LR4 Transmission oil change... mixed feelings.

[Bogwhoppit]

Having purchased a kit from AB, I decided to have a shop perform the install of new oil pan, filter, paper gasket, sleeve, and ZF Lifeguard fluid (2010 LR4 @ 90,861 miles) The install went well with the exception they had to cut the old pan in half in order to remove it, due to the hacksaw blade binding on the filter neck. When it was all apart we inspected the viscosity, coloration, and metal particle material in the original pan:
1. No metallic particles at all.
2. Oil viscosity and coloration looked as good as the new stuff from AB. - I'm not joking.
3. The filter (which we end up cutting in half upon pan removal) was clean.
4. No leaking from the sleeve.

The new metal pan install went fine, although you simply can't beat the o-ring gasket of the original one, paper ..meh. The sleeve was a PITA, but finally got the old one out and installed the new one, there was no sign of leakage and I was temped to leave it alone. We filled it up with the new ZF, following the warming and refilling procedure from the LR technical manual. Checked for leaks, test drove and all seemed fine, however...…

Its now been a month and there is still jerkiness between 1st and 2nd from cold. Once the fluid warms up, the jerkiness is diminished although not entirely gone. I've done my second adaptive reset with my GAP tool on the transmission without any luck.

The moto of this story - When LR say the tranny is sealed for life, perhaps we should trust them, no? Based on the old fluid alone, it could have easily done another 90K. In hindsight, I should have probably left it alone. Worth the 5 hours to do the job? - honestly no. Save your money, unless you know you have some tranny issues in the first place that might need correcting.

 

[Pfunk951]

I see your points.. Nonetheless, I wouldn't be changing fluid to fix a problem, I would change it to prevent a problem- just like engine oil. I think the dealership has a software update to fix that 1-2 shift..? I thought I remember hearing about one.. Did you change all the fluid, or just the 5-6 quarts the pan lets out?

The "Filled for life" aspect comes from the FSM, and only under "Normal" driving conditions. Keep in mind my wife's Prius doesn't qualify for LR's "Normal" driving conditions (stop/go traffic, short trips, etc), and the "Severe" change interval is every 30,000 miles, which I find just as ridiculous on the other end of the spectrum. I go with the logic of the designer and manufacturer of the transmission (ZF), which recommends fluid changes somewhere around 70k (I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head).

I'm still learning about what can be physically fixed in these transmissions.. From what I hear, most dealerships don't do a lot of repairs, they just recommend replacement. On an LR3, that repair figure can match the Kelly Blue Book value.. That's why I opt for the ounce of prevention..

And, look on the bright side, it's over.. Great to hear everything was clean in there.. How were your magnets?


Mike

 

[ryanjl]

Having purchased a kit from AB, I decided to have a shop perform the install of new oil pan, filter, paper gasket, sleeve, and ZF Lifeguard fluid (2010 LR4 @ 90,861 miles) The install went well with the exception they had to cut the old pan in half in order to remove it, due to the hacksaw blade binding on the filter neck. When it was all apart we inspected the viscosity, coloration, and metal particle material in the original pan:
1. No metallic particles at all.
2. Oil viscosity and coloration looked as good as the new stuff from AB. - I'm not joking.
3. The filter (which we end up cutting in half upon pan removal) was clean.
4. No leaking from the sleeve.

The new metal pan install went fine, although you simply can't beat the o-ring gasket of the original one, paper ..meh. The sleeve was a PITA, but finally got the old one out and installed the new one, there was no sign of leakage and I was temped to leave it alone. We filled it up with the new ZF, following the warming and refilling procedure from the LR technical manual. Checked for leaks, test drove and all seemed fine, however...…

Its now been a month and there is still jerkiness between 1st and 2nd from cold. Once the fluid warms up, the jerkiness is diminished although not entirely gone. I've done my second adaptive reset with my GAP tool on the transmission without any luck.

The moto of this story - When LR say the tranny is sealed for life, perhaps we should trust them, no? Based on the old fluid alone, it could have easily done another 90K. In hindsight, I should have probably left it alone. Worth the 5 hours to do the job? - honestly no. Save your money, unless you know you have some tranny issues in the first place that might need correcting.

Your post is unclear. Did you have the jerkiness from 1st to 2nd before you did the fluid change?

If so, you may have made an argument that you waited too long to do the fluid change.

I know you said you didn't, but if you were to have seen particles in the fluid, that would be a good sign that you needed a new transmission; not that it was a good time to change the fluid. As PFunk said, this is all about preventative maintenance, before things start going bad.

 

[PaulLR3]

I just had the dealer service my transmission using the AB kit I supplied. I'm at 75K miles.

I would say that the 1-2-3 shifts are slightly quicker and crisper than I remember, but no big difference. As noted above, I feel better knowing that I may prevent an issue from occurring and did what I could to avoid spending $5K on a new transmission.

 

[Quijote]

Hmmm... I am at 32k miles or so. The car will be 5 years old at the end of summer. Should I do a transmission fluid change this fall (under 35k miles for sure) or is it too soon?

 

[PaulLR3]

Hmmm... I am at 32k miles or so. The car will be 5 years old at the end of summer. Should I do a transmission fluid change this fall (under 35k miles for sure) or is it too soon?

I have the same issue with my wife's LR4. I'm thinking that doing the transmission fluid change at 50K miles/8 years would make sense.

 

[Bogwhoppit]

To make myself clear, there was absolutely no jerkiness prior to the oil change, and the magnets were completely clean, which for 90K is quite remarkable. I'm all about preventative maintenance, (why I installed the kit in the first place) and wouldn't be changing my tranny oil to fix a problem either; I mentioned that at the end, because if you have to have the tranny to bits for fixing, you might as well to do the AB kit while you're in there. The fluid change was just the 5/6 pan quarts as per 307-01D of the LR service manual general procedures.
My local dealer (Cherry Hill NJ) won't even touch this job, let alone install the AB kit! For you lower mileage LR4's I would go with the ZF recommendation, if you plan on keeping it.

 

[mbw]

Did you by chance reset the computer? the adapted values? It could be that the change in friction of the new fluid is the reason?

 

[Quijote]

I have the same issue with my wife's LR4. I'm thinking that doing the transmission fluid change at 50K miles/8 years would make sense.

Good call. I drove it today and it shifts beautifully. I guess I'll wait until 50k miles which will likely be around 8 years.

 

[spawnywhippet]

The jerkiness is sometimes caused by the solenoids on the mechatronic body just inside the pan. I bought a $300 kit to replace all of mine and the jerkiness was entirely cured. It was so rough before that it was close to undriveable. I did this myself on my garage floor, no specialist tools or knowledge needed, other than a fluid refill pump.