Do I change the tranny filter at 150K or let it ride?

[toddjb122]

So, I have 7000 miles to decide if I replace the transmission filter, which I'm told is recommended at 150K. My mechanic said if I'm going to keep the car for a while, do it...otherwise just do the fluid.

Apparently getting to the transmission pan is a major effort involving jacking up the engine (?), disconnecting some suspension/drive train components, and dropping the exhaust system...all of that to get access to the tranny pan which usually has to be replaced, along with anything that breaks while you are disconnecting all the other things. Says it is about a $1000 job.

Thoughts on this one?

 

[CMGRover]

I haven't heard that a filter change is that involved on these. Are you sure?

 

[toddjb122]

Found this in THIS thread;

I just changed my transmission fluid and filter at 80,000 miles. I would say that unless you really do a lot of towing, you can stick to the 10 year 150,000 mile service interval. The old oil wasn't that bad, not as clear as new and smelled worse but nothing like old engine oil and new oil. I was interested to see if there was any debris in the filter. The filter is built into the pan, a one piece plastic finned sump with two big magnets. There was a slight amount of fillings around the magnets but nothing like what I found on the differential magnets.

Changing the fluid is the hardest fluid change to do on an LR3 but not too difficult. The tranny cross member needs to be removed. To do that you need to support the tranny with a jack. After the cross member is removed, the tranny needs to be lifted about another inch or more so that the pick up tube on the filter/sump/pan can be pulled down out of the tranny. To do this safely, the whole frame should be supported by four jack stands. You don't want the air suspension to adjust while the engine and transmission are held up by a jack. Unless you have a well equipped shop, this might be a job left to a professional. There is nothing special about the transmission, any shop that works on European cars should know the unit ( a 6HP26 I think).

...and in the same thread, this was interesting;

So after my 5th LR dealer telling me that they do not and Land Rover does not recommend changing the gear box fluid, he said they would do it for $2600 bucks, I proceded to laugh and give him some of my thoughts about Land Rovers service departments knowledge of these machines. So after I calmed down from being quite ****** at this guy; I decided to call ZF transmissions in the U.K. I was able to speak with an engineer who is part of a team that deals with the demands of Land Rover and Jaguar. First and formost, ZF transimissions released documentation to LRNA explaining how the "Life time" fluid idea was wrong and that the gear box should be serviced at 75k...

 

[kwlr3]

That was my comment on changing fluid. A couple of things to keep in mind. The tranny pan IS the filter, it's all one piece and made of plastic with the gasket built in.

The only fluid that you can be sure is exactly the right stuff is from the LR parts department. My dealer had it in stock so they must be changing it for other customers.

Raise the suspension and crawl underneath. It is easy to see what needs to be removed from the undercarriage to get the pan out, it's just the crossmember. What you can't see, unless you have already bought a new pan/filter is the pickup tube that sticks up from the top side of the pan and extends up into the transmission. The reason the tranny needs to be jacked up is because the pan/filter needs to be dropped straight down in order to get that tube out. There is not enough room under the frame rail. It was several years ago that I did this so I can't remember all of the details.

If you're going to keep the vehicle change them both. I have a BWM 740 with basically the same transmission. I noticed an improvement in shift quality after I changed the filter at 150,000 miles. I changed the LR3 filter at the same time at about 80,000 miles.

 

[Houm_WA]

"Raise the suspension and crawl underneath."

....uh, I think "raise the suspension, put a jackstand in place and crawl underneath" is probably a better way to phrase this!

 

[toddjb122]

So, it doesn't sound easy, but you guys were not doing anything with the engine or exhaust to get access to remove the pan? Just jacking everything up and removing a crossmember....