I have a 2000 XJ8 with 230,000 miles. About 3 years ago I replaced the shift cable because it had become loose and about the same time a hesitation had developed when engaging drive, I thought they were related. The hesitation happens when I engage drive, if I accelerate immediately there is what seems to be a slip before the gear engages. At a stop the same thing happens but driving there is not problem at all and it sifts up and down with no hesitation or slippage. The cable replacement did not help at all and the hesitation remained. I have driven it for another 45,000 miles since with no change. Last month replaced the transmission oil to see if this would help but no improvement. It should be noted that my rear diff has been producing a bearing noise for as long as this shift issue has been around so I am not sure if this issue could be related to the rear diff. I have a replacement differential but do not want to go to the expense of putting it in if the transmission or something else is failing. Joined the forum to see if anyone has had a similar problem and has a solution.

 

Welcome to the forum. The symptom is characteristic of A drum failure, which is common. But it's amazing you have been able to drive it that long without total failure. Perhaps it's just a crack in the valve body. Either way the cure is rebuild or replace the transmission. If you use the search at the top right of the forum page you will find lots of info.

The differential could have a bearing failure or other problem not related. With that many miles nothing would surprise me.

Please visit the new member area and introduce yourself and your car.

New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

 

Hi AtholC,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

+1 on RJ's comments, including visiting the New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to post an introduction so we can learn something about you and your Jag and give you a proper welcome.

There is no typical differential issue I can think of that could cause the hesitation or slip you are describing. If the differential noise is just an output shaft bearing set failing, they can be replaced without removing the differential, although one of the bearings has become very expensive due to limited supply. Swapping in a replacement diff can be done in one day in your driveway. Let me know if you decide to do it and I can link you to photos showing how the job is done.

Regarding your transmission hesitation, one simple thing worth checking would be your throttle cable. Over time it can stretch, affecting the calibration between the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) and Transmission Control Module (TCM). Run the engine while you adjust the slack out of the cable so you can hear the idle speed increase and know when you've tightened the cable too far.

The other thing worth doing is to have the car scanned for any stored Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), which may reveal an electrical, sensor or network communications issue that may help you diagnose the problem or narrow the search to the internal transmission issues RJ mentioned. I believe there are some fault codes related to the transmission that do not trigger either Limp Home Mode (LHM) or the check engine light (CEL/MIL).

Cheers,

Don