Yesterday was the day a friend and I were going to take our rigs off-road at an OHV park about 3 hours away. We arrived at the meet-up spot for the trip up and a block away I got a transmission fault warning, limited gearing, no special programs. This was about 45minutes after I left home.

I limped it to the gas station and scanned it with my GAP tool. There was a code for gear ratios and a few for the air suspension which had been swapped out for steel springs long ago. But then, like a fool, I cleared them before noting them all down.

The fault message came back immediately, so I limped it a few more blocks to an auto-parts store.

The symptoms, apart from the warning message, were consistent with low fluid. In that when you remove your foot from the brake when in gear it doesn't move, then slowly as pressure builds, and if the throttle is applied it'll eventually catch and start to move.

Thinking that it was a low fluid issue I purchased some Pentosin ATF1 a small pump and the tools required for a top-up. I had changed the fluid and filter a few months and a few thousand miles ago and am aware of the procedure: level ground, engine running, trans oil up to temp, fill until it dribbles out.

I pulled the plug and quite a bit of fluid came out, much more than a simple over-fill would have caused. At this point, I shut it down and called a tow. We did the trip in his Isuzu Trooper.


Now I'm trying to diagnose it and gauge whether it's realistic to try and save it. I love the thing, but I cannot justify a $5k transmission on a $6k truck.

Other recent maintenance and issues:
225,000 miles, 4.4L 2005 LR3
-within a week of departure, new belts, tensioners, and idler pulley, new brake rotors, and pads
-a few months and about 2-3 thousand miles ago new trans fluid/filter, there were no trans issues present at the time, just preventative maint.
-a few weeks prior I had a small sunroof leak, no water in floorboards that I saw or felt, but approximately the same time the radio started cutting out occasionally and I would get a flashing parking brake light upon shutdown

 

Did you try driving it after the big fluid loss ? At 225k is well overdue for some TLC, valve body seals and sonnax zip kit might get it back to operational if not too far gone.

 

I put it in gear to see if it would move but didn't give it any throttle. It didn't budge.

I was also thinking VB rebuild. I've had a number of vehicles with this trans or the similar 5HP24. Did a VB rebuild on the 5 and it was very straightforward.

I ordered up the Zip kit, VB seal, tubes, and a new plate. I did the sleeve a few months ago when I did the fluid/filter change.

I also ordered a new pan, the one that was on my rig when I bought it was metal, but it was a deep sump from Ford. I ordered the standard metal conversion pan from AtlanticBritish with the gasket and new hardware etc.

 

You opened the drain plug with engine running, right?
The fluid level in the pan is higher with engine off - also if trans temp is higher than spec for checking level, more comes out.
You probably know this, just double-checking.

Sunroof leaks or other moisture never plays well with these rovers - issue could be electrical instead of mechanical.
Check related wires/plugs/connectors again? And get those codes read and posted, maybe something will stand out to someone who has "been there".

Agree 225k is likely due for some extra love/attention - sucks it happened before a fun trip, but better than happening on the trails?

 

Yes, the engine was running, it was warmed up (but I didn't have the exact temperature value) and it was on mostly level ground.

Wondering how deep I should get into this. Specifically, if I should swap in new solenoids since I'll be right in there... Right now I have everything due in Thursday or Friday, I'm hoping to tackle it this weekend. If I want to do solenoids I'll need to rush ship most likely.


I suppose if it turns out to be something else and I part out the truck I could always sell the rebuilt VB as a unit...

 

I went out and scanned it again.

The airbag light has been on since I purchased the truck.


VIN SALAA25485A308312
Model L319 - LR3 2005
Vehicle scanned on Oct 19, 2021 2:35:50 PM
IIDControl 3.0.0 Build 84 Android - IIDTool BT V3.0 B2643

Airbag

B0001-1B (AF) Driver's frontal stage 1 - deployment control - General electrical failure - circuit resistance above threshold
( on 19-10-2021 14:31:50 at 358804 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*MIL Requested

Body Control

B1B02-28 (2F) Low frequency coil - General signal failure - signal bias level is out of range/zero adjustment failure
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:45 at 358800 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

B1BA0-66 (2F) Excessive challenge requests or start attempt in storage mode - Algorithm based failure - signal has too many transitions/events
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:26 at 358800 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

B1C82-14 (28) Headlamp washer relay coil circuit - General electrical failure - circuit short to ground or open
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:40 at 358800 km )
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

B1C96-13 (2F) Alarm LED circuit - General electrical failure - circuit open
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:54 at 358800 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

