I seem to have an intermittent fault when going from 4th gear into 5th gear, I pull the gear-stick out of 4th & then attempt to put it into 5th gear but there is no gate/resistance & I seem to be trying to put it in gear above reverse, I felt this a few days ago but when I next drove the car it was ok.

Out in it again today & have the same problem. I can get it into 5th by not pushing the stick over so far then it will go into 5th but there is no resistance telling me when to stop pushing the stick over. Going from 5th to 6th is just a pull straight down so its not a problem.

Something I could live with as long as its not a prelude to something else more serious, I have a warranty for 6 months on the car so could report it & see what the garage say. Any advice from you knowledgeable people out there would help me decide what to do.

there is a solenoid to stop lever going into revese i.e go too far over
also a method to centralise the gear lever
all info on here

We have had two FL2 with gearbox problems where they wouldn't go into 5th properly or wouldn't stay in 5th gear. In both cases it sounded like a synchromesh (rattling) problem and the cable resetting trick or reverse solenoid issue didn't help. One was traded in so I don't know what happened to it, the other was under warranty and LR had to send the gearbox off to be rebuilt. Hopefully yours is just the solenoid or adjustment issue. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

mike e wrote:

there is a solenoid to stop lever going into revese i.e go too far over
also a method to centralise the gear lever
all info on here

dorsetfreelander wrote:

We have had two FL2 with gearbox problems where they wouldn't go into 5th properly or wouldn't stay in 5th gear. In both cases it sounded like a synchromesh (rattling) problem and the cable resetting trick or reverse solenoid issue didn't help. One was traded in so I don't know what happened to it, the other was under warranty and LR had to send the gearbox off to be rebuilt. Hopefully yours is just the solenoid or adjustment issue.

Been out in the car & wow it all seems ok now, the restriction has returned to the gear-stick so I can't go into reverse while going forward.

Only took 10 minutes to do & hopefully will be ok from now on. Many thanks to all you knowledgeable people out there in helping me fix this annoying problem.

Well I am disappointed now, I have taken my old aunt to the seaside for the day to catch whats left of the summer. It was about 240 miles round trip & the gate issue is back, had no resistance at all going from 4th to 5th.

I had to feel the gear in everytime but once went to far & had to stop as the gearshift was locked in the reverse part of the shift.

I have warranty with the car but is there anything else I could try before I call them to report it, is this a serious issue or a fairly easy cure, i.e could it be the solenoid faulty or something more serious inside the gearbox.

I have only just bought the car & can't live with this issue for a few years so need to get it sorted out.

Thanks for any help/advice anyone can give.

Blueboy, I 've had this issue since I bought my freelander in August. I've decided to tackle the problem and currently have the centre console removed to keep an eye on it. I can't tell if its the connector (which feels very loose) or broken cables. Either way the wiggle test triggered or deactivated the solenoid. I'm going to try contact cleaner fist. I'll let you know how it goes.
Richard

Hi mate, have cured mine now, I took the plug right off the contacts on the solenoid so I could see the metal in the plug. Managed to slightly squeeze the terminals inside the plug for a tighter fit & since I did that I have had no further trouble.

I think my plug was just too loose to make a permanent contact.

Its a bit fiddly getting the plug back in after its been taken completely out of its guide on the solenoid given the room to get your fingers in but it is possible.

This problem is back again, getting a bit miffed with it now. Its been ok since October. Can anyone recommend a more permanent cure. Would it be worth buying a new switch? maybe the prongs would be less worn & the connector would be a little tighter.