Thread: Major Service

Originally Posted by LRD414

I have edited my original post comment regarding independents in case I was misunderstood as being negative towards them. I was trying to say I didn't have confirmation/feedback on an independent that is experienced with 8-speed drain/flush/etc. and is convenient to where I live or work at the time when deciding to proceed with the servicing. I suppose it could be argued that the 8-speed is the same as many other transmissions. Regardless of all that I expect to use independents in future and recognise the benefits of good ones.

Scott

I also did not take it in a negative manner...I normally just think that the owner hasnt been informed enough with the right info to even think about using a indy land Rover repairer.
The new car dealer network relies heavily on the service department for profits. Hence the included servicing while under warranty, fixed price during warranty, all this is done to keep the customer in the dealer network.

Regards
Daz

Originally Posted by Milton477

Thanks Scott, some good advice there. My independent wants to change my oil at 50k which is the next service because of the high towing mileage I do.
Have you any idea what your gearbox oil looked like when compared to new oil?

Hi all, I have attached a photo of my auto oil changed after nearly 50,000km, at least 60% towing the 3.2T van. This sample has been sitting on the shelf undisturbed in the shed since it was changed back in December 2015, I have been expecting it to clean up as the contaminates settle out, but to my surprise not much change.
20171008_121108.jpg

Another thought, I recently changed Fr Diff, T/Case and E-Diff, as previously discussed 0.6, 1.5 and 1.5 litres respectively. I bought the E-Diff oil from LR dealer, so had to get 2 x 1 litre bottles, so for those who have had the dealers do it do they sell you the correct amount of oil or 2 containers, hence give you back the 0.5 l excess or just keep it. At $80 / lit it is a bit of a hit.

Peter

Thanks Peter.
I'm not sure what I was expecting but that was not the colour I had in mind for something that is supposed to be sealed for life.

I just love the jargon when selling cars. 'Sealed for life' is one such misnomer. The translation (for us mortals in the real world) effectively means 'sealed until the warranty expires'. It helps whichever car company spruiks this nonsense (for various reasons), but not the actual owner of the vehicle, or the poor Indies who have to fix the mess afterwards. A caveat in the manual states to change sooner under arduous conditions, which unfortunately covers pretty much most people in Australia because of a) it gets hot here, b) we drive large distances, c) people tow with these things and d) a combination of all three.

"b) we drive large distances" Actually I think our average yearly mileages are not much more than those in say Europe but some of us do big trips occasionally. However I've always changed all oils at at least half the intervals stated by the book as most of the crap comes from the EU political elite and their desire to make out everything is green and fuel economic etc.
Except of course all the vehicles they drive (or get driven in) and change every year and the planes they constantly jet around in.
My present vehicle is now coming up towards 20K and it'll be done better than by the book by Dazza Td5. I did an oil/filter change at 11k as I don't like dirty oil.
Sealed for life etc. maybe OK for some but not for this owner.
AlanH.

'Sealed for life' isn't for this little black duck either! I bought a high mileage D3 a couple of weeks ago and (amongst other things) it's had the transmission rebuilt in the last couple of years. Like my D1, it will get serviced/maintained within an inch of it's life so I can happily rely on it when I am in the boonies. The less Land Rovers that break down in the bush the better I reckon, especially any of the later models!

For reference here are quotes taken from two different ZF technical bulletins:

Modern transmissions utilise overlapping application of clutch packs at gear changes (instead of freewheels) and controlled slip of the torque converter lock up clutch which puts greater stresses on the oil. To meet these challenges partially synthetic oils have been developed for ZF 5, 6 and 8 speed transmissions which are maintenance free under normal operating conditions. However, as some degradation of the oil inevitably occurs over time and usage, ZF recommends oil and filter changes after 50,000 to 75,000 miles to ensure optimum performance.

ZF 5-, 6-, 8- and 9-speed as well as the ZF 4HP20 automatic transmissions are filled maintenance-free with specially developed partially synthetic ATF oils. Maintenance-free fills are intended for normal operating conditions. Especially driving at very high operating temperatures can result in accelerated aging or increased wear of ATF oils. It is recommended, in the event of severe operating conditions, such as: frequent highway driving in top speed range, offensive, sporty driving style, frequent trailer operation, being above average, oil purification (oil change) on automatic transmissions is recommended between 80,000 km and 120,000km, or 8 years, depending on the load.

And this is taken from MY14 Land Rover Arduous Service Schedule (8-speed transmission):
Renew automatic gearbox fluid and filter every 10 years or 160,000km
This is the same frequency as the standard service schedule which is odd given that the arduous schedule typically has higher frequency fluid changes for other components.

Regards,
Scott

The disconnect between ZF and LR servicing frequencies can impact your transmissions longevity, and not in a good way. Personally, I would go for what the transmission manufacturer says is 'best practice for the 'owner', rather than what is in the 'best interest of the car manufacturer'.