D4 8 speed gearbox question - slipping

[Arapiles]

We have a 2014 D4 with the 8 speed gearbox and it's just ticked over 70,000 kms. It's never done any towing that I know of and has been serviced at the LR intervals by the dealer it was bought from. Usually it drives away from the lights at about 1100/1200 RPM but a couple of times today the tacho swung up to about 1800 RPM and there was a lot of induction noise. It'd then drop back to about 1200 RPM. This was with a light touch on the throttle, not forcing a kick down. It did do this a couple of times last year, but not recently. There weren't any fault codes that I noticed. I'd suspect from the behaviour that the gearbox is slipping. The car is still covered under the extended warranty, so does it need to go back to the dealers for service?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

After 70K I'd expect a bit of crap around the valves,,
take it out and give it a flogging,, and then change the fluid,,,

[Arapiles]

After 70K I'd expect a bit of crap around the valves,,
take it out and give it a flogging,, and then change the fluid,,,

Thanks - what would giving it a flogging entail? The vast majority of our time with this car has been at highway speeds, since we don't drive to work and rarely use it other than at the weekends.

[DiscoJeffster]

A flogging is known as pressing the pedal to the metal, flat to the floor. Run it hard through some changes. I’m not sure that will help but driving like you stole it is a “flogging”.

[Turtle60]

You don’t think you could have tapped a paddle and locked yourself in low gear manual mode or be in sport mode. But agree to drive it like you stole it at full temp. This is good policy occasionally to give the second turbo something to do my local indie has suggested. Cheers

[Arapiles]

A flogging is known as pressing the pedal to the metal, flat to the floor. Run it hard through some changes. I’m not sure that will help but driving like you stole it is a “flogging”.

Aah ... that's what I do every time I enter CityLink, because I do like the noise it makes. Very well, I shall give it a few of those tomorrow night.

[Arapiles]

You don’t think you could have tapped a paddle and locked yourself in low gear manual mode or be in sport mode. But agree to drive it like you stole it at full temp. This is good policy occasionally to give the second turbo something to do my local indie has suggested. Cheers

Being temporarily in manual mode might be a possibility.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

and when they say "sealed for life" its for the life of your warranty, not the life of the car.
I'm sure the 8 speeders on here will give you a distance change timetable,, [wink11]

[l00kin4]

Probably overkill but I did a partial fluid change on mine at 65k and will probably do it again at 120k. I haven't kept up to speed on this but I haven't heard if there is a steel pan available for the ZF8 yet...?

Quite a bit of info in this sticky: Disco 4 Automatic Transmission FAQ - 8 Speed (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/the-d3-d4-sticky-zone/244354-disco-4-automatic-transmission-faq-8-speed-4.html)

Very good guide here from Robbie on disco3.co.uk: DISCO4.COM - View topic - Robbie's Guide To ZF8 Auto Transmission Oil Change (http://www.disco4.com/forum/topic141425.html)

David

[cjc_td5]

Yes the good advice is gearbox oil & filter every 60K km. I have not seen a steel pan available for the 8 speed yet. I just had my second change done last month (130K km).
C

[ATH]

I intend having mine done at 60K or maybe even doing it myself. Spoke to the service bloke at the stealers today and he reckoned the "filled for life" by LR is not recommended by the experts they use to do the fluid changes.
No doubt they stick a bit on top for driving it to and from the people they use.... :)
AlanH.

[Arapiles]

Thanks all, I'm going to keep an eye on it for the next week or so and see how it goes.

[DiscoJeffster]

The steel pan is less of a concern in reality. The value is in simply changing the oil at 1/3 interval preferably.

[ATH]

If the sump is protected by the plastic covers underneath there really shouldn't be a problem with possible damage from stones etc. But this reminds me of having the sump holed on a Toro bogger underground on a mine I worked at. Myself and the other fitter went down to rescue it, I got the short straw and had to go underneath in the water it was stuck in to hold up a plank and loads of clothes on the sump where it was holed, he fed the band-it strap down and tightened it up the top to hold the bodge in place when we drove it out.
Then we found something had failed on the throttle so I sat on top holding the throttle wide open and he drove it topside to the workshop. Wild ride that one. :)
I don't think a steel sump is available yet for the D4 anyway.
AlanH.

[Eric SDV6SE]

The steel pan is less of a concern in reality. The value is in simply changing the oil at 1/3 interval preferably.

AT fluid is cheap, 6 or 8 speed ZF transmissions are not. Full fluid change and flush every ~50,000kms, and a valve body kit at 150,000km or so seems like good proactive maintenance to me, considering the work these units do. Steel pan is a good option as the filter is separate (Integral with the plastic pan), so you’d have to wait until a steel pan is available for the 8spd before doing a flush and fluid change. Check BMW sites, they use the same ZF transmissions. (My 6spd has a steel pan with a BMW part number on it).


Need to to check 100% compatibility, but this could be suitable: BMW X1 X3 X4 ZF 8 Speed Automatic Transmission GA8HP45 Oil Pan with Filter | eBay (https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0'mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2 F192698291436)

cheers,

Eric