Transmission Light On. Something Missing?

[sam_d]

My transmission temperature light on my 2003 Td5 came on yesterday when I was driving up the Great Northern Highway. After waiting a while for the transmission to cool down the light would not go out. I've been towed to Kununurra for repair. Unfortunately nobody can even look at my Disco until next week so I've had a look around myself to see if I can spot anything obviously wrong.

Nothing stands out however while I was underneath my Disco I did notice a hole that looked like it should have a bolt in it (see photo). Should there be something here? It looks too clean to be normal. I'd driven over a hundred odd kilometers of corrugated roads round Purnululu plus all the smal creek crossings. Has something vibrated out?
125131

To me this doesn't look right. Is it?

[PhilipA]

You probably just have wet the sensor and it has failed. Same happened to me on my RRC.

The sensor is at the front of the car on the LHS if you remove the plastic mudguard shield. (AFAIK as I haven't had to remove one on a D2).
It is a wet sensor but not too much oil should come out when you replace it if my experience with an RRC is a guide.

The empty hole is just for a wading plug or for the timing peg to be placed in.
Regards Philip A

[woko]

That hole is for the timing pin. That's normal.
Does the light stay on now that it has cooled down overnight?
If it is still on unplug the temp sensor plug. The plug should be mounted on the right side of the radiator where the intercooler and the radiator bolt together. It will be in the gap between the radiator and battery. If it goes out then the sensor is no good. Be good idea to check oil level in transmission

[sam_d]

That hole is for the timing pin. That's normal.
Does the light stay on now that it has cooled down overnight?
If it is still on unplug the temp sensor plug. The plug should be mounted on the right side of the radiator where the intercooler and the radiator bolt together. It will be in the gap between the radiator and battery. If it goes out then the sensor is no good. Be good idea to check oil level in transmission

Thanks.

Yes, the car did cool down overnight but the light stays on.

How do you check the oil level? I can't find it in my Haynes.

Also, the car was thoroughly checked over about a month or so ago so I would assume the levels are all good.

[sam_d]

You probably just have wet the sensor and it has failed. Same happened to me on my RRC.

The sensor is at the front of the car on the LHS if you remove the plastic mudguard shield. (AFAIK as I haven't had to remove one on a D2).
It is a wet sensor but not too much oil should come out when you replace it if my experience with an RRC is a guide.

The empty hole is just for a wading plug or for the timing peg to be placed in.
Regards Philip A

Thanks, I will check this in a bit.

[woko]

There is a plug in the front of the transmission sump. It takes a 8mm Allen key. With it running in park pull the plug. It is a bit of a bugger to get to cause the pipes are in the way

[woko]

Thanks, I will check this in a bit.
The sensor is on the right on a d2

[sam_d]

Okay. I've detatched the plug for the sensor and the light does go out!
The next step is replacing the sensor. Is it a part I will find in any Auto Parts store?

Sorry for all the questions. I'm on my own in Kununurra.

[trout1105]

Kununurra is the Major commercial centre in the top end of the Kimberlies so I imagine there should be an auto electrical workshop up there that you could take the offending part to so that they can see if they have a replacement for you.
Do some Googling of better still ask a local [thumbsupbig]

[jwb]

Part number UBI100030

[sam_d]

Kununurra is the Major commercial centre in the top end of the Kimberlies so I imagine there should be an auto electrical workshop up there that you could take the offending part to so that they can see if they have a replacement for you.
Do some Googling of better still ask a local [thumbsupbig]

So far all I am getting is the usual Land Rover ignorance and unhelpfulness.

The guy in the parts shop has just told me (with the greatest confidence) that Land Rover's were never designed to leave the city. This is the **** I'm running against.

I wouldn't mind so much if after they have their usual Land Rover comments they were actually helpful in any way.

[sam_d]

Part number UBI100030


Great stuff! Thanks!
Sam

[trout1105]

Maybe there is a wreckers in Kununurra that could help out ?


The guy in the parts shop has just told me (with the greatest confidence) that Land Rover's were never designed to leave the city.

These are probably the same people that drive those crappy little "Buzz Boxes" to Darwin or Perth from Kununurra that come to grief with animal strikes all the time[bigwhistle]

[Lemo]

Maybe send Roverlord a message and might be able to freight one to your next destination or over night to Kununurra??

[Lemo]

Just a thought have you tried cleaning the plug connection? Maybe just short circuiting with water?

[PhilipA]

If you need the part a specialist can TNT it to you via the TNT depot.
I had RRC top tailgate locks sent from Perth.
The sensor is not really a major worry if it has never come on before unless you are towing 3 tonnes. I left mine until I got home.
Regards Philip A

[sam_d]

Maybe send Roverlord a message and might be able to freight one to your next destination or over night to Kununurra??

Just a thought have you tried cleaning the plug connection? Maybe just short circuiting with water?



Already been on to them. Waiting for a reply. :)

Also, the plug looks okay (well, the one at the top of the radiator does). The connection to the actual sensor is all part of the module as far as I can tell.

[sam_d]

If you need the part a specialist can TNT it to you via the TNT depot.
I had RRC top tailgate locks sent from Perth.
The sensor is not really a major worry if it has never come on before unless you are towing 3 tonnes. I left mine until I got home.
Regards Philip A

That's a good point I suppose. I'm not towing and aren't doing anything strenuous. How long did you leave yours?

My next chance to get this looked at will be when I get to Geraldton in a month or so.

[AK83]

....
The sensor is not really a major worry if it has never come on before unless you are towing 3 tonnes. I left mine until I got home.
Regards Philip A

I don't know how it all works on a D2 due to all the electronics and stuff ...
But mine's been playing up on my D1(Auto) for months.
Freaked me out a little at first. Then I pulled the plug, put it back on and it all 'worked normal' again for a short while(as in light stayed off all the time)
I put it down to dirt ingress.

Then it came back on again, double checked pipe temps, didn't feel overly hot. Could touch the metal lines with my hand for a sec or two, felt like hot water from the tap.
infra red temp probe at various places recorded between 60-70°C.
Then of course it started playing up again, and I just ignore it.
It's on when it's cold, it's on when it's hot ..
I finally found the sensor part, expensive for a temp switch! .. but still have to install it.
Been contemplating adding an extra temp sender switch to monitor actual trans temps while I'm at it one day.

I was going to suggest to give Roverlord a call too .. but it's already been said.

ps. if you do a search for that part number, it shows both the oil cooler temp switch(TD5) AND the auto temp switch .. so they obviously used the same part type for both engine and trans oil monitoring

[steve_a]

Yea, that temperature sensor is just a temperature switch. It's wired only to the dash light, so none of the ECU have an idea.

Probably cheaper/easier to buy an actual temperature sender that fits the hole and a gauge (or if you have a multimeter you can use that). You could jury rig it in the engine bay and check the actual temperature from time to time until you are sure there was no issue.

[PhilipA]

How long did you leave yours?
AFAIR it happened in Litchfield and I drove back to Sydney.
Regards Philip A

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I suppose it was going to fail in the first 50k or last forever,,, :)
I always thought the outwards line to the cooler was the place to put a sensor,,