Why Is Your Land Rover Transmission Hard to Shift?

Your Land Rover is a combination of beauty and power. However, despite being such a brilliant vehicle, its various components may wear out over time, giving rise to different troubles. One such issue that is often experienced by Land Rover drivers is a faulty transmission system, making it difficult to shift the gears. Quite frustrating, isn’t it? Well, this not only impacts the entire transmission system but also hampers the overall driving experience if untreated. Yes, you must not drive your car further in this condition and resolve the issue immediately. But this won’t work out if you don’t know the effective cause behind this nuisance. Thus, in the article, you can get a detailed analysis explaining why is it tough to change gears in your Land Rover and how to deal with it. Let’s face it.

What’s triggering this?

Insufficient or contaminated transmission fluid

 The gear oil is considered to be the lifeblood of the transmission system, which maintains an optimal temperature throughout the transmission area by lubricating the internal moving parts of the gearbox to avoid excessive wear and overheating due to friction.

 Hearing abnormal noises like whining or grinding sounds are the common signs of low or dirty gear oil. Moreover, the gear fails to engage seamlessly.

 Neglecting this issue can cause permanent damage to the entire transmission system. So, inspect the level and color of the fluid. If the level is below the lower limit, you may add more fluid to the container. But if the fluid looks dark or smells burnt, you must flush out the poor gear oil and refill the tank with new, top-quality fluid suitable for your Land Rover model.

Malfunctioning shift solenoid

 The shift solenoid is responsible for managing gear shifting in your Land Rover’s automatic gear models.

 When it fails, you may notice the unwanted check engine light glow or flicker on the dashboard. This may also cause delayed response from the gear or a stuck gear.

 Since it is a complex auto part, inspecting or diagnosing it on your own is quite impossible. Thus, you need a learned technician to find the exact trouble and replace it with a new one to get everything back on track.

Problematic transmission control module (TCM)

 The TCM acts as the brain of the gearbox. It monitors the gears and makes sure they switch at the perfect time.

 A faulty TCM or a TCM having software errors results in jerky or erratic gear shifting and also causes fluctuating RPMs.

 To fix the software glitch, you can simply update the software. But if the entire TCM is malfunctioning, it's better to visit the nearest Land Rover service center and seek professional assistance to replace it with a new one.

Damaged or cracked other transmission parts

 Your Land Rover transmission system includes several significant components like bearings, shafts, gears, etc.

 Hearing a loud and weird clanking noise is a clear indication that one of the above components is on its last leg. You may also feel the gear to be rigid or jerky.

 Even if you have some vehicle repair tools and basic repair skills, it's risky to address these parts on your own. Thus, consult with a skilled mechanic to troubleshoot the issue using his precise gadgets and repair or replace the faulty component immediately before it starts wearing other nearby parts, draining your wallet on expensive repairs down the line. If replacing the worn component only, doesn’t solve the issue, the technician may rebuild the entire transmission system, which can be a bit costlier.

The bottom line

With this, we have come to the end of this informative article. Hopefully, you have grasped a lot of data about why your Land Rover transmission is getting tough to swap. Yes, it might sound something casual, but can ruin the overall driving experience, as it can make your vehicle sluggish and ineffective. But if you catch the exact trouble at an early stage and detect the component that is acting up, you can quickly hire a Land Rover expert and treat the faulty transmission system to enjoy the peak vehicle performance with your loved ones.