Something else ready to fail... just great. Since last week, when I start off driving cold I get a very weird feeling between 35-45 mph. It feels like being in a low gear and using the engine for braking. No racing RPMs or engine noise though.

This only happens when I apply the service brake. Stops immediately under 20 mph, and doesn't do it from highway speeds. I put the car in neutral while braking, feeling did not change. After a few miles it goes back to normal braking.

Thinking maybe a hanging parking brake cable? But not feeling any kind of pulling or anything to indicate the parking brake is stuck on. No warning lights or anything else odd is occurring.

The only other thing worth mentioning, I had a slight drip from my trans harness sleeve that is still pending repair. But it was not a significant fluid loss--I had 2 or 3 drops on the garage floor one day, and the trans pan has a slight oily film. Have not seen any leaking since, and no trans issues otherwise.

Anyone have anything like this happen before?

 

Your symptoms might be normal if it is cold where you are, as the TCM keeps the car in the lower gears until it has warmed up a bit.

 

The first order of business with strange tranny behavior, especially slipping behavior, is to check the fluid level. My guess is you have left a lot more fluid on the road when the car was running at speed, so get it checked.

 

I should have mentioned, watching the tach the RPMs are not any different than normal. The RPMs are not any higher when this "low gear" feeling occurs. Also, putting the car in neutral should eliminate any kind of trans issue I'd think. But yes, I definitely have the trans kit on order and will fix that next week.

Of course today it's 25 degrees outside and no symptoms of this problem at all. These phantom issues are about to send me running to another car...

 

Just to close out this thread--I changed my transmission pan, sleeve, and refilled with new oil today. Completely stopped that strange feeling I was having when cold. Also greatly improved my transmission's shifts; the 1-2 shift is so much crisper and less noticeable than before. I drained out about 3.75 L (1 gallon) and put back in 5.5 L, so it was a little low. Old fluid was pretty dark and felt less viscous than the new fluid.

I used the pan/refill kit from California Transmission Supply (great service), which includes an OE pan and the LifeGuard 6 fluid.

 

Might I enquire as to how many miles are on this car?
Man!!....2 litres is a lot of missing oil for this transmission....no wonder the poor thing was acting weird.;o]
As usual, it's the poor car that gets blamed for the ineptitude of owners ....not saying that your good self is to blame.;o)
All too often, infact 99% of perceived problems is down to lack of scheduled maintanance being carried out.

 

You're right...... but for a long time Jaguar claimed the ZF 6HP26 needed no maintenance. (They relented some time ago.)

The least ZF should have done, if no dipstick, was to provide an oil level sensor!!

 

67,000 miles. Right on schedule for the harness sleeve to start leaking.

Was actually only about 1L low. I got out ~4 L, put in 5.5, at least half a liter spilled on the floor to get the fluid level at temperature. So yes, was low, but not critically.