Hey, so I just got my xkr...37,000 miles....havent owned an automatic in a long time...when i start from a stop...the car seems smooth....a bit soft....(not with the paddles, but in auto mode).....it could be that thats just how a jag is...but it seems like its slipping a tiny bit? is this normal, could it be slipping with these few miles (the car is in pretty clean shape over all....does not seem to be a car thats been driven too hard?

 

i can't believe no one bothers to offer some help....

 

I would say that they have not experienced the same issue or they have not seen your post. I see that you have a 2007 MY car and I am not familiar with your car. Sorry!

 

I moved your post here for better responses.

 

Johney5,

I too have an 07 XK, not an R thou, with 36k miles. It's difficult to make much of your concern, especially, since you have not had an automatic in some time. That being said, my car exhibits no slipping sensation that I am aware of. Perhaps you could elaborate.

My guess is that you are probably okay. Jag engines and transmissions are plenty strong. Do you have any history on the car? My only concern re the history of an R car is that it was once owned by a 20 year old idiot.

 

Bring it to a transmission place or let someone who really drives automatics a lot a go in the car. I know on my Jag the car can start in 2nd gear instead of 1st.

I find it hard to believe that your ZF transmission is slipping at such low mileage.

Are you doing 1/4 mile runs or abusing it?

 

It is hard for any of us to know for sure. Obviously the car has to be test driven.

That being said, the Jaguar XK automatic transmission is considered by most "in the know", to be the finest automatic transmission in the industry. It is well know for its smoothness and its ability to adjust to the driver...

I also agree with what was said earlier, your mileage is way to low for you to be experiencing transmission problems...

I would definately have it checked out though...

 

well....thanks...finally signs of life: I do appreciate it.
In the mean time I asked a jag mechanic who did not drive it, but told me something quite surprising...he said that if the transmission was slipping there would be some sort of error light: is that correct? He also said that the software in the car can be flashed to adjust the way it shifts by the factory. Some people apparently find it too hard, and have it flashed to soften it. Wonder f the reverse is possible, and how to go about it?

Otherwise...i don't really know the car history, I bought it from a dealer in LA. Judging by looks alone, I doubt the car was really abused...it looks more like it was ignored. But it's pretty clean..and i have not been out doing 1/4 miles with it myself....not even a burnout. Funny a Jaguar, I track the mustangs, as they elicit that guttaral response in me making me want to open them up. The Jag seems so tame next to that. I think in part it's to do with lack of much exhaust sound....my Jag is so quiet in comparison. I have to say, its a car that seems to be nicer to look at, then to drive fast in. I probably will have to modify it a bit.

 

Transmission slippage is pretty obvious when it happens. It's like slipping the clutch in a manual. Put the tranny in sport mode and turn on the performance option. Use the paddle shifters to shift. You should feel the transmissions crack off shifts pretty smartly. I've only had mine a few months and it's the first automatic I've owned in quite a while too. I miss my 3rd pedal, but it really is quite the transmission. Very responsive to driver input.

 

Put it into "S" mode and then give it a go.

When I got my XK I was a bit underwhelmed by the ferocity of the car...until I put it into sports mode.

 

I have a previous generation XKR but noticed your post and I believe the automatic unit used in yours is similar if not the same as previous (ZF 6 speed). I have always owned automatics, some good and some not so good. The car I had before the Jaguar was a 1995 Corvette that had what I considered to be a great transmission (most likely would be considered harsh shifting by Jaguar owners) and when I got the Jaguar my impression of the shifts were the same as you are experiencing. However I believe the shift characteristics are intentional and not an indication of transmission problems. In fact I recall reading an article related to test driving used XK's where it was stated how the transmission properly "slurred" through shift changes. This was meant as a good thing since the hallmark of these cars was "refineness" and not really sportiness.

So the result is shifts that seem kind of languid and sloppy but, again, I believe this is by design.

Doug

 

thanks Doug...well thats what it seems like. but today i had the oil changed (engine, not transmission)..and now the car is acting even stranger...it feels like its just barely shifting.. feels like the auto transmission is sticking to lower gears. Perhaps the smart car has been reading my posts. I don't get it? do these cars reset when you change oil? it feels like another car.

 

If its not shifting into a higher gear like u expect, the fluid could be low. There's a very specific procedure to check the fluid level via the fill plug at a given temp range. Get a jag Indy shop to at least check fkuid level and look for signs of a leak. There's a little harness sleeve that is a common weeper.

 

Do I understand correctly that the transmissions in these cars are "sealed" and "maintenance free"? I went looking for a dip stick the other day and couldn't find one.

I also checked the service schedule did not see any transmission maintenance recommended...

I dunno about this. If true, this makes me a little nervous. All automatic transmissions need servicing eventually...

Don't they?

 

Yes they do.

Many members here choose to do fluid and filter changes anyways.

There are various threads sprinkled about with details of the procedures for the various transmissions.

 

I believe that BMW might have been one of the pioneers in the philosophy that ". . .the driver is too stupid to tinker with things like checking the transmission fluid so we are going to remove the dipstick and seal things up. . ."

I think there was some guy who had previously posted his retrofit dipstick for BMW (and some Jaguar) transmissions that allowed you to check and fill the trans from above rather than having the car on a lift.

Doug

 

well.....i did not add a dipstick for the transmission fluid...yet....
thanks for the suggestion.
But i did pull the cables off the battery and reset the ecu (i hope thats what I reset)...and it actually helped a lot. The auto transmission feels better...less slimy and more aggressive. So lets see what happens next.
It leads me to another question though..if the car learns to respond to the old owner of the car, does that mean the driver needs to drive aggressively, and it will learn to shift frankly? or if you drive aggressively, will it put a damper on the way you drive to smooth things out? I wish it just had a manual transmission.

 

2013 XKR Portfolio exhibits same “stick/slimy” sensation from a stop. I am unsure whEther the computer starts the car in second under “normal” city driving, but the perceived problem seems most prevalent first thing, after a cold start, and improves as the running gear and fluids come up to temp. The slippage also seems to to be less noticeable when the car is in Dynamic or Sport more, with the transmission in auto mode. I have not spent a ton of time experimenting with manual mode as a don’t use it unless I want to grab a lower gear on the highway or if I just want to enjoy some noise while approaching a traffic stop…

this is the first auto performance car I’ve owned in quite some time, so I may be hyper-focused on feel, since my left foot is bored AF.

Any updated suggestions are welcome. Absolutely love this car and plan to add an XJR to the stable at some point. What a power plant. Truly one of the last banging petrol V8’s produced…

 

Yes. change the fluids and filter. Then perform a system reset. Then follow the procedure for a test drive.

 

Fluid change depends on mileage and history, not always recommended. These are adaptive TCMs which means they constantly change their shifting characteristics based on driving style input for example if you drive mostly highway with little stop and go but very aggressively, the TCM will learn to shift more aggressively. If driven a low speeds and quite gingerly, then the TCM will adapt to slower, smoother shifts.