Do I Have a ZF 4 Speed Gearbox?

[KevI]

Gooday,
2002 TD 5 Discovery 2.
The article by Difflock re auto transmission fluid change states that current model Disco 2 has a "sealed for life" transmission that doesn't need servicing but that older ZF 4 speed gearboxes do.
How do I identify if I have a ZF or newer type box?
Appreciate advice.

[discowhite]

they all have ZF boxes, unless its a manual;) or a really early RRC and that would be a 727.

have a look at the auto's sump, it should have a drain at the bottom and a filler/level at the front, again on the sump.

cheers phil

[p38arover]

Older ZF boxes also have a dipstick/filler tube on the rear LHS of the engine.

[Scouse]

Appreciate advice.As above & I'd service it at around 40000km if it were my car.

[KevI]

they all have ZF boxes, unless its a manual;) or a really early RRC and that would be a 727.

have a look at the auto's sump, it should have a drain at the bottom and a filler/level at the front, again on the sump.

cheers phil
Thanks for this. Yes, sump plug at the bottom and filler plug at front of sump. So, renew fluid or not? Replace filter or not?

[Scouse]

So, renew fluid or not? Replace filter or not?Yes & yes.

If the old oil comes out nice & clean, a fluid & filter change will be all that's needed.

If the old oil comes out dark/burnt, then think about flushing the system to get all the oil changed otherwise you'll be left with old oil in the transmission still (from the torque convertor).

[RRV80]

filled for life is rubbish - oil is oil, it gets hot it breaks down enough said - it still needs to be changed, however they make it harder for you in some vehicles they dont give you a dipstick etc every 40k is good practise no matter what auto trans you have.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

they all have ZF boxes, unless its a manual;) or a really early RRC and that would be a 727.
... cheers philNot quite correct, the early RRc, read 2 door or pre-1984 4 door had a BW auto grafted to the remains of an LT95. These were technically an after-market conversion but were sold through Au RR dealers and the dealer often carried the warranty on the entire car.

The '84-'85 had the TF727 and after that they had the ZF 4HP22.

Diana

[discowhite]

well lar de dar! think he got the point.

[smogmonster]

Gooday,
2002 TD 5 Discovery 2.
The article by Difflock re auto transmission fluid change states that current model Disco 2 has a "sealed for life" transmission that doesn't need servicing but that older ZF 4 speed gearboxes do.
How do I identify if I have a ZF or newer type box?
Appreciate advice.
Hi,you still have a zf but the goalposts have been moved re. servicing etc.There is a lot of talk whether oil should be changed or not?If the oil is not overheated it does go on and on, older ZF with dipstick the best test is pull out stick,check colour...red as in atf from can,okay,if at all brownish/red,it will also smell charred {sniff test?}drop the oil and renew,drive for a while and repeat check,if all seems fine crack on ,all the best..

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Hey smogmonster!:D

wheres all this talk about NOT changing auto fluid??

[Lotz-A-Landies]

well lar de dar! think he got the point.If you're un-linked post was directed at me. I will say, it is not only the original post'er that reads this stuff, many others will read it later when searching for RRc autos and may believe they have a TF-727 etc etc.

It never hurts to clarify the matter, although it may bore unthinking people who believe they know everything!

[PhilipA]

Hi,you still have a zf but the goalposts have been moved re. servicing etc.There is a lot of talk whether oil should be changed or not?If the oil is not overheated it does go on and on, older ZF with dipstick the best test is pull out stick,check colour...red as in atf from can,okay,if at all brownish/red,it will also smell charred {sniff test?}drop the oil and renew,drive for a while and repeat check,if all seems fine crack on ,all the best..

Funny I do not think the filter etc is different in the later ZFs only that they use synthetic fluid. They also may use differnet material in the clutches.
When I serviced my 4HP22 -92RRC after 40Kk or so the fluid (synthetic) still looked a nice clean green, but when I drained it there was quite a few chunks in the sump and the oil in the sump had a bit of solid matter in it.
I would think that the filter should be changed every so often to ensure no blockages, and the oil to reduce the bits.

All this "lifetime" sealed stuff is to try and reduce servicing cost but may be misguided when applied to the old dungers many of us run on AULRO.

Generally the "life" of a car is considered 5 to 8 years depending on the manufacturer.
Regards Philip A

[discowhite]

If you're un-linked post was directed at me. I will say, it is not only the original post'er that reads this stuff, many others will read it later when searching for RRc autos and may believe they have a TF-727 etc etc.

It never hurts to clarify the matter, although it may bore unthinking people who believe they know everything!

i dont know everything, you pointed that out. thanks for the clarification:TakeABow::TakeABow:

[maggsie]

Talking about servicing autos, I just had mine done, filter and oil. It must be just a coincidence, the box is now playing up, harsh changes and not selecting correctly. Fortunately it is still under the dealer warranty, so it is booked into Jordan Rovatech to source and rectify the problem. The car has only done 66000klms.

Maggsie
04 Disco V8
85 County V8

[maggsie]

Following up on the previous post, Rover Tech found that the mass air flow sensor was faulty, the engine was running too rich and incorrect info to the ECU also affected the transmission.Should get the car back tomorrow.

Maggsie
04 Disco V8
85 County V8

[d2dave]

Not quite correct, the early RRc, read 2 door or pre-1984 4 door had a BW auto grafted to the remains of an LT95. These were technically an after-market conversion but were sold through Au RR dealers and the dealer often carried the warranty on the entire car.

The '84-'85 had the TF727 and after that they had the ZF 4HP22.

Diana

To add to this Ritters used to do a conversion using a ford C4. I had an 82 model with this.

Probably the best 3 speed auto out of the three as the BW 35 is nowhere strong enough, and the TF 727 although indestructible, used to suck so much power from the engine.

Dave.