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TRANSMISSION FLUID FULL FLUSH & REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID FILTER AND OF THAT SLEEVE ABOVE THAT FILTER for Jaguar 2002 to 2008:
Before replacing any fluids or parts on my Jags I normally spend quite a lot of time researching the most suitable fluids (which is most of the time everything else but straight forward) and l look for the best parts for the best price. This research regarding the correct fluids is frequently difficult for one reason: Jaguar does not readily provide information regarding the proper fluids, because they define a number of fluids as "for life", which can be true only, if "for life" is being defined as the maximum time of warranty, after which the Jags are apparently officially "pronounced dead"! Obviously, no fluids in any car are for eternity.
WHICH ATF TO USE (Transmission ZF 6hp26 / Jaguar S-Type 2002 - 2008)?
Easy Question? No!
Clear answer: Yes! But it takes a lot of words to explain:
This section here regarding "WHICH ATF?" a new updated entry, entered about 2.5 weeks after the initial thread was written. Because initially I thought the Australian made Nulon Full synthetic ATF would be suitable, which I found after long research. However, the long discussion after my original thread with Don B resulted in me recognizing and accepting that I wasted a lot of time and money, as Nulon ATF is definitely not suitable, despite Nulon’s claims on the packaging. They have a very long list of ATFs on their Nulon ATF, which they claim can be replaced by their Nulon ATF, including lifeguard 6. But regardless of their fantasy-claims Nulon is not suitable.
I just filled all that new Nulon ATF into my S-Type. But I see now that I have to dump it again and I have to use Lifeguard 6, which I ordered already.
Don B made a lot of research over time, which ATF can be used, and which not. At the end of the day it means for me in Australia, that I have to buy Lifeguard 6. This is the MSDS of lifeguard 6:
It is made according to specification Shell m-1375.4
The transmission ZF 6hp26 has been fitted on Jaguar S-Type between 2002 and 2008 (and of other Jaguars).
The following document from ZF shows on page 4 what can be used as ATF for 6hp26:
The ATF to be used is Lifeguard 6, and there are 9 other P/Ns listed, which would be simply Lifeguard 6, but rebranded as the ATF of various vehicle manufacturers.
As Don pointed out correctly, ATFs are defined by many parameters, and each ATF is a mix of secret chemicals designed for specific transmission. But one of the important parameters is the kinematic viscosity @ 40C and @ 100C (in short from here on: KV40 and KV100).
Lifeguard 6 (in line with spec m-1375.4) has KV40 = 26.8 / KV100 = 5.6
Over time, Don found 2 more suitable ATF for 6hp26, namely:
Mercon SP and Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP
Also, I may have found another option: Westway M1375.4, but that does not help me, as they refuse to send their product out of the UK. Do you own research, before deciding this ATF is for you (i.e. compare with m-1375.4).
And Don may also have found another option: Fuchs Titan ATF 6006 – but again, do your own further research on that ATF. MSDS: KV40 = 28.5 / KV100 = 6. Saying this, Lifeguard 6 is still the recommendation, but if you are simply not able to get hold of Lifeguard 6, you may weant to do your own research, if you want to have Fuchs Titan ATF 6006 in your transmission.
The Nulon ATF, which I used, has – according to product information KV40 = 33.4 / KV100 = 7 and according to their MSDS KV40 = 37, and no info reg. KV100. So there is quite a bit of uncertainty already, what the KV of Nulon is to start with, but it most definitely does not meet m-1375.4 (as looking at this single characteristic alone shows), and claiming it can be used instead of lifeguard 6 is therefore untrue. Btw: Nulon even claims that their ATF can substitute both: lifeguard 5 and lifeguard 6, which are obviously 2 different products made to 2 different specifications. (lifeguard 5: KV40 = 37). I also wrote all those facts to Nulon – but no reply at all. If they were convinced that their product is legit, they would have defended their product – but they know exactly…
So Nulon's ATF is way too "thick", or to put it technically: high viscosity fluids move sluggishly and resist deformation, which means using Nulon ilo. Lifeguard 6 heats up the transmission excessively - with a great potential to do damage.
