96 XJR, 112K miles, change to synthetic ATF?
 

I received my Jag back from a specialist independent shop after a long time and many parts (details will be in another post......:)) Runs beautifully now. He changed the trans filter and ATF with a pan-drop-and-let-it-drain type of service, and managed to get almost 8 qts changed. He used Castrol Dextron III ATF.

I'm a big fan of synthetic fluids for vehicles. I currently use Amsoil in all the family fleet. I'd like to switch my XJR's fluid to Amsoil ATF, but my concern is the 112,000 miles on the trans. This car came from Florida. Part of the problems I was experiencing was due to much oil sludge having built up in the breather/supercharger passages which required disassembly and cleaning. I suspect the previous owner(s) used cheap oil in a hot Florida climate.

Yet, I've read of people's experiences causing leaks and damage to old auto transmissions with a change to synthetics, as the better solvent properties can dislodge sludge which can damage or plug other parts of the trans. The major issue though seem to be full trans flushes using a flushing machine without changing the filter. OTOH the XJR's GM trans has a good reputation as a robust if somewhat crude design. So......

I'd like to hear about others experiences with this. Did you change to synthetic ATF? At what mileage? Did it help, hurt, or do nothing?

Nah. The breather system just isn't all that great. Most any XJR/6 will have the same as the years and/or miles accumulate. Ages ago Jaguar offered a revised retro-fit system but it wasnt any better, I'm told.






There's some truth to that but IMHO only in extreme cases. If the trans has been at least reasonably well cared for I don't think you'll have any dislodged sludge issues.

Did the mechanic comment on what he saw in the bottom of the pan? That might be a clue.




Yeah, its roots go back to 1964 so it isn't a high-tech marvel :)








I can't comment as I run the old fashioned stuff.

Cheers
DD

Doug has answered teh same as I would.

I went to "full synthetic auto trans fluid" down here a while back, coz the price lowered, and "old mineral" went up and got harder to find for a time.

This was in:
'96 X300 ZF 4HP22 (167000kms), made a huge difference eventually.
'85 XJ-S V12 TH400 (220000kms), same difference over a time.
'63 MK10, BW DG (502000kms) nightmare, but it seems smoother haha, and leaks less I think.
Others that were in my fleet at the time all benefited quite a bit.

I did the sythetic intro by draining, and refilling multiple times over a 6 month period. All the transmissions involved had a drain plug, or filler pipe that when undone allowed the fluid to exit.

NO adverse effects to date, and the XJ-S was introduced 4 years ago.

So one vote for mineral and one for synthetic, both with good effect. I knew this would happen. :)

Thanks for your information gents. I was thinking I should drain and refill a couple of more times then at least I've flushed most of the age-unkown fluid out. The 480LE has a 14 qt capacity, no? I'm having a hard time finding the Jaguar specific capacity of it, though it's around 14-15 qts in GM truck applications.

Grant: what type of benefits did you see? I've got cousins in Adelaide BTW, so I know how extreme your summer weather can get which is the perfect application for synthetic fluid. I'm the same here in Canuck Siberia, just the inverse! It's -20C right now. I'll be taking my Jag to work this morning. Synthetics most definitely shine in very cold conditions too.

Total capacity is 12.8 Litres according to the service manual


Cheers
DD

I switched my XJ6 to Mobil 1 syn. when I bought last fall with 120K mi. No problems so far.

FWIW I have nothing against synthetics. It's just that I'm happy with dino ATF in this application. The trans seems to be holding up well at 137K miles. Perhaps not *quite* as firm on the shifts as it used to be but the tires will still sometimes chirp on the 1-2 shift at WOT :).

Plus having a sump plug makes partial fluid changes SO easy. About every 10k miles I drain the sump and add 4 quarts of new ATF. Doesn't take but 15 minutes and keeps the fluid perpetually freshened-up. Thus the "long fluid life" aspect of synthetics isn't much of a concern for me.

(OK, I'll be honest. I'm a bit compulsive about regularly changing all lubricants. The idea of leaving any lubricant in place for 40-50-60k miles or a "lifetime" just makes me shudder. So, even if I spent the extra for synthetics I still wouldn't leave 'em in place long enough to balance out the expense. It would be money down the drain for me!)

The high temperature tolerance of synthetics can be a real "plus" but I'm not pulling a house trailer or subjecting the car to extended hard use....so....<shrug>

Many are happy with Redline and Royal Purple synthetic ATFs. I've never researched them but I *think* they're marketed towards the high performance crowd and have additive packages for less slip and firmer shifts. So, that's a good thing worth considering.


Cheers
DD

Interesting points everyone. Many thanks for your input! But Grant, was that a typo or do you really mean 502,000 km on you're 68?!! Yikes!!

I've been running all synthetic fluids with each fluid change on my wife's 2005 Chrysler Pacifica AWD drivetrain, and it's just about to hit 200,000 km and still running very well (knock on wood very vigorously :)). It's easier for me to use Amsoil than mineral oil, as I had to look around a bit to find Dexron III rated ATF (Wall-mart of all places) as everything is some nebulous "multi-vehicle" fluid. Amsoil I order online and a nice courier man drops off a box on my doorstep. I like it.

It will take quite a few pan drainages to replace most of the fluid if I don't remove the filter and allow the valve body to drain. At least I've got 59% fresh ATF for now. I think I'll try multiple pan drainages over time when the weather warms up. I'll post my findings then.

Thanks again gents!

NO typo, that thing simply will not die, and we have all tried, including the kids when learning to drive. Rarely used now, I have gotten sooooooo soft as age adds to the older bones/joints.

ALL my Jags have been daily drivers, and some serious kms on all of them. "Her" S2 XJ12 now in Alice Springs had 485000km when sold some 6 years ago, and is still their daily driver.

The XJ-S took us twice around the coast road of this big island and never a hicccup, and many, many interstate jaunts just for fun.

The differences I felt with the synthetic fluid was smoother changes after about 3 -4 drain and refills, and a slightly quicker take up from P to D. The heat handling was my main reason after $, and the rest was simply added smiles.

The same synthetic in the power steer really made that system quieter and simply nicer all round.

Like Doug, no fluid stays in mine for that dumb "long service interval"/ The trrans/diff/power steer/brake fluid, all get changed every 2 years. The engine is every 6 months. That is on all the Jags, now and then.

I have a 96 xjr and love the car, I know where your coming from in wanting to run the best stuff possible in it, but given the age of the trans I would question added benefits of running synthetic at this point. If this were a vehicle used for towing or racing than I would see the benefit but not in this application. You might want to consider simply adding a conditioner to your fluid rather than flushing it.

As far as the durability of that trans I was a Chevrolet technician for years and very seldom did those transmissions have issues even in heavy duty applications

Yes, every fluid has its life expectancy, kind of like us :). Thanks for your experiences as a Chevy tech. Good to know about its reputation for durability is true.

What type of conditioner are you referencing? I haven't heard of any additive for auto transmissions.

BTW, how did you change power steering fluid? Just suck out the reservoir and refill a few times?

Maybe you could jump over to the XJS section and help a guy there with a 4L80E that won't come out of first gear :)


Cheers
DD

Yep, as simple as that.

Hi, My '95 XJR has become slow to engage drive, especially when cold and the shift from 1st to 2nd is a bit soft under full power. I have changed the fluid at home by draining and refilling aprox once a year with standard D3 and have swaped the filter and cleaned out the sump(pan) two or three times over the last 6 years / 60K miles.
Do you guys think it would benefit from synthetic?
I was thinking maybe swap some in, run it for a few months, then swap it again and put in a clean filter (in case the first dose dislodges some sludge).
I do the odd trackday and once overheated the gearbox, but it seemed fine afterwards.
Regarding the correct grade, are all synthetics compatable with tradittional fluid, as I will not be able to empty the torque converter?
Also I noticed that Redline do a 'racing' fluid. Would that help sharpen the shifts and is it suitable for long term use in a road car?

Cheers,

John