Yesterday my 2007 LR3 with 48K miles started flaring when starting from a complete stop. While on an incline, it began to roll backwards, too.

A shop 30 miles away can do the ZF trannies, and my hope would be to go there tomorrow to get an opinion, then take it back another day when I can arrange for a ride back home.

What do you experts say? Is there anything I can do to stop the Flaring? If not, is this a warning sign or a last gasp out of the tranny?

Rebuild it, or replace it?

 

Lucas tranny fix - the last hope for the forever optimistic. Added 150K of life to a Mitsubishi Montero Sport for me.

Tranny fluid and filter ever serviced?

 

I don't know, Buzz, because the truck is new to me. Aren't these trannies non-serviceable, though?

At less than 50K miles with city driving by a lady, I doubt that anything has been done on it. Can we R&R the fluid and filter on LR3 trannies?

My truck's tranny is mate to the 4.0L, FWIW.

 

Could be something as simple as low fluid. Electrical plug adapters and pans are so common to leak, I usually replace one when servicing the other.

Low fluid can cause the symptoms you are having and if you identify and fix a low fluid condition soon enough, you can alleviate the symptoms and prevent a massive transmission failure.

So your first job, as a vehicle owner, is to crawl under the vehicle and look for signs of wetness around the transmission!

 

see attached if you don't have a shop manual. BTW, I would not go the shop manual 10 years / 150,000 miles on the ATF fluid change.

 

Is any ATF good enough for a top-off? Any particular type or brand?

 

Although I don't feel that one MUST use Land Rover fluid, keep in mind that all ATFs are not created equal.

Since this is a ZF 6-speed transmission, I use ZF Lifegaurd 6 fluid. Its a few bucks cheaper than the LR fluid and is practically the same thing (its made by the people that made your transmission).

I have known people to use Redline D4 and Pentosin ATF-1, but I choose the ZF product.

The fluid must be at a certain temperature to check/top off, this is critical. Also, you will have to do it from under the vehicle (no dipstick). I have a special tool to add fluid, since there is no dipstick.

 

I'm going to have to use a bit of Castrol ATF3 or DexMerc to top it off (it's a holiday and DexMerc or Castrol ATF3 is all I have). Add an ounce and see if flaring subsides or stops. If it does, then a complete drain and new filter will follow.

If it doesn't, a trip to the tranny shop seems to be in order.

 

If you do decide to go the filter change route, be prepared for sticker shock. Very few models have a metal pan with separate filter. Instead, most have a plastic pan with integrated filter.

 

I might have learned something that might be a cheap lesson for others.

Being an old fart, my skin is thinner than it used to be, so decided to do the removal part while engine was cold; especially when the 4.0L has the Cat right next to the tranny filter plug. Getting the plug loose was a bear, and couldn't have been accomplished if the engine had been hot, so that's lesson #1. Do as much removing while engine is Cold.

Once the plug got loose, I guessed that I should just remove the plug to add an ounce or two; enough to stop the flaring and get me to the tranny store without drama.

Lesson #2 is........removing the plug on a cold engine is NOT a good plan . Seems that all the fluid settles into the pan, so that removing the plug (with resultant attempts to replace same while under the truck, odd angle, and saying, "OH CHIT!!!" over and over) caused about 11oz of ATF to leak into the tray.

The silver lining might have been that I got a good look and smell of what's in the tranny. Looks like expresso, and smells like burned maple syrup....not what one would want ATF to look or smell like.

Before I attempt to learn Lesson #3, what should the plan be?
a. Warm up the truck and try to add 12oz or so of ATF, then drive it to shop?
b. Don't bother filling it; just call a wrecker and watch both the truck and $150 or so go down the road safely?
c. Don't bother towing it for a fluid filter change because even though it's at 48K miles, burnt fluid means that the whole tranny is toasted/not worth a rebuild?