So for the last 10 months or so I’ve experienced the transmission shudder at 2000rpm gradually getting more and more noticeable, which points to torque converter as most seem to think, I’ve enquired at my local stealers how much to have replaced..... £3000 just under which is obviously genuine LR parts warranted for 12 months or do I go for an Indy who will charge slightly less on labour but save on tc £500 which means I save £1000 roughly but I’m getting a recon tc ! . I intend to keep the 2008 tdv8 with 100.000 miles on it so would the £3000 be a better long term bet ??

My take is use the Indie if you know them as LR specialists.

Had my front diff replaced not so long ago, and the Indie used a specialist rebuilder who, they say, uses better parts than LR do in their rebuild. I got 12 months gtee with it. If your torque converter has gone, that was probably a LR one so you’ve proved that LR ones don’t last that well.

Labour costs are less than dealer who has to pay for all those fancy chairs in reception etc. And I got a mechanic who understands the car not some grease monkey.  Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

I only use indy specialist now, and not for price reasons. They seem to know what they’re doing. L405 P400e Autobiography (MY2020)... Silicon Silver / Espresso
RRS TDV6 HSE Lux (MY2011)... Nara Bronze / Arabica - now gone!

I would not even entertain the main dealer, its a decent indie all day long. They want your business, plus just because its a recon doesn't mean a lot just get that reassurance from them that's its a good supplier

Steve. 2006 2.7 TDV6 HSE in Cairns Blue.

spending £3000 on a 9 year old car without good reason (i.e engine) doesn't sound like a good idea if you can avoid it.

One of the problems is actually getting someone to say it is definitely a torque converter that is causing the shudder , both Indy and stealers hav'nt committed to saying that is the cause ! I'm going off what other people on here have experienced and what they have done to solve the shudder ! As a cheap and quick solution I'm tempted to use "Dr Tranny / lube guard " as someone mentioned it was very good at stopping the shudder but is this just postponing the inevitable TC replacement! I agree that £3000 is a huge amount of money to throw at a 9 year old car but I imagine I will still have this car in 5 years time or longer and the original TC it was fitted with lasted 100.000 miles . I'm not sure which way to go with this but I know it needs sorting . Thanks for all opinions

I see your predicament and have been there myself.

Have you got your Indie to take it for a test drive yet?

One of the things that made me decide to use indies was that when some others diagnosed different solutions to an issue I had with the front end, I was recommended to try the my local indie who I was told only dealt with LR cars and had done for years. They are located in a couple of sheds down a lane in a nearby town. Doesn't inspire confidence. However, when they took the car out for a test run within 5 mins of me arriving (unannounced) and diagnosed a wheel bearing which when replaced solved the problem, I was very impressed. These guys just live and breathe Land Rover and know their stuff. And that's what you need to find.

Of course there still aren't any guarantees but it'll give you more confidence as you approach that big bill.

EDIT - sorry, just noticed that you did say that the Indie was not 100% confident in their diagnosis. Hmmm....problem! Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

Yes it is a predicament , I rang my local stealers yesterday to see if they would be able to take car out for a test drive with me as ideally I need a postitive diagnosis . They were supposed to have rang me back but they never did so I’m a little peed off with them ! Currently I’ve asked a good friend ( who is a motor mechanic) if he’d help putting the “drtranny “into gearbox to see if this improves the shudder! This is next week so hopefully I’ll get that done and give it a while before deciding what to do ! I’m going over to the continent in June on a long treck and want it sorted before then !! To be honest the £3000 is painful but if this is going to sort it I see it as necessary, I may approach another local stealer yet for their opinion!

Have you seen this over on the disco3 https://disco3.co.uk/forum/tc-quote-167286.html
might be worth a phone call to see what they can do for you. Logistics might be a bit of a pain but if your saving a chunk of cash it might be worth it.

quote "Hi guys/gals, just been to see about a T/C recon quote,nice guy geoff nice place, was quoted all in inc vat,metal sump, etc £1418, spoke to him about forum and he offered 10% discount for members =£1275 all in if any body interested , i know some have used them, and have only good to say about them, their site in in hailsham east sussex they are called AUTO GEARBOX specialists, going to get mine done he said a 3 day turnaround Thumbs Up"

Thanks David that is very interesting. As you say the only problem is distance from me ( Peterborough) but. Massive saving. Would be keen to hear from anyone who has used these people

It's also interesting to read on that link that it's pointed out that "Dr Tranny " instant cure is not the best approach to this problem and I'm pleased that you have found this David . I will be giving Them a call for sure . I would recommend anyone with a TC problem to read the link as it's also pointed out that replacing input shaft bearings and seals are vital to this fix

Alfie
As you can see , I live in East Sussex and my local indie is in Heathfield [Groombridges]. I've just checked my invoice for my front diff, but unfortunately is doesn't say who actually did the rebuild but Hailsham is only about 10 miles from Heathfield so it MAY be that this was where it was done.

Perhaps a call to Groombridges would be worth a try, (1) to see who they would use for your problem and (2) to see if they'd give you a courtesy car whilst yours was off the road. Then perhaps the long journey would become more palatable.

Having said that there must be someone in East Anglia who could help...anybody??? Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

Alfie wrote:

So for the last 10 months or so I’ve experienced the transmission shudder at 2000rpm gradually getting more and more noticeable, which points to torque converter as most seem to think, I’ve enquired at my local stealers how much to have replaced..... £3000 just under which is obviously genuine LR parts warranted for 12 months or do I go for an Indy who will charge slightly less on labour but save on tc £500 which means I save £1000 roughly but I’m getting a recon tc ! . I intend to keep the 2008 tdv8 with 100.000 miles on it so would the £3000 be a better long term bet ??

you shouldn't need to have it in reverse.

The judder is caused by a deterioration of the clutch material. The additives just mask the issue, they don't solve the problem. The solution is a new TC, especially if one wants to keep the vehicle for a length of time.

A gearbox recon or a TC replacement is the answer. I had my gearbox re-conned by Bristol Transmissions. It went in for a new TC but they also found wear in the output flange. They would only replace the TC if I agreed to a recon because they reckoned the flange would fail. Also needed a new input flange in the transfer box. Had the chain done whilst it was opened up too.

Gearbox had 116k miles on it and had had the oil replaced twice previously. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed