Hey guys OK i uploaded a video hope it works. i have a 2001 Jaguar S-type with a 5r55n Tranny. this is the problem i am having. i have spoken with one person who says it can be either a Spring problem or the Solenoid pack/valve problem. i just want to see if i can get some more reassurance. if anyone can help please let me know. i have found the sonnax part #s for all the spring and have seen some Solenoids that are rebuilt online cant find any new. i have once changed out the 4-3 pre-stroke spring, and everything was good for about a year. Now unfortunately i have this problem but no code is coming up just says gearbox fault. so if maybe you know the problem or agree with whats above please let me know. thank you in advance.



http://s1079.photobucket.com/albums/w512/FiremedicJ/?action=view¤t=IMG_2308.mp4

 

Rebuild the trans. or upgrade to ZF 6 speed 400 horse STR.

 

So does this mean that the problem seen in this video is sonething I can't fix?

 

Take the car to a reputable transmission shop (Not the national brands like AMMCO) and have them hook up a computer and road test the vehicle. I'm sure there are codes awaiting extraction. Usually when you see gearbox fault there is a major issue with the transmission. Depending on the codes pulled you should have a better idea if there is a broken spring, solenoid pack issue or a fatal issue with the trans requiring a teardown and rebuild. Be prepared to shell out big $$$ if you need a rebuild.

 

Well I highly doubt there something wrong with it that is really bad. My mom has been driving my car for like 7 months with this issue. And it's still doing the same thing has not gotten worse in the time. I've been very overloaded with work and haven't had time to fix the problem. I'm a firefighter paramedic and work another job. So I don't got much time to get it done unfortunately, but I dont think it's all that bad it seems like is just slipping into the next gear than going right back. I have put it on the computer and no code.. Hoping someone may have an idea on what the issue is. When I had the 4-3 spring problem I took it to 3 shops, and they all said rebuild rebuild rebuild. I came here post a thread and it was a DIY job and I paid less than $100. I don't trust many shops unfortunately.

 

If you have a regular OBDII scanner it will not work to extract codes for the transmission. Search the forum regarding the specific scanners that work to extract codes from the other modules, including the transmission module. They are not that expensive. Good Luck and if you do get codes - post them.

 

Please explain more about what it is doing. What drive issues are there. You mention something about it hunting for gears. When you first start it does the light and message happen immediately, or does it come on after you drive for a moment? It may be good to take it to a dealer for a scan of the codes if you can't get a scanner that can read transmission faults. If the trans itself isn't slipping under load you probably don't need a rebuild at this point. Some common areas for the 5r55 to have issues are the valve body, the gear shifter itself, or the cable linkage. Some of these will produce fault codes. Another place to check is the torque converter, but that usually causes surging.

 

The cars with 5R55N do not have a separate module for the trans. Instead, the PCM does both engine and trans. Any OBD tool that works will read gearbox codes if there are any on those cars.

 

Hey Jag so how come when I put 2 different readers I get no code? Is that normal? The car is obviously having some gearbox trouble. As seen in the video it goes 1st gear to 2nd fine and 2nd to 3rd fine than 3rd to 4th and Than slips to 5th and than back to 4th. I've spoken to another member here who told me he had something similar to this problem. He changed all springs and the solenoid pack. Now the car runs great he says. But I wanted to see of other can confirm or maybe have seen this problem before. My email is medjgarcia@yahoo.com

 

It's normal if what's wrong is something for which there are no codes or if it can't figure a code to set. It doesn't have a set of eyes iinside the box to see if the springs are OK...

 

Really JagV8 i thought that there was little elves in there which shoot up codes when they see a problem. so nobody has got any ideas on what the problem can be?

 

Not all the boxes have the elves

 

There are two things at play here... While codes come from the same computer...Many "inexpensive" or "universal" OBDII readers aren't able to read all the transmission codes. Without going to deep, many readers basically skim the surface, so to speak. So, it is very likely that two different readers would not pull the information you are looking for.

Two options here. Get a make and model specific reader set up or go to a dealer and pay for a diagnostic visit. The second option is not being sarcastic. I personally have a more "generic" scan tool. If faced with issues like yours I pay for diagnostics. I explain up front that I do my own work, I just need help. Many are fine with that and give me a report when done. Many will let me back there with them.

Given the nature of your problem and the 5r55's documented issues, I personally would do the valve rebuild and change the fluid while in there. Not a lot of money and more than likely it. Now, if it was slipping under load and not "hunting" for gears I would look at other things.

 

I wouldn't pay for jag-specific diagnostics for that box (*). For the ZF, maybe, but not for the 5R55N. There aren't many that can be flagged - because it's a simple crude box - and they should be read by any OBD tool. Almost for sure a mechanical problem. Or an engine problem, affecting the gearbox, but then you'd normally have engine codes.

(*) well, I might - if they knew how to exercise the individual solenoids etc via the diags but most have hardly any clue