car has been parked for about 8 months...went out and put fresh battery in and fired it up...transmission fault warning...its shifts into reverse fine but kinda hard, but when i put it in drive its really slow to move...whats going on here?its a 99 xk8 with 136,000

 

Drain, flush, & refill with nice fresh fluid of the correct specification - beware of the the 'this will do' seller. Probably a good idea to replace the filter at the same time.

Cheers,

Languid

 

I've yet to see a 'ATF Needs Changing' code but then, I've not seen everything. Have someone access the code(s) stored for the problem before throwing money at it, *****-nilly.

 

im trying to get this thing in drivable,sellable condition so i dont loose my a_ _ any further..not willing to spend 700 on trans fluid...ive had plenty of high end cars;porsche,mercedes,bmw and ive never had near the problems ive had outta this thing..when i do get rid of this car im outta the jaguar market for a while....its throwing code after code and this is just the latest....just spent a fortune 4k ago getting the motor rebuilt..any other suggestions?

 

I can relate to your frustration big v. One Forum Member, "Reverend Sam", has an incredible "how-to" vid on the trans drain and refill. If you decide to go that route, watch the video- you'll be armed and ready for the job. I hope you can resolve all of your maintenance issues quickly and economically.

 

8 months is a long time sitting but the fluid isn't going to get dirty while it sits. That said, some of the passages might get plugged a little. Has this tranny ever been serviced....at least a fluid change? Were you able to get the engine and tranny fluids up to full running temp for any length of time?

 

I am not sure if this may work for you, but you can give it a try - steps to reseting the transmission.


Turn ignition to ON. I don't know if this will be Accessories or full on RUN (without starting) position. It seems to vary.

Step on Accelerator Pedal and push it to the floor for 5 seconds

Turn ignition to OFF, leave key inserted

Release accelerator pedal

Don't do anything for at least 2 minutes. Don't open doors, windows, don't play with any electronics (though, I wouldn't think changing radio stations would affect it).

The sequence is supposedly resets the transmission control unit (TCU) and forces it to re-learn your driving style.

 

I would highly suspect corrosion on the contacts in the transmission harness connector. located top of bell housing, rear of engine bay.
This is a known fault, and a TSB was issued.

 

I used Mobil1 Synthetic at $8.00/Qt, a filter from Rock Auto and $107 labor from my Indy shop. Whole job was under $200.

 

You have been using Mobil 1 ATF in your tranny? For how long? If the issue is anything like Jag/ZF claims....and anything like what happens when people put "other than ATF+4" into their Mopar trannies....the wrong fluid will cause failure.

I'm sure others will have lots to say about what tranny fluid can be used.

BTW: I see you also have a Vette. I found that Castrol 5-60 (available at BMW dealers) was the only fluid that really worked well in my ZF 6 speed. I tried Redline and others. Tranny got hot. (1991 ZR-1, with performance mods). Sometimes the factory is right.

 

To echo an ad, Fluids ain't fluids. Auto transmission fluids don't just lubricate. they perform a number of other functions under pressure, and the manufacturers of the gearbox specify the fluid, not the vehicle manufacturer. I've come across plenty of 'mechanics' who tell one that 'this will do the trick'. They are like one Smart A***e I heard tell a lady once, that "the diference between using tap water & distilled water in the battery was that one would last 48 months & the other 4 years". He lost at least two customers that day, and I was only one of them. His ears are probably still ringing, and that was back in the days when battery manufacturers used to give 12 months unconditional & 48 months pro-rata guarantees. Anyone remember when?

Cheers,

Languid