And as the requirement for the transmission ZF 6hp26 is very specific, it is unlikely/impossible that any multi-vehicle ATF would be suitable for this transmission, regardless of their claims: Any multivehicle ATF would be different to Lifeguard 6. I asked ZF of Australia for a source of Lifeguard 6. They gave me the names of 3 wholesalers. Only one replied. And that one told me that they sell their mechanics some other ATF ilo. Lifeguard 6, because that is cheaper. They send their mechanics "Liqui Moly Toptec 1800". I checked the MSDS: KV40 = 28.5 / KV100 = 6. Yes, quite a bit cheaper, but not in line with m-1375.4... And you may want to scroll down all the way to Don's entry dated 10-Nov-2022, where he explains the train of thoughts as to why Liqui Moli is simply unsuitable for ZF 6hp26, and not a suitable replacement for Lifeguard 6.
Summary: So there are not many options for the correct ATF for ZF 6hp26, and in Australia Lifeguard 6 is more or less the only option. But what you can do is find the cheapest seller of genuine Lifeguard in Australia: The most expensive is about AU$1000 for 20L – I got it for a bit more than half of that. Also, I checked out Fuchs Titan 6006: I looked for the 20L can. When it was available in Australia, it was just a tad cheaper than Lifeguard 6, now I can't even see Fuchs 20L being available. And with Liqui Moli being much cheaper but really not suitable, there is no alternative to LIFEGUARD 6 in Australia at least.
FILTER (for S-Type 2002 too 2008): Well, the Jag P/N for that transmission filter kit is C2C38963, and it costs plenty. If plenty is not enough for you, you can also pay double-plenty for BPC236, which is the aluminum version of that filter. BUT, after a very extensive research I figured out that that you can buy that plastic-version of the Jag kitC2C38963 also way cheaper: Unbeknownst to pretty much everybody TP-FK028 Automatic Transmission 6-speed Oil Pan Filter Kit for BMW E90 E60 is the same filter as used on the S-Type 2002-2008. I bought it on ebay for pretty much half the price of C2C38963, and most of all: The BMW kit I bought on ebay for AU$75 also included the very important "sleeve" including its gaskets. Elsewhere this sleeve is not included and may cost another AU$40.
Starting with changing the Transmission Fluid Filter: Disconnect battery!
And (this is a "PS"-entry after reading the first comments below): Scroll down to the section where I explain of how to remove the filler plug and remove the filler plug first. Because some people fail in removing this plug, and if they have already removed their fluid, they can't even drive to a garage anymore...
The picture shows already the new (BMW) filter fitted. Removing the old one was quite a fight: That plastic fluid release bolt at the bottom was impossible to remove: Instead I drilled a hole into it to release the old fluid.
Next I was faced with lots and lots of those unsuitable bolts holding the filter in position: That torx T27 is way too small: the little torx-slots will most of the time get damaged and become unusable before opening up: Hence, those nice wide slots: I made them with a 1mm cutting blade on an angle-grinder. I could even remove the botched one (right) quite easily. The bolts, which came with the BMW filter kit had a much bigger torx-slot. Note: Wear suitable protective gear, if you intend to do the same, including a full face shield.
With the filter removed and the fluid having dripped out over 3 nights, it was time to remove the connector above the filter: I had my S-Type safely elevated on 4 stands and when sliding under the car from the left side I could easily turn off that connector anti-clockwise with my left arm/hand. Removing the X-member there was not required. My arm fitted thru above that X-member. Note: Ideally you would earth yourself before touching that connector! Somehow you need to ensure you are definitely not being electrostatically charged up to avoid damage to the electronics of the Jag!
With that connector removed you have access to that "sleeve", but as it is, you will not be able to remove it, because...
