I'm not too worried by the use of semi-synthetic in the engine because I'll change that to fully synthetic shortly.

However, I'm concerned that an incorrect spec ATF has been used. Does my 2006 4.2SC have the 5-speed gearbox and if so is it as crucial to use correct spec ATF as the 6-speed?


TIA.

Yours is the 6sp sir and yes it is critical the correct grade is used!!!

Many thanks, Craig,

Ok. I have decided to take my car to Guy Salmon at Knutsford to have the ATF changed.

I couldn't get to speak to a technician on the telephone but the lady in service reception quoted £354 to change the ATF using 9 litres. Given that all of the fluid won't come out at once, would 9 litres signify a double flush of the oil?

TIA.

Paul.

I'm afraid dropping the pan and changing 9 litres of oil in your gear box will not do , you would now have a situation where you have two different oils mixing in the gear box . The gear box will now have to be flushed by megaflushing at a specialist and refilled with ZF lifeguard 6 , it won't be cheep because Lifeguard 6 is not cheep but this is now you only course of action after the incompetence of the first garage servicing your gear box with out bothering to find out how .
Probably not what you wanted to hear  2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

Thanks, Axle.

Not what I wanted to hear indeed! But the truth is reassuring and cheaper than a new gearbox.

Perhaps a visit to an auto gearbox specialist rather than the main dealer, then?


Thanks again.

Paul.

Put a request out on here for recommended/trusted companies in your area used by forum members on here

I can write with some authority on this as I have the T Shirt. A so called "LR Specialist" filled my auto box with industrial bus / coach ATF the uknown here is you do not know the specification of the ATF that has been put into your gearbox. You also do not know the exact specification of LifeGuard 6 ATF so it is impossible to say that you have the wrong ATF.

You will see much talk here of only using LifeGuard 6 (or Shell 1375.4 if you can find it) ATF on the 6HP26 automatic gearbox. The simple reason is that the exact specification is unknown. So would an alternative ATF be to spec? Nobody knows! But to say that "other" ATF is incorrect may or may not be true. For all those reasons LG6 ATF is the only way to go. Yes, we are over the barrel on this one!

My next point is some clarification surrounding the term "Mega Flush" which very confusingly is using the same term for two different things.
The 6HP26 gearbox dry capacity is 9.5 litres. Usually only 5 litres can be drained out.

Some LR dealers and indys refer to a "Mega Flush Service" as 1) change the ATF and fliter (i.e. approx 5 litres) 2) drive around for a few days 3) change the ATF again and the theory is that you have got rid of "most" of the old ATF.

However a "Mega Flush Machine" of which there are only a few in the UK:-



Is "hard wired" via the cooler pipes, the old ATF is sucked out and new ATF is replaced. A bit like a dialysis machine.

For me, the "Mega Flush Machine" route which I used purely on the basis of preventative maintenance(!) proved to be an utter disaster and whilst the forum advice I was given was well meaning, it cost me an awful lot of money to put right. I would NOT go near one ever ever again. There is a view that any crud inside the gearbox, residing in a nook or cranny, minding its own business, happily out harm’s way is all of a sudden "power flushed" and disturbed, now floating around finding it's way into all the areas you don't want it to be!

For my 2P. On the basis that you said the auto box filter was changed? I would personally get a trusted mechanic to drain the old ATF out. Replace with LG6. Drive around for a few days. Drain the ATF out and replace with LG6.

Feel free to PM me for my number if you want to hear about all my tales of woe surrounding that dratted Mega Flush Machine..........I see that the company that Mega Flushed mine have now stopped offering this service. I wonder why?! 2006 4.2 SC
2019 Renault Zoe Dynamique Nav

Cam-Tech-Craig wrote:

Put a request out on here for recommended/trusted companies in your area used by forum members on here

Good thinking Batperson.

SKOT wrote:

I can write with some authority on this as I have the T Shirt. A so called "LR Specialist" filled my auto box with industrial bus / coach ATF the uknown here is you do not know the specification of the ATF that has been put into your gearbox.....................................................................................

Very interesting stuff, Skot.

