New disco, Need Help!

[EHG3]

Hey guys, I was looking forward to taking and posting pictures of my newly acquired 1995 Discovery tonight, but I didn't make it home. It's an automatic and without warning it started slipping badly while highway speed going up a hill. I pulled into a gas station and a decent amount of smoke/steam was coming from under the hood. I checked the ATF fluid (I realize I should have checked it before I bought it) and it was very low. I topped it off and drove around the parking lot and it seemed fine. I took it back on the road and it started slipping past 25 mph. I am competent working on most things car related but I am completely new to automatic transmissions. A buddy told me it could have just got hot and will be fine tomorrow, research I have done in the past hour seems to point to flushing the transmission. Do you guys think I can make it home on my own, or is this a tow it home situation. Any opinions on if transmission is going to be a loss would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[idrivemyself]

Doubtful that it will be fine tomorrow. Once those ZF transmissions overheat and you're seeing smoke it's usually too late. I would top up the fluid and drive it until it dies (if you can travel much further), then find a manual conversion and be done with the autotragic business. If you're intent on keeping the truck an automatic, upgrade the oil cooler when it gets rebuilt or replaced. The factory unit is simply a finned tube beneath the radiator which isn't as effective as is needed.

 

[EHG3]

Ugggg, I was hoping that would not be the answer. I can't stand an automatic transmission but it was to good of a deal, at least I thought it was. Anyone else have any experience with this issue?

 

[overlander]

No, but the ZF transmission are pretty durable, but a tranny from 95 is quite old and it may just be time. You have to accept that some things are at end of life and need to be replaced with a vehicle that age. Good luck.

 

[EHG3]

Thanks for the help guys. Sounds like i should just see how far it will get me..........

 

[evilfij]

Drain the burnt fluid and top it up to spec. Probably has a leak from the cooler or the lines and when it gets low that is what happens. If you did not run it very long slipping, it might be ok. ZFs are tough as nails, but like anything if neglected they do fail.