have any of you guys had their TC oil change done at Grease Monkey or Aamco??

let me know if they do a good job and how much you pay, thanks!!!

02 jaguar x-type

 

Changing the oil in the TC on an X-Type would NOT fit within the purview of a Grease Monkey, even if they say they can do it. Aamco is a little closer to a very distant possibility; but, here too, I wouldn't let them do it unless they say they have done them before...and with a whole lotta confidence in their voices.

 

Zep1, I would ask them this simple question. I bet they will answer it wrong:

Question: How do you plan on doing the oil changeout?

My anticipated answer from them: they will open the drain, let the fluid drain out, install the drain plug, then open the fill plug and add in the recommended amount of fluid, install the fill plug.

If this is said, RUN!!!!!!! You can not access the fill plug with the transfer case installed. Therefore, they don't know what they are doing. If they answer with something out having to install a valve so they can fill through the drain hole or needing to tilt the car so they can add the fluid in through the drain hole, then they have probably done it before and probably will do an adequate job.

So, I would start with that "trick" question and then see what answer you get. I know the "instant oil change" places don't have the tools really to do what you are wanting. Aamco I would trust a bit more since they mainly deal with transmissions and whatnot, but still, our cars are a little bit of a unique monster.

 

I'm not real keen on the trick question approach. If you, as the owner of the vehicle, are not familiar enough with *this particular fluid change procedure* then I'd be concerned that you're not going to ask quite the right questions or that you might not fully understand their answers, whether right or wrong. You might **** the guy off by trying to mess with him, or - far worse - you might end up with a drained transfer case and a shop that can't or WON'T refill it in the non-traditional manner that we've discussed on this forum. And if they "yes" you about having done it right when they didn't actually follow through, the results could cost you dearly.

I'd be more inclined to have you bring a print-out of how we typically drain and refill our transfer cases. Go over it with the "front man" / service writer / shop foreman, as well as the guy that will actually be doing the work. (The worker is actually the more important of the two.) If they are agreeable and seem to actually understand what they're getting into, then go for it. If they either don't agree or if they show any indications of not quite understanding what they're dealing with, then look elsewhere for this service.

Most of the lube-shops like Grease Monkey or Jiffy Lube are really all about the 10-minute oil change: pull the drain plug, drain, refit the plug, fill, take your money. They don't want to deal with special steps or time-consuming procedures, or with learning new tricks for a model that they're never going to deal with again. Unless you really know someone there that is really conscientious and reliable, then I'd avoid those shops.

Like Steve and Thermo, I'm a bit more trusting of a transmission shop for this procedure, but I'd still want to go over the procedure with the actual service person, not just the service writer. Shopping for someone to do this work for you is not going to be easy - that's why most of us here have taken on the job ourselves. It's a question of finding someone who's going to care about your car as much as you do. Getting it wrong might end up costing you a few grand for a new transfer case, so you want it done right.

 

I completely agree with this logic. Asking the trick question Isn't going to get you points with them. I'd explain that this is the procedure that is needed and this is what I want / expect done. Speak to the guy and see what he has to say.

As far as the 10 min quick lube places, at least all the ones around here don't even touch the drain plug anymore, the use vacuum based pumps to suck the oil out of the pan via the dipstick tube. The car is in the air for all of 30 sec to swap the filter.

George

 

I just had a shop do mine. It wasn't a Jiffy Lube, it was an independant mechanic specializing in Euro cars. So he tried to do mine the first time and all of the oil kept coming back out. He used a vacuum to suck out all of the old stuff first. Seeing that all of the oil was coming back out he called the Jaguar Dealership and spoke to a technician. He said to flush the system out with a full bottle of mobile 1 synthetic gear oil. And then add more with a pump. So he did just that. Oil was still spilling a little when he but the drain cap back on but all of the metal shavings were cleared out when he flushed it. I've probably driven around 1000 miles by now and so far, everything seems great.

 

JaggyX
If you don't mind me asking, where abouts in California did you get it done, and how much did you pay? I'm thinking about doing mine myself using the wild bill kit, but if its more time/cost efficient getting it done somewhere, I think i'll go with that route.

 

Metal Shavings? In the TC case?

 

Yeah, I want to know too...hopefully he's in socal, I rather pay someone to do it than deal with the headache.

 

Not exactly metal shaving, but more like a metal sludge. The shop is located in Pleasanton, California.

 

OK - There should not be any metal shavings coming out of the TC. This is simply a traditional style differential with a completely sealed VC. It is vented so it can become susceptible airborne contaminants which will create a small amout of sludge. Mostly, I see these boxes woefully low on gear oil. That causes the TC to run considerably hotter than it should which tends to "cook" the remaining gear oil. This, in turn, makes it look a little burned and with the consistency and color of molasses when it comes out.