Hello and good morning to all of my fellow motorists As a new member to any forum, I try to ensure that I thoroughly scour relevant sections prior to asking any questions, and for the most part, I have found answers to just about everything that I've encountered as a new-second-hand Jaguar owner.

Recently, and shortly after purchasing my '05 S-Type, I embarked upon a cross-country drive, to stretch my new kitty's legs, and minus a few incidents, the trip was smooth, and everything that (as a friend puts it) a Taurus with heated seats should be expected to be.

First, I wish I could find the post, but to the member that posted the image of the shift selector lever assembly, thank you - I suddenly found myself parked at a hotel in Terre Haute, Indiana, with the selector gear in Reverse and the shift selector in Park - an absolutely terrifying prospect, were it not for this forum and a conveniently-placed AutoZone. The securing bolts had loosened, and one had completely backed out, being deposited neatly on the ground underneath the assembly. Twenty minutes later, armed with a floor jack, an 8 mm wrench, and that image, I was able to resolve the problem. A million kudos and if you're ever in Houston, I owe you a round of drinks.

I was told by Momentum when I acquired my S-Type that it had several issues; the IMT o-rings needed replaced, it needed a new oil pan, and a new transmission pan - all of which contributed to the leverage in purchasing the car, and without this site, I would be be cast unto the wolves to have these items resolved.

As it is a V6 3.0L, from what I am able to discern, it has the ZF 6HP26 transmission, and thusly, I have corroborated that it suffers from the same leaks that others here have mentioned; am I correct in my assumption that I have found no leaking from around the pan, it appears to be leaking from above the shift select lever assembly, and thus it would be from the mechatronic sleeve assembly ? I plan to purchase the kit from The California Transmission Supply Company (The CTSC - ZF Parts) with the appropriate pan and 6 liters of tears of unborn virgins, as well as the sleeve and new bolts. Do any of you guys have experience with purchasing from them, or the quality of aftermarket pans from other sites like RockAuto (my usual default for maintenance items) ?

Pre-emptive thanks and grace to those members who have posted extremely in-depth task lists and directions on how to do the drain/fill dance with these transmissions; this is my first "sealed" transmission, and also quite possibly the most complex I've ever been faced with. Either way, it will be a considerable discount from the amount Momentum quoted; I am firm in my belief that the amount quoted (listed as "Replace transmission pan") involves fixing the TSB-listed leaking sleeve, and for good measure, replacing the bolts with the T30 ones, as well as the pan and filter complex. Comments, anyone?

As for the IMT o-rings, I purchased them yesterday at the Momentum dealership on 59, at a cost of roughly $15 each; I was surprised, compared to the prices I've seen quoted on here - perhaps they are made from rubber harvested from trees growing in a remote and secluded forest in the foothills of the Amazon rainforest. Those of you with experience with this, it appears to be straight-forward, and the walk-throughs I have read will come in handy, thank you again.

One question I do have though, is that when I got it up on a lift to examine the underside, it did not appear that the oil pan itself (which, mind you, must have been designed by a rather disgruntled mechanical engineer facing a sundowning career) was leaking, but it was more of a blow-by type of leak, could this be from the IMT rings leaking to the exterior rear of the engine, and then being blown downward? I have yet to remove the upper cowling, and intend to do so in the next few days - I will have the customary pictures and documentation, hopefully on video, of the process to share with all of you.

I am lucky enough to be graced with access to the treasure trove that is AllData, and if anyone has any specific diagram or procedure listing needs for their Jaguar, please let me know in PM and I will arrange a way to get you a PDF of whatever you need.

I cannot express the depths of my gratitude for all of the contributors on this forum - it's refreshing to be a part of a forum that is concentrated on the /experience/ of a vehicle, instead of solely how many people the dinner table mounted on your trunk can accomodate for a four-course meal, or the relative size of the livestock your intake will consume when your engine is full-bore.

Cheers, and happy motoring !