I’m asking about ransmission fluid… mercon lv vs mercon V because I accidentally put valvoline Maxlife mercon LV in my mercon V tranny.
Now it is mixed with the left over Mercon V in the Clutch Drum
How volatile is this mix? How far is safe to drive with it?
Does it require sucking out the full amount of fluid including the Clutch Drum to correct? Or is it okay to just change the fluid in the pan?

 

If you have the ZF6HP26 the correct fluid is not Mercon V.
The only Jaguar that requires Mercon V is the X200 with the 5R55N Ford gearbox (ESSO 999 is Mercon V)

Mercon SP is what the Ford cars use with the 6HP26.

 

Not safe for your transmission at all, thoroughly flush the transmission with the correct trans fluid and replace the filter, then flush it some more.

The V / LV mixture will result in trans damage - don't drive it would be my recommendation.

 

Thanks…. Is it possible for a home mechanic to drain the Torque converter without specialized equipment?… Or am I stuck now with a professional mechanic doing it?

It’s a 2001 XK8… I don’t have the ZF26 tranny. Mine is the older ZF 5HP24 with 2 thru 4 on the J-gate shifter. Can you tell me what the correct trans fluid is? …With any options for a reasonably priced fluid. Thanks
I’ll park it!

 

You signature says "2003 XK8 Coupe"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes, I have a 2003 xk8 coupe and just got a 2001 xk8 convertible.
The wrong fluid, mercon lv, was put into the 2001. That’s the one I am finding conflicting info on the type of AT fluid. So I’m looking for
-Proper fluid for older type tranny and;
-Can I drain the fluid from the Torque converter at home… or will a Pro have to do it?
thanks a lot!!!!!

 

A.I. says the 2001’s have a ZF 5HP24.
If so, A.I. is recommending the following…
Mobil ATF LT 71141,
Pentosin ATF 5,
Febi Bilstein ATF 14738
Do those any/all those sound right?

 

Mobil / Esso LT71141 is the original Jaguar recommendation for the ZF 5HP24 although you can now buy ZF Lifeguard 5 which was introduced by ZF after the car was introduced. I would use one of these two if you can find them although there are plenty of Lifeguard 5 equivalents now available but I have only ever used these two.

You will not be able to drain the torque converter at home unless you remove the gearbox. You could drain the current fluid then refill with the correct fluid the run the engine on the lift for 15 minutes then drain and refill again to flush out the incorrect fluid.

The question is whether you should then repeat this a second or third time as each time you do it you are increasing the percentage of correct fluid but it's obviously using more fluid each time. If it were me, I would drain, run and refill twice and then leave it as that should be sufficient although others might have a different opinion.

Richard

 

There was some confusion about which Tranny I was working on & I’m not sure the responses were focused on the ZF 5HP24.
After searching the forum thoroughly, I see it is the consensus, clarified by the moderator, not to use Valvoline Maxlife on ZF 5HP or ZF 6HP’s.
However, it is claimed by Valvoline that their product meets the LT71141 specifications, as discussed in the thread “FOUND! Cheap ZF Tranni fluid”. Don B moderated a strong conclusion against Valvoline’s claims and linked the Valvoline Maxlife Product sheet in which the ZF 5HP24 is listed as compatible.
Also, the ZF Lifeguard is vilified in other treads, opting to the Jaguar OEM ATF.
The volume and opinions on the subject are vast and often opposing… leaving me unsure.
Many felt the LT71141 qualification means Valvoline Maxlife is fully compatible with the ZF 5HP24.
I am going to lean on the side of caution and flush mine with one of the Moderators listed recommendations, which include
Pentosin ATF 1
Ravenol ATF 4/5 HP
Febi Bilstein ATF 29738
Mobil LT 71141
ESSO LT 71141
and the Jaguar brand JLM 20238

Flushing the system will be very costly and labor intensive.
But as concluded by a moderator, why quibble over a few dollars when dealing with the 2nd most expensive part of the car.
Spring for the good stuff!
To research the many opinions yourself, type a search in XK8’s forum for “Transmission Fluid” and pick from many threads on the subject before making the same costly mistake I made.
Thanks for your responses guys!

 

Thanks RichardS
I will take your recommendation!

