L322 Gearbox Problem

Hi all,

I have a problem with my auto gearbox. When it changes up from 2nd to 3rd at 2000 revs the change is very rough. It seems to jerk into 3rd gear. This only happens when it's warmed up after 15 minutes. It also doesn't like changing down gear after being driven in stop start traffic for 40 minutes. Could this be the ECU or does it sound like it's one of the gearbox clutches?

Thanks guys, any ideas welcome!

Have you checked the oil level and condition? When was the oil and filter last changed? Sounds mechanical to me.

The box was reconditioned 10,000 miles ago. I've taken it back to the specialist that did it but he said it was the ECU, after plugging it in to a fault code computer. I was thinking it sounds like bull****. Just wandered if there could be a chance that it's the ECU? Think i'm gonna take the RR to another garage for a service and get them to have a look then take it back to the auto box specialist before my warranty runs out! What a joke!

I assume you have the M62 V8 engine and so your transmission is the 5HP24?

It sounds like you may have an engagement problem (leakage?) with your D-brake. What are the 4-5 upshifts like (5th gear also uses the D-brake)?

The transmission ECU lives in a temperature-controlled, water-tight housing (alongside the engine ECU) out of harms way, up on the right-hand inner wing. The E-box has its own fan and thermostat to control the air temperature of the ECU’s surroundings and the air supply is taken directly from the passenger compartment to ensure that it’s dehumidified. There’s an awful lot of things that can go wrong with an automatic transmission. An ECU fault is the most unlikely of all of them. Clearly not a difficult thing to check, by substitution, anyway.

Thanks Bemble. You assume right, it is the M62 V8 engine and the 5HP24 transmission, apologies for not mentioning that earlier in the thread. I haven't noticed any problems changing up between 4th and 5th but that may be because I do a lot of journeys where I barley get into 4th gear. I'll check the change between 4th and 5th tomorrow.

Just to clarify, I took the car out last night and didn't get any rough changes between 4th and 5th. I don't really know what to do next other than what I wrote in the first post. What do you guys think?

its a l322 thing they play mind games because deep down you know its going to cost lots of £££££££££££££££££s, its only a matter of :clock:so many probs these gearboxes :frusty:even when its been reconditioned your on edge(well i am) counting down to when the guaruntee runs out lol

bigjudd said:

The box was reconditioned 10,000 miles ago. I've taken it back to the specialist that did it but he said it was the ECU, after plugging it in to a fault code computer. I was thinking it sounds like bull****. Just wandered if there could be a chance that it's the ECU? Think i'm gonna take the RR to another garage for a service and get them to have a look then take it back to the auto box specialist before my warranty runs out! What a joke!

Click to expand...

when mine was recon it lasted a week then had to spend more ££££££s on the electronic shifter control or something which had failed been all good since touch wood

How does the 2-3 upshift feel if you do it manually (i.e. using steptronic). Is every 2-3 shift bad in auto. mode (once warm) or is it just occasionally?

Exactly that Bemble. It still jerks when changing up from 2nd to 3rd in steptronic mode and auto mode when warm. Not every shift is bad, if I accelerate up to 2000 revs and take my foot off the accelerator it jerks into 3rd. It's not something i'm trying to make happen but becomes very noticeable when you are in stop start traffic. It also changes down roughly after driving in start stop traffic, almost like it's fighting to change down as I apply the brakes. I'm stumped! Could it be the transmission Rad, i'm not getting any trans overheating messages?

Thanks again

I just found a print out that the mechanic gave me. One of the faults is air suspension CAN, and also the thermostat. I've had the thermostat replaced! i've also lost a small amount of coolant recently.

I had thought about that, but the ECU’s ‘cooling strategy’ mode - which is initiated by high transmission fluid temperature (generally caused by the blocked radiator problem) - usually just causes shifting to higher gears being inhibited rather than upsetting the shifts themselves.

Temperature dependency always makes me suspicious of a hydraulic leakage issue i.e. fluid viscosity dependent.

So you’ve never seen the TRANS. FAILSAFE PROG message flagged on the instrument panel?

Are you able to get it plugged into Testbook/T4 (rather than whatever diagnostic kit the transmission specialist had) to see if any of the DTCs can help with the diagnosis?

Hi Bemble,

Trans failsafe has shown after the gearbox was reconditioned. The engineer said one of the a seel's had gone and the fluid had leaked out, that has been repaired though. I beleive it was the main gasket seel that leaked all the fluid out. This happened after the box was reconditioned.

Thanks

Hi all,

So i'm still battling on with my gearbox problems, months on...

Just did a temperature reading on the gearbox sump pan after driving in traffic for an hour and the box not changing gear until 3000-4000 revs. I haven't had any warnings from the message centre regarding gearbox faults. I believe the "TRANS OVERHEAT" warning only comes on at 140c, so hasn't been up to and over this temperature, thus giving me misleading info on what the problem has been all this time.

After driving in traffic for an hour, I used a laser thermometer to measure the temp of the gearbox oil sump, and it was at 135c, the cooler unit fed from the bottom radiator rows was at the same temperature roughly as all of the coolant hoses 90c. The two send and return gearbox oil feeds from the box to the cooler were much lower, around 60c. I'm guessing there is a blockage somewhere within the gearbox cooling system.

Whilst driving on the motorway, gear shifts seem to be ok. I think this is because airflow over the gearbox and sump, keeping to a reasonable temperature of operation.

I'm having the gearbox cooler replaced on Monday,along with the send and return oil feeds, then the radiator (3 yrs old) if this doesn't help.

Any ideas welcome.

Thanks guys!

my 2004 v8 vogue l322 geabox was playing up after about 40 mins driving , would change down in to 3rd and hold in 3rd unless you stopped switched of engine and restarted , however fault would soon reappear , never had trans fail safe , measured gearbox temp and found to be 125-128 deg c , so i can only assume the gearbox ecu etc starts to protect its self before entering trans fail safe by down shifting in order to pump the oil and water faster to aid cooling of the trans oil ,
as a result changed the rad for a original behr hella rad , weighed the new rad and old rad and found the old one weighed 4-500grms more indicating sludge/scale content, temp after fitment then dropped to 95-100 deg c
and the gearbox runs perfect , also changed gearbox oil and oil cooler a while after just for piece of mind

Right then, sounds exactly the same, thanks for the reply. I'm gonna phone the garage up and get them to chuck a new rad in as well, if it doesn't drain quick enough. Or do it myself :decision::decision::decision::decision:

I'll let you know the outcome in a few days.

Looks like changing the gearbox cooler has worked. Smooth changes after sitting in an hour of traffic across town, gearbox temperature around 95c. I'm going to change the rad soon as it drained slowly when the coolant was changed apparently.

Finally fixed it! :clap2:

Think i'm gonna buy another one, I want two...

bigjudd said:

looks like changing the gearbox cooler has worked. Smooth changes after sitting in an hour of traffic across town, gearbox temperature around 95c. I'm going to change the rad soon as it drained slowly when the coolant was changed apparently.

Finally fixed it! :clap2:

Think i'm gonna buy another one, i want two...

Click to expand...

yay !! :d