When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
By accident I found a cheap substitute for ZF LifeGuard 5 transimission fluid. I found it at my local Autozone parts store. It is :
Valvoline "Max Life" Full Synthetic multi-vehicle transmission fluid. It goes for about $7.50 a quart, which less than half price of the ZF stuff. It is for the
5HP24 transmission. As you can see from the attached photos, the key is the
"LT71141" requirement it meets. That is the original ESSO tranni fluid rating for the 5HP24 ; and BMW used the 5HP24 in several of their models.
So, someone may want to 'sticky' this in regards to the 5HP24 tranni as the question of a cheap substitute for the expensive LifeGuard stuff frequently comes up.
Alas, I already bought the deadly expensive ZF liquid gold......
NOTE: Yes, all the tranni fluid manufacturers are making multi-vehicle fluids. But this is the only one I have found that specifically states it meets the ESSO requirement for the ZF 5HP24.
I used the genuine ZF fluid in my fluid change.
There is no way I am risking any alternative, in a $5000 transmission, no matter what the bottle says to save $60.
You take your pick and take your chances. I am not a gambling man.
The best Lifeguard 6 ATF alternative probably continues to be Mercon SP, available at any Ford dealership parts department for about $7 per quart. It meets the required Shell M1375.4 fluid specs. Ford used it in the ZF 6HP26 transmissions in their 2006 to 2008 Lincoln Navigators. I've been running Mercon SP in both of our Jaguars for several years now, and their ZFs continue to perform perfectly. I never hesitate to recommend Mercon SP as long as your ZF 6HP26 is beyond any warranty period....
Not to beat this topic to death, but Jon89's logic is impeccable, and is why I used SP for my recent fluid change at 57,000. The reason for the change was the increasingly annoying clutchj chirp. The fluid change eliminated the chirp almost instantaneously. Note also, that Greenforest56's comments refer to Valvoline Maxlife in connection with theZF 5HP box, not the 6HP.
$30+ per quart for Magic Fluid? Yeh - right. LMAO.
A 5HP24 is just a 5HP24; and a 6HP26 is just 6HP26. Just because they're in a Jag doesn't mean they're built out of unobtainium or that tolerances are different. Guts are guts; bearings are bearings; plates are plates. It would be ridiculous to think that ZF built some mystical variants of these transmissions just for Jaguar. Whatever affordable fluid is suitable for these transmissions installed in common vehicles is fine.
I've had Mercon SP in my 6HP26 for 30,000 miles, and the tranny has 200,000 miles total. If the SP was going to cause some kind failure it certainly would have done so in a tranny with that many miles on it. Actually, the Tranny has run wonderfully since I put in the SP. And with 200K miles on the car, when the tranny does go, I'll just cough up the bucks. I can't replace Kitty for less, .... that's for sure.
If I had a 5HP24, I wouldn't hesitate a moment in using an alternative product that meets specifications, which is approved for use in other, less "super natural" vehicles.
I'm a little late to all the discussions about this. Having to replace the rear end was a rude awakening to say the least, now I'm on a mission to preserve all I can so I am now planning a tranny fluid change on my 1998 XK8.
From what I have read, this is sure to be a 5Hp version. Found an amco shop willing to do labor if you bring the parts (pan, filter, fluid).
From the above discussion I see that just because we found a good fluid for the 6HP, one cannot assume it is perfect for the 5Hp tranny. Therefore the Mercron is not for my 5Hp.
Would someone please verify that for us ?
If so, I am a little disappointed because there has been such positive feedback on Mercrons price & performance.
Not to worry John. Take a look at the Valvoline fluid that Charlie put up in the first post. I'm not the 5HP guy, for sure, but Charlie's ecstatic with the stuff at $7.50 a qt.
Be careful with AAMCO. I'm not familiar with how to set the fluid level on the 5HP, but for the 6HP it's critical (and I don't let anyone else do it for me any more).
Just take the same approach that a number of us did regarding Mercon SP in the 6HP26. Research the ATF specs required for your 5HP24. Then research the various alternative ATFs you are considering to ensure that they meet those specs. It isn't rocket science and it shouldn't be treated as such. An equivalent ATF that meets the specs will do you just fine. But as Jim warned, don't trust just anyone to perform the drain-and-fill procedure. There are critical steps that must be accomplished in the proper order to ensure that your fresh ATF fill level is exactly where it needs to be. Like Jim, I only do these ZF drain-and-fills myself (with the kind assistance of Rick (joycesjag) and Wayne (cjd777). Experience, precision, and caring about the long-term health of your transmission are all crucial and I'm not convinced that a generic transmission shop qualifies on any of those points....
Good points, well I can see if they would let me work with them, essentially using their lift and acting as director.
Truth is, the thought of climbing under there with entire car on stands scares me a bit. Ah I suppose I could put enough safety blocks in there. We will see. Wish it was July for this one . John
John - I agree: never take going under the car lightly. Since I was a teenager, I've never gone under a car without trying to knock it off the jack stands (or lift) first. Give the car some serious yanks and pushes in all directions before you go under. You'll feel a bit more comfortable then.
Of course, when using a lift, this should be done when the car is a couple of inches off the ground. NOT when it's six feet off the ground!! - lol
We use four 3-ton jack stands and two 3-ton floor jacks for our safety whenever we are underneath a vehicle. That's six different support locations underneath the vehicle. We've never had an issue (knocking on my wooden desk right now)....
In my heyday as a stupid know-it-all invincible kid, I crawled underneath our vehicles many times with only the manufacturer-supplied jack in the trunk supporting the vehicle (and maybe a few wooden 2-by-4 sections if I could be bothered to round them up). I finally realized how idiotic this was in my early 30s. Given how flimsy some of those trunk jacks were back in the 1970s and 1980s, I am damn lucky to still be here....
Besides, unless using a creeper, one cannot be crushed entirely flat with all four wheels still on the car! If good quality stands are sited on a flat concrete surface and positioned / locked at the most stable locations on the car body so that car is level (it must be level for the refilling operation) - earthquakes aside - it is impossible to have the car fal off the standsl, no matter how hard one hauls on a wrench. That said, you need to be relatively young and / or flexible to do the fluid change laying on the floor. Even though some items may be easier to reach from there, others are more challenging, and I would not have been able to do the job in a day without a lift. One day of draining and removal work, one of recovery, second day to re-instal and refill, and another day to recover!
for £99.54 from the company that delivers our central heating oil. That translates to $6.27/litre at today's rate.
On RJ's recommendation, I plan to do the main pressure valve at the same time as PM.
We do get more aware of our mortality as we get older (and ostensibly wiser). Jon's comment really struck a chord, especially as I'm sure some of those dratted 27 Torx are going to put up a fight.
Maxlife ATF is an extremely good & tested product which I have used extensively in all my vehicles. The properties appear similar to Pentosil ATF. Most notably I used it in my Mercedes E420 with no issues & I intend to use it on my Jag XJ8 Vanden Plas 2003. Just make sure you get the "Red" Havoline labelled MAX Life ATF for imports and not the blue which is for US Domestic vehicles. If you're in the US it's cheaper at Walmart. $21 for 5 quart's
This topic (Jag XK8 transmission fluid for ZF boxes) has been well covered. I followed the lead of Intrepid Pioneers (but not before duplicating their research on the substitution of Mercon SP for the recommended ZF LifeGuard fluid. A number of owners have used Mercon SP with good results, and there have been no catastrophes reported. A significantly cheaper, reliable, and easily obtainable substitute having been found, there wouldn't seem to be a need to keep searching for others (and take the significant risk).
Also, even if a manufacturer - Mercedes or BMW, say - employs a ZF transmission, the type used should be the same as the intended target Jag uses. Then one can substitute Mercon SP for the recommended ZF Lifeguard fluid with confidence.
Part of the original thinking about substituting Mercon SP came from the knowledge that Ford was using the ZF 26 in some of its models, and then reasoning that the chances of Ford demanding a ZF design change, just so that Ford could use its own fluid seemed unrealistic. The spec's checked out, so the substitution seemed safe. Regardless of the car brand referenced, unless their model uses the identical ZF box used in the particular XK8, given that there is a proven substitute readily available, any other substitution seems very risky.
Originally Posted by Mikejag1
Maxlife ATF is an extremely good & tested product which I have used extensively in all my vehicles. The properties appear similar to Pentosil ATF. Most notably I used it in my Mercedes E420 with no issues & I intend to use it on my Jag XJ8 Vanden Plas 2003. Just make sure you get the "Red" Havoline labelled MAX Life ATF for imports and not the blue which is for US Domestic vehicles. If you're in the US it's cheaper at Walmart. $21 for 5 quart's
for the 4.0 XKR’s 722.6 transmissions, the least expensive approved ATF that I’ve found is the Shell 134 Mercedes Benz. It is listed on the MB spec sheets as one of the fluids that meets their specifications.
Its only $43.97 for 6 quarts.
At that price why explore the non-approved ATF’s ? I’m using it now with no problems of any kind.
ZRAY & ALL YOU TRANSMISSION OIL LOVERS........!...
I started changing the Transmission Oil back @ 55,000 Miles, and used the Tranny Oil that Ford sells in their Parts Dept. This is the same Oil that is used in Missy's Lincoln Continental. I've had no problems with it....I changed it again @ 100,000 and it worked great until recently @ 110,000 miles; I noticed that in the morning or when the Oil is cold...It will hang-up in 1st Gear! So, I changed the Oil again and it still does the "Old Hang-up in 1st Gear" until it warms up some! Now I'm worried that something is wearing out....
Do you have any ideas or have you experienced this problem? If so, I would like to know what you did to correct the problem....
You have my sympathy with regard to those dratted T27s. One sheared off but left me enough for a ViceGrip application. Another one sheared off the T27 bit itself, requiring a replacement trip to town! After the fact (of course) it occurred that an air impact wrench set on low, followed by a rapping of each with a hammer, with increasing pressure each time around, might have been a better way. I assume you have the replacement T30s standing by... Good luck !
11-25-2016, 11:22 PM
FOUND! Cheap ZF Tranni fluid