 

ZF Lifeguard can only be vilified from a cost viewpoint. From a technical viewpoint it is the best as it was specified by the people who know the gearbox better than anyone else.

Richard

 

Lifeguard 5 and LT71141 are the same fluid, although the former is (or was) much more expensive.
I sourced a 20L drum of LT from a local heating oil supplier for ~£100. More than enough for 2 drain/fills.

 

I got zf lifeguard from eBay, and then amazon. It’s a little pricey, but putting the correct fluid in is much cheaper than replacing a transmission, or having it rebuilt.

 

Hi Bobby,

I still stand by my fluid recommendations and also my warnings against the use of any Valvoline ATF in any Jaguar. Valvoline's compatability claims can only be true if we accept huge compromises in order to make one fluid "suitable" for so many different gearboxes.

I have lately found the Febi ATF 29738 on ebay for around $16 per liter in 5-liter jugs (about $80 for 5 liters).

I would strongly recommend at least 3 drains and fills, letting the engine run for about 15 minutes between each drain and fill. While the engine is running, with your foot on the brake pedal, shift through all the gear positions, holding each position for at least 3 seconds. This will flush the new fluid through the valve body and ensure the valve body is full when you set the final fluid level. Three drains and fills will replace nearly 90% of the fluid in the transmission and torque converter. Beyond three, you run into diminishing returns.

Cheers, Don

 

Internet search will yield results like this from a BMW forum.

ESSO LT 71141
ZF Lifeguard 5
Febi Bilstein Automatikgetriebeöl (ATF) nr. 29738
Pentosin ATF 1
Ravenol ATF 4/5 HP

Automaker-branded packaging of ESSO LT 71141:
Jaguar JLM 20238
BMW 8322 9407807
BMW 3 22 2 220 442
BMW ATF 71141
BMW LA 2634
BMW ATF-1
BMW ATF-4
Citroen Z 000169756
Mercedes Benz A 0019892203
Mercedes-Benz 236.11
Peugeot Z 000169756
Porsche 999.917.547.00
VW/Audi G 052 162 A1 / A2 / A6
VW LT 71141

 

Thanks everyone. I changed the fluid back to ZF lifeguard 5.
The first drain and fill resulted in a loud collection of unhealthy sounding noises from the transmission.
I drove it about a mile to circulate the fluid, then did a second drain and fill.
The noise was still louder than normal at first. I drove it about 5 miles and the noise is much less.
It almost sounds normal with just a slight whine to it. Performance is normal.
I plan to drive it 50 to 100 miles (depending on the noise and behavior) before changing it one more time.

So be aware that changing back to ZF lifeguard after Red fluid is used may yield those scary noises after first fluid change… but it gets better.
I would idle or drive it just enough to mix the fluids well and avoid a long drive until after the second fluid change.
I used about 6 quarts of new fluid per change, so after the next change I will have used 18 quarts to get about 87 percent ZF lifeguard 5.
I have a new filter and pan gasket ready for the last change.
I will report back how things sound and perform after the final change and a few long drives.

Once again this forum has helped me greatly. Thanks again to ALL… especially to you Pro’s who lend your time and training to us Shadetrees who love these cars and want to keep them rolling by doing maintenance and repairs ourselves & the RIGHT way!

 

Bobby,

Noises are not good, especially noises that last for more than a few moments. How are you setting the fluid level? The fluid level must be set with the fluid temperature between 30°C and 40°C (86°F and 104°F), which is close to your own body temperature. If you drive the car any distance, it is very easy to get the fluid hotter than 40°C/104°F. Setting the fluid level when it is too hot results in a fluid level that is too low. See the attached document. Setting the fluid level at 30°C/86°F results in the highest correct fluid level, so that is what I try to aim for.

If you do not have a scan tool that can read the signal from the transmission fluid temperature sensor via Live Data, you can use an inexpensive infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the fluid draining out of the pan. Do not use the temperature of the fluid pan as your reference because the pan serves as a heat sink and its temperature reads lower than the actual fluid temperature. Harbor Freight has a decent infrared thermometer for less than USD $25.00.

Cheers,

Don

 

The only noises I heard through the procedure was what I can only describe as a 'moan' after starting the motor for the second half of the fill.
This also happened during the second drain/fill, but disappeared on both occasions once the fill was complete.