My 54 plate manual TD5 has developed an annoying intermittent problem that hopefully someone may have come across before. It only happens when changing down through the gearbox.

For example, approaching a set of traffic lights, come off the throttle, depress the clutch and all ok so far. Try and move the gear lever and it won't come out of gear. Lift the clutch and depress it again and the pedal has no pressure. Depress the clutch a few more times and the pressure comes back and the gear lever will move. Everything now back to normal and it could be a few days before the problem recurs.

It seems very odd that it only happens when I want to change down, never on a change up. I can't think its a mechanical/hydraulic problem so I'm wondering if its electrical, possible a sensor somewhere that's mis-sensing the throttle position or clutch position so won't allow free movement within the gearbox.

Car has just shy of 100k on the clock and had a new gearbox last November. The clutch was in good nick so wasn't changed at the time.

Any suggestions from those more knowledgeable than me?

Many thanks
Jim

Any suggestions from those more knowledgeable than me?

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For God's sake put an introduction in the appropriate section befire the forum Rotweillers savage you!!!!


If the clutch has no pressure but will pump up then it's pretty certain there is a problem with the master or slave cylinder. First check the fluid level and have a look at both for any leaking. I would be wary of driving it until fixed, it could let go completely at any time

:welcome2::search:
if you do not introduce your self you will get pounded into dust so
personaly it would look like the slave to me

Spent most of the morning searching the interweb for answers to the problem and no luck, hence posting here.

Odd things are that you don't have to pump the clutch for it to come back. When this happens, if you leave the clutch pedal down and just let the car carry on the gear lever becomes free after 15-20 seconds and everything is back to normal. No loss of fluid, all levels normal and constant. Also, in the more than a dozen times now this has happened, it only even occurs on a down change, never on the up. That's what made me wonder if something electrical wasn't registering correctly to allow gear change. My previous car was fly by wire and you could get some really odd things happening that you wouldn't necessarily associate directly with the Fly by wire/ECU.

this is your statement from the first post

Lift the clutch and depress it again and the pedal has no pressure. Depress the clutch a few more times and the pressure comes back and the gear lever will move.

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so as long as the pedal is playing up the problem is hydraulic or mechanic... no sensors are involved in the pedal's stiffness... the only sensor connected to the clutch function is the clutch switch which is there to provide surge damping and doesnt affect the pedal whatsoever(surge damping stops engine speed rising dramatically (engine flaring) during gear change. )

sierrafery said:

the only sensor connected to the clutch function is the clutch switch which is there to provide surge damping and doesnt affect the pedal whatsoever(surge damping stops engine speed rising dramatically (engine flaring) during gear change. )

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Thanks for pointers. I do from time to time get engine surging during gear change so looks like the clutch switch might need sorting too.

How long have you had the car and what do you know of it's history?

As said check the fluid and the master and slave for leaks, they're not really expensive and when I had problems I changed both just to make things easier. A change of Gearbox Oil would also help to make the gearbox changes easier.

Been away for a couple of days and had more time to think about exactly whats happening, and the problems occurred twice more in circumstances where I've been able to concentrate on the sequence of events rather than traffic etc around me.

Firstly, I bought the car in June 2011 from Berkshire Land Rover. 54 plate Disco 2 TD5. One owner from new and full main dealer service history. Gearbox failed and replaced November 2011 with a recon unit from Ashcroft Transmissions.

Just to reiterate the problem only occurs on down shift, ie where the car is coasting with foot off the gas (as in approaching traffic lights or a roundabout). Depress the clutch and all feels normal except its impossible to move the gear level. Pumping the clutch pedal does not increase the stiffness of the pedal until 15-20 seconds later (if you haven't stalled by that point) the clutch is suddenly fully back. Yesterday it happened on a quiet road and when I realised I couldn't change gear I didn't pump the clutch pedal, I just left it fully on the floor. After the usual 15-20 seconds the clutch is pushing the pedal with my foot on back up off the floor with some force. Waited until the pedal was close to the top of its travel, depressed the pedal again and all back to normal with gear level free to move. As I mentioned, changing up through the box when the engine is driving the box as apposed to the car free wheeling, the problem's never happened.

Could this be a sticking clutch plate or something similar. I'm no mechanic so excuse any naivety but for the clutch pedal to be forcing my foot back off the floor by itself doesn't seem to suggest a hydraulic problem. There's no loss of fluid, leaks, bad connections or hoses.

Just thinking r380 had a mod to alow mor oil over the selector will look into it further as I had two new boxes from lr with a similar fails
15-20 seconds alows the oil to cool slightly