I've had my RRS since March 2016 and noticed that there is a clunk when reapplying power after say you slowed down at a roundabout and then applied a fair amount of power (say 25%) to get moving fairly quickly. Its as if it hadn't pre-selected the correct gear and clunked in when the power is applied. If you give it a couple of seconds, or apply very gentle power then clunk doesn't occur.

My local indie's first suggestion was to drain and refill the gearbox oil as he felt that this could cause the problem.This has
now been done, but this has not cured it. So I mentioned it to him again and he said it may be a case that the oil needs to be drained and refilled a couple more times in order to get the possible sludge that it in the torque converter washed through as, he tells me, this cannot be drained in itself.

Now I am well lost here in the technicalities of this and he could be telling me anything he likes although I have no reason to doubt that he knows what he is talking about.

My concern is that my last bill shows that the cost of the oil for a gearbox oil change is over £100 a time. If I have to do this a couple more times it is starting to get expensive. And it does not look as if there is any guarantee that this will cure it.
So my questions:
- has anyone experienced anything similar? If so what was the cure?
- does what I am being told, sound correct? Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

It might be a mechanical issue as well. However if you have the gearbox drained again, have it flushed and also have the filter(which is integrated with the oilpan) changed. succes1

Don't drain and fill. Have it flushed.
Geoff. on here is mobile and close to you. * Current. 2024 D350 Defender 90. Too many modern gimmicks on it !
* GONE. 2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Now being piloted by RRSTDV8
* GONE: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* Current. 1974 Lightweight 2.25L petrol. Old skool
I use www.glenrands.co.uk Great independent
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

Cheers Guys - just the sort of feedback I was hoping for - and thanks for the PM Dr Rob Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

The car does have a natural 'hesitation' under the circumstances you describe. Essentailly the car is in second gear as you are slowing towards stopping and as you apply the power in order to get away a bit quicker the car 'kicks down' to first gear. This is normal for the RRS.

Does it 'clunk' if you apply the power on and off at low'ish speeds? If not it may just be the normal operation of the gearbox 'kicking down' to first gear.

If it is 'clunking' as in a physical noise then it may be some play in the driveline/propshaft/gearbox/differential joints. If it is a sensation of 'thud' then it may simply be the gearbox selecting first gear.

The thud will be the gearbox engaging first gear and it goes in with a thump as you are demanding increased power at the same time. Effectively, if it was a manual gearbox, you are accelerating and dropping the clutch before you have fully engaged a lower gear. I'm in the shed, I'll be back in the real world in a minute.

Gone- 2010 TDV6; Hello 2017 SDV6.

Thanks for that Russben. I understand what your driving at and to be frank, now you mention it I'm not sure. As I've just been hitting the scotch 🍹I can't take it out to check now ( hey, the sun's well over the yardarm). But when out tomorrow I'll make a point to check. Good thinking though!👌 Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

No problem & happy to help.

It is a bit annoying TBH. I occasionally use the paddle shifts to drop it into first at junctions I know will be a 50/50 of whether I have to stop or give way and keep going, just to avoid the gearbox hesitation. Not much use if you don't have paddle shifts, but you can select 'sport' mode with the lever and do the same. I'm in the shed, I'll be back in the real world in a minute.

Gone- 2010 TDV6; Hello 2017 SDV6.

I battled with this for long enough on my own car. Eventually traced it to a worn front prop

Eaters wrote:

Thanks for that Russben. I understand what your driving at and to be frank, now you mention it I'm not sure. As I've just been hitting the scotch �I can't take it out to check now ( hey, the sun's well over the yardarm). But when out tomorrow I'll make a point to check. Good thinking though!👌

I have lived with the clunk ever since my post in 2016. I tend to try to anticipate it now so that I am more gentle with the acceleration. I don't have paddle shifts but do tend to slip it into sport mode if I am approaching a busy junction to help with pulling out in a hurry so the suggestion of the gearbox selecting a lower gear does sound plausible. However, it still feels like a worn joint somewhere in the drive train to me (See Disco Mikey's comment about the front propshaft). I'm amazed that it has survived this long without a sudden loss of drive! I guess I'll just soldier on with it with fingers (and everything else) crossed. Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5