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jdea
Member Since: 02 Mar 2008
Location: Tannum Sands QLD
Posts: 176
  
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| Where do I buy automatic transmission fluid from? |
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I need to do a 'Double flush' on my auto transmission. Is Land rover the only place I can buy ATF from?
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 3rd Jun 2009 11:17 am |
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TDV6
Member Since: 23 Apr 2006
Location: Queensland or there abouts
Posts: 96
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No I don’t have an answer for you, but you have me very curious as I thought the auto system was sealed for the life of the car. What has upset the apple cart 
Ryall
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| 3rd Jun 2009 1:16 pm |
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RichardK
Member Since: 18 Jan 2006
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 295
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The fluid is Esso ATF LT 71141 as used in BMW, Audi and VW.
The price for the VW and BMW replacement oil is half that of LR
VW/Audi part no. G052162A2
BMW part No. 83-22-9-407-807
There is also Esso ATF LT 71141 available in Victoria from this link:http://www.imperialoil.com.au/NewFiles/automotive.html
Hope this helps
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| 3rd Jun 2009 2:08 pm |
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DingMark
Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Perth Oz or Erbil, Iraq
Posts: 388
  
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There's a thread somewhere else discussing this. My suspicion is that stating "sealed for life" is approaching deceptive and misleading conduct, but I'm only an engineer. I had another car in to a transmission specialist for a rebuild and noted 2 Jags getting new boxes (the same as in the D3 but tuned differently). The owner of the shop had me smell the fluid and it was nearly rancid. I had him flush my D3 transmission and transfer case (really, really expensive fluid) and both had a pretty rank smell.
Maybe leaving it sealed for the life of the transmission is a correct statement, but it just reduced the life. I'm planning to flush both every 2-3 years (price a new transmission and weigh the risks). Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)
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| 3rd Jun 2009 2:24 pm |
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RichardK
Member Since: 18 Jan 2006
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 295
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I suspect that you are on the right track, as I understand it the gearbox is supposed to be flushed (means also oil change) every 150000or close Kms.
It's not a difficult job and if you get the oil from the right place not all that expensive to keep the gearbox sweet
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| 3rd Jun 2009 2:42 pm |
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stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
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In my humble opinion, and based on my experiences of previous Auto boxes, "Sealed for life" really means "Sealed for the life of the warranty".
All my cars (not yet including the D3) have benefited from an Auto fluid change. IF you're going to do it, don't leave it too long and do it on a regular schedule. New ATF can/will dissolve varnish/sludge that has built up around shafts at the seals and has worn the seals. The varnish fills the gap. Putting new ATF into a box that has run for 200,000 miles on the original fluid will most likely kill the box as the deposits are dissolved causing leaks at the seals, and a sudden build up of dislodged sludge on the ATF filter, causing it to block and fail. Best practice is to always change the ATF filter at every change.
It's the same deal if you suddenly switch an engine lubrication from dino oil to synthetic after an extended period on dino; the synthetic oil dissolves the sludge and all the seals start leaking. It's the same with power steering racks too; new fluid has better cleaning properties than old so factor that in.
After a change of ATF, I found both the Autos I tried it on had smoother quicker take-up and ran up and down the gears more smoothly. I also changed my power steering fluid at the same intervals and found this made a massive difference to the power-assist of the steering too. Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
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| 3rd Jun 2009 5:57 pm |
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garryc
Member Since: 08 May 2007
Location: Adelaide Hills
Posts: 259
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| Re: Where do I buy automatic transmission fluid from? |
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jdea wrote:I need to do a 'Double flush' on my auto transmission. Is Land rover the only place I can buy ATF from?
I was quoted $89/litre from the LR dealer.  You can get the ZF Lifeguard6 from ZF in Sydney (ph 029 679 5555). I changed mine at 70k because the oil was 'coffee coloured' as described in the LR auto trans. check. The ZF website says to change at 80-120,000km if towing, high speed or temperature. I said I had not done any of that but fully loaded with steel bars front and back, extra spare wheel and long range tank takes me close to GVM which puts a load on the gearbox and oil. 2013 D4, E-diff, Vision pack
Never propose to a Yak
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| 4th Jun 2009 7:09 am |
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DingMark
Member Since: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Perth Oz or Erbil, Iraq
Posts: 388
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| Re: Where do I buy automatic transmission fluid from? |
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[quote="garryc"]jdea wrote:The ZF website says to change at 80-120,000km if towing, high speed or temperature.
However, don't know what the German definition of "temperature" (probably should prefix with "high") is. Looking at GarryC's photo, I would also suggest that diving the D3 into water up to its tranny on a warmish Oz day can do interesting things to the ATF composition and consistency as well. Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)
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| 4th Jun 2009 9:44 am |
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jdea
Member Since: 02 Mar 2008
Location: Tannum Sands QLD
Posts: 176
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Thank you very much for your responses. I started working with the land rover dealer on the Sunshine Coast (who was very good) to fix my transmission issues. We where following the transmission trouble shooting guide under the Harsh Roll Out Shifts 2-1 and we got down to: ‘remove the pan and inspect it’. I have not been able to get down to the sunny coast to finishing the job so I am going to get my local mechanic to do it…
Has anybody else had this issue?
Here is the auto trouble shooting guide if you havent seen it:
http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/albums/use...0guide.pdf
Thanks again
JD
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| 4th Jun 2009 10:27 am |
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tempestv8
Member Since: 11 Oct 2006
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 57
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This "sealed for life" scenario has existed for ZF autos for quite some time now. My '03 BMW 5 Series has a 5 speed ZF gearbox which has this same ESSO LT fluid in it as what the Disco 3 uses in it's 6 speed box.
When I get the transmission pan drained every 3 years (25,000 kms per year of driving), the fluid looks dark but it's not burnt. I've not had any transmission problems and the filter looks pretty good too, when it's opened up to check for evidence of transmission issues. Transmission ECU logs are empty too. Vehicle has now done 215,000 kms and no issues whatsoever.
The ZF specialist says that "filled for life" is a bit of a misleading statement. He recommends that if towing, it's best to service the transmission every 50,000 kms or every couple of years, to be on the safe side.
My Discovery II has a 4 speed ZF gearbox that uses mineral Dexron III fluid, which I replace every 20,000 kms. I believe that these ZF gearboxes will last a long long time if you drain the fluid and refill with fresh stuff regularly.
Cheers all,
Lawrance 
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| 21st Jun 2009 12:31 pm |
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ianv
Member Since: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Bungendore, New South Wales
Posts: 338
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Hi,
When I bought my disco 3 I asked what "life" meant and was told 10 years 200K, I changed mine at 100K and was surprised how smooth the transmission became again, Also changed the oil in the sealed for life transfer case, sealed for life ediff and sealed for life front diff. $1200 all up with the engine oil as well. Money well spent as I intend to keep the vehicle for many years.
That was at the 3 year mark.
Ianv TDV6
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| 22nd Jul 2009 2:21 pm |
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