...first you have to pull down carefully that white "grip", shown here at the front right. Now you can - without any effort - pull that sleeve out.Please note that that little latch of that white "handle" needs to be pressed in before pulling the "handle." Note that at this point it is a very good idea to also swap the bridge seal and those 4 tube seals above the valve body, after removing the valve body briefly. See entry with details and pictures dated 27-Jan-2023.
Either you have new gaskets for the old sleeve (left) or you have a new sleeve with new gaskets (right), which came with my BMW filter kit.
And you simply fixate the new sleeve pushing it back in. NOTE that there is this "thingy" at the bottom of the male part of the connector (picture above!), i.e. there is only one correct rotary position, in which you need to insert the sleeve. Push it in sufficiently (by hand), and then push the white "grip" back up again - carefully - I gave it a few soft hits with that part of my hand, which is between wrist and palm.
And that connector (which goes into the sleeve) also wants a new gasket. First, I overlooked that and there were still some occasional drops dripping out. No idea, where to get the right gasket (2nd from top), but I did have FKM seals OD 29mm CS 3.5mm (=diameter). I tried that, but it was too thick, thus I thinned it down with an angle-grinder (1st from top thinned down too much, 3rd from top was OK. While I hope, that this seals sufficiently, I also ordered already cheap FKM seals ID 22.4mm CS 2.65mm, which I would expect to be the right ones here.
SO this is the new seal on the connector. Half an hour later (applying the "Insanity-method") I successfully put the connector back on (again with my left hand). According to Albert Einstein, trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity... Well, the connector just did not want to go back on - and the reason was not the new gasket, because just to test it, I tried also without gasket: I do not know why, but it did not want to go back on. Thus I tried about half an hour the same, until it finally wanted to go back on. I knew that there was - again - only one correct rotary position to push the connector into position before turning it clockwise - but it just did not want to move into position.
But finally!
And now also REFIT THAT NEW FILTER with the new gasket on and all those new bolts. See again that first picture. The bolts need to be tightened with 8Nm.
To be able to refill the transmission fluid, you need to remove the filler plug, which Jag designed such that it is not accessible. And it sits really really tight. Special self-made tool required: A 26mm long cut-off bit from an 8mm Allen key, a solid 8mm spanner and a 30cm long pipe-bit as lever arm.
Here again my special tool with the filler plug removed.
Now you can refill the transmission fluid with a handy fluid pump (AU$10, ebay or this week at Aldi)
To ensure the filler hose does not fall out I squeezed it in position with a tube-cut-off. Even though I had removed 5L of fluid (by letting it drip for 3 days), I initially was only able to refill 2.3L (until it came back out by the filler hole). To continue now with the full flush, I left the filler hose connected, and...
...and I removed the upper transmission fluid metal-pipe from the radiator. This can be done without fear that anything would drip out after removing that pipe. I connected a clear tube to that pipe and...
...and secured the hose with a ring-spanner and on this ring-spanner I placed the weight of that hammer in a bowl to collect all the old transmission fluid. Letting the engine run, pumps the transmission fluid out by that pipe and hose. Obviously, letting the engine run for brief moments only, then you have to refill the reservoir again (which is why I had left pump and filler hose connected). It really helps having a second person sitting in the car, operation the engine (and with the foot on the brakes (just to be overly sure - since all 4 wheels are in the air anyway) going thru all the gears and back. Same procedure a few times (I think I did that 3 or 4 times), until clean transmission fluid is being pumped out. I filled in a total of 14.4L, including the last liter, which I filled after reinstalling the pipe and the filler plug (which I then obviously had to remove again to fill the last liter). Note that if you pull out the filler hose (connected to the pump) it is a very wrong assumption that the fluid would not come out of that hose anymore while you do not pump: With the filler hose lowered to ground level you would create a big mess of leaked new transmission fluid, because that pump does not stop the fluid to leak powered by "gravity feed"!
