Help, Freelander 1, 2.0 TD4, Diesel, Auto gearbox replacement?

Hi there. I'm Lawrence, I live in Ibiza. Firstly a free tip that if you are an out of work mechanic and want to make a fortune, come to Ibiza. They desperately need reliable mechanics and there are a lot of Land Rovers.

I am in search of an automatic gearbox for me beloved left hand drive Freelander 1, TD4, 2.0 Diesel, Automatic, 2002.

After some rough gear changes I took it to mechanic (1) who diagnosed a faulty oil transmission cooler and faulty water pump. The cooling system was full of brown mayonnaise, disgusting. After test-driving it once all the new parts were put in, the auto gear changes were still clunky, gear changes slipping, uncontrolled high revs....it was worse than before. He (1) said I needed a replacement gearbox.

I took it to another mechanic (2), much more reputable, and after some more inquiry and diagnosis, he said there was no gearbox oil in the auto-box! Something I thought the previous mechanic (1) checked, but when I asked him, he said he didn't think he needed to. Mechanic 2 did a lot of investigations and he's said there is internal damage to the box, and it isn't financially viable to take it apart to fix. I should find a replacement one.

So, please help me:

- Do you know any Spanish breakers (Barcelona, Valencia etc) who might have such a gearbox?
- Can I use an automatic gearbox from a petrol as a replacement for a diesel, or does it specifically need to be from a diesel?
- Can I use a gearbox from a right hand drive, or does it need to be specifically from a left hand drive?

Sorry on all the questions. This is already a huge challenge being based on this Balearic island, so I do need some help, thank you

lawrenceinibiza said:

Mechanic 2 did a lot of investigations and he's said there is internal damage to the box, and it isn't financially viable to take it apart to fix.

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Did he fill the fluid back up?
The internal components aren't that expensive, so it's likely repayable, if the repairer knows what they are doing.

lawrenceinibiza said:

Can I use an automatic gearbox from a petrol as a replacement for a diesel, or does it specifically need to be from a diesel?

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It has to be a diesel gearbox, as the bell housing is a different shape, and the gear ratios are also wrong.

lawrenceinibiza said:

Can I use a gearbox from a right hand drive, or does it need to be specifically from a left hand drive?

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Doesn't matter, the gearbox is the same regardless of LHD or RHD.

Thanks so much for the reply @Nodge68

Nodge68 said:

Did he fill the fluid back up?
The internal components aren't that expensive, so it's likely repayable, if the repairer knows what they are doing.

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Mechanic (2) did a "flush and fluid change correctly and even with 15 litres of new oil put through its still not 100% cherry red but not brown and burnt like it was when it came in".
Mechanic (2) put an inspection camera inside the transmission. He said he found damage to the bands internally and it seems a lug is worn away and broken off due to lack of oil.

So Mechanic (2) is saying it is uneconomical as repair he will need to firstly remove and then take the gearbox apart. So uneconomical in terms of labour hours required.

He's also done some diagnostics on the gears here
And ran a diagnostic camera where I think you can see a lug inside the gearbox missing

Nodge68 said:

It has to be a diesel gearbox, as the bell housing is a different shape, and the gear ratios are also wrong.

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Perfect information, thank you

Nodge68 said:

Doesn't matter, the gearbox is the same regardless of LHD or RHD.

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And really useful info too, thanks

Anyone know of a reliable / reconditioned Freelander 1, 2.0 TD4, Diesel, Auto gearbox for sale?

I know these guys have shipped to a member in Portugal before and have boxes available...

https://www.gentlemenofsalvage.co.u...&pf_pt_product_type=Gearboxes & Gearbox Parts

I've never used them. He said parts were good that they shipped.

GrumpyGel said:

I know these guys have shipped to a member in Portugal before and have boxes available...

https://www.gentlemenofsalvage.co.uk/collections/land-rover-freelander-1-used-parts-spares-accessories/?_=pf&pf_pt_product_type=Gearboxes & Gearbox Parts

I've never used them. He said parts were good that they shipped.

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@GrumpyGel thank you !

I wanted to write an update here (@GrumpyGel, @Nodge68), as it might be helpful to others.

So the short story is my TD4 auto gearbox was run dry and it seems irreparable damage was done. All gears slipping, no torque in any gear...done and dusted.

After trawling the internet for 2 months to find a correct replacement auto gearbox for the Freelander 1, TD4, 2.0 Diesel, Automatic, 2002, it came from a breaker yard in France, and was shipped to Ibiza. €1300 for the autobox and €200 shipping. It was a salvage gearbox, but they said it had been tested and was full-working order.

My mechanics in Ibiza (https://jjmotorcoibiza.wordpress.com - Jay and Steve are amazing guys if ever you need help in Ibiza or Wales) received and replaced my old gearbox, flushing the new gearbox 3 times, and also taking the old loom from my old gearbox (since the one on the replacement looked worn), and running all the tests. On the ramp everything was looking good, all gears working forwards and backwards and the wheels moving, but when they dropped the car, there was no torque / power in the reverse gear.

They've tested again and found this fault:



So, looking further we are worried that the infamous reverse band lug had broken or the bolt had been removed on the replacement box. But with further investigations, that doesn't seem the case. If the bolt had been removed or the lug broken, then reverse wouldn't engage at all, correct? Even when on the ramp? @GrumpyGel, @Nodge68 any insights here?

Now we are looking at the following routes:
1. Taking it to Land Rover to run the TestBook program to remove / reprogram the fault code on the ATCU
2. Buying a replacement "virgin" ATCU, hoping that this rectifies the problem and we can be back on the road.

In terms of buying a replacement "virgin" ATCU, does anyone have any recommendations? Or is it worth going to Land Rover for the replacement that is specifically programmed to my model?

lawrenceinibiza said:

then reverse wouldn't engage at all, correct? Even when on the ramp? @GrumpyGel, @Nodge68 any insights here?

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The reverse brake band is a known weak point in this gearbox. It's replaceable, but the gearbox case needs splitting to do it. The reverse piston can also have issues, so it's worth replacing that at the same time.