I re read your previous post... backed it off the ramp and nothing? When did you check the fill level? When it was on ramps?
When I bought my LR3 it would barely move, but it would spool up and finally move on it's own after 2 seconds or so if I held the throttle at a steady rpm. Once It started moving I could get around, but would shift erratically and wouldn't fully upshift through the gears without going to sport mode. I changed the filter, upgraded to a metal pan and replaced mechatronic pass thru. Filled the trans following the ZF specifications to the "T" (including watching the trans temp via Gap IId tool). The trans would then shift fine thru 1st & 2nd and 3rd, but didn't want to pick up 4th without switching to sport mode. The convertor would never go into lockup either. I found that the amperage for the upshift from 3rd to 4th gear solenoid was off. I swapped it out with a used one. That issue cleared up. It drove ok after that, but still exhibited some quirky shifting problems and the convertor still wasn't going into lockup. I replaced all of the other solenoids and all of the shifting issues cleared up. I was pretty happy about that. I was told by a local trans shop who I've used in the past that the LR trans needed rebuilding before I started all this... basically where you were. I'm glad I had the GAP tool to correctly diagnose the problem. My original plans were to part it out if it needed a trans rebuild/replacement. I think the LR3 is a fantastic vehicle and it would have been a shame to kill it just because it needed a trans service and solenoids. I hope you get yours sorted out.

 

 

Alright, so, after bathing in transmission fluid, I replaced the solenoids and nothing changed.

I do have new information though: I used the GAP tool to look at the turbine speed and when the car is in drive and reverse the turbine is not spinning. If I understand the operation correctly then this means several things:
--that the clutches inside the transmission are doing their job, ergo I have fluid pressure
--that the torque converter is not working OR
--there is something in my driveline causing so much resistance that it locks the transmission, even in low range.

Since the car will roll downhill in drive I do not thing anything in the driveline is locked. Therefore I am wondering if something is wrong with my TC?

I have attached a file from my GAP tool showing the test. Could one of you with a gap tool be so kind as to replicate the test?

Any other thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I have a V6 so I'm not sure the torque values would be the same. I was able to confirm that the turbine speed at idle matched the engine rpm and at driving speeds also. Under acceleration in 1st gear the turbine speed was approximately 2-300 rpm under the indicated engine rpm. Otherwise, cruising along it was basically one to one.

 

5280LR3: Thanks! That is what I would expect.

I spoke with someone from Eriksson's today to get their input on whether the torque converter could be the issue. He agreed that the symptoms match those of a stripped TC output and said that it is possible, but not likely, that they missed something like that. He also said that it could be a stripped spline within the transmission. I don't think they have seen either of those happening on this transmission however. I want to eliminate any external problems before I take the whole driveline apart again to check for stripped splines. It seems like the wrong clutch was locking up, but that would not explain why it will roll down hill in drive. The problem I see with it being a stripped spline is that the car does move if I give it an excessive amount of engine rpm

Gary Ferraro, the youtuber I've been chatting with seems to think that it could be a stuck pressure regulator valve. I didn't take all the plungers out when I installed the zip kit so I'm thinking I will be going a full disassembly on the valve body to make sure it's nothing in there. Here is a link to our conversation
Some helpful links to anyone researching a similar issue:

Disassembly of transmission video: ZF rebuild manual: https://www.scribd.com/doc/20322431/Repair-Manual
Valve body common issues manual from Sonnax: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sonnax-dev/...AutoChoice.pdf
The factory service manual for the LR3 also provides some good information on the transmission if you go to the V6 transmission section.

 

V6 Engine. Short test.

 

So apparently the third time is the charm! Took the valve body out, disassembled it completely, specifically looking for the main pressure regulator valve to be stuck. That valve was fine, as were all the others except for the converter release regulator valve which had some pieces of what appeared to be either plastic or clutch disc keeping it from moving freely. Re-assembled everything and filled it with all the fluid I had (approx 2qts more than I took out, but still not enough). Dropped it to the ground and it now moves under its own power!! Next is to get some more fluid and top it off, then take it for a proper drive as I have never driven this vehicle.

As far as theory on why it wasn't working and took so much more fluid to refill, I'm thinking that this valve being stuck, or possibly the debris in this valve traveling to the main pressure valve, where keeping the torque converter from being properly filled/pressurized or were keeping some other fluid circuit from working. Either way it is not moving under its own power after about two months and probably 60+ hours of work.

Thank you to everyone who helped troubleshoot this problem!

 

That's great news. I bet you're pretty excited to get it out for a proper drive. Hopefully other owners that have transmission troubles will find this thread useful. I think the ZF transmission is a robust one, but the valves seem to be a weak spot after time. The cure isn't always replacing or rebuilding the transmission as I have stated before... Do you think the cleaning of the valve body and solenoid replacement may have cured the initial issue? This may be a place to start if others are exhibiting similar problems.

 

agreed. I'd think this thread is sticky worthy