Hi Peter,

I just took another look at LiquiMoly ATF Top Tec 1800 and was reminded that LiquiMoly claims it is approved for use where Dexron VI and Mercon LV are specified. Since Ford states that Mercon LV must never be used in a transmission for which Mercon SP is specified, and since we know that Dexron VI is not a suitable replacement for Lifeguard 6, we can rule out LiquiMoly Top Tec 1800 as unsuitable for the ZF 6HP26. Here's a link to the product sheet:

LiquiMoly ATF Top Tec 1800 Product Sheet

The interesting thing about Titan ATF 6006 is that Fuchs claims it is specifically designed for use in "specified ZF 6-speed automatic transmissions in Bentley, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati and VW Group vehicles" (the 6HP26 was used in vehicles from all of these manufacturers, and also by Ford, under license from ZF). Among third-party fluidmakers, this single-transmission claim is unique. Other third-party fluidmakers claim their fluid is not only suitable in the 6HP26, but in other very different transmissions for which very different fluids are specified by the manufacturers. Also, in reviewing the MSDS, Titan ATF 6006 contains at least two of the same additives as Lifeguard 6. So in a region where one of the three known correct fluids is unavailable or very expensive, Titan ATF 6006 may represent a lower-risk alternative than other third-party fluids. Note that Fuchs states that "intermixtures with other ATFs should be avoided" and "a complete oil change is recommended when converting to Titan ATF 6006." Each owner must assess the potential risks of using Titan ATF 6006. Here's a link to the product sheet:

Fuchs Titan ATF 6006 Product Sheet

For more research, discussion, opinions and misinformation on this topic, one need simply google Lifeguard 6 or 6HP26 fluid to find millions of words in these Jaguar Forums, the various BMW and Land Rover forums, and others.

To sum this all up, the correct answer to the question, "What fluid should I use in my ZF 6HP26?" has not changed. The only three fluids known to be correct are ZF Lifeguard 6, Ford Motorcraft Mercon SP, and Shell Spirax S4 ATF MSP. All three fluids are manufactured by Shell, and the only difference is the red dye in Mercon SP added at Ford's request to help Ford technicians differentiate between transmission fluid and engine oil when diagnosing leaks (and a reason I personally prefer Mercon SP, along with the ready availability and significantly lower price in the U.S. A.).

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks, Don, agreed. So to make it easy, I have here again the complete revised section "WHICH ATF" - can you please replace the one on top with this one? Cheers, Peter

>>>>>>>>>>>

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:

https://aftermarket.zf.com/remotemed...s-20190219.pdf

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:

https://aftermarket.zf.com/remotemed...e-ml-11-en.pdf

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.

 

I receive 20L of Lifeguard 6 today. I also ordered another 20L canister of Lifeguard 6 today, because I have received an irresistible personalized offer from ebay. I need more than 20L anyway, because I have 2 of those S-Types with transmission ZF 6hp26. I will need 13-14L ATF for each S-Type. ...i.e. I could buy a third S-Type now to make use of all 40L of lifeguard 6...

The thing I am unsure of, is, what to do now with the Nulon ATF, which I will have to extract again from the S-Type? When doing the first ATF change on the S-Type, I figured that even the old ATF is not too bad to clean the car from underneath. I think, it has a little bit of rust-proofing effect on slightly corroded metal parts, like the exhaust... Can someone confirm, if ATF has rust-proofing properties?

 

Hi Don,
could you please copy the the complete updated version (2 boxes up) and use it to replace the "WHICH ATF" at the very top? Thanks,

Btw.: After receiving a reply from ZF Friedrichshafen, which did not say ,much at all, I wrote back requesting that they pass my question on to their development dept.
My question was in short, if I would damage my transmission with the Nulon ATF, which I have currently filled into the S-Type already.

The reply was: "Bitte das originale Öl verwenden. Die additive sind auch entscheidend."
Translation: "Please use the original (=OE) oil. Those additives are of relevance as well."

 

Hi Peter,

I have pasted your new section into your original post - sorry for the delay but I had a long and hectic day yesterday.

ZF's comment to you that "Those additives are of relevance as well" is an important confirmation that we can't choose an ATF based on kinematic viscosity alone. Viscosity is just a simple way to rule out an ATF, but it is only part of the equation.

And once again we have learned that we cannot trust the claims of third-party fluidmakers without doing our own research. Too many companies rely on potentially serious compromises in order to claim their fluids are suitable in a wide variety of transmissions, contrary to manufacturers' specifications of very different and distinct fluids.

Cheers,

Don

 

Peter can you get the Mercon SP in Oz?
Sounds like maybe no?

