TD6 tune chip or not

[Declan]

Ok I am going to buy a tuning chip for the td6,I know you are going to say the gearbox won't take it but I have took that on board, and if the gearbox does go hopefully someone will have come up with a stronger gearbox to fit, as I love this Rangie,I look forward to all feedback.
Declan.

[Homestar]

Once the gearbox is sorted on these, then it will be time to unleash the beast.:D. Until a solutions is found, I'll have to put up with it how it is.

[rangietragic]

Before i bought mine i looked at chipping it but once i drove it i decided i did'nt need it.Then reading all the horror stories on gearboxes i'm glad i did'nt.Prior to buying mine i was keen on the volvo xc90,but the diesels had a gm box that was prone to failures.Same box i wonder?

[harlie]

45km now with the bluefin retune, love it.

AULRO bluefin-remap-td6-review (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/l322-range-rover/135139-bluefin-remap-td6-review.html)

[peter g]

Hi Declan, I bought the Autologic remapping from the local service workshop in Geelong (run by ex BMW & LR Mechs -recommended). Have had it for 2 years and very happy with the results. Supposed to be + 20kw and 20% more torque between 1700 and 2500rpm (where you need it). I certainly notice the extra torque when accelerating.
Re the effect on the auto, well, currently having mine rebuilt, BUT looks like totally due to the external cooler/heat exchanger failing. I will have more info on this in a few days when I get the car back. The auto did operate perfectly up until the moment it "cooked". So I dont think we can blame the remap for the problem with the auto.
I will post some more info on the cooler failure when I get it - may be helpful to others.
How did you get on with the snorkel ?
Peter

[Declan]

OK lads the tuning box I am looking at is STEINBAEUR TD6 tuning box which I believe is a good tuning box not one of the cheaper boxes, good to hear from peter g & harlie about there tunes, ( Peter have the snorkel and just have not got around to putting it in yet, thanks for the photos & information on the install, were did you get your air duct to run from the snorkel to the air inlet at the air filter, sorry for bringing another tread into this one, ) sorry to hear about your transmission Peter but I have bought a IID tool and its a great diagnostic tool you can read live values from you transmission like oil temperature, at the present moment my auto transmission is good had a full flush and filter & oil change when I bought the RR and the mechanic told me there was no sign of filings in the trans oil ( RR has 187km on it ) he told me to change trans oil every year or 40000km, just have to wait and hope by the time it does go that someone here or in the UK will have put a stronger auto into a TD6 and we can follow.

Declan :twisted::twisted::twisted:

[ahebron]

Crikey guys.
I thought we had all shook hands had a cuppa tea and agreed that its not power or torque that does the TD6 gearbox in but bad design and materials.

Adrian

[harlie]

Crikey guys.
I thought we had all shook hands had a cuppa tea and agreed that its not power or torque that does the TD6 gearbox in but bad design and materials.

Adrian
I agree, IMO if you are going to have problems, you're going to have them.

[RR P38]

Increased torque/and power equals more heat generated.
THe transmission will create more heat through these power gains that you seek.......thats assuming you will be using it.
There was an interesting Trans fluid article circulating on AULRO about 2 years ago, it gave a great brake down on the temperature of ATF and the oxidisation and subsequent brake down of the fluid as it heats up. From memory there was a tipping point at 90-100c which halved the service life of the ATF and with the temp increasing another 10c it halved that half again!
We are talking 5,000k or less at extreme operating temps for the life of the ATF.
Upgraded ATF coolers would seem a good idea, particularly in summer and or if towing.
I have driven the TD6 it seems to go ok for an oiler, if you are looking for performance....... have you driven a V8 4.4L?

[Homestar]

Considering most of these transmissions die because the torque converter starts to slip due to insufficient pressure from the leaking valve body, the increased power and torque will only cause more slipping of the TC and even more premature failure IMO.

[Declan]

OK I have decided to hold off on the tune till we get a better auto box ( hopefully someone does it before 2015 ) I have yet to take her on the sand to see what she goes like so only time will tell how good she is running a round at Robe , has anybody come up with a solution to stop it from dropping from off-road to normal at 50km hr ,as you do go above that speed trying to get over some of the sand hills I have done in my defender before I sold it.

