No reverse gear after trip to garage for auto box oil change

Right guys i know i only post occasionally but follow this forum regularly and really value the advice from the people on here so here goes and sorry this post is quite long but really need your advice on this one!
I own 2004 auto td4 Free Lander and today it went into the garage for some repair work and auto box fluid change. The work i had done was the seals on the rear diff and the diff mounts and the front ball joint and of course the fluid in the auto box. Anyway the work was done so went to pick up the car only to be told the reverse gear is not working? All the other gears are fine but when reverse is engaged the car tries to move back and the engine revs with very little movement. Now i am beginning to think just off what i have read over the years off the forum that maybe the wrong bolt has been removed. The garage is of course adamant that this is not the case as there is only one drain plug. I will be going back to the garage in the morning to speak with the owner who i know really well to see what he has to say. Anyway i now have a Free Lander with no reverse gear which was present and working when the car went to them. Any words of wisdom from you guys is really what i need to go armed with in the morning. Thanks in advance Alan

They've broken your car. They need to fix it sharpish.
Simples.

It will, with almost certainty, they removed the wrong plug searching for the level plug, they have to admit it and repair foc, or pay a specialist to repair. Download some info on this issue and take with you!

Did this garage know anything about how to service your car?.

they have done all the work in the past without issues and i did ask them if they were confident with the auto oil change because i knew it wasn't straight forward and they took it on.

alkaja said:

they have done all the work in the past without issues and i did ask them if they were confident with the auto oil change because i knew it wasn't straight forward and they took it on.

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Loss of reverse gear on a Jatco auto (fitted to FL1 auto's) is a common problem. The garage will say they're confident even if they're not, as they want your money and the work. If it is the wrong bolt (typical of auto oil change on FL1) then they will need to get inside the auto to put the brake band back. If they don't know how to correctly change the auto oil, using the correct bolt, then they may not have set the auto oil level correctly too.

When you turn up at the garage ask them what the problem is. Tell them it was ok before they worked on it. After they waffle... ask to see the instructions they have to change the auto oil. At this point they should have similar to the following:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/1055940-post48.html

The wrong bolt looks like an oil level plug, and is located part way up the rear of the auto, when fitted in yer hippo. Hence why it's so easy to mistake it, if you don't know what yer doing and don't have the instructions.

Thanks guys for the advice i have been over the garage this morning and in all fairness the guy has put his hands up and admitted taking out the wrong bolt.I now have a courtesy car and and repairs/replacement are now in process.

It's good to hear they're sorting it. Most garages involved in problems don't put their mistakes right.

That's great news it is not many who do that :5bhurray::5bhurray I have a garage that mostly do auto boxes so know how to do it properly .

:bounce:

Further to the problems i had with the loss of reverse gear after the removal of the wrong bolt by the garage.They have now sorted this with an easy simple fix i will post the details when i receive the write up from the mechanic from the garage.All is now well and smooth as silk happy days...

I wonder if they know of a quick way to put it right, like access via another bolt hole or the top.

alkaja said:

Further to the problems i had with the loss of reverse gear after the removal of the wrong bolt by the garage.They have now sorted this with an easy simple fix i will post the details when i receive the write up from the mechanic from the garage.All is now well and smooth as silk happy days...

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Have you posted the fix.... Think someone has done the same to mine!

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-td4-no-reverse-gear.165466/


https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-gearbox-fluid-level.105027/

CarolLSmith said:

Have you posted the fix.... Think someone has done the same to mine!

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Sorry don't have the Free Lander 1 now I have moved onto a Free Lander 2.Anyway as far as i can make out the mechanic had in fact removed the wrong bolt.The way he explained the fix to me was! that he drilled a hole through the gearbox plug he had removed and then tapped out the hole and refitted it,he then relocated the locking ring inside the gearbox through the hole he had drilled in the gearbox plug and fitted a smaller bolt into the tapped out hole in the gearbox plug.Sorted the job out.Hope this helps.

alkaja said:

Sorry don't have the Free Lander 1 now I have moved onto a Free Lander 2.Anyway as far as i can make out the mechanic had in fact removed the wrong bolt.The way he explained the fix to me was! that he drilled a hole through the gearbox plug he had removed and then tapped out the hole and refitted it,he then relocated the locking ring inside the gearbox through the hole he had drilled in the gearbox plug and fitted a smaller bolt into the tapped out hole in the gearbox plug.Sorted the job out.Hope this helps.

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he was lucky then

jamesmartin said:

he was lucky then

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He said it was quite easy to do really considering the possible impact it could have had with no reverse gear i think he thought he was looking at stripdown of the box.
jamesmartin

alkaja said:

He said it was quite easy to do really considering the possible impact it could have had with no reverse gear i think he thought he was looking at stripdown of the box.
jamesmartin

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usually people have tried the box in d and r several times first which dislodges the brake band ,meaning you need to front housing off to refit, but certainly clever thinking

jamesmartin said:

usually people have tried the box in d and r several times first which dislodges the brake band ,meaning you need to front housing off to refit, but certainly clever thinking

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hope this helps others.like i said i have moved onto Free lander 2 Manual and although i loved my Free Lander 1 and did loads of miles both on and off road very capable it was to no where near as good as the Free Lander 2 just my opinion mind you.

alkaja said:

hope this helps others.like i said i have moved onto Free lander 2 Manual and although i loved my Free Lander 1 and did loads of miles both on and off road very capable it was to no where near as good as the Free Lander 2 just my opinion mind you.

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im sure it will