4th Gear Problem

[ricklandrover]

I have a 2000 Land Rover Discovery with 80,000 miles on it. When I am in 4th gear and take my foot off the gas the rpm's never goes down and the truck feels like it is being held back. It only does this in 4th gear, in any other gear I take my foot off the gas, the rpm's go down and the truck rides nice. When I am in 4th gear it jerks, then it feels like it down shifts but its not. The truck runs and shifts great but once its in 4th, it studders, i lose about 250 rpm's whih causes the studder and thats when all the problems start~ Was wondering if anyone has any ideas what it is, could it be dirty transmission fluid or a bad transmission. I thought when a tranny was going it would rev high and you would go no where and if thats the case i'm okayu, the truck shifts great. Thanks for the help-!

 

[joey]

Sounds to me like the torque converter kicking in and out.... how fast are you going when this happens? Any other issues? Transmission fluid level good? Color of Fluid? Does it smell okay? Last fluid change?

 

[ricklandrover]

It's doing it when its in 4th gear between 30 - 50 miles per hour, I'm having a transmission flush job at my next oil change and there are no odors coming from the vehicle at all, is there a way to check the fluid easily myself in my discovery? The thing that makes me wonder why this only happens in 4th gear, the truck runs great in all other gears but as soon as its in 4th, the problems start!

 

[joey]

30 to 50 sounds like the torque convertor doing it's job... All electronic 4 speed autos do this, but most you just can't feel or don't notice.

 

[ricklandrover]

This problem in 4th gear has a correlation with my spuddering at low rpms in 4th gear, they seem to happen together often??? I dunno fed up with it and offroading when it can't run good when its on the road. Junk they are all junk!

 

[disco1]

ricklandrover, I think joeys original post is correct. It does sound like the torque converter locking/unlocking. You will probably find when you change the transmission oil that it's cactus. BTW, it's probably never been changed before; and you cannot check it without draining it, as your model disco doesn't have a transmission dip stick.
Lets know how you make out after the oil change.