Warning light meaning...

Just had a lamp come on on my 96 300tdi auto. Climbing steep hill well a mountain actually very slowly behind someone. It's a red thermometer in a circle that could be a gear wheel. Upper left part of the instrument panel. Fairly sure it was the autobox temp warning. Just wondering if anyone can confirm as i didnt bring the manual to Romania... (doh)

Thanks in advance.

autobox temp warning.

Thought it was. Sorry for the late reply only just managed to get to catch up on internet now! It seems fine - only did it the once when the TC was being worked hard with lots of slippage.

In highsight I should have dropped the case into low ratio to give it a better choice of gears!

chris-the-gerbil said:

Thought it was. Sorry for the late reply only just managed to get to catch up on internet now! It seems fine - only did it the once when the TC was being worked hard with lots of slippage.

In highsight I should have dropped the case into low ratio to give it a better choice of gears!

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and...., in transfer neutral, and auto Drive, run the engine at 2000 rpm until the light goes out.... as per the handbook.

and then change the fluid at the first available opportunity - IIRC, the switch operates at 135 centigrade, and the ATF is toast by this point.

urgh - it's done a few thousand miles since then, coming back from the Carpathians!

It seems fine though, but for what it costs I'll flush ten litres through the box.

Worth checking the temp the switch switches at (!) - both the spec, (in case I am mistaken), and your switch, if you can be bothered - and maybe convincing yourself its worth doing first ...

I upgraded my cooler, and fitted a temp gauge - now I never see any more than 60 C, which is, IIRC, about optimum for ATF.

The switch as I recall is in the line to the cooler isn't it? I'll see if I can get it out and check assuming there wont be too much leakage from it sounds like a good idea.

The fluid is still red and clean, no signs of deteroration - if it had been up to 135C I'd expect it to be much worse. Maybe it is a duff sensor....

chris-the-gerbil said:

The switch as I recall is in the line to the cooler isn't it? I'll see if I can get it out and check assuming there wont be too much leakage from it sounds like a good idea.

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Yep, it is in one of the cooler pipes - which one is the $64K question as the flow reverses on TC lockup. There'll be a bit of fluid come out = probably best to beg or borrow a plug for the 'ole!

chris-the-gerbil said:

The fluid is still red and clean, no signs of deteroration - if it had been up to 135C I'd expect it to be much worse. Maybe it is a duff sensor....

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Cool! hopefully - Or I have remembered the temp wrong !!

Edited to add - apparently the switches are a known weakness - and its probably the switch - plenty of info on the web...
Here's the opinion of our "own" JM on this issue with clean oil... in an old thread...
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/gearbox-warning-light.156334/