After getting rid of my first car, a Honda, I made what I like to believe was the best switch I'd ever made, to a '97 Jaguar. I wanted a 90's Jaguar and found this one for a good price in another city on Craig's list. It was good news to read that 1997 was a pretty good year for the Jaguar.

So far the car has given me no major problems and I've only done oil change and had a mechanic change the tensioner as it was squealing. However, in the several months I've had it I'm sure I've noticed a change in the way it drives. when first purchased I was astonished with how seamless the gears would switch, whereas now I feel a small jerk and on 3 separate scary occasions on the freeway the rpm surged as if I'd stepped on the gas.


I take the vehicle to a small auto shop as the only mechanics I bother to try and trust are the independent ones, and tell them i believe i need a transmission fluid change. He tells me "not to scare you but these type of foreign vehicles have what's called lifetime transition fluid" he went on about the damage it would cause, I felt like he didn't want to get up from the desk and off the phone, so I left
I wait the next day and take it to the mechanic I usually go to. I tell him it drives kind of sluggish compared to what I remember, we go for a cruise with him driving and he says the transmission feels smooth and doesn't notice anything.

Even when I need minor repairs I have to depend on mechanics to screw a young man over. I'm mechanically inept and I'm tired of it. i live in a city where jaguars aren't sold and I'm sick of relying on mechanics who love to get one over on their customers. I know I deserve some scolding for purchasing an 18 year old jaguar of all cars when I can't even successfully pull the damned transmission fluid dipstick out, but life is short and the purchase has proven to be a good one.

Skip to here for the quick point of my inquiry

Please guys I need someone to show me the light. How can I learn to work on my own car? I have many tools to my disposal but no one to guide me. and when I say mechanically inept I really mean retarded. I couldn't point to the tool that is required for sparkplug removal if I had to, I don't know the sizes of screwdrivers and the like. I only know lefty loosey righty tighty.

Am I hopeless? Is this really something I could learn from a book?
I sincerely thank you kind fools for reading my plea for helpful advice, and apologize for asking such a useless, laughable question.

-stupid dumb idiot

 

Whether it was intentional or not, you have chosen the most reliable of the Jaguar models - more developed than the XJ40 that preceded it and a less fragile engine than the early V8 that followed.

If you've successfully done an oil change then the other scheduled service items will be within your capabilities even if you do have to come back to the forum with basic questions. None of us were born with mechanical skills and, with only the occasional rare exception, you will find members are generous and understanding in sharing their knowledge.

Graham

 

If you did the oil change...then you are equipped to renew your transmission fluid. While you could drop the pan and change the filter then refill....I'd recommend a popular technique among many members here of easing into it. Next time you do an oil change, slide back under the xmsn and remove the drain plug. Catch the outflow in a suitable basin and replace the plug when it stops dripping. You'll probably have 3-4 qts in the basin. Replace it with a like amount of new fluid, adding at the xmsn dip-stick on the LHS right next to your engine oil dipstick. Unless you have the supercharged XJR, I believe you'll find your transmission is from ZF (4HP24?) and specifies Mercon-spec fluid which is most likely found as DexMerc, meeting both Dexron (xx) and Mercon specs.

Repeat at each of the next several oil changes and you'll be sporting nice clean tranny fluid.

 

1. It is always nice to do your own oil change! this way you know what your putting in and how much your putting in. now... lets start with the oil change. Unlike Honda, Toyota, Beamer, their drain plug size are like 17,19 on our jag its a 30mm. so you would need to go aquire that huge socket first to do the oil change. Depending on your model, on xjr6 its more difficult where you need to take out more stuff to get to the oil filter, but on a regular xj6 or vdp you can actually reach down and just get to the filter.

2. Spark plugs, you need a 5/8 socket, but of course you would need other socket too to take out the iginition coil and the cover. I believe they are all hex style and if you go out to any parts store and ask for spark plug socket, its usually sold as a set and they are either magnetic or they have a rubber ring in them, so when you lose the spark plug it is easier to lift them out of the spark plug well.

3. Your transmission fluid you would need to drain it from the bottom of the car, and refill. as for the dip stick you would need to reposition the dip stick hole when your refilling to accurately measure how much tranny fluid is inside. If your interested i can post you the detail instruction. also our car takes DEX 3 Tranny FLuid.

 

You dont need a socket.
An adjustable wrench/spanner is fine if you are careful. I was brought up calling them Crescent spanners cos that is an old USA brand of adjustable spanner...

