how to trans service
 

Many thanks Tom R for this comprehensive instruction. I will now leave the job to the professionals.

This not me just as link i found

Great thread
 

Thanks Tom

Proceeded to change oil, replace stock plastic plan with steel and replace all the trans solenoids in my 2005 LR 3.

Saved thousands over stealer and works great! (Didnt have overdrive when I started all this, have it now ). One day of garage work!

i am told this can be done without dropping exhaust and jacking up the engine, a few pan bolts are hard to access but once unbolted you rotate the pan 90* and it will come off

never tried, but if someone can confirm would be alot faster

That is true. There are three pan bolts that sit just above the cross member and are hard to reach without raising the trans a bit (about 1").

Rather than raise the trans I fabricated a wrench out of a flat ratcheting wrench with internal socket and glued a short piece of hex wrench into the socket. Worked well to sneak in above the cross member and remove the bolt. The bolts are just short enough to come out without hitting the brace. Saved a lot of exhaust and jacking work for a 10 minute wrench making exercise.

it all started when my overdrive went out at 110k miles. Stealer wanted $3500 for a rebuilt transmission. I found the solenoids for $300 and the trans needed a fluid change at the time anyways.

Installed the new steel pan, trans oil change, changed all trans solenoids, new filter and changed front/rear diff all at same time and using the "good" oil from ZF. Total cost for all was about $800. I guarantee this would have been $4500 + at the dealer.

The part that kills me is that my local oil change place wants $125 to do an oil change because it is an imported luxury SUV. Come on, it has the same 4.0 liter engine my 2001 Ford Explorer had. I change the oil for $20 in filter/oil. It doesnt even take synthetic for crying out loud.

ok so you did do this without removing exhaust, crossmember and without unbolting the motor mount to jack up the engine?

correct, did all this without using a jack for any reason. Straight unbolting and bolting. Very straightforward.

And no unbolting of exhaust or engine mount. If I would have had to do that, forget it, the overdrive only saves me 1 mpg