2006 Range Rover HSE
Just passing along a LIMITED GEAR, LIMP MODE fix on my 2006 Range Rover HSE transmission problem. I was stuck in Limited Gear mode and only had 3rd gear. I did read the codes and it said something about solenoid 5 issue. So I decided to replace the solenoids. Below is what I did to fix it. I am not a professional so I may not have done things the correct way but it did solve the problem and my Range Rover 187,000 miles runs better then the day I bought it.

"UNHOOK BATTERY"

1. Purchase new set of SOLENOIDS. Make sure you are buying the correct ones for your Make Year and transmission. Cost approx. 350.00

2. Drive car for about 10 minutes to heat up transmission fluid. If you don't do this the old fluid will stay in some of the nook and crannys. It does anyway but not as much when you warm it up.

3. Raise Rover to highest 4 wheel setting. Put jack stands under the frame as instructed. I can actually wiggle under the Rover with this setting. If you cant then you need to jack the car up. Please use proper method of jacking Rover up. IMPORTANT stabilize the car once you jack it up with jack Stands, wheel blocks etc. One thing that is important when using jack stands on asphalt, put a piece of solid plywood under the stand. If you don't the stand can slowly sink into he asphalt and cause harm. this is "IMPORTANT".

4. Drain transmission fluid.

5. Remove transmission pan / filter by unscrewing a million bolts around the base of the pan. When all the bolts are removed you will pull it down and here a small click. this is the tube and gasket coming free. Keep a drain pan directly under the pan when you pull it out. just let it drop. I put a large pan under it and let it drain for about 15 minutes.

6. Unscrew the electrical connection on the passenger side of the transmission. unplug it and let it hang.

7. You will have to pull down on the plastic piece that secures the valve body to the inside of the electrical connection. It is in the same place as the electrical connection you unscrewed on the outside step 6 above. Grab it with your thumb and index finger and it pulls down. Kind of hard so don't worry if it doesn't slide at first.

8. Remove bolts holding the Valve body to transmission. These bolts have a larger head and are all the same length so if you unscrew one that is smaller in length then the ones you unscrewed first you took out the wrong one and you should put it back. I think there are 7-8 bolts on the metal side and 3 on the black plastic piece that sets behind the solenoids. These are smaller then the other ones you took out that hold the metal part of the valve body. I keep two of the bolts just one or two turns from coming out until I am ready to remove the valve body. It is kind of heavy when you are laying on your back. unscrew the two bolts and let the valve body drop. pay attention to the location of the gear shifter socket thingy You will have to make sure this is put back in place just like it is before letting the valve body drop. if you don't you will not be able to shift the Rover. This is not complicated and is easy to adjust when you are ready to reinstall the valve body.

9. Now that the valve body is out you have to remove the black plastic piece that holds the solenoids in. This piece is pretty big and has electrical pin sockets on it also. you can see the sliding locking lever you pulled out in step 7. I am not sure which bolts hold this on so you will have to figure that out on your own. again this is not hard so take your time. Once all the bolts are out you will have to pry this piece out. there are two alignment pins that stay in place when this is removed.

10. Once you have the black plastic bracket off it is time to remove the small bracket holding the solenoids base in place. There are 9 of these screws and they all line up in a row.

11. Take a picture of the Solenoid locations before you remove them. This is important because you may forget what sequence they were in after they are removed. I did this so I know. The other reason is I set the black old solenoid down next to the new black one and did some more cleaning. when It came time to reinstall them I panicked because they were the same and I couldn't tell the difference. I looked at the photo and could read the serial numbers on the old one so I knew which was which.

12. Remove solenoids and clean the valve body. I used an air compressor and blew out all the small wholes springs etc. etc. I do not know if you are suppose to do this or not but it worked for me.

13. Install the new solenoids and reverse the sequence to reinstall.

14. secure solenoids with 9 bolt bracket
15. Slide plastic piece over guide pins and reinstall.
16 Make sure gear shifter slider is installed correctly. if it slides out and you don't notice it you will have to take it apart again to reinstall it. It is the size of a credit card and has a pin that sits in the slide rod gear selector. this is not hard and you will know what I am talking about when you get to this stage.

17. Put valve body back in the transmission. " Make sure the gear selector plastic sliding pin etc. are all lined up and working. you will not be able to move the gear selector that is in the transmission casing. you have to makes sure you put the socket back in the right place. Again this is easy but also easy to mess up. You could get everything done and sealed up before you realize this and you will have to drain pan and remove everything again.

18. Install all bolts that hold the valve body to the transmission, and the Three bolts that hold the plastic piece behind the solenoids.

19. push the electrical clip up that secures the electrical pin connector

20. Re connect the electrical line outside the transmission passenger side next to transmission.

21. Reinstall new transmission pan / filter. make sure gasket is on the tube that pops in.

22. tighten all bolts of transmission pan to proper torque.

23. Refill transmission fluid per Range Rover directions. I think mine took 7-9 quarts. Pump the fluid in the fill whole until it starts to run out. Put drain plug in and start the car. Run it for 10-15 minutes going through the gears up and down slowly.

24. After car runs for 10-15 minutes leave it running and install the rest of the transmission fluid. The car has to be running when you do this. It will take another 2-3 quarts approx.

25. Once you are done drive away slowly. From a dead stop give it 30% gas pedal and run car up to 60mph and stay at 60 for 3 miles. let off the gas and let the car coast to a stop. do this 3 times to let the car re-organize itself. This is the HARDEST thing to do because you have to have a stretch of unobstructed road 10 miles long. anyway you get the point.

26. Final note. I did not update software. I didn't remove any codes. The car removed them on its own and the system rebooted on its own and runs like a dream. I thought I would have to put in new software or at least reboot something but I didn't

Took 5 hours to do. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.