where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

being new to Discovery, I have a 2003 S7. just couldn't find the place where you use to check the transmission fluid level and refill? Thanks!

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

As disco mike said to me...
There isn't a "dipstick". The transmission is sealed. I guess this is to prevent crap from getting into the tranny if you are ever off-roading or whatever. Here's how you check the fluid...
Bring the truck up to temperature, LEAVE IT RUNNING.climb underneath it and locate the transmission oil pan.
Toward the front of the pan (front of vehicle) there is a fill plug on the face of the pan. Pop it out and see if the fluid drains out a little. If it does, it's filled. If it doesn't, it needs fluid.

cheers.

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

And don't burn yourself. How long since the fluid has been changed?

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

Thanks, "Unstable" :-)

and Mike, i got the truck used, so don't know when it had its tranny fluid changed, was thinking to check it and do the change myself. any advices? Thanks!

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

Go buy 6 quarts of Dextron 4 and 1 foot of 1/2 tubing then send me your tele number, I'll call you and walk you thru the process.

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

Not to second guess you here Mike, because you've helped me out more than I could ever say, BUT when I was back in Western New York over this past week, my transfer case was leaking like crazy so I drained it, popped off the front cover, cleaned everything up and put on a fresh coat of permatex. Being that I didn't have my "wally-world hand pump" I ended up buying some hose to refill the transfer-case gear oil.

I'll tell you what...having used both the pump and the hose I'll tell you that the pump is the way to go, regardless of what kind of fluid you are using that $8.00 hand pump from Walmart can handle it and it makes life ALOT easier. But don't take my word for it.:D

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

Great! These are very helpful.

And Mike, I just got down to the truck and took a look at those two plugs. It seemed I need a key to turn them open. And it's quite under the exaust pipe so got to be careful to do it when it's hot. My phone number is 416-802-8054. Pls call me at anytime to give your advices. Hope to have it done today so I can hit on the road for a wonderful weekend.

Thanks,

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

I guess I just did something wrongly. I pop up the check fluid level plug (without paying attention to "Unstable"'s note and didn't start the truck and leave it running, guess was afraid to get burn). So the transmission fluid drained out for about3-4 liters (I didn't open up the bottom drain plug yet). So now I got into a question: when I refill it how I can get all these 3-4 liters back to the tranny since the checl-level plug is so close to the pan bottom? I am guessing I need to start the engine and keep it running so the transmission will suck the fluid up?

Thanks!

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

That is why you need the pump, so that you can set the trans fluid bottle on the ground and pump it into the transmission.
Dont start the trk until you have the transmission full, start the trk and then top off the transmission. Drive it around the block so that it can shift through all the gears and get upto temp, then recheck the fluid level.

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

I used the Valvoline pump.Part# VV818 $8.00 at the local parts store will fit into any Quart bottle I have seen.

Put the vehicle into park,start the vehicle,engage the EM brake,crawl under the vehicle while running in park and the EM on.Remove the upper most plug on the tranny pan,prepare the plug for reinsertition,meaning clean dirt/grit and repalce crush washer if needed,take the VV818 insert it into your favorite Trans fluid quart bottle. pump fluid till a slitedribble occures.remove pump tube, enter cab of vehicle and depress brake peddel.slide shifter leaver from park to First gear,leaving it 10 seconds at each notch/gear.once in first gear repeat steps backwards to park again. leave in park(vehicle still runing. crawl back under the vehicle and pump fluid till a steady stream of fluid comes from fill hole. reinsert the cleaned plug. wipe any fluid from pan(using caution and keeping clear of hot exposed parts) re enter cab and turn engine off. clean up items used.re enter cab and procede on test drive. Task Complete.

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

That's a very detailed instruction...Thanks all!

One more question, how many bottles of fluid I suppose to use. I drained out about 61/2 bottles today and planning to remove the pan tomorrow to replace the filter and seals (I got the vehicle used and didn't know if the previous owner changed the filter or not. The truck currently has 73K on it and there was a slight leaking around the edge of the tranny pan, so i decided to change the filter and seals just to make sure). and I got Castrol ATF VI, is it good? Anythingelse specifically I need to pay attention to?

