It is never pleasant to listen to a sound on your vehicle that you don’t know where it comes from. You may be thinking about what to do when you detect a reversing gear noise that lasts on your Land Rover Defender? Any gearbox problem can be important, but before making sure, it is better to do a few investigations. Our team has created this paper to support you fix it. First, we will see what the origins and the different gearbox noises can be on Land Rover Defender, and second, what are the solutions available to you.
Classical reverse Land Rover Defender noises and some tips to look after your gearbox
Why does the reversing of my Land Rover Defender make a different noise from my other speeds?
De facto, integrating all gears, bearings and pinions into a gearbox is a difficult action. The noise made by the reversing of your Land Rover Defender is logical. It can be explained in a fairly simple way. Indeed, the gears used for conventional speeds (1st to 5th or 6th) are so-called “helical” gears (oblique gears) . The use of such a pinion makes the noise caused by the gears less important than with spur gears employed for the reverse gear.
Tips to reduce wear on your clutch and gearbox
- Don’t give a big boost:
Indeed, if you kick the throttle hard when you are in reverse or when you put the vehicle in the revs, you risk to burn your clutch or gnawing at the gearbox pinions. - Never reverse while the vehicle is in motion or vice versa:
Reversing the direction of operation of the gearbox during operation is a very bad choice. Indeed, the pressure you will exert on the gears will be enormous and you will create a premature wear and tear of the gears. You can even break the gears of your gearbox at speed by doing so. It will therefore be completely common if you notice a reverse noise on your Land Rover Defender if you shift gear under these conditions.
Diverse Land Rover Defender reversing noises and their causes
Finally in this section, we will move on to what you are probably most interested in this article, to learn about the origin of reversing noise on Land Rover Defender. Here are the 3 typical sounds you may be victim of.
I hear a grinding noise when starting in reverse gear
If you listen to a grinding noise when you start in reverse with your Land Rover Defender, it may be the engine mounts that are tired. Indeed, when the engine is in reverse gear, due to the pinions we saw above the vibrations made by the gearbox are higher and it is therefore plausible that due to their wear the silentblocks no longer absorb the engine vibrations well. In this circumstance, do not hesitate to browse this paper for more details about strut mount noises on Land Rover Defender.
An increased reverse knocking noise on Land Rover DefenderX
If you are subject to a knocking noise when you are in reverse with your Land Rover Defender and this noise tends to build up as you gain speed. It is plausible that you are confronting a serious problem that needs to be solved rather quickly before destroying your entire gearbox. Indeed, an intensifying rattling noise means that the gears are damaged. If they are, debris will propagate to the rest of the box and damage other gears in short order. Take your vehicle to your technician quickly or read this content about gearbox noise on Land Rover Defender for more information.
I discover a noise when I go in reverse
Listening a noise when you shift into reverse is normal and related to the gears and sprockets used in the gearbox. If, on the other hand, you have the feeling that your Land Rover Defender reverse gear makes more noise than before, it is plausible that filings have been made and are moving around in it. It is therefore time to empty the box.