I think your expecting a lot from ZF too? I mean for them to answer your question would require them to purchase the fluid you mention and then test it in their 6 speed transmissions.
Why would they do that when ZF themselves sell Lifeguard 6 fluid?
The only answer ZF can possibly give you is to use the correct factory fluid which is Lifeguard 6.
.
.
.

 

Don: Thank you. And yes: I fully understand that KV is only but one indicator of many to define any ATF. But an important one nonetheless.
Cause if an ATF has a KV higher than specified, the ATF is less "liquid" and "moving" it requires more energy, and as usual excess energy input leads to increased temperatures, and increased temperatures again degrade the ATF used, and that alone is bad for the transmission - and I am sure the increased temperatures themselves also don't make neither the transmission nor the TCM a "happy camper"...

Well, for me it was a first to learn that suitability information printed onto a product cannot be trusted. If one cannot trust that anymore, we life in chaos. I would have thought, that any false claim (at least one as important as that, as it determines over life and death of your transmission) would have to be removed by consumer protection agencies.

Clubairth1: No, I am not expecting too much from ZF. They are the engineers (like I am an engineer). I expect them to know, what they are doing and that they know what they did and why they did it when then specified lifeguard 6. And during their process of finding the right ATF, they would have investigated, what is on the market, if any of those could be used or if a new ATF need to be developed, and they would know the exact technical data required. The data of Nulon is available without buying it. Also, I wrote them the KV data of Nulon. This question reg. ATF to ZF should be the same as asking Jaguar, if I should fill 91 oct., 95 oct., 98 oct. or diesel into a S-Type 3.0L V6.
And I see your train of thought that just maybe ZF could intentionally pretend that anything but lifeguard 6 can be used for the 6hp26, but as Don wrote somewhere above, ZF has another transmission, where they themselves also allow the use of some third party ATF. But there is another reason as to why I don't think that ZF would do that:
You can see on the KV alone that this lifeguard 6 is indeed something different than the market has to offer. Actually, what the market offers, is probably closer to lifeguard 5 (looking that KV). SO when they designed their 6hp26, where already had lifeguard 5 - and they could have saved themselves development cost for a new ATF, by using what they have already. But no: They developed that new lifeguard 6 - and they would not do that, if there would ne no reason to do that. And the reason to do that would not have been to have that aftermarket business all for themselves, because the transmission was originally marketed as "for life" (which is of course nonsense.) But I also see that this last argument of mine is weak, as I am sure they would have already known back then, that this is a bogus claim - "transmission and its fluid for life" has a certain ring to the ear for Jaguar advertisement campaigns, when the S-Type was new...

And no: Motorcraft Mercon SP is not available in oz. On ebay-Australia I saw the following: 4 quart if Mercon SP (that is 3.78L) are AU$105 plus AU$166 postage. That equates to AU$72 per liter - as opposed to AU$26.75 per liter for the second 20L canister of lifeguard 6, which I just bought on an ebay promotion.

As my S-Type is not registered yet, but I am pretty sure that I am allowed to drive (with appointment in the garage) to a wheel-alignment (after those big repairs on suspension, which I did). Thus, after redesigning the front facia of the S-Type replacing plastic with stainless steel to complete my restauration, I will be legally allowed to drive to the wheel alignment and back - and I will prepare everything to do the new ATF change while the transmission is still warm.

 

The problem with all that is ZF is a commercial concern. They are NOT in the business of testing aftermarket fluids. I am also an Engineer and will tell you this is how business works??
Again what does ZF have to gain by recommending a non-factory fluid. The answer quite clearly is none!

Also study a bit more? ZF has never claimed lifetime fluid. That claim has always been provided by the car manufacturers that install the ZF transmissions. We found this out very early in the life of the 6 speed transmission when someone on the forum actually asked ZF and they indeed had a fluid change recommendation based on distance and/or time. Surprisingly they did!
.
.
.

 

Hi Don,
I dug up something new: Valvoline Maxlife ATF
Looking at their MSDS, KV40 = < 20 sounds very promising.

I came across it while looking for an ATF for my 2.1L X-Type, as the standard ATF for that one do not exist in Australia.
Funnily, the ATF of that X-Type also asks for m-1375.4, an old acquaintance
I also saw Lifeguard 6 being recommended for X-Type. And I saw several times Maxlife ATF as being recommended for X-Type, and I saw that even recommended for S-Type... After all that: Do you think that this cheap Valvoline Maxlife ATF could be a cheap alternative for the S-Type?

That is the first ATF, which is available in Australia and really cheap, and promising...