Thanks!

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

Make sure that you are using Dexron, Castrol is a good brand. With a filter change not sure how many quarts you will need, if you buy a case you can return what you dont need. Nothing like getting the job almost done and finding out you are one quart short.

RE: where to find transmission fluid level check stick
 

according to the RAVE CD, the transmission takes roughly 10 quarts DRY. That specification isn't much help because unless you're working with a brand-spanking-new transmission and torque convertor, you're not going to have a dry transmission.
I'd say that it'd be pretty close to impossible for anyone to come up with a definitive number for how much fluid a used transmission is going to take...and if someone did manage to work out the numbers, I highly doubt that it would end up being a nice round number like 6.5 quarts.

I recently dropped the pan and replaced the filter on my wife's 2001 Disco. I learned a few important lessons along the way. If you haven't already gotten into the job, maybe what I learned can help you.

-Drain the transmission.
-Break loose the fill plug and keep track of both plugs

The pan is secured using a strange clamp system that I have never seen before. It's pretty straight forward, just make sure you keep the pairs together and know where they go. I took a piece of cardboard and drew the outline of the pan on the cardboard and stuck the bolt and clamp into the board so I didn't screw it up. I'm an idiot though, so you may not need to do this if you can remember stuff for longer than 30 minutes or so.

The filter and the pickup tube are secured using (3) torx bits. I don't know what size so if you don't have them, go buy a few sets...they are nice to have on hand anyways.

Two of the torx bolts are the same and one is different. The different one holds the pickup tube...easy enough, I don't think it'd be possible to screw this up anyhow.

After removing the three torx bolts, the entire unit should drop down. Be prepared for some fluid to come along with it. Not much..just some.

Remove the pickup tube from the filter. Remove the o-ring from the pickup tube. Install new o-ring on the pickup tube and insert onto new filter...ensuring that you're keeping everything as spic-and-span as possible...dirt in the transmission is not a good thing. :)

Clean the hell out of the pan inside and out (inside more importantly) Clean the gasket mating surfaces, particularly on the pan and on the transmission body. Clean BEYOND where you expect the gasket to touch so if you have to move the pan around a little to get it lined back up, you don't bring a bunch of grease and dirt into the path of the gasket.

-Reinstall filter w/ pickup tube.
-Reinstall pan.

-Pump in enough fluid that it wants to leak back out of the hole. My best guess would say this should be somewhere between 6-7 quarts. Regardless of whether you are using a hand-pump or the hole-fill method, if the hose going into the fill hole is a snug fit, I recommend occasionally removing the hose to ensure it's not holding a bunch of fluid in. This is what happened to me. I left the hose inside the hole and kept pumping and pumping. Eventually enough pressure built up that it blasted the pump hose out of the fill hole and purged about 2 quarts of ATF onto the ground before I could react...so check frequently.

Once you've got some fluid coming back out of the hole, PLUG IT.
Shift through the gears and let the vehicle get up to temperature.

If you've got an adversion to getting burnt, you might want to throw on a long sleeved shirt and some gloves. I didn't, but I was very mindful of where the exhaust was. note: at this point the transmission fluid isn't very hot anyways, so don't be afraid of that, just watch the exhaust.

-Pop out the fill plug.
-gradually add more fluid until it again slowly trickles out of the hole.
-PLUG IT.

-Check it for several days following the filter change to ensure the fluid level is up to par.
-Add fluid as necessary.

NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER remove the fill plug when the vehicle is not running and not up to temperature unless you have some sort of sick fetish for wasting ATF and time. When you go to check the fluid levels again the vehicle needs to be up to temperature and running.

