We have had our 2005 S-Type 3.0 for about 15 days now and are thoroughly enjoying it. It is our first Jaguar, and what a great car it isfor so little money to acquire it.The Jaguarextreme depreciation sure helps those of us who always buy two or three model years old.

I know that Jaguarupgraded toa 6-speed ZF transmission for the 2005 S-Type that is supposedly "sealed for life". There is noteven a transmission fluid dipstick with which to check the level and condition of the fluid. I am notyet surehow much of this "lifetime" conceptI believesince I have never before owned a vehicle that did notrequire at least an occasional transmission drain-and-fill in order to keep the transmission and differential in proper working order. I am guessing that at some point down the road I will indeedneed to replace the transmission fluid even though there is no mention of this in my Jaguar Service Schedule.

So my initial question is this: What kind of ZF transmission fluid does my vehicle require and what is its fluid capacity whenfull? I believe I read somewhere that my transmission runs "ZF 6HP" transmission fluid apparently made in Europe by Esso. Is this correct? Is it obtainable only from the Jaguar dealership at grossly inflated prices orare there sources in the open market here in the U.S.? Could this fluid be purchased less expensively at, say, a VW dealership? Or even a BMW dealership? I amassuming that NAPA or Advance Auto or Autozone would look at me like I was nuts if I asked forZF fluid there. Correct?

Thanks for any advice you Jaguar S-Type experts can provide. We have put about 2,000 miles on this S-Type in theshort time we have owned it and it is a blast to drive, a great highway cruiser which is exactly what we are looking for it to do....

 

You're right not think of that 'box as sealed for life, although in normal usage there should be no fluid loss, a change of fluid can only be for the good. I belive you can get suitable fluid from other sources, two I've heard of in the UK are;

Esso spec. is Type LT 71141

Shell brand ATF M-1375.4

That ZF box is used in many cars, I'd be amazed if there weren't several independant suppliers in the US, contact some oil suppliers directly or even a transmission specialist, I'd think they'd help. It's a shame the uk forum is down, I'm sure this question has been addressed on there.

 

Thanks for the information. It does indeed appear that the fluid used in my 6-speed ZF transmission here in the U.S. is Shell ATF M1375.4, a mineral oil concoction that our local Jaguar parts department sells for about $57 per litre. Ouch!!

I'll continue to look for more affordable sources although I don't expect NAPA or Autozone to carry this priceystuff. In the meantime, I certainlyhope I won't be needing any of it for a long, long time. Even a simple drain-and-fill on this ZF transmission will cost a small fortune....

 

Does this help at all?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/archive...d-50821-1.html


Mark

 

Mark the X type has a totally different transmission then the S types. At least 2003 and up s types. I have seen postings before on what other brands and part #s the correct fluid is Jon. Im driving a 3.0(as have many times before, prob about 3,000+ miles in them) as my R is at the dealer and it is a great cruising car.

 

Thanks for the reply. I had found this Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF product while searching Google for sources forShell ATF M1375.4 earlier this afternoon. I read about theCastrol ATF product on Castrol's website and it was listed as a replacement for theShell ATF factory fill. But when I called Castrol's technical support line and spoke with them, I was told that Jaguar has not approved this Castrol ATF product as a substitute for the Shell ATF product (even though the Castrol ATF product is mineral oil-based just as the Shell ATF product is)and thatI would void my Jaguar factory warranty if Iused it.

So the bottom line here is that if you want to substitute the far less expensive Castrol ATF product for the Jaguar-required Shell ATF product, wait until your vehicle is out of warranty before you do so. The Castrol product may be every bit as good as the far more expensive Shell product, butone would be foolish to run that risk while still under warranty.

I'll continue to look for more affordable sources for the Shell ATF product. If anyone else happens to find one, please post it here. Thanks again....

 

I realize this.
My answer was to the question regarding oil not vehicle.

 

This is an older thread, but I'm posting in hopes that anyone looking for the information that I was has something to go by. While the castrol has the same spec as the jag fluid, no one could tell me whether or not it would work in my 2003 s-type (ZF 6HP26). I had a trans gasket leeak on my car at ~80k miles. So I bought the gasket, changed it, and filled it per the service manual with the castrol multi-vehicle ATF (took 5.5 quarts). I've driven it roughly 15 miles at this point without issues (drove around town after finishing job). I've heard stories from others that when you use the wrong fluid, that the car won't even shift out of 1st, well my car is working fine at this point, and if you want an update in the future to confirm it is still working just e-mail me at justin@topnotchnetworks.net.

Fluid can be had at autozone for ~$4.50 p/qt, a whole lot better than $30.00 p/qt at the dealer.

Justin

 

Justin,

Thanks for letting us know that you're giving the Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF product a shot in your 2003 S-Type (with the 5-speed ZF transmission I presume). I know that many S-Type owners on this forum will be extremely interested in how this product works for you over the coming months (and years). I assume that your car is no longer under any type of extended warranty so you are fully free to run whatever fluids you want....

And are you saying that you could have purchased the Shell ATF mineral oil product at your local Jaguar dealer for just $30 per litre? If so, that's by far the best price for the Jaguar-recommended mineral oil that I've ever heard of....

 

it is the 6-speed ZF trans (ZF 6HP26), used in the 2003-up s-type models. Mine is the 4.2l model VIN M90009

I could've sworn the shop stated $30.00 per quart needing 10, but this is off of memory. The total estimate was $865 plus tax for the trans pan/filter (I specifically remember the trans pan/filter quoted at $254.00), fluid change, and labor.

but regardles, I didn't buy the fluid from the dealer. My car is at 80k, and out of any type of warranty. I've rebuilt quite a number of transmissions in the past, AOD, AOD-E, C4, TH350, and Powerglides in my racecar. So the thought of having to freshen up this transmission at 80k, wasn't that scary to me (although the converter isn't cheap). So with my history working on transmissions, and my cheapness , I gambled and put the fluid in my car.

I also pulled the battery for retraining when I changed the fluid. The typical 2003 s-type lurch that I've had since I've owned the car has gotten noticeably better.

Thanks!
Justin

 

Jon, the 6 speed was part of the 2003 facelift.

 

Thanks for letting me know. I thought that I read somewhere that the 6-speed ZF transmission did not make its debut in the S-Type until the 2004 model year....