 

Hi Peter,

I do not know if Valvoline MaxLife Multi-Vehicle ATF is suitable in your X-Types, but Valvoline's claims for this fluid are completely incredible, meaning unbelievable in the literal sense. I have written about Valvoline's implausible claims many times. I just copied and pasted the information below from one of my previous posts in another thread:

One thing we've learned is that Valvoline cannot be trusted regarding the specifications its fluids are claimed to meet. Apparently, they are able to offer fluids at lower prices by compromizing the formulations to make them "suitable" or "just good enough" for use in a wide variety of vehicles. But a fluid "good enough" for use in so many gearboxes can't possibly be optimal for use in any of them.

For example, Valvoline claims its MaxLife Import Multi-Vehicle Transmission Fluid is suitable for use in ZF 3-speed, 4-speed, 5-speed, 6-speed, 8-speed and 9-speed transmissions. Yet ZF insists that the 3-/4-, 5-, 6-, and 8-/9-speed boxes require four different fluids, and if you check the Material Data Safety Sheets for those fluids, you'll find that their chemical properties are quite different from one another.

As another example, Valvoline claims that this same fluid is suitable for use in Ford vehicles that require Mercon SP, Mercon V, Mercon LV and Mercon C (for CVTs!). Yet Ford insists that these fluids are not interchangeable and, for example, Mercon LV must never be used in a transmission that requires Mercon V, and vice-versa. By the way, Mercon SP is equivalent to ZF Lifeguard 6, which is VERY differrent from Lifeguard 5, yet Valvoline claims their fluid is a suitable replacement for both!

Here's a link to the product info sheet in which Valvoline makes its implausible claims:

Valvoline MaxLife Import Multi-Vehicle Transmission Fluid Product Sheet

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks, Don,
makes sense - that is why I asked you. So Valvoline is just another multi-vehicle-ATF suitability-claim-fabricator...
Cheers, Peter

 

@ Don: I am not sure, if you want to hear about it, but I found another ATF...
So just in case you still have the energy to look at yet another one:
That Nulon, which I put in, was called SYNATF. That's the unsuitable one. And I have now 40L of Lifeguard 6 here - so I'm good now.
But inn general: Nulon has another product, called LVSYNATF (Low viscosity), where KV40 is given as 29.70 and KV100 is given as 6.
https://www.nulon.com.au/products/au...-low-viscosity
Now, if that were correct, this would sound good and one would have to wonder, if that one would possibly be suitable ilo. Lifeguard 6 – but oddly enough LVSYNATF makes no reference to Lifeguard 6 in their “meets and exceeds specifications”. That is odd…Worth mentioning is that AGAIN the information given in the Nulon MSDS conflicts with the product information – not much, but any degree of discrepancy in the data provided raises doubts, given that SYNATF KV data publish differ greatly. So here the KV40 difference is “only” 29.7 vs. 29: https://www.nulon.com.au/images/prod...cosity_sds.pdf

And to pile up on that one: As just mentioned, Nulon does not quote Lifeguard 6 for LVSYNATF, but check out:

https://www.sparesbox.com.au/part/nu...0l-lvsynatf-20

Go to “specifications” and then “manufacturers release”: And all of a sudden LVSYNATF is declared as a suitable replacement of Lifeguard 6. And not only this, even Lifeguard 8… Thus, this is another odd one: Nulon does not seem to endorse the usage of LVSYNATF ilo, Lifeguard 6, but Sparesbox endorses it for that exact usage in Nulon's name…

And note: Nulon has been bought by Fuchs in 2020.


@ clubaith1: >>>the problem with all that is ZF is a commercial concern. They are NOT in the business of testing aftermarket fluids
Well, look again at the ZF list of lubricants:
https://aftermarket.zf.com/remotemed...e-ml-11-en.pdf
If you look at that list, you will find, that ZF endorses many ATFs, which are from 3rd-party manufacturers for OTHER transmission, e.g. Fuchs, ExxonMobil, Esso, Castrol. But on page 4 you see, which ATFs can be used for 6hp26, which is basically Lifeguard 6 and all those manufacturer-specific ATFs, which are nothing but rebranded lifeguard 6.

 

Hi Peter,

I'm afraid Nulon ATF Low Viscosity appears to be yet another "good enough for many applications" product. Just a few examples to illustrate why I would not put it in any gearbox:

Nulon claims it is suitable for Dexron VI and Lifeguard 6 applications. We have already demonstrated that those two fluids are not interchangeable.

Nulon claims it is suitable for Lifeguard 6 and Lifeguard 8 applications. ZF expressly disagrees and specifies different fluids for each.