Declan :twisted::twisted::twisted:

[ahebron]

You can either adjust your neutral height using a tool like the Gap iiD tool or buy an L405.:p

Adrian

[jx2mad]

If the gear boxes are made for holdens, why are they so dear to fix? Just a thought.

[Homestar]

If the gear boxes are made for holdens, why are they so dear to fix? Just a thought.

They are expensive to fix in the holders as well. When the oil pump dies, it wreckers the housing - which is part of the bell housing, so it requires very accurate and expensive machining. Apart from that, when you add all the individual parts up - which don't sound too expensive on their own, but they soon add up, add a couple of grand for labour to pull the box, stuff the new bits in it and refit it, and you will soon be out of pocket $6K+...

Just the same for the Dunny Doors...

[jx2mad]

I have a friend with an 03 model and he tows a van He is just having the box done for the 3rd time. His L322 is chipped. Jim

[harlie]

Jim, Your friend needs to find a new transmission specialist. The GM box presents unique problems that if not addressed will fail again and again and again, even in a 318/20i BMW which has absolutely no torque at all. There are many reports of 2nd & 3rd failures, usually not long after the initial rebuild, all have one thing in common – cheap rebuild. A lot of reading on this subject has uncovered a clear pattern in several markets; many rebuilds are excluding key components, often these components are not required in a rebuild of another brand of box.

It is an expensive transmission to rebuild and modify properly.

[peter g]

As this thread seems to have morphed into discussion on the GM box I have a question of anyone who has had a proper rebuild. How many k's since rebuild, any issues ?
By proper I mean sonnax treatment to pump and valve gear etc, fully rebuilt torque converter and all latest GM upgrades.
I have just had this done at A & B (Dandenong Vic), and they are very confident in their work. (2 year 50k warranty) For anyone interested my cost was $6500, plus $200 for new heat exchanger (cooler). If they supplied the cooler, total would have been $7k, however I sourced a new one from US.
It may be useful to keep a thread running on any isues which reappear on work done by A & B, and the other reputable rebuilders in Sydney etc. This would then give everyone a useful guide on whether the upgrades have solved the problem or not.

[Declan]

Peter G did A&B say the gearbox should be a lot stronger than the original and can you put more HP into it or is the auto still rated to 340nm.

Cheers Deco.

[peter g]

"did A&B say the gearbox should be a lot stronger than the original and can you put more HP into it or is the auto still rated to 340nm."

Deco, I didn't query the power rating but they are certainly saying the box is a lot better than the original. Particularly given that I understand many failures were due to wear of valve gear and pump due to the poor alloy used, the sonnax treatment is supposed to fix this. All I know with the TC is that they rebuild with the latest components.
You could give Sid Quintal at A&B a call on 03 9768 3755 for any more info.
Peter

[jonnyjon05]

Well I got my ECU remapped today by Superchips UK... Forgive my french, but H@!% S&!^ does it go better. I have a upgraded gear box, so newer running gear with a reco torque converter (soon to be heavy duty) which used to hunt up hills with the cruise control on. Not anymore... It feels , ahhh just perfect.

When I got the car it felt nice but cumbersome, slow and unwilling. Now it feels like one of the newer X5 3.0 diesels, loud in comparison but equally as spiritely, willing and powerful. Feels good, more modern...?! so much smoother.

Not that 0 to 100 is a massive deal in these cars wither way i will put it out there.

before 0-100 13.8 seconds.
after 0-100 10 seconds.

Only had it in a few hours but i will post again in a few weeks with revised fuel economy totals.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/l322-range-rover/75328d1396850521-td6-tune-chip-not-img-20140407-00017.jpg

[ahebron]

I am glad you like the improvements. Mine felt a lot sportier after the Bluefin. The only issue I had was when I reset iot back to normal for a service it lost the original setting and stopped my OBC from displaying. well I assume it was the cause as it happened at exactly the same time. Bluefin sent a new original setting to my device but did not cure the OBC and say it had nothing to do with their device.

Adrian