All prepped for a run to Dortmund.

[ChrisLux]

How did it go Raj ? Ya have a good journey over ?
Fingers crossed all is now working 100% 

[moar]

What the hell? £450 + £200? Just for a fluid and filter change? OP got ripped off!

On my XK I did the job myself, parts were £56 for the Meyle Filter and £45 for the Millers 6hp26 oil. The job is very simple, drop the fluid, drop the pan, fill the pan, get the fluid around valves and pan to temp and let the fluid dribble and done. About 1 hour job, add 30 minutes if torx bolts are stripped. 6 months later and it's still running great.

If you don't want to do it yourself, driver transmissions (FEDAUTO approved ) rebuilders charge like £200 for the job including filter and oil. All transmission rebuilders can perform this job, they do it day in day out all day everyday!

Ok lets say you don't trust their filter : buy the Meyle filter here

http://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/300325 ... -183-p.asp

+

Meyle fluid if you don't like the Millers stuff

http://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/014019 ... -174-p.asp

£56 + £70 = £126

+ £50 to driver transmissions

Totalling £176.

Whichever way you look at this, you seriously got ripped off.

[RoShamBo]

I am sure the OP knows he could have got the job done a lot cheaper elsewhere - probably somewhere 5 mins from where he lives !.....but I don't think its about that.

For most of us cars are not pieces of metal to get from A to B, its more that that......and this was obviously a requirement that turned into a road trip, organised and planned and thoroughly enjoyed....enjoying the car and the experience like you should....and THATS the point.

How often do you take the long way home just to enjoy the car ? - oh that will have cost you way more in petrol than it should and half an hour longer on your journey.......but it isn't the point.

Ro.

[Reusch]

Great 1st post moar slagging somebody off  O:-)

[X5Sport]

Agreed.....not a great way to start your membership.  Unless of course this is all about advertising..... ???

[moar]

[quote="Reusch"]
Great 1st post moar slagging somebody off  O:-)
[/quote]

Not really, I thoroughly backed up my argument effectively.

[moar]

[quote="RoShamBo"]
I am sure the OP knows he could have got the job done a lot cheaper elsewhere - probably somewhere 5 mins from where he lives !.....but I don't think its about that.

For most of us cars are not pieces of metal to get from A to B, its more that that......and this was obviously a requirement that turned into a road trip, organised and planned and thoroughly enjoyed....enjoying the car and the experience like you should....and THATS the point.

How often do you take the long way home just to enjoy the car ? - oh that will have cost you way more in petrol than it should and half an hour longer on your journey.......but it isn't the point.

Ro.
[/quote]

This isn't true.

I haven't read anywhere in this thread that he just fancied a trip to ZF. If this was the case I wouldn't say anything as everyone has their own interests and way of doing things.

However his reasoning was stipulated as :

"The reason for heading to ZF themselves, is that the electrical connector running into the back of the box is leaking so I'm having to now go down the full service road for the oil etc. With all the usual uncertainty of changing the fluid now is hit 120k miles I've now got no choice. It's only worked out about £120 more expensive than getting it done here an they replace the lower pan, bolts etc too instead of just the gaskets. "

He did it on the basis that he thought it cost £150 more.

[moar]

[quote="X5Sport"]
Agreed.....not a great way to start your membership.  Unless of course this is all about advertising..... ???
[/quote]

I just purchased an X5 and was looking into what people on here were doing with their 6hp26. That's how I came across this run to Dortmund.

Advertising for who exactly? I first justify the DIY route backing up with 2 different companies. I then offer a professional route where I recommend one company or anyone who is part of FedAuto.

I don't lead anyone to any particular place, so no, my post is not leading anyone for advertising.

[Reusch]

Moar your not a friend of kkx5 are you 

[X5Sport]

[quote="moar"]
[quote="X5Sport"]
Agreed.....not a great way to start your membership.  Unless of course this is all about advertising..... ???
[/quote]
I don't lead anyone to any particular place, so no, my post is not leading anyone for advertising.
[/quote]
Unfortunately we have been suffering from a spate of spamming folks who have been doing just that......if it wasn't your intention then I apologise.  Given this was your first post and no one on here knows you, you can understand a bit of resistance perhaps....