When the transmission fluid starts to drip out by the filler hole (with the car in level position) after having done all the refills above, tighten the filler plug properly again with that special self-made tool.
So when you do a pointless filter-change without full flush, you will probably be able fit 4 or 5L only of new fluid in there, which would mix with all that old fluid, which remained the system, and clocks up the new filter again immediately, while you need approx. 14L of fluid for a full flush, where a filter-change makes sense....
Last edited by Don B; 01-26-2023 at 08:50 AM.
Reason: Peter:Fixing typos and adding note at top regarding removing filler plug first; Don B added new material per Peter's request.
Nice write up on your experience. In the DIY's at the stickies of the S Type board you will find several DIY's including CCC's who was the founding ZF DIYer here on the forum!
I would like to point out 1 step that should be accomplished BEFORE anyone proceeds with draining the auto box. Break free the fill plug BEFORE anything. There have been a few members that did the easy drain then were stuck with not being able to break loose the fill plug!!
Yes, I thought about mentioning to remove the filler plug before removing the fluid... For me myself that was not an option. I did not open the filler plug first. Firstly, failure is not an option for me and I had a leak, I needed to replace the filter and the fluid. Plus I am determined to fix everything myself. But, yes, it would be an option for others, who can not open the filler plug to drive it into a garage instead (if they have not removed the fluid yet), HOPING that the garage is on their game.
PS: I just added that note at the top to remove the filler plug first.
Last edited by Peter_of_Australia; 10-23-2022 at 07:38 PM.
Reason: Adding "PS" note
@ joycesjag:
What is CCC and what is ZF? And is there actually a way to move my DIY Guides into the sticky section (I have done a few already, and I plan a few more)?
@ joycesjag:
What is CCC and what is ZF? And is there actually a way to move my DIY Guides into the sticky section (I have done a few already, and I plan a few more)?
CCC is a former S Type owner/member here that was the original DIYer that pioneered changing his ZF6HP26 auto box (transmission) ATF, electrical sleeve and filter and posted many, many years ago. His post also discusses the different brands of ATF fluids that have the same shell spec. that the Lifeguard 6 contain at that time period.
Moderators are the only ones that can post to the "sticky threads" that are found at the top of each forum page. If you pm a mod to bring attention to a post you deem sticky worthy they will review and post. Moderators include GGG, norri, sklimi and a couple others.
@ joycesjag: OK, thanks. Maybe it would make sense, if I, when I feel that I completed my DIY Guides for the moment being, that I write a new post, which serves as Index-reference to all my other DIY guides, and to have just that one as sticky.
PS: I am currently writing the "rear axle oil change".
Thank you for taking the time to photograph and post your DIY! I know first-hand how time consuming it is to do all that work on top of the actual service to your car.
ZF is the manufacturer of your transmission, ZF Friedrichshafen, a huge global original equipment manufacturer of transmissions, steering racks, suspension components, etc. Your transmission model is the ZF 6HP26.
One concern I would mention is that Nulon automatic transmission fluid does not appear to be a suitable choice for use in the 6HP26. The kinematic viscosity of Nulon at 40°C is 37 mm2/s, which is similar to that of Dexron III (though not Dexron VI, which is a much thinner fluid). The problem is that the kinematic viscosity of Lifegaurd 6, the fluid specified by ZF for the 6HP26, is just 26.8 mm2/s, which makes it one of the "thinnest" transmission fluids in current use. The Nulon fluid has a viscosity fully 38% "thicker" than Lifeguard 6. Running a higher-viscosity fluid in your transmission can lead to higher internal resistance, temperatures and pressures, which could lead to premature failure. The 6HP26 was marketed as having been manufactured with very fine tolerances, which allowed the inclusion of 6 forward speeds in a small package. These very fine tolerances will probably not respond well to a fluid that is thicker than specified.
I am attaching the Material Safety Data Sheets for Nulon and Lifeguard 6 for comparison.
