Hi Guys,

Quick one, does anyone else's gearbox make a clunking noise sometimes when you put it from P to D or R or any which way.

Only sometimes, its not even when its revving either just with foot on brake, change gear and sometimes you get a CLUNK.

MY19 SCV8 but guessing that doesn't really matter as all the same gearbox no?

Thanks
DM Non JLR Vehicle

Last edited by DangerMouseUK on Thu Feb 13 2020 6:10pm. Edited 1 time in total

This is likely to be drivetrain play. Have a look at all UJ's and visible areas first.
A small amount is usual and permissible. 2011 MY D4 HSE
Previously 2001 D2 TD5, 1996 D1 300Tdi, 1985 90 2.2 petrol.
Bikes! KTM, BMW, British, Classics and others.

The gearbox (and car) have only done about 900 miles - is this normal?

It only does the clunk now and then can't really figure out why.

Also is there a reason why the air suspension would make a cracking noise when lowering from normal mode to access height around the back area - again intermittent? Non JLR Vehicle

Are you lowering it prior to putting the handbrake on or after ?

No letting it lower in situ.

Have been reading around and can see the EPB and general suspension strain can cause it just never noticed it on a previous RRS let alone a new-ish one before.

The Clunking gearbox is also intermittent but again Im guessing also slightly EPB related and timing related for when the engine is still revving at engine start up.

Annoying but there you go I guess! Non JLR Vehicle

I have had Range Rover's since 1972 so I can safely say I have driven a few and experienced their functions.
If your sat in the car with your foot on the footbrake whilst raising or lowering the car it will creak.
That's because you're holding the brake pads on all the time. They need to be released alternatively and momentarily ever now and then through the raise or lower cycle, so try it with just the handbrake on as that way it will cycle the brakes correctly.

Cool I guess I'll turn off the auto EPB - why did they make it a feature if it knackers the car?

Thanks for the tips splosh! Non JLR Vehicle

New SVR does the same thing too.

If you have the parking brake on and have your foot on the brake and try to put it in gear, clunk noise from gearbox.

Do all RRS do the same thing or is it just specific engines that do it?

If you take the electronic parking brake off and then put your foot on the brake and change gear it won't make the noise.

I don't remember having to do this on previous cars? Does the clunking noise damage the gearbox?

Strange how it did it on the P525 and now on the SVR too.

Thanks Non JLR Vehicle

Noticed the gearbox only makes a thunking change, when you change into gear whilst the car is still over-revving to warm up.

If you put it in gear when the revvs have dropped it doesn't thunk at all.

Does it damage the car putting it into gear before the revvs have dropped off with the thunk it makes? Non JLR Vehicle

Thanks for the info DM...thought it was judt my car.
As you say if put it unto gear too wuick after starting gear box will sometimes make a thunking sound.

But let the revs settle before putting in gear then no sound

Mine is a MY 2016 SDV6 btw.

I thought it was just mine too.

But after a lot of fiddling I figured out that it only did it when the high-idle is in motion.

Once it drops to below 1000rpm after like 10-20 seconds or so, it no longer clunks when you put it in gear.

Guess the only question left is, does it damage the gearbox changing from P to D whilst it is still in high-idle mode or is that clunk just a characteristic of changing at a slightly higher RPM?

Notice it idles at about 1500-1600rpm for a short while then drops down to about 700-800rpm or so. Non JLR Vehicle

Strange thing is this MY20 SDV8 clunks when changing from P to D after you’ve just started the car and the engine doesn’t even have a high-idle setting from the looks of things - minute you start it it just sits at a constant RPM that doesn't go down at all, probably older engine design.

Maybe it’s not the gearbox, think it’s a combination of the gearbox, brakes and EPB disengaging all in one go.

Anyone else have anymore insight?

Ultimately is it damaging the transmission or the part going “clunk” when you’re putting it into D from P and it makes that noise?

Does no one else’s cars do it? A few of mine have done it now, P525, SVR and SDV8 now!

Cheers  Non JLR Vehicle

Last edited by DangerMouseUK on Wed Apr 28 2021 7:14pm. Edited 1 time in total

Don't have an RRS currently but having used the same ZF gearbox on my other cars i observed the same thing. BMW updated gearbox etc didn't work but if i followed following mine never made that clunk you described.

Once you park the car put it in N while your foot on brake this will stop the car rolling if your drive way is sloped like mine.

then put parking brake on still pressing the foot brake.

then release your foot off the brake

and then put the car in to P

This takes the load of the gearbox and i think what causes the clunk.

Cheers will try that.

Its definitely something moving as today when I turned on car and shifted it into D it went clunk really loudly so its something with the EPB releasing and the gearbox, but if my foot is firmly on the brake I just don't get where the clunk is coming from.

Strange, most RRSes I've had do it and they all do it to varying degrees of noise, I just can't figure out if its damaging anything or not, thats my main concern.

Can't be good for the driveline to be clunking most times you engage a gear from the engine starting. Non JLR Vehicle

Just wanted to share my experience.
Like you said DM, even after high idle is finished, and the foot is firmly on the brake, i still hear a clunking noise when going from P to D.
The quickest way to just avoid hearing this is to go from P to N and then to D.
I haven't experienced any clunk going from P to R.
I still don't know if this is bad for the transmission though.
I'm driving a 2015 3.0 SCV6, with only 10k miles.