1998 V8 3.9 auto gear problem HELP PLEASE

Gears aren't selectable manually or automatically in D? Is it normal when hot or still revving high? What else have you changed or had done for your £3,500?

The second gear is not selected until normal temperature - the revs are then OK and the other gears change. But eventually, hours instead of days there are no gears - warning signs are revs racing or gear 'jumping' in. all the parts have been changed which i mentioned plus some rethreading of a pipe. The car seems perfect then .....there is obviously some leak oil or pressure - no one has any idea here. They have drawn conclusions I had last year! They have replaced parts which were OK. I suspect a hairline crack in the casing or something. Testing yet again

Woooah, slow down a bit, so;
1st gear is always ok whatever the temperature and however long the vehicle has been left? (no difference in revs or anything)
2nd and up won't select until warm? (1st post) or any gear until warm? (2nd post) How long does this take?
What pipe was re-threaded?
Are the symptoms the same in D as manually selecting 1,2,3?

I would take it to an auto specialist. I have had the same problem on two autos (a bmw and a volvo t5). something to do with bands being retensioned? not quite sure but they fixed it.

Just a point to mention, another volvo had the same problem and was fixed by simply changing the gearbox oil and filter!

Hope this helps.

This is how it goes - I start the car - select drive and away we go- the 2nd gear cannot be reached until maybe 5 km or until the temp gauge shows normal. If I accelerate it only increases the revs 5 -6000 and it will not change gear - when the temp is reached then the rest of the gears are OK.That is in the beginning, but after a few days / hours it gradually takes longer to reach 2nd and then eventually I lose all the gears. the pipe was a leak on gear box but this was a new problem after fixing all the rest. The car is currently in Land Rover specialist they are trying everything. It has been through 2 other garages, who replaced valve bodies gear box etc The mileage is low the engine sound. Thanks for replies everyone. I am in Saudi - the last time it broke completely I was on a distant desert beach in the dark 20km from main road!

This is how it goes - I start the car - select drive and away we go- the 2nd gear cannot be reached until maybe 5 km or until the temp gauge shows normal. If I accelerate it only increases the revs 5 -6000 and it will not change gear - when the temp is reached then the rest of the gears are OK.That is in the beginning, but after a few days / hours it gradually takes longer to reach 2nd and then eventually I lose all the gears. the pipe was a leak on gear box but this was a new problem after fixing all the rest. The car is currently in Land Rover specialist they are trying everything. It has been through 2 other garages, who replaced valve bodies gear box etc The mileage is low the engine sound. Thanks for replies everyone. I am in Saudi - the last time it broke completely I was on a distant desert beach in the dark 20km from main road!

So I'm assuming you haven't tried manually changing through the box 1-2-3-D then? because this uses different valves to the autochange in D and quickly eliminate valves as a problem without replacing them, from what you've described & what you've had done already, I'd be looking at electronics and sensors - have you had a diagnostic fault code reading? and if so any results?

The gears do not function using 1-2-3 either. When the 'thing' happens all gears are lost. What sensors are there in 1998 Disco? On the last occasion this happened the gear oil had gone completely thus breaking the pump (now replaced) there is no obvious mechanical part which hasn't been checked - it must be down to pressure leak or suchlike - maybe the casing. Is this possible?

I was thinking more likely the pressure control solenoid (valve) allowing pressure release from the system (located in valve block) meaning not enough pressure is making it into the box (and activating the hydraulic clutches), although a faulty shift control solenoid could cause the same symptoms, if the valves have been replaced as you state, then I a m suggesting that possibly the EAT ECU or related wiring is at fault, or the pressure sensor itself, but all these should return a fault code if you've had them read.