FREELANDER 1 AUTOMATIC Gearbox Problem JATCO TD4

chrisk001 said:

With 3rd to 4th gear... and starts to work once car has been running for about 20 min.

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What sort of problem are you having?

Mine has just started selecting 2nd, when it's supposed to have selected 4th. This results in the engine racing, and the vehicle slowing down.

I thought I'd solved my problems with a solenoid change, but I'm guessing not.

From 1st to 3rd, no issues. When I try 4th then it goes to a neutral state, then you get almost this heavy down gear back to 3rd. If you keep pushing the accelerator and keep the revs up it does sometimes gives a big jerk and you will see the decent button show up on dashboard as orange and then also see a F4 flashing by the km reading. The car is then stuck in 3rd I believe. If you turn off and on, all resets. I’ve learned to let the car warm up and drive in sport mode so I can control the change to 3rd to 4th. Sometime on motorway I try to skip 4th and go to 5th as quick as possible. This engages more often the. From 5th to 4th never seems to be a problem. But sometime if not warm it won’t engage to 5th, does same neutral state... I’ve change the 2-4 solenoid, both. Had gearbox seal replace cause of leaking. I want to check the connectors, Barell. I think this is an electrical problem but just can’t find an answer and seen so many people with similar problem but no one saying it’s fixed...

Nodge68 said:

What sort of problem are you having?

Mine has just started selecting 2nd, when it's supposed to have selected 4th. This results in the engine racing, and the vehicle slowing down.

I thought I'd solved my problems with a solenoid change, but I'm guessing not.

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Hi Nodge, Please see my other post explaining. Sorry to hear of your problem.

Hippo said:

Unfortunately he never came back to advise if he got it fixed and if so how.

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Thank you, I’ve seen several posts where you have shared and also Julie Banks. Posts. Same problem Julie was having. If you remember anyone who did come right. I’ll keep searching for answers.

chrisk001 said:

When I try 4th then it goes to a neutral state, then you get almost this heavy down gear back to 3rd.

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That's exactly what mine has started doing. I think you'll find it's dropping back to second, at least that's what mine does. If I continue to drive with the engine racing, it eventually slams into 4th, which triggers the F4 message on the dash.

Nodge68 said:

That's exactly what mine has started doing. I think you'll find it's dropping back to second, at least that's what mine does. If I continue to drive with the engine racing, it eventually slams into 4th, which triggers the F4 message on the dash.

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Sounds very similar, that F4 is the common problem. 1st to 3rd... no issues. Only when getting in 4th. However when warmed up and generally on longer trips then it goes into 4th so smoothly... and drives wonderfully... I am thinking humidity, wetness somehow might be affecting electronics... but again just can’t find an answer.

chrisk001 said:

Sounds very similar, that F4 is the common problem. 1st to 3rd... no issues. Only when getting in 4th. However when warmed up and generally on longer trips then it goes into 4th so smoothly... and drives wonderfully... I am thinking humidity, wetness somehow might be affecting electronics... but again just can’t find an answer.

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F4 flashing is not the problem itself. F4 flashing is the default limp home mode selected after a problem has occured. The gearbox selects 4th gear so you can drive to safety then stop.

Nodge68 said:

That's exactly what mine has started doing. I think you'll find it's dropping back to second, at least that's what mine does. If I continue to drive with the engine racing, it eventually slams into 4th, which triggers the F4 message on the dash.

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Hi nodge, I still have that auto box you had the solenoid box from, arevyou near Aylesbury any time soon as I can drop it of there if you want to collect it at a later date

chrisk001 said:

Only when getting in 4th. However when warmed up and generally on longer trips then it goes into 4th so smoothly...

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Mine is seems fine most of the time, although I've not driven it much since it played up. The only time it seemed manifest itself, is when I got stuck in stop/start traffic, and it got very hot.

This is the second set of gear selection faults I've had with it. Last summer it started getting stuck in first gear, when pulling away. This later turned into the fault I have now. I replaced all the solenoids and the fluid in May. The box had behaved impeccably all summer, until 3 weekends ago, when I was stuck in traffic for 45 minutes. After I got out the traffic it was fine, until it just randomly went into second instead of 4th. Once it started doing it, it continued until it finally went into limp mode (F4). I've not driven it much since, as I have several vehicles at my disposal. I've decided to sell the thing now, and replace it with a 1.8 manual box FL1 instead.

