Mechatronic Replacement

[pondhopper]

Hiya folks,

I've got a North American 2013 LR4 5.0l V8 currently located in the UK right now, having been imported to the UK from the US during a relocation a couple of years back.

At present, the LR4 is in need of a mechatronic unit replacement. My mechanic is a UK LR specialist but they have never worked on a Discovery 4 V8 before because they were not available in the UK market -- the closest the UK got was a Ranger Rover V8. Mechanic says the Ranger Rover V8 mechatronic unit can be replaced with the transmission in situ, but the clearance on the LR4 looks too tight and they are suggesting the body will have to be separated from the Chassis and the transmission removed. They have no idea how long that will take.

Can anyone comment on the normal procedure for replacing the mechatronic unit on the LR4 V8?

With thanks,
pondhopper

 

[Rover Range]

Trans doesn't have to be removed.
Remove cross member.
Remove motor mount nuts.
Jack engine up to access trans pan bolts.

 

[ryanjl]

There's a channel on youtube that goes into detail on these transmissions. It's a BMW-oriented channel, if I recall correctly, but the transmission is the same once you are in there. Access is a little different, but @Rover Range explained that.

 

[alldazed]

There’s a video on roverparts explaining it along with transmission service. I recently did it on a ‘11 rrsc but video says same for lr4. You have to remove trans pan to access securing latch for mechatronic sleeve. It is very tight but I did it on ramps lying on my back. A boroscope camera is handy to line things back up if you are doing it yourself. I raised rear of tranny to access bolts to remove pan and then lowered it again to create a little more access to mechatronic sleeve. I put it back together with the upgraded pan also available from rover parts . You should be able to find the same kit in the uk. You don’t have to lift the engine/ trans as much with the alternative pan which btw is still a zf pan .

How To Make Transmission Filter Changing Easy On The LR3, LR4 And Range Rover

This transmission filter conversion kit was long overdue. Replace the 1 piece filter/pan that came with your Rover with a conversion kit and the service will take a much shorter amount of time.

www.roverparts.com

 

[avslash]

I had my mechatronic out to replace the bridge seals located above it. No need to remove crossmember unless you want to go back with factory pan/filter.

you will need a very small ratcheting torx bit holder to get to some of the pan bolts, but I absolutely did not have to drop the crossmember.

 

[CPalacay]

I can vouch for everyone commenting that the transmission does not have to come out. I have a 2013 with the 5.0L and just did a full transmission service in my driveway along with a mechatronic service in my dining room.

If yours still has the plastic pan, drain and then remove all of the bolts holding the pan to the transmission. Once the pan is free, rotate 90 degrees and apply pressure towards the rear of the vehicle. This will snap the filter neck and allow you to remove the pan. Others have cut the fiter neck with a saw, but mine snapped with minimal force. This should not take more than 30minutes using simple hand tools.

Once the pan is free, the mechatronic should be easily accessible. Trust me, I had to do the entire process twice last Sunday.

Also, why replace the mechatronic unit instead of just rebuilding it?

 

[f1racer328]

Trust me, I had to do the entire process twice last Sunday.

Twice? Did it leak after or something?

How was adding fluid after everything was back together?

 

[CPalacay]

Twice? Did it leak after or something?

How was adding fluid after everything was back together?

Yep, twice. Nothing beats the feeling of putting everything back together and going through the filling process, only to find the truck wouldn’t start because the mechatronic sleeve was not all the way in and prevented the harness from locking into place. I pulled on the connection and the sleeve came out with the harness.

A tip for anyone replacing the mechatronic sleeve:
1. Lock the sleeve in place
2. Connect the harness and pull on the quarter turn lock to make sure it doesn’t come out of the transmission
3. Turn the ignition on and make sure there are no error messages, you should hear the shifter unlock when you press on the brake pedal. DO NOT START THE ENGINE!!!
4. Put the new pan on and fill with fluid

The fill process is straightforward, I filled roughly 3quarts and it started to trickle out then started the engine. I waited until it reaches 40 C degrees then filled the remaining 4 quarts. This probably took the most time as it forever for it to get up to temperature.