Greetings All,

The transmission (5-speed auto) on my '02 V6 has recently started acting up slightly when warmed up. I'm looking for advice and wondering if low fluid level could be a factor. It's been a while since the last service, so that is first on my list. (I miss the old-fashioned dipstick...)

When first started in the morning, the shift lever moves with minimal restriction from P to R, and once I back from the driveway, from R to D. All seems good. The transmission seems to shift normally while driving. No issues there.

However, if the car has been driven for a little while, the gear lever is hesitant to shift into D. I can get about halfway between N and D and the lever doesn't want to go any further. It's not a hard stop, but more like I'm up against a stiff spring, if that makes any sense. Ithink the lever on the side of the transmission is meeting some internal resistance, and I'm feeling a little spring action from the cable. I don't believe the J-gate is the source of the resistance.

I've noticed if I shift to R, and then move the lever aft somewhat swiftly and with a bit more oomph, it then goes just fine into D. At all times, once in D, the transmission seems to operate just fine. The only issue is getting the lever into D when the transmission is warm.

I always keep my foot on the brake when shifting. I've tried pressing harder on the pedal, but that doesn't make any difference. The indicator letters on the J-gate illuminate to match the handle position, so I don't believe there is an adjustment issue with the cable or neutral safety switch.

The problem is hit or miss, maybe only half of the time, and only when warm. It's only been going on for a week or so. No recent work has been done on the car. Any ideas? I haven't crawled underneath to check the cable attach bolts, but thought that was only an issue on the later models with the 6-speed transmission.

 

First things first - check those cable attachment bolts underneath the car. I know we primarily read about loose bolts on the six-speed gearbox, but you do have a ZF after all. It's worth your time to get under there and have a look-see....

 

When I worked at the Jag dealer a decade ago we we issued a procedure to help the 5R55N 'learn' to lessen the lag between gear selector engagement times.

It was a paper printout that I have somewhere in my binders but someone might have it in .pdf.

Basically you warm the gearbox to operating temp and then idle with the foot brake applied and select 'R', then 'D' for a certain length of time for each gear. I don't remember the exact procedure but it might be somewhere on the internet or here on the forum. I might have even posted it myself years ago but but I don't remember.

Make sure that the selector lever/cable are adjusted correctly before condemning and other parts.

bob

 

Thanks, Bob. Is this it? I found this in the how-to section:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...rocedure-5603/

I'm not sure if that will help me, though. I think that procedure is if the lever is moving correctly into position, but the transmission isn't responding. In my case, I can't get the lever into the correct position without a little persuasion. I will try the procedure, though, to see if it helps.

I'm currently leaning towards a cable issue. The bulletins you provided were very interesting. I wonder if a crimp has slipped on the cable sleeve, as described. I won't really have much opportunity to crawl underneath for a good looksee until this weekend, so I'll let you know what I find then.

Thanks again.

 

That is the procedure we used.

good luck

bob

 

Sounds like a Ford 5R55N, not the ZF

The trans shifter cable is prone to stretching on the 5R55N so if the relearn doesn't help, try that next.

 

Thanks, I will certainly check out the cable.

Would the relearn procedure help with the binding I've had? Or is that only going to help if the lever moved freely but the transmission didn't respond correctly?

 

I reckon the cable is the culprit.

A strecthed cable can bind in the outer casing.

One of mine (the Black car) is a touch "iffy", and the new cable is on the bench, and will be fitted.

The other car (Silver car) had the "new" cable fitted the day prior to us picking it up, and the behaviour/feel of the gearlever in that car is sooooo different to the other car.

The Black also has had the NEW plastic fiasco fitted to the gearlever, and this helped a lot.

 

Thanks. Still doing some armchair troubleshooting until I hopefully have some time this weekend to dig in further. I order a new shift cable just in case and plan to change it unless I find some obvious smoking gun.

Do you think heat would have much effect on the cable operation? Once again this morning (approx 50F), the shifter was smooth as silk. Drove to work (26 miles, mostly freeway) and tried it again in the parking lot, and had the same binding as before. Could heat from the exhaust be the culprit?

I also tried the relearn procedure yesterday but it didn't seem to make any difference.

 

I have not looked at the "inside" of that cable, but I reckon the inner wire would be "nylon" coated for "smooth" operation.

This being the case, then YES, heat would certainly be a top of the list cause of what you have going on.

 

Fingers crossed here. New cable is on order, but might be a week before it arrives. In the meantime, I've adapted to the new feel of the shift lever. I just want the poor car to hold on until the new part arrives.

I suppose I can take some solace in one thing: Nobody has chimed in to say these symptoms are common and indicate the pending failure of the (insert name of expensive transmission component here).

 

Good on ya.

That Ford 5R55N trans is stronger than most admit.

It's weak link is crappy service.

Fresh fluid regularly and it will live a long life.

 

Independent Jag shop here recommended no fluid change (now a hair over 100k miles). Previous owner had a cable stretch when parked on a hill...she tried to force it, and it wouldn't release from Park. Had to help to push it forward while attempting to shift. That worked, but a new cable was needed.

I too, miss the dipstick...only to at least perform an inspection of the fluid condition.

 

This is an old thread, but I wanted to close it out with the resolution. The problem had been so minor, I had just learned to live with it. Call me lazy, but I didn't want to do any more work than necessary. That's is, until I almost got stranded yesterday. In the middle of nowhere, of course.

After stopping at a store, the car wouldn't start. The P indicator on the J-gate wouldn't illuminate, telling me I wasn't in park. No problem, I'll shift to N. Should have been simple, but the lever really fought me. Something finally cooperated, and I got her started. Not wishing to tempt fate, I drove the 120 miles home and never took her out of D. It was an understatement to say I REALLY had to pee by the time I got home. Actually, I reached that point at least an hour before that. Made me really wish I had an empty Gatorade bottle with me. Thoughts of a birdcaged shift cable (or worse) filled my overactive imagination as I nursed the poor car and my screaming bladder home.

The culprit? Not the cable. It was the block that rides on the round rail in the lever mechanism beneath the J-gate. The original plastic block gave up the ghost several years ago. (Never loan out your car, grrr...) I made an aluminum replacement, thinking it should last forever. It did, but the aluminum had galled to the steel rail. A little Teflon lube in there and I was back in business.

It's embarrassing how simple the fix was, but I'm also glad that's all it was. I'm still puzzled why this fault was still so temperature sensitive. I don't think it gets very warm inside the console, but who knows. I'm just happy to have a normal shifter again.

 

Well thanks for reporting back!

Really helps to close off your thread with a solution.
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