fett

fett

Well-Known Member
I have a 1990 classic 3.9 with the four speed auto.

Just had oil and filter change on autobox , trying to be a good boy.

Now though it wont change up out of first for about a mile in the morning which canes my old engine a bit too much when cold. After this it works ok for the day but the same problem the next morning.

I have done a search on here and believe the concensus is that its the crap in the box disloged by the new oil that blocks the govenor and causes this. The cure I read is to remove and clean the govenor which involves removing the transfer box to get to it.

This would take a while and cost a fair bit and also may need doing a few times.

Anyone got a quick fix way of doing this or another way of solving the problem?

Please help , this classic is stealing all my cash!
 
mega flush or similar, pumps oil in as it extracts it.
 
yes but what if its not crap that's been dislodged? wouldn't you rather open it up and look to be sure? quick fixes often add up to no savings at all.
 
Well yeah but we arnt talking about my concourse car so If some megaflush? gets it done for £20 then I will try it first.

I have to think its dislodged crap as when I checked the level today the dipstick was dirtier at the bottom than it was before the change.

Obviously not flushed through as part of the change, would you consider that as half a job? I paid to have it done at a specialist but I only asked them to change the gearbox oil and filter.

Where do I get this megaflush then? Ill try anything now!
 
fett said:
Now though it wont change up out of first for about a mile in the morning which canes my old engine a bit too much when cold. After this it works ok for the day but the same problem the next morning.
quote]

:scratching_chin: i had the same symtoms with my 3.9 disco.... lasted 2 weeks n needed a new box... good luck
Click to expand...
 
mega flush is done by auto box places.
just phone and ask if they do gearbox fushing.

You could of course do what I did which is crack off an oil cooler pipe slightly and as it fills a calibrated jug top it up-not recommended but works.
 
Sounds to me more like the oil is too thick if it's only when cold... I'd be taking it back
 
That would've caused the issue before the oil change though no?

Certainly if I'd paid someone good money to feck up my car, I'd be sat at their reception desk whilst they sorted 'their' problem!
 
nathan5346 said:
fett said:
Now though it wont change up out of first for about a mile in the morning which canes my old engine a bit too much when cold. After this it works ok for the day but the same problem the next morning.
quote]

:scratching_chin: i had the same symtoms with my 3.9 disco.... lasted 2 weeks n needed a new box... good luck
Click to expand...

Was that after an oil and filter change on the box?
Click to expand...
 
Spoke to the LR specailist where I had it done , he in turn has also spoke to his autobox specialist.

Regarding who is at fault, I asked him to change the autobox oil and filter which he did. What can you say about that?
His autobox specialist recons megaflush wont help and will just disturb more crap to get caught later.

Our current plan for me to run it till friday as is , which means 10 mins before I set off in the morning leaving it ticking over in drive to warm up the box. In my opinion this makes the fluid thinner allowing it to get past the crap buld up in the govenor, he agrees.

On friday I wil take it back in he will remove transfer box to get at govenor , inspect and replace govenor, add another new filter and fluid and relieve of £250 on the monday for the privildge. (labour£150,govenor£60,service kit and oil£40)

I hope this sorts it, what do you recon?

I am not happy about this, so my word of warning to you all is if you have an old abused autobox leave it alone untill it blows, and then fit another old abused autobox!

PS I didnt abuse, it I was trying to do the right thing!
 
Last edited:
I had exactly the same problem on my BMW 520 - ZF 4HP22 auto. I used to leave it drive with the handbrake on to get it going in the mornings, this fooked the clutch and led to a £1000 recon unit.
 
Ok well I think I will keep to the taking it in on friday plan lol.

Did you ever find the cause of the original problem?
 
A couple of things to note.

It's not easy to check the oil level in an auto box you usually have to do it when it's running. If it is actually low and not checked properly you will get strange things happening - usually though this will be slipping clutches or bands rather than staying in gear. (You would get revving in gear, like a manual clutch slipping if this was the problem)

When you change the oil in an Auto Box, you don't get much of the old oil out of the torque converter or somtimes out of the cooler and cooler pipes, so another change might get rid of more muck.

If the oil is correct viscosity (not too "thick" as mentioned above), I would think it would most likely be a sticky valve spool which frees up as the oil and valve warm up.

Anyway I would change the oil again but get it good and hot first so all the crap comes out with it.

Did you see the oil that came out? A sign of a worn box would be if the old oil was dirty with bits of crap in it. This is from plates or bands breaking up, when this happens the bits clog everything up specially in the valve. The breaking up bands then tend to break up more and then stick more. Rev it hard in neutral, If it tries to drive, afraid you've had it mate. Sooner rather than later it's box out and overhaul.

But it's probably nothing much, so change the oil and flush it though as much as you can!

Blimey I go on a bit sometimes!
 
Like I said earlier the oil on the dipstick (always shows black at the bottom with dirt) looks worse now than before the change so I think thats whats happend. Its o when reved hard in neutral , it doesnt creep.

when you say "a sticky valve spool which frees up as the oil and valve warm up." what part of the box is this and will it be sorted when I have the govenor cleaned and the new oil and filter?

Also can you fix it for me:)
 
Well I hope that if I pay all this cash to change the govenor the new one doesnt fill up with crap too!
 
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