[johntandy]

Hello

I have a problem with my gearbox at the moment, it sounds as if the torque converter is whining, in touch with the engine speed.

Went underneath the car when the wife touched the accelerator and it does sound as if its coming from the bell housing/torque converter area.
Car still drives but i am not doing so at the moment just in case, it is a bit rough on the downshifts though.
Changed the oil 10,000 miles ago with the proper esso lt stuff and filter.
Have had a quick check of the torque converter bolts and they are tight.
Is it gearbox replace or torque converter replace?
I have done a search and it points to the converter, has anyone had any similar problems
Its a 2004 4.4 bmw petrol with 84,000 on the clock.
Many thanks in advance
John

 

[RRPhil]

John,

Do you not think that it's more likely to be the pump that's whining rather than the converter? - the pump is driven off the converter impeller (at engine speed). First thing to do is to check the fluid level in the transmission to make sure that the pump isn't sucking in air/cavitating. The fluid level must be checked with the engine running and with the fluid temperature around 40 deg. C

Phil

 

[johntandy]

Phil

Thanks for your reply its much apreciated.
Yes i have checked the fluid level with the engine running, oil warm and the box in park.
After thinking about it a bit more i wonder if the oil cooler lines/cooler could be blocked as i did have a session last week of the "cooling strategy" which i forgot about, it happened twice, ie hanging onto the gears more not changing till 4,000 rpm,

by the way i have changed the rad allready.

What do you think phil? could that be the problem.

Thanks

John

 

[RRPhil]

If your transmission's going into cooling strategy mode in this weather it certainly sounds like there's a problem somewhere in the cooling circuit! Can you hear the whining noise while you're driving along? If so, I just wondered if you noticed an appreciable reduction in the noise when your transmission goes into 4th/5th gears? When the converter LUC is engaged (4th & 5th) there's a big cut in the flow of fluid being sent to the cooler.

Phil

 

[johntandy]

Phil,

I think you have hit the nail on the head,

I do hear it while accelerating through the gears but not when "crusing" ( 4th and 5th gear no doubt)

I will clear out the cooler and lines tomorrow and see if its any better, if it is i will replace the cooler.

Thanks phil :thumb:

John

PS, ever thought of going on mastermind, subject: range rover automatic gearbox's 2002 - 2005 :clap:

 

[johntandy]

Well as they say that is that.

Cleared lines and cooler today, exactly the same. Took it out for a drive seemed to change ok but under load it jumped up an extra gear and did a squeeling noise. still getting the whining noise too.

Transmission out me thinks, thanks for all your help phil and the board.

John :crybaby2:

 

[RRPhil]

That’s bad luck John.

I appreciate that you probably need your Range Rover back on the road sooner than this but the offer’s there if your transmission wants to come up to Blackburn for its holidays for 2-3 weeks, I’d be happy to fix it for just the cost of the parts. A re-manufactured torque converter is around £300, the overhaul kit £145, fluid £85, filter £25, plus there’s one or two seals specific to the L322 which aren’t included in the overhaul kit. You’re therefore looking at around £600 for parts, plus the cost of shipping the transmission (say £50 each way). Assuming that in addition you have a couple of burnt out clutches that need their plates replacing, well, we’re probably up to £800 now.

An independent garage will charge around £40-£45/hour + VAT and the ‘official’ removal time is around 4.5 hours for the transmission so that comes to £450 or so to get the transmission in & out.

The way the costs add up you can see that these places which will do the complete job for under £2000 (including the cost of a new oil cooler and a re-manufactured torque converter) are doing it for a pretty competitive price.

£6000 at a Land Rover dealer……now that’s not so good.

Phil

 

[johntandy]

Phil thats so generous of you.

I am taking it to the auto man(as my dad calls him) tomorrow to see what they think and to test drive.

My father is a self employed mechanic so i have no problems in removing the gearbox, thank god, (why should i remove it when i have a 55 year old parent to do it for me )

I may take you up on your offer as i know that it would be done right but i would bring it up to you and collect it, i cant expect you to fix it for free and hump the bloody thing round too.

Thanks again phil will let you kow what the verdict is tomorrow.

All the best, John.

 

[johntandy]

Quick update.

The auto man thinks it is the filter blocked, but blocked with what? :shock:

I did change the oil and filter not long back but stupidly put in a patern part filter , i wonder if it has colasped or was just a crap part.

Anyway he is going to service the box, change the oil and filter and also the oil cooler and lines to see how we get on with that.

He did say that he thought that the torque coverter lockup started pulsing on and off a bit but then it went into cooling strategy, so it might have been that ray:

Thanks again phil, will let everyone know what the outcome is in the next few days.

John

ps, he did also say to me welcome to landrover/bmw ownership (2x X5's and 1x rangerover in his shop) and have you deep pockets, i said yes but i also have short arms :lol:

 

[johntandy]

Update

New transmission, torque converter, oil cooler, oil cooler lines filter and oil, not bad eh thats going to be a cheap fix /

Let everyone know how it turns out.

Thanks again to phil for the kind offer of rebuilding my transmission but they have started it over the weekend so i will just leave them to it ( i dont fancy pushing a range rover 22 miles backhome with or without a gearbox in it )

John

 

[i gore]

i must say that Phil , you are one of a kind in this day and age. not many of you around so thankyou for your very kind offers to us all. :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[johntandy]

i gore, phil is the man :clap:

Should be getting the car back tomorrow, went down to have a look at the gearbox torn down, wow the oil was like it had sand in it.

**** torque converter had done all the damage.

Funny thing was it still drove ok with all the damage, i wonder if the electronics in the box were helping mask the problems?

Anyway will report tomorrow on my new gearbox and torque converter ray:

John

 

[johntandy]

All done :dance:

My god now i know what a proper gearbox is like, can't even tell when it changes gear `)

Thanks again everyone.

By the way, the gearbox man said have it serviced every year (£120.00) which he recomends, suppose its better than £2500 anyway.

John

 

[RRPhil]

Glad you're all sorted, John.

Can you share with us how much the swap cost ? (but fair enough if you'd rather not)

Phil

 

[umitbat]

Did you change cooler radiator also?

 

[johntandy]

Phil, not too bad he charged me £1900 inc torque converter, oil cooler and lines.

He also used the proper ZF rebuild kit and showed me some of the clutch's or thats what i think they were ( they were completely knackered)

He did change the cooler and did the job in two days, so i am quite pleased.

The box is beautiful, i even want to keep the range rover now :lol:

Till the next drama

John signing off.

Cheers again everyone for your input.

 

[arnoldrover]

I am not getting a whining noise but what I get is a sound and vibration kind of like driving over rumble strips on the highway and am thinking it is the torque converter?? thoughts?