1997 Jag XK8 90,000 miles
New to Jags and new to the J Gate

My " dumb" question :
Do I risk any more wear and tear on the transmission using the J Gate in sport mode than Drive. ?

Are there any tricks to using this appropriately I should know ?
Thanks.
Mike

 

I dont know why but im not happy about going up and down with my j gate..i just put it in drive and go..use the sports mode if i want to go like the clappers.Im sure many will say its ok.

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...g-style-85428/

 

I reckon the best use of the J gate is to hold a lower gear going down hill.
I'd love to be able to force a change to 6th below 50 mph but I can't.

 

I am still leaning site. I'll keep my tech questions in tech area
Mike

 

It wasn't a "redirection" ... it was a pointer at a additional discussion of interest

 

Mike I use mine all the time, I tell my wife it saves wear on the brakes when cruising in the mountains. So far so good. We have 81,000 on the clock. Have an Alasken Amber and enjoy. One of the best beers I have ever had!! Jim

 

i use mine always to slow the car in traffic to not hit the brakes and create a traffic jam when everyone behind me hits their brakes. First I take my foot off the gas to slow, and if thats not enough, Ill flip it into a lower gear on the J gate and lastly hit the brakes when needed. You know if everyone went the same speed on the freeway. left some room between cars and took the foot off the gas for minor slowing rather than touching the brakes every 10 seconds, there wouldnt be traffic jams

 

in terms of engine braking and downshifting to slow the car down

whats more expensive? a new transmission? or new brake pads?

Id say dont use it for engine braking...use it in an emergency to assist with your normal brakes. Using the J gate wont add additional wear unless you're driving in 2nd gear the whole time

 

I leave mine in 4 around town so it doesn't hunt between 4th and 5th gear. Alot of the speed limits here are 35, which is just where my trans wants to go into 5th, so there's some wear and tear while it shifts in and out of 5th. This way the A drum justs gets used for 1st gear

 

you are correct..my gear box goes..so does my car

 

The load on the transmission using engine braking is trivial. It certainly doesn't take 400 hp to slow the car down and you are also in a nice balanced low gear JIC the opportunity to overtake is there.
Using brakes all the time is like playig a piano using only the loud pedal.

 

who said anything about cost of brakes vs trans. I prefer to slow with engine braking by taking my foot off the gas. Sometimes i brakes, sometimes i only need/want to downshift. And i have several cars with mid to high 100k in mileage and none have had a trans rebuild, but then again i change my fluid every couple yrs. Whats cheaper, fluid or a trans
driving in second will only burn more gas and accelerate engine wear from higher rpm. But then again i regulary see full throttle and redline. If i wanted to drive like grandma moses i would have bought something besides a jag.Also in terms of the newer trans and jags when you downshift the ecu briefly pops the rpm up to match the gear selected. like double clutching a manual trans for those that have driven one or know how

 

Thank you one and all. This J Gate thing seems yo be one of the most contentious issues on these cars. Some love it. Some hate it. Use it - font use it. And folks seem to use it differently by preference or driving style.

So wish mine was a manual. Oh well. Can't have everything.

I appreciate all the info and replies.
Mike ( drinking an Amber right now !)

 

This has been a useful discussion.

I am still getting to know my car. I took a run through some very twisty roads last weekend and found using 3rd or 4th allowed nice engine braking while setting up for the next corner. It felt much more stable, like using a manual transmission. I highly recommend it for spirited driving on country roads.



I take Brutal's advice on transmission fluid changes on board though.

 

I am sure Jaguar put it there for the driver to use. Use it I do..all the time, actually I use ALL the car too. if it can't take it then back to a Ford that will.

 

I use mine all the time and enjoy the shifts. I find it especially nice for down shifting. It saves ware on my Brembo pads and I do not get a lot of brake dust on my wheels. These transmissions were made for J-gate shifting so why not use it.

Bill N
03 XKR

 

Funny I didn't even know that the J gate was for anything, I just figured it was some Jaguar thing.

Is there a video on this on how to use it properly?

 

The J-gate is wonderful for spirited driving on mountain highways.

 

dont use mine..not a lot of mountains in solihull