Through the research of forum members including Partick the Cat, Box, myself and others, along with a Blackstone Labs analysis by bimmerfest member fun2drive, we know that aside from color, Ford Motorcraft Mercon SP and Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP are identical to Lifeguard 6. As far as I know, these are the only three fluids known to be correct in the ZF 6HP26. Other fluids claim to meet the Shell M1375.4 specification, but only these three have the correct viscosity and base oils. This has been widely discussed in the S-Type, X350 and X100/X103 forums. If anyone has found another fluid that is correct I would be happy to hear about it.
Hi Don,
I see what you mean and I will have to contact Nulon about that.
Nulon printed on their ATF, that it complies with Dextron VI.
Do you know, where to find, what exactly Dextron VI specifies?
Meanwhile, I checked the net, and I think I found another ATF, which could be suitable (29.5): https://www.mobil.com/en-au/passenge...-dexron-vi-atf
Cheers, Peter
Hi Don,
just another thought I had:
Sadly, the Nulon datasheet does only contain the viscosity information for 40°C and not for 100°C.
But your ZF-fluid datasheet contains both, namely 26.8 for 40°C and 5.6 for 100°C.
Thus - correct me if I am wrong - those data tell me that: The hotter the ATF gets the lower the viscosity gets.
Lower viscosity is good for the S-Type transmission. Thus the Nulon-viscosity of 37 can actually be only an issue initially, before the ATF get very hot anyway.
And my thought is: Since I am in Australia, were it is a lot hotter generally, and where (at least where I am) it get never ever below zero degree Celsius, I should actually be fine with Nulon and it's higher viscosity!? (...and where even the fact that the ATF gets channels thru a section of the radiator (to cool it down) it gets never cooled as much here - where it is mostly warm) as it would get cooled in colder hemispheres...)
Hi Don,
just another thought I had:
Sadly, the Nulon datasheet does only contain the viscosity information for 40°C and not for 100°C.
But your ZF-fluid datasheet contains both, namely 26.8 for 40°C and 5.6 for 100°C.
Thus - correct me if I am wrong - those data tell me that: The hotter the ATF gets the lower the viscosity gets.
Lower viscosity is good for the S-Type transmission. Thus the Nulon-viscosity of 37 can actually be only an issue initially, before the ATF get very hot anyway.
And my thought is: Since I am in Australia, were it is a lot hotter generally, and where (at least where I am) it get never ever below zero degree Celsius, I should actually be fine with Nulon and it's higher viscosity!? (...and where even the fact that the ATF gets channels thru a section of the radiator (to cool it down) it gets never cooled as much here - where it is mostly warm) as it would get cooled in colder hemispheres...)
Hi Peter,
We second-guess the ZF engineers at our peril.
Yes, the viscosity of transmisison fluid decreases with temperature, but your Nulon will not decrease to the same low viscosity as Lifeguard 6, so it will continue to be too "thick" at any given temperature. The Nulon data sheet doesn't tell us the viscosity at 100°C, but other Dexron III equivalents tend to run about 7.5 mm2/s. At 100°C, the viscosity of Lifeguard 6 is just 5.6 mm2/s, meaning that Nulon is perhaps 34% thicker than Lifeguard 6 even when hot.
ZF transmissions are tested globally in every environment inhabited by humans, including the Australian Outback, and the only fluid ZF specifies for worldwide use is Lifeguard 6, meeting Shell specification M1375.4. ZF does not recommend a higher-viscosity fluid in hotter climates, or a lower-viscosity fluid in colder climates.
Viscosity is only one important property of automatic transmission fluid. It happens to be an easy one by which to rule out fluids as unsuitable for a specific gearbox. But there are other factors that must be considered, such as base oils, friction modifiers, slippage/friction characteristics, anti-shudder capability, shear stability, anti-corrosion and anti-foaming additives, low-temperature flowability, high-temperature tolerance, seal compatibility, service life, etc. Since fluid makers only have to disclose the toxic or hazardous ingredients on the safety data sheets, we don't know the full chemical makeup of any of these fluids. But if you will compare the attached MSDS of Dexron VI to that of Lifeguard 6, you will see that they share only one common ingredient, BIS(2-Hydroxyethyl) Tallow Amine / Ethoxylated amine, CAS #61791-44-4, and it constitutes less than 1% of Lifeguard 6 and less than 0.25% of Dexron VI. So the fluids may be as much as 99% dissimilar.
