So much to learn and so little time.......... I don't like the way my transmission shifts from first to second. I bought the 2004 XK8 with 49000 miles about 2 months back. I did the oil and filter change, using original ZF filter/pan and ZF fluid.. Really no change in shifting after oil
Then I found TSB JTB00145 talking about Transmission Adaption Drive Cycle,fitting my VIN number. So now I am hoping the resetting and going thru a new Adaption Cycle will solve my problem.

Found a shop that service European Cars (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Jaguar) that claim that they can do this. When I told them that I had done the transmissiom oil change using a temp. probe on the bottom of the pan, they almost had a coronary, saying that you can have a 20 deg. temp. diff. between the internal sensor and the pan measurement. My comment was that they should then check the oil level with their system and either add or let a small amount drip out to make sure the level was correct before doing the adaption run. They made it sound as of they had to do a complete oilchange - filter and all - before doing the adaption test. Sounds nuts to me and I lost a little confidence in the place.

Then I started looking at what it takes to do this myself and found free software for download. The service bulletin refers to IDS DVD116 Patch File 2. I can download EXE file SDD 156 FULL.
Is this the right stuff and are they backwards compatible or do I need the old one???

Next comes the Mangoose Cable. They are pretty pricey, but so is a trip to the Jag Shop. Now, I also found a "Chinese Version" for $40:- at JLR SDD Volvo Vida Toyota TIS Mangoose MVCI 3 in 1 Cable. Anybody out there that has tried this one?????

Bottom line is how hard is it to do this and what do I need? Just don't completely trust the shop and might want to try myselt. Heck, where does a shop find a stretch of road to do all the required driving tests. You almost need an airport runway.

Any input on what I really need to do this myself would be much appreciated!

 

Nalle, I got a little lost. Would you mind boiling it down, what would you like to do?

Sorry but I am not sure if you want to ascertain proper fill level, or run through the tranny adaptation cycle.

FWIW, yes you must measure fluid temp, not pan temp, but let us know. If it's the adapt cycle it has been posted here b4.

John

 

FYI -- the adaptation cycle completes if the car is driven under a variety of situations in normal shift mode, gear selector in D. if you are keeping it in sport mode, it will not learn the adaptations. give it some time and miles.

 

I know. Lots of questions there.

1. Re Tranny Oil Change. You state that actual oil temp. has to be measured. I have read many posts as well as watched several YouTube videos, all using infrared temp. measurement on the bottom of the pan. Are they all wrong??
Also, if I take the car to a garage the can measure from the internal probe, would it not just be a simple add/delete a small amount from what I have put in, using bottom measurement??

2. Re. IDS/SDD. First, I know nothing of this system and have much to learn... I have found on the Internet a free download of SDD ver 156. I have no idea what it is and I have not yet installed it as it needs a Win7 laptop. Since it is free, it might be pirated-illegal, whatever. Just curious if some one else has found it and used it.
Also, are the software updates typically backwards compatible?? The TSB for the adaption process on my 2004 XK8 calls for a IDS ver. 116. Would all the features of ver 116 be included in a ver 156 or would i need an older copy.

3. Re Adaption process. It does not seem complicated, but it need both expensive software and hardware. If the software ver. 156 above works, than half the problem is solved. Then we just need the expensive Mangoose cable. That's where the link in my original post comes in. It takes you to a Chinese cable for some $40:-. If it works for Adaption, it would be a great deal. So my question is - has anybody out there bought it and tried it.

It may be overoptimistic to hope that free software and a $40:- cable will do the trick. However, I thought it was worth exploring.

 

For SDD/IDS, search for British Diagnostics on eBay or open Internet. They list versions, etc. Outside of that, you are on your own, so to speak. My (superficial) understanding is that the initial software is one thing, but the initial operation of the software involved connections to expensive subscription-based update servers (topix?) that constantly updated the local installation with TSBs, flash firmware, etc. A well put-together image with the specifics for our cars is what you need I suppose. The initial software was IDS, and is all that is available for the older cars (I do not know the cut out year). Later, SDD became available, which is more of a wizard-based application: you enter symptoms, and based on that and the codes, the software makes recommendations. SDD supports the '03 and later for sure, but it may work for earlier cars, too. The whole setup typically runs on Windows XP, so on a modern laptop, inside a virtual machine to allow Windows XP to run in a container on Windows 10. The cable, to my knowledge, maps the (mostly standard) Jaguar cabling to a spec meant to simplify software updates of control modules, etc. It needs to pretend to be from a specific vendor so Windows XP loads up the right drivers and the app can work. In short, there is quite a bit of detail in this whole setup,

The trans fluid temp is available over CAN. A (tentative) PID has been published on here before, but nobody has come forward with a step-by-step guide for Torque/ELM327 to add as a custom PID. The thing is that OBD is available only over ISO-9141, so getting the trans fluid temp involves switching to CAN, asking/getting the temp, then switching back. Other option is to get a JLR code reader (Foxwell, icarsoft, etc.) and get that temp from there. Remember that for this refill procedure, there is an acceptable temperature RANGE, so even if the pan reading is a bit low, putting the cap at the lower end of the range should be OK. To me, as this car needs to work going on steep uphill and downhill, cold or hot, how exact does this need to be? And how accurate is the factory sensor anyway?

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

Thanks for all your info. It is hard for us that grew up when a car only needed air, fuel and spark to run. I guess it is still true that that is all that is needed. It's only a question how it gets there via computers and digital highways....
I am also drowning in three letter acronyms. Where is there a list of those??

I believe that 2004 was still IDS and SDD happened in 2005 from what I have been reading. I guess that later software versions included support for both IDS and SDD. Older cars presumably also need the Mongoose cable rather that the later interface.

Stopped by a shop today. The guy had a fancy Snap-On diagnostics Computer. In the listing of cars and specifics, it showed Jaguar - 2004 - Transmission.
I had the wrong car so we could not get any further without plugging it in. The owner did not know what the system could actually do, but he believed that he could do a reset of the transmission. Maybe it could only measure temperature??
Anybody out there with experience of the Snap-On?????