Nulon claims it is suitable for Mercedes-Benz 236.12, 236.14, 236.15 and 236.41 applications, Yet the KV40 of the 236.15 fluids (which are dyed blue) is just 18 mm2/s, so how can this Nulon product possibly be "suitable" for 236.15 applications? It cannot.

These are exactly the kinds of implausible claims that have made so many of us profoundly skeptical of most third-party fluidmakers.

Yes, ZF and Mercedes-Benz approve fluids from third-party makers that have been tested and found to meet their specifications. But we can't take that to mean that because one of a third-party maker's fluids has been approved for one particular application we can blindly trust their claims regarding another fluid, unless this has also been expressly confirmed by the transmission manufacturer.

Cheers,

Don

 

OK, I agree and understand, Don.

 

UPDATE - SWITCH TO LIFEGUARD 6:

It's a good idea to have the ATF warm (not cold, not hot), when you want to remove it. As my S-Type is not registered yet, but I am allowed to drive without plates to prepare the car for the rego-check, I drove to a garage where I can get a wheel alignment done. Although I worked on various parts of the suspension, I did not really do anything drastic, so I expected that the alignment would not be out by much, but as the guy in the garage put it: I was basically driving sideways...
Anyway, when I came back, I immediately jacked up the Jag and released the Nulon SYNATF, which I just filled in there based on Nulon's incorrect claim of their ATF being suitable ilo. Lifeguard 6.


Thus, out with the brand new (but unsuitable) Nulon SYNATF


And in with the expensive, but suitable, brand new ZF Lifeguard 6

Of course I did another "full flush". Actually, I was a bit amazed at how dirty the ATF was, considering, I was driving only 7km, since I filled it in after the previous full flush.



When I did the ATF full flush last time, I did have the headlights removed anyway. But now, which the headlights installed, it made things easier to remove that bracket (one of the two brackets holding the radiator in position.)

So I removed the pipe coming from the transmission (it is the upper pipe on the radiator) and put a long PVC tube on there. And this time I did an improvement on the flush I did last time: I connected a number of PVC hoses (small, large, and then a bit of garden hose) to the air-gun of my air-compressor, and stuffed the garden-hose end into the ATF inlet on the radiator, and then I carefully channeled a few times a bit of air pressure into the ATF-radiator input to the effect that even more old ATF could be drained from the system. (Obviously with the filter still off and a big pan/bucket underneath). And it's a good idea to have the PVC tube on the pipe coming from the transmission already connected and another huge pan/bucket already in position at its end, because the air-pressure as applied above,might force a bit of ATF out of that pipe already. So by doing that and previously dumping the ATF from the transmission by removing the filter, I removed about 5L of ATF.

I then let it trip over night. That drained another 100ml (or a bit more) of ATF.

When that is done, it's time to fit the filter again. And as had been commented above, it is actually a very good idea to remove the ATF filler plug BEFORE you do anything else, because there is a chance that you might not get that plug off (see the special tool you have to make to attempt it). Last time it was difficult, but OK to remove my filler plug (but it was not closed in the factory last, as the ATF I removed about 1 month ago was reddish already (Lifeguard 6 is brownish). So someone put already the wrong ATF in there. And someone opened the filler plug and closed it before I did. But apparently I myself closed it last time so tight, that I could not open it anymore at first. I have bent my spanner. Well - even though there would have been oil (ATF) in the thread when I closed it about 1 month ago, apparently that is still not good enough. I applied WD40 (or similar), waited a few minutes, and the next spanner opened the plug without much effort - thus: ALWAYS WD40!

With the filter in place (and the release plug also back in place!), it is time to pump Lifeguard 6 back into the transmission. But still all the old ATF stuck in the system needs to be purged. You need a helper to sit in the car and start the engine on your command, and then quickly (about 5 seconds later) switch the engine off again. Best hold the end of the PVC tube in your hand holding it down so that the ATF cannot shoot out of the pan/bucket. Latest, when there are bubbles coming out of the PVC tube, it's time to turn off the engine - preferably a bit earlier. Then it is time to continue pumping Lifeguard 6 into the transmission, and then as before (engine on for about 5 sec and off). I think I did the whole thing 5 times until I had the impression that the purged ATF is now brownish instead of reddish. That way I purged another 8.5L approx. So a total of about 13.5L purged, but I filled only 11.5L of Lifeguard 6. I checked a few times, even after driving a few hundred meters: The system is full (=it's coming out by the filler plug). Maybe I filled too much ATF when I swapped the ATF last, and maybe that was the reason as to why I had a few odd drops of ATF escaping from the transmission.

