Hi there yet again;

As some of you may have noticed: I have recently obtained a 2006 Jag S-type 4.2 DVP non-R, and that I have been exploring methods of upgrading its suspension towards something more sport-like and that I have been playing with options to increase the vehicles overall power and performance.

Well, now its time to also consider the human aspect of this....driving technique.

Now, driving an automatic with the intent of hitting the highest performance is essentially knowing to smash the accelerator into the floor and never let up. Driving a manual involves knowing where the engine's power to RPM graph and understanding that shifting at the RPM where HP is peaked (usually 6000) leads to the greatest pull/acceleration. Smash down the gas pedal until you approach 6000 rpm, shift gears (understanding what gear shift delay might exist in your system will determine when you actually shift, and whether you need to lift off the gas momentarilly), smash down on the gas and repeat. For optimum gas efficiency probably occurs when shifting more at the peak torque point (4100).

But, here in my S-type, I have multiple options. I have:
i)normal automatic
ii)sports mode
iii)Jgate

I also have traction control that I can turn on/off.

So, how do I make best use of all this to achieve the best performance "of the line" in an otherwise non-sported-up car? Keep in mind that I only "race against myself", to and from rural hospitals, that usually have me driving 2 hours either way during times when the highways are empty. So, all I need to do is "feel fast", I don't actually have to "be fast".

So, this is what I have gathered:

03 S-Type R - 1st gear shifting @ 6100?

This thread shows me how to disconnect the battery, reset the computer memory, correct any new malfunctions (eg power windows), and then "re-teach" the engine to gear change at the 6000-6100 "sweet-spot" in sport mode with traction control off. Mind you, I realize this thread is specific for STRs, but they must be similar in this regard.

Then I read this:
Question about sport mode

Also specific to another car. But, I think its probably still appropriate.

And finally:
Driiving with the j gate

Also a different car, but you get the information from where you can.


So all this leads me to believe that the best way to drive the tires off this car is to:
a) retrain the computer as per the first thread.
b) put the car into sport mode with traction off when I really want to open it up
c) us J-gate to guide the car but let the car decide the gear as determined by the retrained computer in step a)

Does this sound about right to the gurus? Is this the best way to still pull off the line in first gear, recognizing that none of the transmission options (i-ii-iii) give me direct access to first gear?

Lets discuss this.

Thanks

John

 

a) doesn't work and is based on a the incorrect belief that the TCM loses its learned behaviour when the power is cut - it doesn't. The PCM does, so will have to re-learn about the engine and of course backs off the controls as it does so.

c) well, a) is wrong so this is dubious at best

 

Well, JagV8 is correct in his post. The only way to alter shift points is to have the dealer reflash the trans and all that really does is reset the trans to it's basic setting so it has to relearn. In theory, time will retrain the adaptive trans anyway.

So, I'm basically Animal in the Animal House that is Jaguar Forums. I drive aggressively enough that the message display on my car has said "Hey @sshole! I'm not a R!"

What I've discovered about getting the most out of it.....

1) Great Tires. Not just good but great. Remember, grip is key to any aspect of performance. Also, being "enthusiastic" without the best rubber is just plain dangerous.

2) Great brakes. If your gonna go fast you better be able to stop it when the unexpected happens, and trust me it will. I am probably the only user I know that actually benefits from cross drilled brake rotors. They are noisy but I've had them on there for over a year and they are still fine. I actually am having a hard time not changing them since I normally have always had to do brakes every year.

3) Put the trans in sport mode and let the computer handle the rest. The J gate is non intuitive and going at it hard it is easy to slip into the wrong gear. Also, the DSC and Traction Control are very good in these cars. Unlike other systems, it doesn't kick in until you are really getting out of shape. It allows for limited wheel spin and drift. I've had the back drifting a little bit around some sharp turns and it didn't intervene. If you were to autocross I would consider turning it off but on the street the unexpected can happen and it is good to have the security of DSC in your back pocket.

4) Have fun trying to wipe the **** eating grin off your face! Your gonna love the V8....wish I had one...

 

From a strictly performance standpoint, I would agree with Jeff and jagv8 on putting the transmission in sport mode and letting it do the work for you. However, going down back roads and using the J-Gate is pretty fun. I also use the J-Gate to get a bit more power while on freeway on-ramps and the like. There is a downside to this though. You make quite a bit of noise. I did this one time and wondered who was making such a racket and discovered it was me

Mike

 

Be glad you’re not driving a STR!! Without the stability control on you would be squealing the tires and fish tailing around every corner!! If it is wet then really look out. The car will spin in a circle before you know it! 399 ft-lb of torque is very eager to perform.

