Hi,
I have the dreaded knocking noise from the back of my car and it's going in for the double transfer box flush and software update. I've just had the quote through and feel a bit sick and wondering if anybody has any experience claiming the cost of this on a land rover warranty? I have the full extended warranty and the fact that this is a recognised 'fault' I was hoping it would be covered but the Indy, who will try and put it through says that they're sure they won't cover it. Is there by any chance any info put out by land rover confirming that they will cover it that I could show the garage and strengthen my case? Thanks

I'm only asking because I'm getting the diff and gearbox done at the same time (obvs not covered), so it's going to be an expensive day!

Wasn’t the transfer box oil changed as part of the 60-month Service just 2 years ago, or was that apparently done and you still have issues? (Hard to prove a MD has skipped a Service item, but not unknown).

Diffs are easy done DIY on the driveway and very cheap, new plugs bottle of oil and a little handpump off eBay/Amazon in under an hour.  V6 Vogue - “Less is More” - less to go wrong!

To be honest, I don't think it was done at the time. The Indy checked the online service history and couldn't see it. I had one flush done a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't sorted it so I was going to get the 2nd done and then the recommended update (not sure if that's software?) tomorrow.

I'm planning to DIY a lot of stuff moving forward but because this is all quite new to me I thought I'd get it done properly this time around.

Ah, that could well be the case.
The only way to be sure something has been done, is to DIY, and keep a record with receipts.
Most LR Indys are better than most MD’s IMHO, few on here will disagree.
You will save a fortune, but then risk spending it on “preventive maintenance” -ask me how I know but also experience the warm glow of self-satisfaction on rising to the challenge, and occasionally the sheer thrill getting close to biting off more than you can chew
Plus, you learn a lot along the way, and get to know your fullfat intimately so almost get a 6th sense when sth is not quite right, and the joy of buying far too many tools than a person really needs…

Sorry, got a bit carried away there, but good luck anyway!  V6 Vogue - “Less is More” - less to go wrong!

Thanks, yeah I'm usually quite good when it comes to car maintenance but I have to say that this big b**stard makes me slightly nervous

There is a lot to it and its big as an overall vehicle, but ultimately like most cars its just nuts and bolts for a lot of the work you do. Parts are generally available so you can fix a lot yourself if you are so minded.

The transfer box fluid change is technically quite easy to do in terms of access ... the drain and fill ports just face you as you look up at them. the calibration is the harder part, as you need to commit to a diagnostic tool you need for that. As said above, the more you work on it, the more you know it, the more it becomes yours.

As time goes on, I'm not sure I would call the judder a 'fault' to be honest. The fact that it needs to calibrate in the first place suggests that the operating tolerances are tight. I can see how if the plates wear down over time, then it'll need to be re-calibrated to close the gaps back up. Equally if the fluid is changed, that could affect the friction between the plates, so re-calibrate too.

However, I'm increasingly wondering if the tolerances are so tight that even ambient / unit temperature could affect the unit's working. For example, if it were calibrated in the winter time, and its being driven on a hot summers day, could thermal expansion from the different temps be enough to allow the plates to be that little bit further apart and cause some slipping / judder.

Whilst I've not closely monitored this to test it, I would say that I've noticed judder on occasions where its been hotter spells of weather, or after really long trips which could have warmed up the unit. Yet, the judder seems to occur much less on colder climates.

I'd be interested to know whether others have ever noticed similar. V8 or else ...