4th gear problems

I am the owner of a 2000 Land Rover Discovery Series II with 72,000 miles on the board. I have encountered a sputter after the vehicle shifts into 4th gear and is at low rpm's, when gas is applied it stops. I have had the plugs and wires replaced and don't know what to do next. Maybe the Vehicle Speed Sensor is bad??? Another problem is the vehicle will not coast when I take my foot of the gas in 4th gear at certain speeds (35-50 mph), there is a sputter and feels like the vehicle is being held back. When this occurrs and I put my foot back on the gas there is another ****. The vehicle is only giving me these problems when I am in 4th gear (automatic trans.) and will shift, coast and not hesitate in any other gear and actually shifts real smooth in any other gear. Need help and information if anyone has experienced this, thanks a bunch!

You are correct by saying the VSS, this is normal (as in they tend to go bad) it only effect 4th gear, since the ECU knows the vehicle can only run max speed in 4th gear. When the VSS goes bad it sends a fast signal to the ECU, making it think you are running beyond the preset speed limit causing it to shutdown your ability to speed up.

Call Nathan at Discount Rovers he has good prices and fast shipping.

http://www.discountbritishparts.com/

To order, email: [email protected]

502-876-8377

Thanks alot Rover Guru for a second opinion, I priced a VSS at my dealership in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania, and they gave me a price of about $65.00, ya I know a price like that from the dealership is hard to believe so I am probably going to buy it there. My next problem is where to locate it on my truck and is it easy to fix. I know DISCOWEB.com had a real nice step by step guide with pics but lately the website is telling me that it can not be displayed. Anyone with any ideas. Thanks a Bunch for you

Hey Ricklandrover where you at, i live in Bloomsburg and am always looking for locals to talk tech with. BTW I am not hijacking thread but i have the same prob and im gonna need to change this thing out son as well.
Hey Joey the VSS is not the same as TPS is it, ive been told they are but I dont think so, what say you?
Thanks

Hey, I live in Royersford, PA. Good to see fellow pennsylvanians on here

I live near the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport. I am a fisheries Biologist and am actually down near Bloomsburg very often! This 4th gear problem is really annoying and hopefully it is the VSS sensor but again does anyone know where and how to change it and is it difficult?

Nope, the TPS (Throttle Position Switch or Stepper) when it goes bad or gets dirty, you just have issues with idle (normally)

If you need the below Word Doc with pics, please send me an email at [email protected] (yes this is the one off of Discoweb) I download a copy of all tech docs I can get my hands on.

Replacing Vehicle Speed Sensor
byThom Mathie

Low and behold yesterday I went to get on the road for a short trip and only about a mile down the road my truck starts to act up. Under partial load and deceleration the truck would act as if the torque converter would lock and unlock or that the key was getting turned on and off very quickly. I tried the cruise control and it would kick out right as this "miss" would happen. Well it acted very much like it did last winter when my VSS or Vehicle speed sensor went bad.
So today I changed mine. I have heard many questions regarding this so I thought I would illustrate it for everybody.
This is the little bugger. The first one I purchased was $49.75 at the Dealer a year ago I got mine for I believe about $38. Today I called Nathan and they have them for $60 but I decided for speed of getting it back running I would bite the bullet and run to the Dealer. There price $112! the nice man behind the counter gave me the preferred customer discount and it was still $93.

Take note there has been a part change on this item just recently by LRNA as they said that's why the price change?
this job is very easy if you have the correct combination of tools. What I found to be perfect was a 3/16 allen driver on 2 6" extensions with a ratchet.

The VSS is located sandwiched between the transfercase and the parking brake drum assemble. It is held in place with a 3/16 drive allen cap screw.

The first step is to remove the plug in connector. a standard straight blade screwdriver is perfect. Lightly push where I have circled while gently pulling the leads it will pop right off

then with the allen driver/extension combination coming in from the drivers side parallel with the ground you can reach the cap screw and remove it

once the allen is free and removed the part will pull right out. Mine was pretty rough spinning compared to the new one. The part has a small square drive shaft coming out of it. This is what spins the sensor.
Now place the new sensor in place making sure to get the little drive into its square drive. Then replace the allen cap screw and tighten
replace the plug connector and your done.

This whole job took under 15 min including backing it onto ramps. and clean up. I think anybody could do this as a first project it is very simple. The tools needed make the job very easy. If you don't own allen drivers go get some. It is a tool you will use over and over.
The best part is the disco now runs smooth again and the bucking it was doing has disappeared.

Hey Joey what does this thing do to your vehicle if you do not replace it in a timely fashion. Will it throw a code, or anything like that?
Is this why when I am trying to engage the cruise it is either hit or miss, cause ive checked all vac lines, and everyhting else associated with the cruise and everything checks out. Thanks Man

I would say that if all else looks good, then the VSS may very well be your issue with the cruise. Since it tells the ECU how fast you are running, if it is not sending a good signal to the ECU, then the Cruise would not know how fast you are running. Which in turn would not allow the cruise to work properly.

Now before I actually buy a Vehicle Speed Sensor, do you guys think that this is not only the cause of my vehicle sputtering once it shifts into 4th gear at low rpms but also the problems I have once in 4th gear.
- When I take my foot off the gas pedal you feel a ****
- When I take my foot off the gas sometime depending on the speed the vehicle feels like it is being held back by some sort of engine brake and will not coast.
- When these two problems occur, when I put my foot back on the gas you feel another ****.
Thank You for your help guys!