I have found that the DSC is my friend for everyday driving. Turning it off is much more exciting but slower.
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X2

 

Driving one of these autoboxes enthusiastically all the time is going to produce expensive problems sooner or later. If you check through posts various on this website for autobox problems, you'll find the number is disproportionately high. If the box has done more than about 50,000mile, it won't be in "as new" condition, and the fluid will be depleted, meaning the additives will have lost much of their effect. Driving enthusiastically accelerates additive depletion drastically, and raises atf fluid temperatures to well above 180 degree towards 250 degree. This means the atf fluid needs to be changed very soon, more like 10 to 15,000mile. The fluid will carbonize much more readily also. Atf from Jaguar dealers is REALLY expensive. I should have a word with someone who has genuine racing experience with autoboxes if I were you, esp. if he has ZF experience. (That'd be JAG. BMW. Audi). Ask him about costs too for autobox overhaul. Really, you'd be better off with stick-shift and a conventional dryplate clutch. Easy to change when burnt out.
Leedsman.

 

Does that mean that it would be wise to prophylactically consider replacing the fluid or unit at a certain point? In the sense of replacing it before it is broken might save on complicated work and collateral damage. Afterall I do plan on driving it enthusiastically all the time. Please forgive if this sounds stupid. I am currently in the hospital hopped up on morphine with a possible broken leg. I live like I drive

 

Old Ford 5 speed sort of...But the OP stated he has a 2006 that has a ZF... Please correct me and point to the disproportionately high failure posts...

Really, the ZF is a fairly rugged trans that can hold up well to even applications in the R.

If driven enthusiastically, I would assume the driver would know to service the trans.....

BTW, even in Europe the S Type stick shift is only available with a slow six....

 

Good answer about the different transmissions. The ZF model you have is head and shoulders better than the 5 speed Ford transmission. But to answer your question. Yes change the fluid. Now YOU have some work to do. It is not clear exactly which fluid must be used but several guys on the list have done a great job outlining the options out there. Again look up the transmission posts by CCC. Best discussion yet and he has actually done it and is not just talking about doing it!!!

I am at 55K miles on my 2005 STR and will be changing as much of the fluid as possible but not sure when I will try it??
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The same ZF transmission is used on more powerful cars then the STR (both in terms of HP and TQ). Unless high-HP cars mostly sell to conservative 85 year olds, the ZF transmission has a proven track record that includes a number of users that drive their car pretty hard. Unless you are shifting at redline for every single shift at every light in a high-density area with very short blocks or tracking the car, the incremental wear and tear of an occassional but fun redline run should be pretty small and the transmission should have time to cool between runs. I've done this for years on all of my "fun" cars and occassional typically means at least once or twice each time I take a car out for a drive.

I've had a volvo XC90 with a turbo charged engine and an underspec GM transmission. If you look on their forum, there are many on its 2nd or 3rd transmission...ours was replaced at 30K and 45K miles before Volvo bought the car back. In contrast, aside from a common leaking sleeve, lurching, and torque converter issues, there are very few ZF failures due to power.

I don't think ZF/Jag would spec a high TQ box with a "lifetime" rating 100kmiles only if the car is driven in a "no fun" manner. Furthermore, no one that I know of acutally tests the old fluid to see how worn out it really is nor do I know of anyone that has actually measured the fluid temp before and after a max acceleration run. Without hard data, changing the fluid more often is likely to extend the life you your box and at the end of the day, the forum concensus seems to be around 50k miles. I don't know how most people came up with the 50k mile target but I would guess its more related to the cost of the ZF fluid then the actual condition of the fluid or the PIA of the process. On the other hand, there also isn't data that suggests that if you follow the manf. rec., the transmission will fail early like the volvo.

 

YAY!!!! I was hoping ccc would pipe in...

Oh, I'm sorry....Nice post as well Tbird...

 

Back in March, I spoke with a ZF vice president in Chicago who swore up and down that a 100,000-mile change interval is more than adequate for "normal" driving conditions. He defined "normal" as a 50/50 mix of highway/city driving, no track racing, no dirt or gravel roads, and no towing....

I doubt if many of us will opt to go 100,000 miles between fluid changes if we keep our cars long enough, though. The question is much more likely to be which fluid will we go with....

 

I was going to multi-quote this reply, but all of the replies since my last entry have been incredibly helpful. Thanks to you all.

So, my ankle is broken and I am in a special air-cast that I had the cast tech help me alter from a pre-existing air-cast. Thus, I can still drive with it!

I have also just finished a 48 hr hospital shift so pardon me for not responding sooner.

