I could really use some help here - I'm totally new to Rovers, and in WAY over my head.
So here's the story boys -
My wife fell in love with the LR3 (as did I), so we found a white 2005 HD with 122k a couple hours away, took it to a reputable third party Rover repair shop and had it checked out. It came back with a clean bill of health except for a stuck rear diff (it's an HD), and a bad alternator. We discussed this with the dealership and we ended up getting it for what I thought was a good enough deal that I could fix the mechanical issues and still be in a good spot with the vehicle.
The second day of ownership started with the LR3 going into "limp mode" and throwing up the "Transmission fault - limited gears available" on the dash. Having read some threads on this, I was putting this down to the bad alternator, and low amperage/voltage. I charged the car overnight, and it ran fine the next day for the first 15 minutes of driving or so, then it would go into the same fault. Again, my thinking was, if the battery is not getting the proper charge, I'm losing electrical pixies, so the car is throwing a fit.
- Replaced alternator
- Replaced battery
- Replaced driver tail light bulb
I checked the codes with my OBD sensor, and got back P0735 - 5th gear incorrect ratio. At this point it was shifting hard from about 3rd gear on. Fixing all the things I knew how to do, it was time to have a pro look at it.
Being that this is my first Rover, and for my wife, I wanted it perfect (or as perfect as a 11 year old truck can get) so my wife drove it to Outland Motors in Bend, OR to have it looked at by a professional. Outland had the same issues. It would drive fine for the first 10 minutes or so, then start shifting hard and throwing codes...
Outland has run some diagnostics and believes I might need an entire new transmission. I'm fine with that if it actually needs it, but it seems excessive for something that could be a myriad of smaller problems.
Here is my thinking and what I think we should try first:
1. Transmission flush with Mercon SP
2. Replacement of mechitronics unit and new solenoids - along with new filter and fluid
3. Replacement of transmission.
So here's my questions:
Could a stuck rear diff be causing a ratio mismatch with the input/output shafts in the tranny? would fixing that fix the transmission issues?
Does this sound reasonable? Or am I throwing money away on a tranny that just needs replaced?
Do I have Outland do the work or take it to an actual transmission shop?
If I do need a valve assembly or transmission, where do I source them for cheap?
I've been in love with Discovery's since I watched the Camel Rally's as a kid. I really really want to love this vehicle, and I know they can be eccentric, but this has been in the shop almost since we bought it. Time to get it fixed and start using it!:banghead:
So here's the story boys -
My wife fell in love with the LR3 (as did I), so we found a white 2005 HD with 122k a couple hours away, took it to a reputable third party Rover repair shop and had it checked out. It came back with a clean bill of health except for a stuck rear diff (it's an HD), and a bad alternator. We discussed this with the dealership and we ended up getting it for what I thought was a good enough deal that I could fix the mechanical issues and still be in a good spot with the vehicle.
The second day of ownership started with the LR3 going into "limp mode" and throwing up the "Transmission fault - limited gears available" on the dash. Having read some threads on this, I was putting this down to the bad alternator, and low amperage/voltage. I charged the car overnight, and it ran fine the next day for the first 15 minutes of driving or so, then it would go into the same fault. Again, my thinking was, if the battery is not getting the proper charge, I'm losing electrical pixies, so the car is throwing a fit.
- Replaced alternator
- Replaced battery
- Replaced driver tail light bulb
I checked the codes with my OBD sensor, and got back P0735 - 5th gear incorrect ratio. At this point it was shifting hard from about 3rd gear on. Fixing all the things I knew how to do, it was time to have a pro look at it.
Being that this is my first Rover, and for my wife, I wanted it perfect (or as perfect as a 11 year old truck can get) so my wife drove it to Outland Motors in Bend, OR to have it looked at by a professional. Outland had the same issues. It would drive fine for the first 10 minutes or so, then start shifting hard and throwing codes...
Outland has run some diagnostics and believes I might need an entire new transmission. I'm fine with that if it actually needs it, but it seems excessive for something that could be a myriad of smaller problems.
Here is my thinking and what I think we should try first:
1. Transmission flush with Mercon SP
2. Replacement of mechitronics unit and new solenoids - along with new filter and fluid
3. Replacement of transmission.
So here's my questions:
Could a stuck rear diff be causing a ratio mismatch with the input/output shafts in the tranny? would fixing that fix the transmission issues?
Does this sound reasonable? Or am I throwing money away on a tranny that just needs replaced?
Do I have Outland do the work or take it to an actual transmission shop?
If I do need a valve assembly or transmission, where do I source them for cheap?
I've been in love with Discovery's since I watched the Camel Rally's as a kid. I really really want to love this vehicle, and I know they can be eccentric, but this has been in the shop almost since we bought it. Time to get it fixed and start using it!:banghead: