Here is the XK8 I'm considering
 

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...146a315950.jpg
2005; 66,000 miles; almost new Goodyear Eagles; very good body and paint; very good interior; no rust underneath; engine oil, coolant and exhaust show no evidence of issues; I jacked up each wheel and no play; no engine codes and sounds fine; top hydraulics recently replaced; shot trannmissios; seller wants $4250
Transmission not in limp home mode, no movement when put in gear. Funny thing when started felt a clunk that I think came from transmission. Not sure what that means, torque converter?
If I buy, I'd be doing transmission myself. I have a lift and a transmission jack. When I search CarPart.com (the salvage yard site) it shows a matching tranny from an S series with 38,000 miles for $1750. Rebuit transmissions are $$$$ so think I'd go with a salvage tranny,
It was at a high end independent foreign car mechanic's shop who had done work on the car. Mechanic who worked on the car said no problems but transmission. He had a German accent so I think that is worth something. He said tranmission needs to be programmed. Didn't know that. Is he correct and how expensive. Do ZF6HP26 from other car brands also work?
Appreciate input. Either "sounds like a good deal and a good project" to "are you stupid or something" accepted.

I think in your other thread you mentioned that there was no communication with the trans. This could very possibly indicate a bad mechatronics. These trans don't have an external controller. The control is all programmed into the valve body, which ZF calls Mechatronics. The mechatronics has vehicle-specific information coded in. I have zero idea how Jag did theirs, but BMW's immobilization system uses the VIN in several modules, including the mechatronics. If they don't match, the car goes nowhere. So, the mechanic is correct - the mechatronics in the replacement trans will need to be coded.

60K is pretty low mileage for this trans. It's possible all it needs is a mechatronics and sleeves. There are rebuilding services that will overhaul and code the units for around $1K. New units can be north of $2K.

https://europeantransmissions.com/jaguar/

@Y2KJag thanks for the very specific and helpful info.

Might be a great deal. If there is no communication with the TCM, my focus would be on that mechatronic sleeve connector. That connector is tricky, involves a rotating lock, and need to be resting at a specific distance from the body. When everything goes well and you know what you are doing, it just falls in place like it is supposed to. If not, people apply pressure and ROTATION, which you are explicitly warned against. This can result in poor connections, pins "pushed back" into the connector and the like, resulting in a broken CAN bus and an unreachable TCM from a software point of view. These transmissions are normally solid and don't seem to fail outright like that. Of course anything is possible.

FWIW, the hard part in my head would be to take the transmission in and out of the car, which you seem to have covered. To my knowledge, there is rebuilding documentation out there. I remember skimming through it once, and nothing seem out of the ordinary (no special tools or black magic adjustment from specially trained Swiss mechanics previously employed at Rolex). The transmission is pretty common, and there are rebuilt kits out there in various increments of completeness/cost. The obvious risk area is the TCM in case it actually is inoperable. You could find yourself in a nationwide hunt for a replacement, and yes, they need to be properly flashed with the appropriate firmware.

If you are looking for more reading, check Sonax, CTSC, and call Ericson (sp?) Industries. Their hotline seem to be staffed by knowledgeable old guys that have been helpful to many over the years.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

Was out of town and just now reviewed the saved file of the scan on my Foxwell NT530. TCM code P1799 “CAN transmission control module/ABS control module circuit malfunction.” On forum found this can be TCM failure.

Decided to pass
 

When first looked at no MIL or airbag light. Battery was dead as a doornail. Had been sitting at mechanic's shop for months. Jumped easy, but if key turned off no start. Lots of errors on my Foxwell NT530 which does module scans. Looked like a lot were connected to low voltage as many low voltage codes throughout modules. Went back with the new battery from my XJ8. Removed old battery, waited ten minutes, did a hard reset and started right up. Now MIL on with P1000 and airbag light on. Think P1000 from hard reset. Several SCP and CAN errors. Also ECU P0701 "combination of impossible substitute function" appeared that was not there before. From internet, that code is related to the transmission. I guess if CAN error in bad transmission it shows up as CAN error is other modules. Weird that my scanner does the air bar module, but no error showed up. Transmission did nothing except jumped forward when gave gas in park. Live date showed it knew what gear I was selecting. Interesting BPM error B1595 "ignition switch - illegal input code" but started. Also lot of little things like mirror motor, headrest and back up sensors. Really want an XKR anyway.

https://www.jcna.com/sites/default/files/XKTYPE.pdf

There's a document for all the OBD codes of the 2003 model. The P0701 indicates a transmission controller problem. The possible causes are listed as a DSC fault (check DSC codes) or a TCM/control valve fault. If there are no DSC codes I think I'd replace solenoids and sleeves. If that doesn't work you may be looking at a new Mechatronics. Ugh.

With all the other problems I think I'd consider passing on the car. It's a nice pretty bright red can of worms. :D