Thread: Disco TDI Auto trans oil.

This may start an interesting dabate. The owners hand book and LR recomend using Dexron III in the auto and I have been using this and changing oil and filter every 20k's. At the 80k mark, the output seal started to leak, so with much effort and the help of my very strong son I took the transfer case off the back of the trans and replaced the seal. Did the t/case input seal at the same time. About 100k mark starting leaking again and have not got around to changing again. I am still using Dexron III (Castrol) and changin at 20k intervals. Now done 126k's.
Heres the twist / question, saw an old post about what oils to use which directed the reader to castrols web site. Here you can look up your vehicle and see what oils to use. Castrol recomend for the auto Transmax M, this is a different viscosity and friction co efficent to Dexron III. I am now confused. So i log onto Valvoline's website. Look up the dosco and Valvoline recommend to use ATF type D. This again is different from Transmax M and Dexron III. Shell recommend ATF IID, this also is different again. Penrite recommend Dexron III. All these web sites are powered by Datateck, so the info should be the same, supposedly.
So, if the output seal is still leaking, what is the best oil to use that will slow it down? Which is the correct oil to use anyway? If LR say use Dexron III, why do these major players in supplying LR their oil recommend other types?

I thought after being in the auto game for many years and being a fair bush mechanic, I could answer most problems as they arise, but this has got me buggered as to what to use. Help!!!

My disco is manual, so i cant really tell you which particlular oil to use. But i had the whole what oil should i used dillema when ii bought my disco, I rang land rover in bathurst and asked them what they used. They use Caltex MTF 94 for the manual, this is an oil especially forumlated for LR by caltex especially for land rover manual gear boxes. I found that caltex was fairly well priced compared to others and it is a good reputable brand, try them aswell.
As for what to do, i would listen to the oil companies, they know more about oil than land rover. By the sounds of it, the dextron III is causing the leaks, or at least linked to them, it wouldnt hurt to use another oils, say castrol, valvoline, penrite, caltex etc, if the oil companies recommend it then i would use it. Matt