Ford used its own version of the ZF 6HP26 in certain model years of the Falcon, Territory, and Expedition (Lincoln Navigator), and the fluid Ford specifies for use in those vehicles is Motorcraft Mercon SP, which, our research has established, is chemically identical to Lifeguard 6 except for the red dye added to Mercon SP at Ford's request. Lifeguard 6 is manufactured in Europe by Royal Dutch Shell, and Mercon SP is manufactured in Texas by Shell U.S.A.
There are millions of words in thousands of posts on this topic in these forums if you want to wade through them, but the result of all our research is that the three fluids I've mentioned are the only ones we know to be demonstrably correct in the 6HP26.
In Australia, you might look for either Motorcraft Mercon SP or Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP. Don't trust the claims of any other fluid maker that its fluid meets Shell M1375.4. As far as I know, we've researched them all.
The deeper I dive into this, the more confusing it gets... - but I guess you went thru that stage already...
Do I guess correctly that what is being referred to as "specification Dextron VI" is actually not a specification at all?
I can't find this as a spec anywhere, however, I find several manufacturers, who use Dextron VI in the name of their product, and those Dextron VI products all differ. E.g.:
So, if they are all Dextron VI, and they are so massively different, I just do not understand the meaning of "Dextron VI". If it is not a specification - what is it?
Alternatively, if I look at the product ZF Lifeguard 6 and I check the kinematic viscosity, I see those 26.8 @ 40°C and 5.6 @ 100°C.
And if I check the label of the ATF I used (Nulon full synthetic multi vehicle ATF), I see a long list of specifications, which this ATF is supposed to meet - und under those specifications, I not only find Dextron VI, but also "ZF Lifeguard 5, Lifeguard 6". What shall I make of that? Lifeguard 6 is a product, not a specification... so this means, that Nulon claims that their product is the same as Lifeguard?
And as it was pointed out to me, Nulon has a kin. viscosity of 37 @ 40°C
So this a false claim by Nulon?
Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP: Not in Australia. Motorcraft & Lifeguard 6 are really expensive. If I were to remove the brand new Nulon ATF I have now in my transmission, and if I were to empty my bank account to buy ZF fluid...: Would a normal flush and no filter change (were a few remains of Nulon would remain in the system) be possible at all, or would Lifeguard 6, contaminated with a bit of Nulon be the worst option?
Thanks, Peter
PS: I just downloaded the MSDS of the Shell spec M1375.4. It specifies kin. viscosity as 26.8 @ 40°C and 5.6 @ 100°C, which is exactly Lifeguard 6...
The deeper I dive into this, the more confusing it gets... - but I guess you went thru that stage already...
Do I guess correctly that what is being referred to as "specification Dextron VI" is actually not a specification at all?
I can't find this as a spec anywhere, however, I find several manufacturers, who use Dextron VI in the name of their product, and those Dextron VI products all differ. E.g.:
Dexron VI is a brand name of General Motors for a family of fluids used primarily in General Motors transmissions, but also under other names in transmissions used by other manufacturers, such as Toyota/Lexus, Hyundai/Kia/Genesis, etc. You will find different formulations. However, Dexron VI is not known to be suitable in the ZF 6HP26, so you really don't need to worry about finding a Dexron VI equivalent. As a point of interest, ZF still recommends Dexron III in its older 3- and 4-speed gearboxes, so the company is not opposed to the Dexron brand, so you would think that if Dexron VI was acceptable in the 6HP26, ZF would say so.
