My car has 66K miles and nothing to indicate the trans fluid has ever been changed. I would love to do it myself but since I don’t have a lift that’s out.
I have a shop that knows how to do the ZF trans fluid change (I asked him how to do it and he described it perfectly from memory). However he is not happy about my plan to use non-Jaguar MERCON SP fluid. I have been to three different
auto parts places and cannot find Jaguar Lifeguard ATF or anything that says MERCON SP on the bottle. In fact if you look at the back of all these bottles it say “NOT FOR USE IN VEHICLES THAT REQUIRE MERCON SP”. Some of them say Ok fo MERCON SP II or SP III or SP V.


Any help with exactly which to go with? Thanks

 

Lifeguard 6 is for the ZF 6HP26.

I just order a 12 pack from CTSC https://www.thectsc.com/

You can get as many as you want but I like to keep about 2 gearbox changes worth.
I keep a pan/filter and new bolts as well as the connector sleeve.

bob

 

Our local O'rielly's had the Mercon SP and you can order online. As Motorman noted , the ZF HP 26 uses different fluid than 5HP25, The 5 spd. Ask your guy what Ford recommends for their 6 speeds in the Expedition, etc? They are ZF also. 2003 and later use the Mercon SP w/o any reported trouble. 20K miles and great results!

 

Quite a few of us made the transition to Mercon SP years ago. It meets the required Shell M1375.4 specs and has performed wonderfully in my wife's 2006 XK8 as well as in my former 2005 S-Type. You can purchase it at any Ford dealership or you can order it online. It has been several years since I have purchased any but the last time I did, I paid between $6 and $7 per quart....

Tell your transmission guy that the research has already been done and Mercon SP indeed performs as required in these ZF 6HP26 transmissions....

 

Not so lucky. My O’reillys does not carry it. I might go by the Ford dealership tomorrow and see if they have any
in stock. Normally I would order online but I have the guy set up to do it Tuesday. May have to push it back a few days if
I cannot find MERCON SP locally.

 

Mercon SP. Available at your local Ford dealer.

 

Yes it was. $9.95 per.

 

Original OEM lifetime tranny fluid was LifeGaurd 5 in the ZF 5 speed. Pentosin manufacturers LifeGaurd 5 for ZF transmission company.
Pentosin ATF-1 is 100% synthetic and is LifeGaurd 5. That is the best thing you can get and have the comfort of knowing you have the right
stuff in your tranny. You will feel the difference too.

 

Just to clarify:

Mercon SP ATF is compatible for the 2003-and-newer model years with the ZF 6HP26 transmission. It is NOT designed for the earlier ZF 5HP24 transmission....