Land Rover Repair: Transmission, forward gear, diff lock

Question
Hi John

I have a 1997 dico 1 se7 4.0L petrol automatic and has 103,000 miles. I had this car for 12,000 miles or 4 years. The problem is my transmission does not work in any forward gear, in low, high or diff lock. It runs fine in reverse. The check engine light is off so i took a OBD2 and no faults. What do you think the problem is , can i fix it my self or should i buy a used trans for $600? Can you help me?  

Answer
Hi Tim,

Your Disco has very little mileage on it and could be worth the time and money to repair.  103,000 miles is low for an 8 year old Disco.

The problem you describe could be your tranny BUT it could also be your transfer gearbox.

I hope you have had both examined by a specialist.

IF the problem is your tranny, yes by all means go ahead and do the replacement.  $600 for a Disco tranny is a very good price indeed!

The installation requires a garage, an engine lift and the right tools.  Additional help would make this easier but if you're stuck, you could probably do this yourself.

If you plan to replace the tranny yourself, you might be able to get a copy of the install instructions from your LR dealer.  Just ask them very nicely and maybe they'll help.

If you're serious about doing the install yourself, send me an email and I'll try to find more info to send to you:  jmcinnis64@hotmail.com

Best of luck,

JohnMc