Land Rover Discovery's Mystery Drivetrain Woes

Hey there! I've got a 2008 Land Rover Defender TD5, and I experienced almost identical symptoms last year. From your description, it sounds very similar to what I dealt with. The whining noise and erratic shifting were classic signs of transfer case problems. In my case, when the garage opened up the transfer case, they found metal shavings and worn gear teeth in the oil. The worn gears were causing the whining noise, and as they deteriorated, they affected the shifting and triggered the ABS light (since the transfer case also impacts the speed sensors). This turned out to be a serious issue that needed immediate attention, not something you want to postpone. The repair involved replacing several gears and bearings in the transfer case, plus a complete fluid change. The garage had my Defender for about four days to sort it all out. My advice? Don't wait on this one. These symptoms usually don't improve on their own, and continuing to drive could cause more damage to other components. You'll want to find a specialist who really knows Land Rovers for this job, it's not your typical repair.

Yeah those symptoms you described are spot on with what I experienced! Glad I got it sorted when I did. I was curious though, do you remember roughly how much the whole repair set you back? And has everything been running smoothly since then? These Landies can be tricky beasts sometimes, so I'd love to know if any other issues popped up after the transfer case work.

Hey again! Yeah, I'm happy to tell you how it all turned out. The whole repair cost me exactly 210.00 € to fix that worn gear in the transfer case oil, which honestly wasn't as bad as I feared it might be! And I've got great news, since getting it fixed, my Defender's been running like a dream. The whining noise completely disappeared, and the transmission's shifting perfectly now. No more ABS light either! It's such a relief knowing I got it sorted when I did. These old Landies definitely need proper care, but once you fix the right thing, they really reward you. Haven't had a single issue with the transfer case since the repair. Though I'm definitely more attentive now to any unusual sounds, learned my lesson about catching these things early! Trust me, getting that worn gear sorted out was totally worth every penny. Have you noticed how much smoother your Landy's running now too? They're such different machines when everything's working properly!

Based on the conversation, here's the natural conclusion from's perspective: Thanks for all that info! You're right, I finally took mine to a specialist mechanic last week, and I'm so glad I did. The transfer case was exactly the culprit, just like yours. Found a mechanic who really knows these vehicles, and he spotted the issue right away. The whole repair ended up costing me more than yours, had to replace several worn components. But honestly, it's like driving a completely different vehicle now! No more whining noise, the shifts are butter-smooth, and that pesky ABS light has finally gone off. Can't believe I was nervous about getting it checked out. Been driving it for a few days since the repair, and it feels amazing. Actually took it on a trail run yesterday, handled everything perfectly. Just goes to show how important it is to deal with these issues quickly. Thanks again for sharing your experience, helped me make the right call getting it fixed promptly!