Got a question here guys.. First off I have a 2004 Disco with slightly over 141,000 miles on her. Over all the truck runs great and I credit that to this Forum and all the preventative maintenance done on her. Now over the last year I have put about 56K miles on the truck due to visiting family in other states and taking those nice long road trips with the kids and wife.. Just last week I took the truck in to have the bolts and gaskets replaced on the exhaust manifold/Cat and while they were under her I asked them to do a fluid/filter change in the transmission. My guy told me the truck shifts perfectly an smooth but the the fluid smells a little burnt so I SHOULDN'T CHANGE IT EVER AND DRIVE IT TILL IT FAILS. Is this the case? He went on to explain how the transmission has gotten accustomed to the thick/soapy mixture and I could damage the whole thing by changing it out..

What should I do?

 

I'd wait for a few more opinions. What seems to be correct is that when you have clutch disk particles in the fluid, that is providing some friction. Flushing that out, and having clutch disks that have very little material left on them, in new super slippery fluid, is a way to have tranny problems. But you were about to have them anyway.

Now if you were to ask that hard working mechanic to let you smell the dip stick, he'd have a problem, since there isn't one. True, smell of a dip stick points out the "burnt coffee pot" smell that goes with clutch material in the fluid (learned at an early age by me after too much fun with Mom's Desoto Firedome 392 hemi ).

May want to have an indy tranny shop exam it. Here's the page on how to fill it.

 

Worse thing you can do is a power flush.
Second worse thing you can do is nothing.
Best thing you can do is drain, remove sump and change filter, refit sump, and refil with fluid.

Old fluid is exactly that. I don't know what the qualifications are of someone who is advising you that old fluid is in any way superior, or a better option than new fluid, but if he was in charge, sounds like they'd be putting old fluid on the shelves of autozone and loading brand new transmissions with fluid swapped out from junkyards.


Fact is there are many, many elements to the makeup of all oils, and these elements degrade with temperature, shear, and plain age. Then you have the simple contamination aspect - the filter is good for filtering an acceptable amount (assuming not in bypass when it is filtering nothing), but eventually the increase in contaminants will reach a point that the full volume of fluid is simply holding too many contaminants. Google ISO 4406 to learn more about this if anyone cares that much!

Draining old, and replacing with brand-new fluid from a bottle is the most effective way of removing the contaminants, and more effective than just putting a different or higher flow filter on there because you are also "renewing" the friction modifiers and lubrication enhancers in the transmission.

If you want a real assesment, purchase a pre-paid sample kit, have yourmechanic open the test port, drain off 1/2 qt of fluid into wherever (to purge the lines at the port and be sure you are recieving the fluid flowing around the transmission) then fill the sample bottle. Top up the trans, and send the bottle away for analysis.
Another alternative is to just drain some fluid out (which can actually add foreign contaminants and affect the reading), split the oil cooler line, or just suck out smaple via the dipstick tube (which you don't have).

The experts who will analyse your fluid will give real-life answers on its current state, and suggestions superior to your wrench swinger - whos calibrated nose tells him it is "a little burnt"

 

It is also important to note that Rover expected the tranny fluid to be changed at 30,000 mile intervals, so this should be the 6th time coming up that the fluid has been filled into the tranny (O-30; 30-60, 60-90, 90-120, 120-current). See Rover service chart in the tech area.

On the LR3 they stretched it out to 150,000 miles but it has been reported that ZF advises it at 60,000.

A lot of general shops don't want to fool with it after 120K if fluid has never been touched. So Rover is just building more problems for future owners, shoving the maintenance costs from the initial leased customer to the poor fool (or the fool who will soon become poor) who picks it up as a bargain.

 

Thank you guys for your input. The shop that does all my work here in the Houston area is called Land Rovers Unlimited and is a trusted shop in the area. After doing some research and reading your comments it seems the shop wouldn't want to risk the tranny failing or having issues after a flush was done ( since it runs smooth now). I have owned the Disco since it had roughly 43K miles on her and had the fluid and filter changed at about 80K. This truck was bought locally from and older couple who had complete maintenance records which is the reason I never did it at first.
Now would I be better off doing a fluid change and filter then roughly 500 miles later doing another fluid change? I've read this helps. Please advise someone as I would like to get the stuff ordered and do it this weekend.

 

For sure, if you wanted to do it now, then that is better than nothing. The problem is in the "power flush" that shops want to to for speed, and to pay for the equipment they purchased. A simple drain and refil (and filter swap) is what's needed. If you feel like swapping it out again after 500, 3000, or 5000 miles, then again - that is better than nothing. I wouldn't personally bother until 5000 however.

 

I would have to agree drain it and replace the fluid, no not have it flushed. Then do it again down the road.