Well, for my transmission in sport-mode, the computer does an excemplary job in the end. Despite what was discussed in the first thread I referenced in my original post to this thread: 03 S-Type R - 1st gear shifting @ 6100? , car shifts at redline/RPM-of-optimal-HP, as it should. The only time it deviated from this is if I didn't commit my foot to the accel-pedal. The moment I showed any hesitancy, the engine would up shift. So, this is a rather useful phenomenon, because it lets me essentially gear shift simply by how I hold the gas-pedal. Floor it, and the engine shifts at redline.

So, for the pure performance point of view, I am ecstatic. Its maybe not as fun as the J-gate, but it probably allows better accel, even while holding a coffee in my hand! LOL

As for the maintenance of the transmission, and the car in general....I am thinking that I will buy the AutoEnginuity code reader today. I already have an adequate laptop that I don't use anymore that I can simply put "under the passenger seat". I also have a mount for it so that it can "hover" over the passenger seat, suspended from the central console's coffee cup holder, sort of like a cop-car.

Since the code reader reads tranny fluid temp, I imagine I can get real-time feedback. Storing these details in a car file I have (on an old palm-pilot I no longer use....yes, I know, I go through electronics pretty fast), should allow me to map the trends in temp fluid and will probably allow for me to detect an optimal time to change the fluid. While Leedsman mentions temperatures of 180C/F-250C/F as being a transition zone, I am fairly certain what will be seen is a stable but gradual increase in fluid temp after a power-run, followed by a time frame where the fluid temp curve starts to become more steep and thus increase a more rapid rate. I am by no means a mechanic or even a legitimate hobbyist, but I am guessing this will happen and will signal the time to change fluid.

I am developing a bit of a acquaintence-ship (I would hesitate to call it a friendship, that is just bizarre) with a local jag mechanic. I am sure it will be financially lucrative for him. I am considering running the full scanner check on the car on a regular basis, emailing him the saved file and using that also a method of picking up on issues before they become real concerns (I am setting this up like this as I relocate to a remote location in the next month). As he picks up on issues, I will compare that to the changes in the files over time and thus also come to better understand the process.

As a final comment....I had to travel about 200km to do my hospital shift, and then did the same drive back at the end of the shift. This was the first time I really had a chance to "unleash" the car on the open highway. It was a winding, twisting road, well maintained, double-laned most of the way. Since it was still a secondary/tertiary highway, it was relatively empty of other traffic. All the police were involved in monitoring a running marathon that occurred over the same time as my drive back, on a separate highway, so there was nothing stopping me from really givin'er. I know I had made mention on many other threads about how I was going to mod the heck out of this 2006 4.2 S-type to make her a super-beast...superchargers, LSD, brembo brakes, CATs suspensions etc... Well, this car proved I didn't need to do any of that. It took me quickly to a top speed that was at the edge of my comfort zone (lets face it, I am not a race car driver....yet?), it handled tight corners at 180km/hr without traction issues, it braked quickly and then lunged forward when it was appropriate. Absolutely all the car I need. I think I will still upgrade the suspension (with maybe the s-type specific springs etc from Spires) and I will probably have the mechanic reprogram the computer for the extra HP/mpg efficiency that always gets mentioned all over the internet. I think I mights even upgrade the brakes. But that is it. This car already effortlessly takes me to my top end of comfort, where exhilaration turns to fear. I don't think I need to risk breaking it in order to venture into realms I am not confident to be in, as it is.

Once I "grow" as a "driver", that will probably herald a time for a new car as it is, not further modding the existing car.

Cheers to you all

Great entries, great help, you guys are great

John

 

As something else I was wondering about....what gives with the J-gate? Why is there no access to first gear? It seems fairly counter-intuitive to design it like that, though I am sure there are probably good reasons that I simply have not thought of yet.

 

I can't see any point in having 1 on the J-gate, except maybe on the STR (and probably only in USA). They didn't build many STRs so maybe Jaguar just decided the cost of it as an option wasn't justified. If they gave it any thought at all. I'm a bit surprised that apparently none of the tuners offer it.

 

The J-Gate was one of those quirky things that Jag designed in years ago to "be different" and answer Mercedes unique stepped shifter gate. While some "new innnovations" work, that doesn't..It has been bashed by the automotive press for years..And now I know why....

But, it became a hallmark of Jaguar so they all got it...And yes it is silly that it doesn't have a first gear...My guess is that first is such a short gear for a quick launch that they really don't want you using it...Heck, I've counted shifts before and many times my car leaves a light in second.. After counting I thought it may be in 5th at speed and not sixth. So, I checked it by moving the shifter from D to 5 and what do you know it droped down..