Changes PAS fluid, anyone?

reeac

The xj8 has the ZF 5HP 24 transmission. I've never crawled underneath to look for a drain plug even though I have a pit at home. Maybe I should make the effort. I did once speak to the mechanic at my local garage about changing the oil but he seemed very dubious when I described the routine. Which I'd picked up from an American Jag. owners forum.

gilbert_and_sullivan

bigjl wrote: »

90k miles is getting to the age where it really needs a fluid and filter change.

Not sure what gearbox is fitted to your car but I assume it is the 6 speed as fitted to the Disco etc?

If that is the case the filter is part of the sump.

If I remember correctly it has a drain plug but what it doesn't have is a dipstick or filler.

Sounds like something diabolically pointless which only the Germans could come up with.

Drain plug but no dipstick or filler, brilliant, good work lads, that'll defeat the enemy...who's the enemy sir?..why the customer you fool.

Stoke

Just to expand on what I said earlier, to change my power steering fluid:

I purchased one of these fantastic little tools:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vacuum-Oil-Fluid-Extractor-Syphon-Pump-Suction-Oil-Water-Diesel-Tool-Extraction-/191330698713?hash=item2c8c32c5d9:g:68AAAOSwDk5UFpeB

They were cheaper a few months ago (£13), so I'd wait until after Christmas as I think they're cashing in on the holidays. I didn't actually buy this for this particular job, I just know it works perfectly. They hook onto your car battery and can suck out PS fluid in about 5 minutes.

I took the car for a quick drive, no more than a few miles, but enough to get the car up to operating temperature and get that PS fluid nice and warm.

Use the little device to suck it out. In my case, it was about 2.1 litres, so I used a 4 pint milk bottle which was almost full.

I then refilled the PS fluid using the correct manufacturers product (about £9 a bottle). I put in a quarter and then left it for 5 minutes, checked the dipstick, and did so until it was at the MAX line. I then turned the car, gave it a few minutes to warm up and slowly turned the wheel to one side, I then slowly turned it to the other side, and did this about 3 or 4 times.

I then turned the car off, checked the dipstick and it was just above minimum. Re-topped up and did the same again. Second check of the dipstick and it was pretty much where it was before.

Job done.

tberry6686

reeac wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I'd like to change the auto gearbox oil in the Jag. but it's ZF with no drain plug - you're supposed to remove the sump, renew the big flat filter in there and refill whilst running the engine and moving through all the gears whilst measuring the oil temperature.Costs around £500 if done by an Indy. specialist. I think that I'm going to leave it until the gear changes show signs of getting sluggish - so far (14 years under my ownership and 90,000 miles since new) they've been impeccable.

Which Jag is it that you have ? that is the procedure for the XJR (Mercedes box). The ZF box has a gearbox sump plug (about half of that £500 is for the fluid, the merc box fluid is dificult to get and stupidly expensive).

bigjl

tberry6686 wrote: »

Which Jag is it that you have ? that is the procedure for the XJR (Mercedes box). The ZF box has a gearbox sump plug (about half of that £500 is for the fluid, the merc box fluid is dificult to get and stupidly expensive).

The XJR has a Mercedes Autobox?

Have never heard of any Jaguar having a Mercedes Autobox. I thought they pretty much all had a ZF box of some kind.

The earlier ones (XJ) had a 5speed ZF Autobox and after about 2003 or so they went over to a 6speed ZF then around late 2012 maybe early 2013 they went over to an 8speed in the XJ at least, as I believe the first Jag to have the 8speed was the 2.2 diesel XF.

bigjl

(In reply to Gilbert & Sullivan as my reply and quote function went a bit funny!)

In fairness I am sure I read somewhere that the box did originally come with a dipstick, I read an online article about the 7 series BMWs and I am certain he had fitted a dipstick to his box.

Or maybe I am remembering it wrong!

I was going to take my XJL to ZF in Dortmund to have the job done properly by "Ze Germans".

I fancy an S Type and I may well take a road trip through Europe and get that box serviced at ZF.

They do an awful lot more for not much more cost, I think I was quoted £450. Which is good value in my opinion.

Link to a forum report about a trip to ZF in Dortmund

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/527361

tberry6686

The XJR has a Mercedes Autobox?

The X308 XJR definetly had a mercedes autobox (merc 722.6). The ZF box could not cope with the higher power output from the supercharged engine and so Jaguar fitted a Mercedes box instead. It is a real PIA to change the fluid in but has been far more reliable than the ZF box fitted to the non supercharged XJ's (and XK8's) which are well known for A drum failure and/or Valve body failure

oscarward

reeac wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I'd like to change the auto gearbox oil in the Jag. but it's ZF with no drain plug - you're supposed to remove the sump, renew the big flat filter in there and refill whilst running the engine and moving through all the gears whilst measuring the oil temperature.Costs around £500 if done by an Indy. specialist. I think that I'm going to leave it until the gear changes show signs of getting sluggish - so far (14 years under my ownership and 90,000 miles since new) they've been impeccable.

I've got a 2011 jag with the 6 speed ZF box. Jag don't recommend changing the oil as they regard it as sealed for life but ZF do recommend it every 50k miles. Reading the ZF web site they list the procedure to follow which does take a while.


I also have had PAS fluid flushed and changed which was done by an indie for £30. They put it on a ramp and disconnected a hose connecting to the rack, drained, refilled, ran engine and moved wheels from lock to lock. Repeated 2 more times until fluid stayed clean.

reeac

I take some comfort from the fact that my XJ8 (X308 version) is the 3.2 but, I believe, has the same gearbox as the normally aspirated 4.0 so should have an easier time.

bigjl

oscarward wrote: »

I've got a 2011 jag with the 6 speed ZF box. Jag don't recommend changing the oil as they regard it as sealed for life but ZF do recommend it every 50k miles. Reading the ZF web site they list the procedure to follow which does take a while.


I also have had PAS fluid flushed and changed which was done by an indie for £30. They put it on a ramp and disconnected a hose connecting to the rack, drained, refilled, ran engine and moved wheels from lock to lock. Repeated 2 more times until fluid stayed clean.

Unfortunately for owners the makers of the gearbox, ZF, do recommend a change as you rightly said.

The reason Jaguar don't recommend it is because it makes the car cheaper to maintain for fleet users.

One of the most common problems with the 6speed is the torque convertor.

For some reason it doesn't give these problems when fitted to an Audi A8 or BMW 7 series but does in the Disco and Jaguars.

The problem being juddering/shuddering. And a surging on acceleration which almost feels like you are lifting off the throttle slightly. Both problems disappear when you accelerate hard.

Jaguar will muck about resetting the "adaptions" on the gearbox multiple times whilst refusing to actually fix the problem which is the torque convertor.

I had problems since before my XJL was 2 years old till I got rid at 3 1/2 years old.

The problems started after 80k miles so probably not a coincidence that ZF recommend a fluid change before then.

If Inhad kept mine it would have had the gearbox serviced atvZF in Dortmund.

But after a cracked inlet manifold, two MAF sensors, a cambelt service and then non stop DPF problems the months after spending all that money it was time to say goodbye. To the most unreliable carvIbuave ever owned, and strangely the only car that I will actually miss as when running well it was a lovely car.