I am so sure this is an electrical problem. If mechanical why does it work perfectly fine for a day or two and then also why does it work fine once you been driving for a while... it is randomly working fine and then not. I am thinking two things, either water, humidity is causing problem somewhere or oil is heating up and then making things work... i just can’t find the answer and no where is confirming..

deangermouse said:

Hi nodge, I still have that auto box you had the solenoid box from, arevyou near Aylesbury any time soon as I can drop it of there if you want to collect it at a later date

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Thanks for the offer. However I don't believe this is a problem with the gearbox itself. I'm convinced it's an electrical problem, particularly the electrical components under the gear selector.

chrisk001 said:

I am so sure this is an electrical problem. If mechanical why does it work perfectly fine for a day or two and then also why does it work fine once you been driving for a while..

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I've now got a permanent F4 issue, and the only thing I've touched is the electrical connections by the gear selector. So my next task is to remove the selector assembly and check the electronics on it.

Nodge68 said:

I've now got a permanent F4 issue, and the only thing I've touched is the electrical connections by the gear selector. So my next task is to remove the selector assembly and check the electronics on it.

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Let us know the outxome

I really love my Freelander 2005... but I am so heart sore that it’s not working, the mechanic here has taken me for $6k already and still hasn’t figured the problem out... they actually caused it after they changed the 2-4 brake solenoid... so I really think it’s electrical issue...

Wow expensive FL1 that will be! Nightmare when you can't bottom out a fault.

chrisk001 said:

the mechanic here has taken me for $6k already and still hasn’t figured the problem out... they actually caused it after they changed the 2-4 brake solenoid... so I really think it’s electrical issue.

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That's expensive but also interesting. I changed all my solenoids just 3 months before I started having this particular problem with it.
Before I changed my solenoids, mine would stick in first gear, or select random gears. So this new fault has become more definite, although I still can't find the cause. It doesn't help that my reader doesn't see the TCM to pull any codes, although it does read the date and serial number.

Nodge68 said:

Mine is seems fine most of the time, although I've not driven it much since it played up. The only time it seemed manifest itself, is when I got stuck in stop/start traffic, and it got very hot.

This is the second set of gear selection faults I've had with it. Last summer it started getting stuck in first gear, when pulling away. This later turned into the fault I have now. I replaced all the solenoids and the fluid in May. The box had behaved impeccably all summer, until 3 weekends ago, when I was stuck in traffic for 45 minutes. After I got out the traffic it was fine, until it just randomly went into second instead of 4th. Once it started doing it, it continued until it finally went into limp mode (F4). I've not driven it much since, as I have several vehicles at my disposal. I've decided to sell the thing now, and replace it with a 1.8 manual box FL1 instead.

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my old freelander did this until one day the water pipe that goes into the oil cooler burst and we discovered that the pipe had come apart inside so part of it was blocking the oil cooler hope this help

Nodge68 said:

Mine is seems fine most of the time, although I've not driven it much since it played up. The only time it seemed manifest itself, is when I got stuck in stop/start traffic, and it got very hot.

This is the second set of gear selection faults I've had with it. Last summer it started getting stuck in first gear, when pulling away. This later turned into the fault I have now. I replaced all the solenoids and the fluid in May. The box had behaved impeccably all summer, until 3 weekends ago, when I was stuck in traffic for 45 minutes. After I got out the traffic it was fine, until it just randomly went into second instead of 4th. Once it started doing it, it continued until it finally went into limp mode (F4). I've not driven it much since, as I have several vehicles at my disposal. I've decided to sell the thing now, and replace it with a 1.8 manual box FL1 instead.

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Did you check the cables coming from the barrel connector going up into the control unit? I had a F4 some years back and couldn't drive anymore. Also some issues with the 4th gear. Changed some solenoids out of specs, didn't work, changed then a wire going into the barrel connector, didn't help. It ended up with LR and they found a rubbed wire underneath the battery compartment which caused the problems. They had the whole gear box opened and checked till they found it, renewed it and all good.

chrisk001 said:

I really love my Freelander 2005... but I am so heart sore that it’s not working, the mechanic here has taken me for $6k already and still hasn’t figured the problem out... they actually caused it after they changed the 2-4 brake solenoid... so I really think it’s electrical issue...

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Did you ever move on with this issue?