Also: I think, what I showed at the top of my thread regarding that green seal ring on the electrical TCM connector (where I have been grinding a seal ring, which was too big in size), was probably not the best idea - and I never said it was, but that was all I had. Meanwhile, the seal rings, which I ordered for that specific purpose had arrived and I hope that they will do the job. I had ordered now: Green FKM seal rings, ID 22.4mm, CS (cross section) 2.65mm. It was easy to put it on.

And here I found "a lecture" from a professor - a warning actually - regarding the use of Multi-vehicle ATFs:
After all the stuff, I figured out in the last few weeks, it was not very surprising for me, however, if you here all that for the first time, it really makes you wonder, how those companies are getting away with offering such products on the market in the first place...
It's quite a lengthy video, but an interesting part is e.g. at time 38:45, when he explains that the claims regarding suitability of ATF are utterly meaningless, if it is not stated, which license number (proving it has actually been tested) backs this claim...

PS: I only just noticed that everything I wrote above (regarding transmission ZF 6hp26 and Lifeguard 6) applies not to all S-Type (but it looks like, it applies to most). It looks like that the 6hp26 had been used for many S-Type variants rights from the beginning (e.g. V6 diesel and V8), but the first V6 3.0 had a 5R55N transmission (5 gear) and only in 2003 did the V6 petrol 3.0 receive the ZF 6hp26 transmission.

 

Good job, Peter!

It's been awhile since your first post so it may be worth a reminder that the fluid level must be set with the engine running and the fluid at 40°C. If the fluid temperature exceeds 50°C, the fluid level will be too low, and if it is below 30°C, it will be overfull.

If the fluid temperature is checked with an infrared thermometer, it must be aimed at the fluid escaping from the fill hole and not the plastic pan, which is a poor conductor of heat. Better methods include a temperature probe inserted into the fill hole and connected to an oscilloscope or multimeter, or the most convenient method, a scan tool capable of monitoring the transmission fluid temperature via Live Data. See the attached instructions from ZF.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks Don. I will check the ATF-level again at 40°C before I register the Jag. I will register it on 22.2. (That's a nice date and I have currently too many car registered). By then it might be that hot here, that I don't even have to start the engine to get the ATF to 40°C... (I have those cheap thermometers with a sensor on a wire. This should do - I will put the sensor in my the filler hole. And thanks for the attached filling instructions.

 

Good post... here is my expierence https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...h-tips-215808/

 

PS: Now I know why I was able to remove 13.5L of the "old" (a few weeks since I did the last ATF change) and why I was only able to fill 11.5L Lifeguard 6:
Because the first time I did it right and the second time I forgot to have the engine running while checking the ATF level after the change.
Obviously, with the engine running, some ATF (apparently 2L) are forced to linger around somewhere higher up in the system, where gravity does not allow it to be normally. Gravity is a b&@@#!
But no harm done, as I did not drive the car meanwhile. I'll write a note for myself and put it on the driver's seat...

 

Thanks for the link to your thread. I just watched all the videos. Good videos, I knew one of those already - that was the one I referred to at my thread at the very top: It is a good video, it helped me a lot, but it is not necessary at all the remove the cross-member as they are doing it. And I learned something from your other videos, which I did not know yet: That BMW filter kit, which I bought for the S-Type, did include the "valve-body-bridge-seal-adapter" (that thingy with the 2 squares), but it came without seals and I would not know where to find this part inside of the transmission anyway (I could not locate it). So I strongly assume that this part is not only in the BMW transmission, but also in the Jaguar transmission (I think they are both 6hp26): You find it only after removing the complete mechatronic unit... And if that bridge seal is buggered, it could even be the reason for gear-change issues, which you may have... So, this is good to know, and while I hope that my old bridge seal is still OK, I know what to look for if I ever encounter problems.
And I watched that video from the ZF guys giving a presentation during an exhibition. (No need for me to read the subtitles as German is my first language). It made all sense, what they said - and they even recommended ATF fluid change after 100.000km (I thought 150.000km). But I was disturbed by one thing, they did not do - and which was also not done in any of the other videos: They all changed the filter and ONLY half of the ATF, as they all did not do the FULL FLUSH... And if even ZF at the exhibition does not do a full flush, it tells me that having a ATF fluid change at the garage is also a very bad idea, as you will also just receive half an ATF fluid change...

PS: Regarding the a.m. "valve-body-bridge-seal-adapter": I just noticed that there is a link in the S-Type sticky section:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ooting-191974/

And the second link there is about that exact seal adapter (part number 2):
https://sayyarti.wordpress.com/2015/...ission-issues/