Originally Posted by Peter_of_Australia
Alternatively, if I look at the product ZF Lifeguard 6 and I check the kinematic viscosity, I see those 26.8 @ 40°C and 5.6 @ 100°C.
And if I check the label of the ATF I used (Nulon full synthetic multi vehicle ATF), I see a long list of specifications, which this ATF is supposed to meet - und under those specifications, I not only find Dextron VI, but also "ZF Lifeguard 5, Lifeguard 6". What shall I make of that? Lifeguard 6 is a product, not a specification... so this means, that Nulon claims that their product is the same as Lifeguard?
And as it was pointed out to me, Nulon has a kin. viscosity of 37 @ 40°C
So this a false claim by Nulon?
If you look up the properties of ZF Lifeguard 5, you will find that it is very different from Lifeguard 6. So Nulon's claims that it meets the requirements of Lifeguard 5 and Lifeguard 6 is a major red flag and the very kind of claim that has caused many of us to reject all the third-party fluid makers who claim their fluid meets Shell M1375.4, but the properties of their fluid is nothing like that of Lifeguard 6. In the U.S., a major culprit of this kind of false compatability marketing is Valvoline.
Originally Posted by Peter_of_Australia
Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP: Not in Australia. Motorcraft & Lifeguard 6 are really expensive. If I were to remove the brand new Nulon ATF I have now in my transmission, and if I were to empty my bank account to buy ZF fluid...: Would a normal flush and no filter change (were a few remains of Nulon would remain in the system) be possible at all, or would Lifeguard 6, contaminated with a bit of Nulon be the worst option?
If you replace the Nulon with an approved fluid you shouldn't have to worry about the filter - it will be fine. Traces of Nulon are unlikely to harm anything.
Originally Posted by Peter_of_Australia
PS: I just downloaded the MSDS of the Shell spec M1375.4. It specifies kin. viscosity as 26.8 @ 40°C and 5.6 @ 100°C, which is exactly Lifeguard 6...
Yes, Shell specification M1375.4 is what Lifeguard 6, Mercon SP and Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP are all based on, and those are the only three fluids we know to be approved for use in the 6HP26.
Hi Don,
thanks for all the information - makes sense.
What is the colour of lifeguard 6?
As you see in my pictures, the old fluid - which I replaced - was reddish in colour. It is possible that the OE fluid was replaced with Nulon already (I very much doubt that the previous owner would have bothered finding Motocraft around here).
Hi Don,
thanks for all the information - makes sense.
What is the colour of lifeguard 6?
As you see in my pictures, the old fluid - which I replaced - was reddish in colour. It is possible that the OE fluid was replaced with Nulon already (I very much doubt that the previous owner would have bothered finding Motocraft around here).
Hi Peter,
Lifeguard 6 and Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP are honey-brown in color. Motorcraft Mercon SP is red. If your old fluid was red, it was replaced at some point.
Thanks. I thought for a while, if I should call Nulon about that or write. But the last time I called them about coolant, I was not even able to finish my question, while the guy on the phone kept telling my stuff, I did not ask and I could not get a word in sideways. So I just wrote - their form allows only a small amount of characters, thus, I just fired off 3 mail in a row (Part 1/3, 2/3, 3/3), pre-written in Word. Interesting is that the Nulon MSDS, which can be found on the net shows a kin. viscosity of 37 @ 40°C (and no info for 100°C). but if I check out their product info, I find 33.4 @ 40°C and 7 @ 100°C, see:
I have to wonder, if they actually know at all what the kin. viscosity of their ATF is. I asked them for a refund of the 2 x 20L I bought, based on that their product info stated that Nulon ATF can be used where "specification" lifeguard 6 is specified, is untrue... Let's see what happens...
But if the kin. viscosity info 33.4 @ 40°C and 7 @ 100°C is indeed correct (25% more then lifeguard 6 on both accounts), there would probably still not be any certainty as to the harm or non-harm this would do to the transmission...