Why? As you may have came to the conclusion on your own, the pan doesn't hold 100% of the fluid, only a fraction of what the entire system uses. Therefore when the vehicle is running, the transmission pump is pumping the fluid throughout the system and whatever capacity the pan holds should be in it. When the vehicle is off and not running, the pan is WAY OVERFILLED because the pump isn't circulating the fluid. I hope this makes sense and is helpful to you.

New to Discovery
 

I've just done what my friends claim no wise man ever has, buy a 2003 Discovery SE7 with 70k miles. I don't know your lingo (yet), so please, if you respond, it has only been minutes since I have learned disco, to you guys, is not a style of dance music.

With every car I have bought new or old, I have flushed transmission at 50k miles, regardless of what the service schedule has required, unless it specified sooner.

I plan to do the same with my 1 day old '03 "disco". I am an urbanite. I cannot do this on my steep driveway, nor do I have the tools do it. So...

• How much does this service cost at a dealer? (replace fluid, clean filter?)

• Is it something any decent mechanic can do, or would you take it to one of those Brit car specialists that charge an extra 25% for their accent?

• Is this a good clue as to how much ATF is necessary? Automatic transmission fluid change kit. The kit comes with 7Q, but it is for a different/newer transmission. The kit is also sold here: Gearbox | Range Rover L322 | Parts & Accessories

Anyway, I want to start the right way, making sure the transmission is clean and well lubed. Your suggestions are much appreciated.

Afortiori, others will jump in here I am sure, but the dealership will be by far the most expensive place to have this done. The group will tell you to find an independent shop ("indi shop" in the lingo). Someone from Northern California will jump in and help you find someone. Welcome to the group!

My indi shop in Canada wanted $480!!!! Just because it says "LAND ROVER" on the hood. They told me that it takes special oil, tools, blah, blah, blah. Plus when they checked the oil level, the truck wasn't running either. They were clueless + they wanted to rip me off.I told them to shove it where the sun don't shine!!!! This was 3 years ago before I found this forum. A week later, I bought the pump and oil and did it myself. Cost me a fraction of what they wanted!!!
If you go to indi shop, then you need to tell them what kind of oil to use and what's the correct procedure, otherwise........well you just might need a new trany after they finish with it. LOL

Like I said, my experience with indi shops is....they are clueless and used to North American trucks....ohhhh and because it says "LAND ROVER" on the hood...CHING CHING $$$$$$$

I do my maintenance myself along the help of this forum.

Thank You
 

Thank you everyone for your quick and good comments.

There is a different thread out there, I am sure, but what are the likely causes of gentle clunk sound when you kick the accelerator and let go? My guess is a connection between transmission and a shaft someplace. I am hoping you tell me "that is normal". I've driven in one other before that made this sound, which is not noticeable in a gentle acceleration.

hi there guys fairly new to this as well
i just read the whole thread and maybe i missed
i too would like to change to fluid in the tranny but i would like to change the whole 10 or so courts, 106k dont know if it ever was replaced
the reason im concerned on my work van i have a dipstick for tranny when i checked it that oil was bearly red, it was almost black, so im thinking that the disco is in the same shape
any advise how to replaces all of it, or flush it out my self
thanks guys youre the best
and Disco Mike you rock man :) :)

I think I am an idiot. So, I did the filter kit and gasket. Cleaned and installed. No Leaks. I forgot to add some of the lucas tranny additive, so I drained about a quart out of it, and started it back up and added it back. Well, since I am a larger person, I rushed to get the fill plug back in because it was hot as hell, and now I have a slow leak from the fill hole with the bolt back in it. Is there some sort of washer on there? I cannot remember. If so, does anyone have a picture or part # so I can replace it? Thank you!!

Good write up I need to do this.
I usually loosen the fill plug first as a rule for Tranny and Diffs. Just in case. I know you are taking the pan off but I still like to loosen the plug first. Mainly because I am paranoid about not getting all the bolts out etc.

Here is a great Youtube video on changing the transmission oil and filter:

Now THAT is a nice write-up! Simple, step-by-step, and specific. Well done!