Raj (as you will no doubt discover) takes great delight in his car and a run to ZF was just something he wanted to do.  There may well be cheaper routes but that wasn't his choice or preference.

Secretly he might have wanted a blast in the Autobahn without having to dodge all the blasted speed Scameras.... ) >:D

Anyway...

Richard

[moar]

Well fair enough if he secretly wanted to go on the Autobahn, it's all justified then.

just as long as no one comes on here thinking their best option is going down the Dortmund route as the job can easily be performed in England cheaper to the same standard.

[Raj]

[quote="moar"]
just as long as no one comes on here thinking their best option is going down the Dortmund route as the job can easily be performed in England cheaper to the same standard.
[/quote]

I'm sorry but nowhere did I say this was the cheaper option. I didn't say this was the only option BUT I certainly do not think I was ripped off. That is MY opinion.

I seriously enjoyed the blast across and the road trip. Yes I do enjoy driving my X as much as I can and this is the exact reason I am driving to Spa in September to track her too 

Yes you can get it done cheaper BUT I certainly would say the standard would not have been the same as ZF themselves doing the job. They build them and not just a few either. The parts are not pattern or made to the same specs but not original. There parts and oil is exactly as would have been used from factory when my X was first produced. I rang a number of recommended and very reputable garages to find out the costs and ALL came back with similar quotes so I felt happy with what my road trip to Dortmund cost me.

All explained the same level of detail too with requiring 8 litres of the correct oil to do a complete change of both gearbox and transfer case. So to me that was satisfactory enough. ZF also changed the rear diff oil to for me at the same time.

Oh and doing it in one hour can't have been done properly. And also means you haven't actually replaced all the oil in there as you can't just drain it as that won't get all the old oil out.

It could be said the same with anything we do to our motors. Brakes, tyres, servicing, etc, etc.

For me she is my pride and joy and I do spend on her more so than most would. But that's personal preference.

We are all different.

[Raj]

[quote="moar"]
Whichever way you look at this, you seriously got ripped off.
[/quote]

Oh and the only way I got ripped off is the way YOU look at it and not whichever way.

[moar]

As long as you're happy.

But I think it is wrong to push people to think that the level and quality of the workmanship would be substandard compared to ZF.

ZF do not manufacture pans, it is outsourced just like their fluid.

So "pattern" German parts are pefectly acceptable. And to be honest, with the 6hp26, I would rather pay extra and purchase the metal sump pan and the normal filter that can be swapped. A common and recommended modification to do.

You can purchase the mod here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-OE ... 51b62b1c32

I don't like the idea of a plastic sump and it is common for them to leak. So it's worth paying extra to upgrade to metal.

For the fluid Febi and Meyle do perfectly fine fluid for the 6hp26. It is the correct golden colour and I wouldn't be surprised if it is the exact same stuff. Only a handful of companies would manufacture this fluid for ZF.

There is nothing wrong with purchasing the millers version either which is derived from Dexron oil but conforms to the ZF specification. I have had perfectly good success with this fluid.

Transmissions are very basic things and servicing them is even more basic. There is nothing complicated about the job. It can easily be performed in 60-90 minutes for a sump drop whilst taking care to torque up everything.

For future readers, you can perform this job with in the UK with no problem at all to the same standard as the manufacturer.

[Imy]

Dude... that was a pretty poor way to introduce yourself.

You may have your X for a few yrs before you flog it but Raj will have it nearly a lifetime. What is it to you that he took it to Dortmund? He paid slightly more than he would have here but he also got a road trip out of it, I dont know about you, but I look for any excuse to have a road trip in my X.

The majority of people on here enjoy their X's rather than own them for a few yrs then flog them. So if Raj wants to take probably one of the BEST X5's in the country to Dortmund then so be it, thats his choice.

Also I dont ever recalling Raj to say that the ONLY way to get the job done properly is to go to ZF in Dortmund. The was HIS own preferance for HIS vehicle.