Auto gearbox won't shift up to 3rd from 2nd

Hi,
I've had a few problems with solenoids on my auto box in my KV6 Freelander 1. All of my solenoids test OK electrically. However, I had a problem where the box wouldn't shift out of first until it warmed up. I fixed that by replacing Shift Solenoid A. The needle valve on that solenoid was barely moving and only 'worked' once the oil warmed up.

Since fixing that problem, there seems to be another problem that was being masked. The gears now shift nicely from 1st to 2nd but then do not shift to 3rd. If the revs get really high, it will shift to 4th and then 5th. Likewise, if I go into sport mode, the box will shift up from 2nd but seem to skip past 3rd to 4th, even though sometimes (not every time) 3rd is indicated on the dash readout. When I shift down, I do sometimes get 3rd. Once it warms up, the symptoms are far less frequent.

On the rare occasions when it does change from 2nd to 3rd, the shift is a little harsh.

I suspect that 1 or more of the remaining solenoids have failed in a similar (mechanical) way to Shift Solenoid A but I'm not sure which one/s. These solenoids are pretty expensive to source in Australia because of shipping costs and my labour is free, so I would rather not buy a full set.

Any advice would be appreciated.

BTW VW Jetta sites have excellent information on the jatco 506e gearbox but so far, I haven't come across this particular set of symptoms.

What’s your mileage, or kilometerage given you in Oz? Ever changed the gearbox oil or lost any?
I once had an auto, not an LR, where the box overheated, spewed out some oil, and wouldn’t change satisfactorily until I did a complete oil change.

I've had a similar problem for about a year now. https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/auto-box-stuck-in-1st-for-a-few-hundred-yards.333997/

Mine randomly sticks in 1st, but only when hot. I've not changed any solenoids yet, but I'm suspecting I've 1 or maybe 2 sticking solenoids.

When it does it, it sticks in first for a few seconds allowing the engine to rev up high, then it slams into 4th, illuminating the HDC light and flashing F4 on the dash.

I've got a set of replacement solenoids, that I'm cleaning and testing at the moment. I'll be fitting these as soon as I've made sure they're working correctly.

Maybe you need to clean or replace all of yours too?

Rank Amatuer said:

What’s your mileage, or kilometerage given you in Oz? Ever changed the gearbox oil or lost any?
I once had an auto, not an LR, where the box overheated, spewed out some oil, and wouldn’t change satisfactorily until I did a complete oil change.

Click to expand...

The vehicle has done about 160k km. The trans has been flushed and the level checked with the new fluid.