Greetings. I think I'm going to have to get a Zip Kit for my transmission. There are two Zip Kits for the 6HP26 transmission, one for transmissions with the 053 separator plate and one for transmissions without the 053 separator plate. Is there a way to discern which transmission I have without first removing the valve body and physically looking at the separator plate?

My car is a 2004 XJ8 (March of 2004 build).

 

Nope, not really. From memory, I also had to remove the Mechatronic/TCM from the valve body to see the edges of the separator plate-- the ZF part number is on the visible side/facing down and the separator plate designation on the other side of that part number tag.

See attached pics. Take lots of pics at each step of your process to have some memory of what goes where, and how.

I installed the ZIP kit and a full set of ZF solenoids three years ago/75k miles ago on my '04. Mine was also built in March, '04, with the VIN in the 31k range. The separator plate in the valve body was an 051. It's definitely a minor pain to have to tear things down enough to know what plate to order/find/purchase. I ended up driving an hour to the nearest transmission parts vendor who stocked Sonnax parts and had the separator plate in stock, after having everything else (solenoids, ZIP kit, pan, fluid) already on hand. I believe I bought the ZIP kit for the 6R60.

When you've put it all back together, be sure to clear adaptations (with SDD or other scan tool that can access the TCM).

Hope this helps.
-Paul

 

Thank you, Paul. I won't be doing the work myself. My local independent Jag shop will. When I bought this car last fall, the transmission was shifting horribly and would occasionally stick in 2nd gear and throw a transmission fault on the dash display. I had the shop change the fluid and filter/pan and install new solenoids and sleeves/o-rings. Shifting was vastly improved, like butter, but still every now and then out of the blue* it will start shifting rough and/or stick in 2nd and throw a fault message. I think a Zip Kit will cure this. Technician said the transmission looked good on the inside, fluid was just old. Nearly 130,000 miles and probably running on the original fluid.

*When I say "out of the blue," I literally mean it. I can go for weeks, even months, with the transmission behaving fine, and then it will act up. Turn the engine off and restart, this clears the fault and it's back to normal.

 

Wanted to give an update. Had the Zip Kit installed this past week. So far, transmission seems to be shifting great.

Paul, my separator plate was also an 051, which was to be expected since your car and my car were built in the same month and year.