HELP NO REVERSE DRIVE IN FREELANDER TD4 AUTO

Hi fellas not been on for a while as my td4 been running sound for a while,but guess what,finished work today drove forward,stopped and put into reverse and no drive what’s so ever,was ok this morning when I reversed into parking space but nothing at all,selector comes up r on dash when selecting reverse and get a little nudge in car when selecting,but no drive at all and no error codes from reader,would appreciate some help on this if you can as not long spent mo eye on injectors and need to sort this out myself,a big thanks in advance for any help offered,regards

Is it no drive only in reverse??
Mine did that, assuming you haven't recently had a garage work on the gearbox, they may have undone the wrong bolt!!! Then the most likely cause is a broken reverse band in the gearbox.
I got my gearbox reconditioned, about £500 including refitting.

Thanks for reply mate appreciated,yes only drive in reverse,no garage done any work on gearbox as don’t trust many,done the gearbox oil change myself as described on this forum 18 months ago and been running nice and smooth since,so I now it’s been done right when I do the work myself,but had an issue with loads of smoke not so long ago and took it to a nearby independent landrover guy who tested and swapped 3 of my injectors for a cost so don’t want to be spending that kind of money again,is it fair job to do to replace this band you say that could have gone mate

I do everything on the Freelander except auto boxes!!
I sent it to a reconditioned so no idea what work is involved. Others may have done it themselves but I think you will need special tools, pullers etc.

I now to a gearbox reconditioner around the corner from where I work,how much work is involved in removing the gearbox itself if I can get someone to look at it already off the motor if the price is right,I love my freelander but if this is to much to sort then I’d have to let it go as already losing out after injector replacements

I'd let them have a look with it in the car first to check diagnosis.

Box is very heavy but if you have a crane it can come out from the top.
Driveshafts, IRD off and, from memory you may need to push engine to one side to get clearance to remove and disconnect from drive plate.

cracked reverse piston most likely..

Hi Henry thanks for a reply,would this just suddenly go or go over time as had no faults up until a sudden no drive

Just goes, about 100k ish on mine.

How easy is it to change a cracked reverse piston

fastasulike72 said:

How easy is it to change a cracked reverse piston

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The gearbox needs to come apart, and the damaged parts replaced.
While the box is apart, it's best to replace all the wearable parts.

Thanks for reply nodge,but it’s nowing what parts need replacing or it will cost to replace everything,thinking of getting a freelander 2,as not sure I want to spend more mo ey on it,what could you say as what to watch out for as I now you’ve gone to one and have you done the cam belt change and if yes how did you get on with that,your advice would be greatly appreciated

fastasulike72 said:

Thanks for reply nodge,but it’s nowing what parts need replacing or it will cost to replace everything,thinking of getting a freelander 2,as not sure I want to spend more mo ey on it,what could you say as what to watch out for as I now you’ve gone to one and have you done the cam belt change and if yes how did you get on with that,your advice would be greatly appreciated

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Unfortunately you won't know exactly what parts your gearbox needs, until it's apart on the technician's bench. However if the technician knows the Jatco box well, then he/she'd have a good idea of what is needed beforehand.


The Freelander 2 is a different machine altogether, and technically much more advanced than the FL1.

I have a soft spot for the FL1, and would like to make one into an EV one day. However we as a family need something more suited to everyday transport, hence the FL2.

I bought one with issues, and was happy to use this as a test machine to learn about it. Unfortunately it's been more trouble than I was expecting, as I not only had to fix someone else's mistakes, but I'm also now trying to sort out an ECM/ECU/PTM (engine computer) as it has a misfire when cold or under load. This has meant getting some serious diagnostic equipment, including LR's own SDD software.

I've had to rebuild the cylinder head, and replace a damaged piston, so yes I did the timing belt.

While the engine was apart, it was an easy job to incorporate into the repair, but even on its own, the timing belt isn't difficult. It's probably 3 hours work for a novice to such things, but you will need the special locking tools (about £30), and get a complete belt kit with the water pump, tensioner, idler and crank pulley bolt.

I found the DW12 engine no more difficult to work on than any other PSA or Ford engine, but the LR electrics are complex and plentiful.

Thanks nodge for that as it’s a toss up between a freelander 2 or an Audi A6 estate as I pull a caravan and with a family

fastasulike72 said:

Thanks nodge for that as it’s a toss up between a freelander 2 or an Audi A6 estate as I pull a caravan and with a family

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The Freelander gets my vote as a tow car, simply because it's heavier and higher, giving a more stable towing platform, and better visibility to issues up the road, meaning more time to react.

There's a good looking, well maintained FL2 in the for sale section right now,https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-2-hse-2008-silver.365219/
which is very good value IMO, and not far from you.

Cheers nodge I will take a look now

Just had a look nodge and it’s a clean motor unfortunately it’s a manual and I need an auto as bad knees

Hi nodge sorry to bother you mate but can I ask if an auto gearbox in a v6 is the same as what’s in a td4 at all,as there’s some gearbox’s for sale stating for the v6 but not the td4,regards

fastasulike72 said:

Hi nodge sorry to bother you mate but can I ask if an auto gearbox in a v6 is the same as what’s in a td4 at all,as there’s some gearbox’s for sale stating for the v6 but not the td4,regards

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No problem.
And no, they're different. I suspect some key components are the same, but the gear ratios are different, as are the casings, so unfortunately you need a TD4 auto box.

Thanks for that mate appreciated