My 2004 xj8 magic carpet now has 54,000 miles on it. I tend to be extremely suspicious of extended service claims by car manufacturers. 5000 mile oil change intervals and so on. Jaguar claims that you can go 100,000 miles before a transmission service. Really?

I get my maintenence done at an independent English/Italian car repair shop. He recommends having it done at 50,000 miles. I have done some web research and have discovered that the transmission/ torque converter system holds about 11 quarts of fluid and when you replace the plastic transmission pan, (which has the filter attached) only 3-4 quarts drain out. So would that not just sort of cancel out the benefit of the service when the 7-8 quarts of older and dirty trans fluid mixes with the new stuff?

Any of you folks have any useful information or experience with this issue? Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Tom

 

I just changed mine...it took 5 quarts with the pan and filter change. You could get more out if you flush the cooler line, but there will always be some old fluid left in the converter. That's just the way it is. Not perfect, but better than not changing it. The sludgy looking fluid and metal filings accumulate in the bottom of the ...plastic...pan.

My tranny always had abrupt shifts. I tried to get the dealer to do something about it for 50k miles. The fluid change fixed it. Under normal driving, I cannot even feel the shifts now.

 

Don't worry about the 'plastic' pan. I had the same concerns until I actually looked at it. It is a very heavy duty piece of some sort of plastic composite.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience with me. Would you mind telling me how many miles your XJ8 when you did the change?

Tnx,
Tom

 

65k miles. I have been wanting to change it since 40k, but first I let the dealership talk me out of it. Then, when I decided I definitely wanted to change it, I got bogged down trying to figure out how to get the fluid. The Shell is only available from Jag. At 60k I finally got serious and ordered everything from Autohauz online. I then sequenced it in with the oil change at 65k.

I know you didn't need to hear all that. The bottom line is I wish I did it at 40 k like I wanted to, as it really improved the shift quality.

Now that I found the supplier and see how easy this car is to work on, I will change it next at 100k.

 

Thanks again!

 

I had similar doubts about doing the change after hearing my dealer attempt to talk me out of the service - if it is not broke, don't fix it. However, my logic of 'things require service' prevailed. Also, I found here on the forum a place to order the parts and fluid at a reasonable price, and much lower than quoted by the dealer. The online parts and fluid site is CTSC (Calif Transmission Service Company, or something like that). Do a search, you will find it. They have a kit that includes filter, fluid, replacement sleeve, bolts, etc. I did my 2008 XJ8L with about 54,000 miles and a slight rough shifting situation has gone away. Next up is our 09 XF with the same engine / transmission which is at the same mileage now (about 55,000).

 

This is the third post today about a fluid change fixing shifting problems with the transmission.

The others were in the S-Type section and the XK section.

Seems like there should be no doubt that changing the fluid is a Good Idea(tm).

 

The kit can be purchased from here:

The CTSC - ZF parts

 

I bought the kit from them and it is well worth it. I replaced around 50K I think on my VDP and did the kit (mechanic ordered from I don't know where) on my XK. The pan was leaking on the XK with only 27K miles. Dealer said he's seen a few leaking pan's on newer Jag's.

Make sure to inspect on your car the next time it's on a lift. Transmission cooling lines can leak as well.

 

My car had never had the fluid changed and had a full dealer service history I took it to an ZF approved service centre they changed all then fluid and filters

I'll get it done every 40,000 from now on cheaper than a new gearbox and as for long service intervals there is no such thing as oil that lasts that long would you leave the engine oil for 100,000 before changing

I just noticed that a lot of the dealers over here are shortening there service intervals as they have been getting lots of complaints about cars dying after the warranty is expired especially VW and Audi

 

I didn't change my fluid yet, as I'm not sure that something will improve.
I had hard shifts when I bought my cat, but I did the adaptationcycle for the TCM and most shifts are very smooth now... only 1-2 sometimes feels a bit hard, especially on the cold car.

What effects did your fluid change cure ?
Warm/cold car related ?
Did you all do the adaptation cycle after/before fluid changes ?

 

Sorry maybe to ask a stupid question but what do you mean by adaptation cycle?

 

Every time I took mine in and complained about harsh shifts, they claimed they "reflashed the transmission memory". It sounds like that is what they are referring to. It never helped one iota with my car.

By the way...you always see a lot of posts of people trying to cure a problem with their tranny by changing the fluid. That never works. If you wait till you have slipping, hard shifts, etc. it's too late. It is preventative only, not a cure.

 

I haven't had mine done, but another local owner told me he took his to a transmission specialist, who connected hoses to it, and let the gearbox pump out the old fluid as new fluid was being pumped in. This takles out all the old stuff that doesn't come out with a simple drain. Apparently his machine can assess the quality and age of the old fluid as it comes out (so can detect when the change is complete)

 

Yes, my locaL indie does this, but it is very expensive in fluid. Just so y'know !!

 

I talked to my jag dealer. He said, that abobe 100000miles a fluid change would be a good idea. It doesn't make any sense to change more often.
Most problems can be fixed by letting the tcm adapt to changes tolerances.
If you change the atf fluid, you also should drive the cycle.. especially if something in the atf fluid's spec changes.

 

I am not sure that it's possible to pump the old fluid out of the torque converter. Some truck converters have a drain plug to get it all out, but without the plug, there is no way to that I know of. Pumping will change the lines, cooler, and valve block...but not so much the converter.

 

You can get all the fluid out by pumping in some "washing fluid".
In germany, there the website "http://www.automatikoelwechselsystem.de/", which describes such a system.

Nevertheless the key questions is when to change fluid and when to adapt the parameters of the tcm.. both methods might cure some problems..

 

What type of transmission oil did you use ?
Thanks.
Getting ready to do mine as well at 56,000 miles