making progress...that stupid little switch is expensive though.

 

You really have to wonder, the engine wiring harness is a convoluted mess and located in a place where the only way to to get decent access is to remove something mechanical first. Unless you have the hands of a capuchin monkey (or possibly a ten year old girl). So far I spent hours on my back, still more time trying from above, and now I am seriously considering removing the Throttle body just to improve my access... just to release one connector..

I once owned a first Generation Chevy Monza and had to remove the exhaust manifolds to change the plugs and release engine mounts and lift the enginge to change a starter, so I thought I had seen it all..

Apparently those very same capuchin monkeys ARE the design engineers at most auto manufacturers. I love the car, but if I was alone with the engineer responsible for this I could not guarantee he would survive the meeting..

OK: gripe session over.. Still couldn't disengage the connector.

 

I just finished installing the rotary switch (als called Neutral safety switch in places). The car started right up as soon as it was in place..

I still have a trans problem to deal with, but the no-start issue is resolved. The odd part is this: the car initially presented no obvious codes for this switch. The dealer got a transmission slip code and gave me a really high esitmate (over $14K including hoses, cables, brakes, with the replacemetn trans at about $10K). I started this excursion with trans codes of 1730 and 1722 and a car in limp mode. I intended to go through the inexpensive items listed as causes first which were linkage adjustment and trans fluid levels, but I got home and parked the car on ramps and it would no longer start...

The whole painful no start process is outlined in this thread, but for those of you who are looking at a cranking and no start problem I have a new diagnostic tip. Use NOID lights or ask a mechanic to do it for you.. If you only see a single pulse on the NOID lights you may be looking at a start inhibit problem caused by this switch. From what I read some people are lucky and can jiggle the shifter and get started, but I was not that lucky.

Anyway, I am back to dealing with the Trans problem I started with. The Jag references recommend linkage adjustment after replacing this switch, so I just went through the process outlined in TSB 307-01.

For those who are interested, replacing this switch is a royal pain. There is little or no clearance to work anywhere. I suspect the reason dealers charge massive labor charges to do it is because they probably remove the exhaust and possibly the throttle body to 'make' some clearance. If you are lucky enough to have small nimble hands and long forearms this is probably a snap.. What I ultimately did to make a bit more clerance was disconnect the main engine wiring harness connector on the driver side. That gave me just enough clearance to work by feel. I could not see and work at the same time (rotten big hands). The connector itself has a locking clip on the back side facing the firewall that must be 'lifted' away from the connector body to disengage the lock. The replacement switch did not have a 'clip' to lock it ont the wiring harness so that had to be removed from the old switch and re-used. The cable from the switch to the connector goes through two guides that sit on the top edges of the transmission, it is quite hard to get the cable into them with the exhaust in place. Just a lot of fun all around I would say. If I ran a professional shop I would hire one very tiny person just to handle these jobs, the cable itself is about 14-16 inches long, but getting it all in place for large fellows is a major pain in the bollocks..

 

Rats it's me again !

Now I just got the car up on four points so I can check the trans fluid level.. I am having a devil of a time getting the fill plug out. I broke one allen wrench on it already and it did not even budge. Before I go truly harsh on it I wanted to make certain this was normal.. I know it has never been removed in the car's 70K miles, but should the fill plug require a lot of force to remove ?

Am I correct that the fill plug is the plug found just above the lip of the pan on the rear driver side corner of the transmission body [LH Drive] ?

I am about to go get a allen head for a large 'breaker bar', but I wanted to make sure I'm not just barking up the wrong tree.

 

bigdude needs a pic of the drain plug...
BTW, did you download the three parts files for the FAQ thread, and check out that link for the ZF5HP tranny that has some exploded views?

 

Yes, I looked at that one, but they show the fill plug on the 'back' side so it's exact location is not clear. I felt all over teh casing and I think I have the right one, but it just won't budge so far.

I have a recommednation for a reputable local trans shop that said they could inspect and rebuild this transmission as needed (for far less than the dealership wanted for a replacement). I think now that it will 'limp' again I will see if they have any time available to drop the pan and check for metal. I was really hoping to find something simple and avoid the shop, but I think my patience has now reached its limit and it's time for the pro's..

 

Good to know that you got it running again. Kudos to you!!

 

Gus, Thanks for the detailed response. I had problems starting my XK8 due to 'cyllinder wash'. Tried your remedy and it worked. Thank you once again.