PM sent.

I'm not a million miles away from RRPhil. I wonder if he would interested in changing my ATF or recommending a man that can?

Okay, here's a plot thickener if ever there was one.

After searching around for someone I could trust to carry out "Another" gearbox oil change after the Macclesfield indy put the wrong stuff in my perfectly functioning box, I decided to get in touch with a garage in Stockport that I had used many years ago and had been happy with.
The owner is a nice guy and very fair to boot. They service top-end cars and Land Rover is one of their chosen specialised subjects.

Great to talk to the owner once again after a 10+ year gap (my location, amongst other things made it difficult to use the garage) and I told him of my woes with the Macclesfield outfit.
I stated clearly (several times) that my main concern was that the box had the wrong fluid in at present, and that although it changed gear seamlessly, I wanted "Lifeguard 6" putting in the transmission for peace of mind. I was assured that the correct fluid would be supplied from the main dealer, so all good I thought. He asked if I would like the transfer box and rear diff lubricants changing and I agreed to have both done.

The car was in the workshop for three days and I had an MOT (passed with no advisories after they had stopped the newly fitted brake pipe installed by the Macclesfield outfit from leaking! )

I went to collect the car and drove for 6-7 miles. I came to a stop and waited in "D" with my foot on the brake and then... BANG! A huge clunk/whack from under the vehicle (I actually thought I had been rear ended!

Garage now closed, so just trundled the 8 miles home and haven't touched the car since.
I checked the invoice and see a charge for... 7, Litres of Autotrans MVA.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXOL-AUTOTRANS-M...1257811412

Not a happy bunny!

Emailed garage over the weekend (didn't want to spoil the owners weekend away) and no response.

Call the garage, and spoke with the mechanic who carried out the gearbox oil fluid change.
He said that the stuff he used saved me money and was equivalent to Shell M-1375.4 which apparently is what the dealer would have supplied.
Lots of debate in the phone call about Lifeguard 6 vs Shell M-1375.4 and I was p!ssing in the wind, although the discussion never became heated. The mechanic says he has used the correct ATF as supplied by a major oil and lubricants company who (he says) will back up the use of the product in the event of a failure. Yeah... I know.

The thing is, I now have a cocktail of an unknown ATF and Autotrans MVA (can also be used as power steering fluid?) and even if I had a double dose of Lifeguard 6, I'm not sure how things might turn out. The garage will change to Lifeguard 6, "if you really want to" but insist it will be a waste of my money because the correct fluid is in the box already.

My 4.2SC really is a wonderful car, but getting it looked after properly is becoming a thorn in my side.

Edit: The clunky 2-1 change had corrected itself over time. The changes after the latest fluid change were not as smooth and I recall hearing a slight droning noise from the front of the car when decelerating to a slow halt.

As far as the clunk goes, the garage said they couldn't think of anything that could make such a noise in "D" with foot on the brake and that they would have to test drive to investigate further.

Last edited by Arkle on 5th May 2015 11:46pm. Edited 1 time in total

hell... your not having a lot of luck are you...

Is the box behaving....??

Maybe it would be an idea to buy the oil yourself and stand over a mechanic whilst he does it...

Or have an away day to Craig and get him to sort it...

And following on from a few posts back I can't see how a mega flush can drag up debris in the box, for a start if there is any the box is on it's way out anyway and for another thing the mega flush pump works at the same or lower pressure than the gearbox's own internal pump so how can it dislodge anything....

Good luck I hope you get it sorted soon Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks, Pete.

I'm not really sure what to do. I suppose I'll have to go back to the garage to see what the clunk is all about.

The box changes gear, but not as smoothly as before, but I'm hoping it will gradually adapt back to its old self.

The annoying thing about all of this, is that the car has been well looked after with main dealer servicing throughout its life and although not officially due just yet, might well have had the gearbox fluid changed with the correct stuff recently. Love the car, but since it visited a garage, I've not enjoyed driving it for fear of something going pop!

I used to feel like that about cars.... try and change your point of view...

"If it busts I fix it, everything is fixable, in the meantime.....enjoy it..." Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-