[troverman]

My 95 RR 4.0SE is needed right now to get me through the presently occuring blizzard in New Hampshire. I am getting "Gear Box Fault" when driving and immediately after shutting the car off. Trans does not seem to want to kick down and is a little clunky / grinding when in reverse! The trans has had no problems before now always smooth, etc--What causes the fault on the message center to appear? Just checked the diff fluid levels, trans fluid level, etc last week and fine since.

Must get 1 hour north to destination (am home) in big snow and contemplating taking rear drive Mercedes. Not happy.

 

[OkieRover]

Don't know that one sorry.

 

[Disco Mike]

Your transmission is toast, if you want to attemp to have it rebuilt, don't drive it any more. If you continue to drive it she will let you down big time and at this point there is nothing you can do to make it any better.
Sorry,
Mike J.

 

[troverman]

Transmission is Toast!? No way! It was PERFECT this morning. Transmissions do not just "go" like that. They slip, flare, leak, etc. This one has had no problems and no signs. No burnt tranny fluid, no smells, etc. Car has 140k on it, my Classic has 190k and no trans problems. Not abused ever.

 

[Disco Mike]

Based on your first post, I'll put my 20 plus years in a shop, that that tranny is going down. It doesn't need to smeel bad or slip to have a hard part brake.
Trust me they do just go like that so do yourself a favor and have some check it.
Mike J.

 

[OkieRover]

Disco Mike's news is not good news. But he is right they do "just fail" without warning. I have had two transmissions do that. One in my 1973 Maverick and the other in our 1992 Aerostar.

 

[troverman]

End Story-Thanks for quick replies--turns out problem is chaffing on trans wiring harness between trans ecu and the trans itself--two wires were scraped and were touching, creating a ground short--thus making the ecu think there is a "gearbox fault"--this sends the transmission by default into basically a "limp home" mode creating the error message, hard shifts, no kickdown, etc. Taped up the wires and moved the harness up above the frame--now car is fine, no error message, back to normal. Great.

 

[Disco Mike]

Good you found it. So nw that it is back up and running, how is the fluid, is it time to service it? Call this little experience a friendly reminder.
Take care,
Mike J.

 

[AdrianL]

Troverman So,

How is it that you compare your two RR? I see you have 92 and 95 P38.
I personally have 95 RR LWB and I was looking for the 99-2000 4.6HSE and heard it is just electrical nightmare, and based on your experience, this is also related to the electrical issue?

 

[OkieRover]

Glad to hear it was something not so bad!

 

[troverman]

Fluid level is good, fluid is clean, no smell. Will probably change it & filter in summer. Running perfect still. Thanks for advice all.

Classic is much simpler as you know. We were hesitant to buy a P38 for same reasons you are. We had been told and heard of P38's being towed to dealers for computer issues. When we decided we wanted one we justified that only a few needed to be towed, or it was because the rich people who owned them didn't know how to work on them.

The week we picked ours up it had to be towed to a dealer in VT because it had locked owner out and dead-bolted doors, disabled handles, etc.

It was fine for us for 7k miles. Then it wouldn't start one morning for no reason. I worked on it for two weeks saying to myself I won't have this truck towed! So I ended up having to tow it after I tore the whole truck apart trying to fix it! I though we must have a lemon, no car can not start the engine because it has some kind of security issue. I live 100 miles from nearest dealer and there is one other P38 in my town, a 2000 4.0SE. I call the towing service and start to give directions to dealer but they say "Oh we know right where that is, we just towed another Range Rover there two weeks ago!!"

Great car, but has potential for lots of problems. We were going to take on cross-country trek out west this summer because it has room, but not so trusting of it now! Thinking of taking the reliable Benz wagon now, at least better mpg!