Anyway, get car up in air safely - i use ramps.
Find large drain plug nut/plug, let it drain. It wont fully empty. I think the ZF auto gearbox holds about 7 litres but about half of that if it the torque converter. So if you get about 3 to 3.5 litres out, that is about right. If less, then the oil was low and that probably explains your problem with the gear changes.

Then do plug up, just tight enough, do not overtighten it.
Get a small kitchen plastic kitchen funnel from a supermarket and fill up oil via the dipstick tube - it is bigger than the engine oil one,

I used synthetic gearbox oil, bought a 20 litre plastic grum of it, and did this about 4 or 5 times over several months, and this dilutes out the old oil hiding in the torque convertor. the difference in smoothness is a revelation.

Alternatively find a specialist gearbox shop that can do this with a low pressure flush, and they can do the whole oil volume in one go.
Some othe forum members have, in the past, cautioned against high pressure flushes as these can damage the gearbox valves....

Let us know how you get on

 

Thank you all you've both taught and humbled me with your knowledge

 

Hello New Member,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

I have to take issue with your chosen username.

Stupid: Foolish, senseless, lacking intelligence.

You have already proven that you are not stupid by posting your request for help. That proves you are intelligent enough to recognize your need, and humble enough to seek the help of others.

I would suggest that you are:

Ignorant: Lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned.

There's no shame in being ignorant - even the most expert mechanic among us is still ignorant about some things. We all have to keep learning because it's a lifelong endeavor.

If you are willing to do some reading, there is a lot to be learned by reading the various Jaguar service publications that are available for download from this forum. Check out the links in this post:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...88/#post124702


Many community colleges offer courses in basic auto mechanics. If you're serious about maintaining your Jaguar yourself, it would be well worth your time to take a course or two.

Regarding the transmission in your '97 Jag, it probably is the ZF 4HP24 electronically-controlled gearbox as aholbro1 mentioned. It's generally a very good, reliable transmission. It was also used in BMWs, Audis and Land Rovers/Range Rovers.

The original fluid specified was Dexron III, and the best replacement I have found is Redline D4 ATF. I have used Dexron VI and Dex/Merc in the past and did not realize the torque converter was not locking up properly, probably because the viscosity index of the newer fluids is lower than Dexron III, and the friction modifiers are different. Even today, ZF still recommends Dexron III for this gearbox (not Dex/Merc or Dexron VI).

Starting with a fluid change is a good first step, but there may be other issues, since the gearbox is electronically controlled. For example, the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and Engine Control Module (ECM) communicate with each other, sharing details such as throttle position, gear position, and engine speed and torque. Problems with any of the sensors that provide that information, or the various electronic and electrical components of the transmission system, can cause shifting problems.

You are probably not going to become a Jaguar expert this week, so in the short term, it would be worth finding a good independent Jaguar specialist somewhere within a couple hours drive to help you while you're learning the basics. Many of the good Jaguar mechanics visit this forum regularly, either to share their knowledge or to learn from others about issues they haven't encountered before.

We're happy to have you among us and will look forward to accompanying you on the journey.

Cheers,

Don

 

Working on your car is not as gnarly as mechanics would like you to believe. I find it fun and therapeutic. Your best bet is you need a buddy, one with more technical know-how than you. That always works. Just carefully plan out each job by researching online, namely here, make sure you know exactly what to do and in most cases it's not much more difficult than turning a wrench. The limitations exist in your mind only in most cases

 

Agreed with all the points made above.

This is correct. Most of the time. There are however left hand threads where left is tight right is loose. I have not ran into any on our x300's yet. Sometimes they will have an "L" marked on the bolt sometimes not. I learned this early on in my career. Luckily from someone else's mistake and not my own. A co-worker of mine took a diff apart and gave the ring gear to to a student in training to take apart. I went to see how it was going and there were three broken bolts. When I got there the guy says "I think there is something wrong with this gear". I had to tell him there wasn't, and that the mechanic he was working with forgot to tell him those bolts are left handed threads.

 

The AC tensioner screw dealy (technical term) is the opposite, righty tighty lefty loosey. That's the only one I know of..

 

I will gladly avail myself to discuss any knid of help you might need via phone. I've even gone to fellow forum members to assist if you are close. Let me know, as I wouldn't know a fraction of what I know about these cars if it hadn't been for those who have helped me over the years.

 

That's it! As I was reading Scarecrow's post I kept thinking I'd encountered one on the X300...couldn't think what it was, though