B1D05-15 (6C) Lower tailgate release circuit - General electrical failure - circuit short to battery or open
( on 17-10-2021 09:31:28 at 358800 km )
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*Test Not Completed This Monitoring Cycle

B1D14-15 (2F) Interior lamps 2 circuit - General electrical failure - circuit short to battery or open
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:42 at 358800 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

U0155-87 (2E) Lost communication with instrument cluster control module - Bus signal/message failure - missing a message
( on 17-10-2021 08:56:03 at 358800 km )
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

Suspension

C1A72-1C (28) Front left height sensor mechanism - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

C1A69-1C (28) Front right height sensor supply - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:51:49 at 358804 km )
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

C1A70-1C (28) Rear left height sensor supply - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:51:02 at 358802 km )
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

C1A71-1C (28) Rear right height sensor supply - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:53:36 at 358804 km )
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear

C1A03-1C (AF) Front left height sensor - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:50:21 at 358802 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*MIL Requested

C1A04-1C (AF) Front right height sensor - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:22 at 358802 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*MIL Requested

C1A05-1C (AF) Rear left height sensor - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:22 at 358802 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*MIL Requested

C1A06-1C (AF) Rear right height sensor - General electrical failure - circuit voltage out of range
( on 17-10-2021 08:40:22 at 358802 km )
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*MIL Requested

C1A00-54 (AF) Control module - System programming failure - missing calibration
*Test Failed
*Test Failed This Monitoring Cycle
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*MIL Requested

Transmission

P0730-00 (6D) Incorrect gear ratio
( on 17-10-2021 08:43:51 at 358802 km )
*Test Failed
*Confirmed
*Test Failed Since Last Clear
*Test Not Completed This Monitoring Cycle

 

Have you eliminated the simple things first?
brake lights/switch, battery voltage, water/corrosion on connections, wiring/harness issue with the Transfer Case Control Module, connections behind the battery box under cowl, transmission electrical connector sleeve . . . ?

Not saying the fix won't be a new valve body/solenoids, just not yet

 

Plug in your GAP tool and go into your transmission live values. Display the pressure control solenoids amperages 1 through 6 and gear information (torque converter status and shift type. Display current gear also. the solenoids should be roughly 0.0480A and then up to around .848a depending on their mode or sequence when driving. Any reading that is lower than 0.0480 or wanders around in between 0.0480 and the 0.848a might be of concern... or it was in my diag anyway. These were read from my 2006 4.0L V6
Looking at my test screenshots correctly operating solenoids were at 0.0480, 0.780 and 0.848 Amps consistently. The bad solenoids were at 0.352, 0.504 and 0.432 amps and would sometimes change to other random values.
All that being said, if you have 225k on the trans and it's never been rebuilt... it doesn't owe you a nickel. You've done well.

 

Of those, I can only really rule out the sleeve and voltage. I'm getting 14.X volts while running. I did replace the sleeve a few months ago with the fluid/filter change. I'll be checking all of the above, so I'm not going to ignore all the advice pointing to electronics. Since I already have everything on order for the VB stuff, and since it's got so many miles already, I'm going to move forward with those repairs with the knowledge that it may not be the fix, but it will, at least, be good for the transmission.

Thank you! With the gearbox now very low on fluid I can't really drive it, but it's good to know the process. I'm a total newb to the GAP tool. When I was reading the codes I was trying to pull up the live value for trans temp but couldn't get it to display, more accurately, I wasn't sure of the right button presses to get the temp to display... so, operator error.

The solenoids are due in today, and other parts tomorrow or Friday. I'm hoping I can get it squared away because I love this thing.

 

An update on this. I believe I had a very odd issue.

When I purchased this LR3 it had a steel transmission pan swap, but it wasn't the standard steel pan that all the shops sell, it was Ford stamped and it was deeper. When I originally did a fluid/filter swap I purchased the regular filter that everyone sells for the regular steel pan, not knowing it should be anything else.

The deeper pan wasn't shallow enough to support the new filter. It held on for awhile just by the O-ring, but then finally dropped. Of course, the filter is also the pickup, so when it dropped it gave me my low fluid symptoms while still being full of fluid.

When I dropped my pan the filter was loose already, but I continued with the valve body rebuild with new solenoids. Mostly because I don't want to be back in there, and I wanted to give it its best chance. I did the Zip Kit, solenoids, separator plate, and of course all the gaskets and tubes.

currently have 7 qts in, and it's already worlds better with no faults. Rest of the fluid gets here Monday and I'll finish it up.