 minutes, I'm sure.

If I did it again, I know what I'm doing now and am sure i could do the entire comprehensive job in 3 hours on the driveway. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

You can do more damage by overfilling than underfilling, if it drives OK and all gears work and there are no leaks you should be fine to go...

If you do check it, make sure it is warm, cycle the selector through it's range and remember to keep the engine running before you remove the filler plug...  Pete

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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
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