PS: A German saying translated: "The one, who seeks, finds!" I just found a fourth ATF to suit the ZF 6hp26, cheap, too, but sadly, it does not help me, because they seem to ship inside of the UK only: https://www.westwayoils.co.uk/produc...39750794674364
Last edited by Peter_of_Australia; 10-31-2022 at 03:36 AM.
Reason: just found a forth option for ZF 6hp26 ATF
But if the kin. viscosity info 33.4 @ 40°C and 7 @ 100°C is indeed correct (25% more then lifeguard 6 on both accounts), there would probably still not be any certainty as to the harm or non-harm this would do to the transmission. Since the transmission is typically the second-most-expensive component to replace in a passenger car, it is prudent to follow the recommendations of the transmission manufacturer rather than try to second-guess the engineers.
PS: A German saying translated: "The one, who seeks, finds!" I just found a fourth ATF to suit the ZF 6hp26, cheap, too, but sadly, it does not help me, because they seem to ship inside of the UK only: https://www.westwayoils.co.uk/produc...39750794674364
As I mentioned in Post #11 , viscosity is just the easiest parameter by which to assess whether a fluid is likely to be unsuitable or possibly suitable in a given transmission, but it isn't the only important criteria. All the other properties matter as well for optimal performance and transmission service life.
The Westway M1375.4 does look like a suitable fluid based on the short list of parameters given at the link you posted. When I get a chance I may see if I can find the MSDS for direct comparison with Lifeguard 6. We've found that we do have to be skeptical of most third-party fluids that claim to meet M1375.4. For example, see the product sheet at the link below for Finol ATF M1375.4, with a viscosity significantly higher than genuine Lifeguard 6:
Hi Don, yes, I did not forget that you mentioned that the kin viscosity is just ONE of the factors - but in case of the Westway ATF, I think the name M1375.4 is a dead giveaway (Shell spec.) (but yes, the MSDS is hard to find), and I found meanwhile yet another one: Smith and Allan M1375.4 - but just as useless to me, as this is also just being shipped inside of UK. I even contacted Westway, but they refuse to ship out of the UK.
Earlier today I wrote to ZF in Australia, and I am currently writing a mail (in German) to ZF in Friedrichshafen. Let's see, if they have anything to contribute...
Another Q: You also have a X308. Mine is from '98. I tried today for a while to figure out, which ATF this one wants... Is it lifeguard 5?
Last edited by Peter_of_Australia; 10-31-2022 at 09:56 AM.
Hi Don, yes, I did not forget that you mentioned that the kin viscosity is just ONE of the factors - but in case of the Westway ATF, I think the name M1375.4 is a dead giveaway (Shell spec.) (but yes, the MSDS is hard to find), and I found meanwhile yet another one: Smith and Allan M1375.4 - but just as useless to me, as this is also just being shipped inside of UK. I even contacted Westway, but they refuse to ship out of the UK.
Earlier today I wrote to ZF in Australia, and I am currently writing a mail (in German) to ZF in Friedrichshafen. Let's see, if they have anything to contribute...
Another Q: You also have a X308. Mine is from '98. I tried today for a while to figure out, which ATF this one wants... Is it lifeguard 5?
As I showed in my last post, we can't trust a fluid just because it is called M1375.4. The Finol ATF M1375.4 claims to be correct in the 6HP, but its viscosity is significantly higher than Lifeguard 6. We've found other third-party fluids to also be out of spec. We have to do our due diligence with every single fluid - we can't trust the marketing claims of the fluidmaker.
For your '98 X308, if it's normally-aspirated with the ZF 5HP24, the fluids I am aware of that are correct are:
ZF LifeGuard 5
ESSO LT 71141
Febi Automatikgetriebeöl Nr. 29738
VW/Audi G 052 162 A2
Pentosin ATF 1
Ravenol ATF 4/5 HP
10-23-2022, 09:06 AM
DIY Guide: Transmission fluid and transmission fluid filter & sleeve change S-Type
