Since there's no response I'll tell you that he Pm'ed me a while ago with the shop he used in Springfield VA

JaguarŽ ONLY Repair Service | Top Line Jag Repair 571-336-7701

 

Is this the right stuff?

 

Hi Gordon,

That looks like the right stuff! Ford Motorcraft Mercon SP.

Cheers,

Don

 

I used Mercon SP from Advanced Auto at $7.50 per bottle.

No problems - shifts just fine as it did before - mileage 88k. My shop did the work for $100.00 I supplied pan/filter and fluid.

As he works on mostly VW, BMW and Audi he knew ZF transmissions and the fill procedure.

 

Message below is basically an addendum to what Don B. and well versed others who have provided information previously. Having now run the XJ-8 12K mile or so since my transmission serviceI am quite pleased with the performance of the transmission. Still shifting great, no leaks from the German after-market pan. (knock on wood) So...

In December of 2014 at 78,554 miles (currently mileage is 90,887) I had the ZF6HP26 professionally serviced that on my 2004 XJ-8. They used a machine to remove the old ATF then dropped the transmission pan/filter assembly.

They then replaced the old pan/filter with a new pan/filter/mechatronic valve kit I had found on eBay from a reputable dealer. When the kit arrived the box was stenciled “made in Germany” and the pan was marked “made in Germany”… so I am confident no ‘iffy’ supplier provided the kit.

As mentioned in other posts, the ZF6HP6 is used on several BMWs, Aston Martins, Mercedes Benzs, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Maseratis, etc. from the early 2000s to the mid 2000s.

I had my ATF changed due to the 6HP6 shifting a bit harshly and searching for the right gear when driving on twisty-turny back roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I took my XJ-8 to an independent dealer nearby that specializes in European cars. They also restore and sell some pretty unique automobiles.
My tech used Pentosin ATF1. It is certified to meet Shell’s standard M1375.4 and Jaguar’s own ZF T E-ML 11B certification. The tech pumped the Pentosin back into the transmission using the same machine that was used to pump/drain the transmission.

The ATF change took (10) US quarts total.

My costs in 2014:

Pan/filter/mechatronic valve: ~$70 USD and free shipping
(10) Quarts ATF1 Pentosin: $160 USD
Labor @$99/hour: $109 USD
Sales tax: $ 9 USD

Total: $348 USD.

Some Links for Reference:

http://www.pentosin.net/specsheets/pentosin_atf1.pdf



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_6HP_transmission#6HP26


I seriously doubt my independent repair shop would sully their very good reputation using inferior materials. These are great people to work with and they know their stuff.

Hammersley LLC

Costs, I suppose, depends on geographics and ultimately the trust one has for one’s mechanic/technician. If anyone on the forum lives near/around Hammersley Motors I suggest you give them a look see.


I live in central Virginia west of Richmond. Cost of living around here is much, much more reasonable than our 32 years in the DC area. I’d shop around some more for a very good tech who will accept your own new parts should you decide to go that route. Just my 2₵.


Cheers to all,


Randy A.

 

Oh dear, we've been through this many many times before. From the published data sheets Pentosin ATF1 has a significantly higher viscosity than M.1375.4 and Mercon SP, by several 10s of percent.

Attached is the latest version of my viscosities file. Note ATF1-LV is different to ATF1.

 

Hi Randy,

It's important to remember that it is Pentosin, not Shell, who "certified" that ATF1 meets the M1375.4 standard. One thing we have learned from countless hours of research by many of our knowledgeable members like Partick, both in this forum and the one for the S-Type, is that many fluid makers claim their fluid meets M1375.4 yet the published properties of their fluid differs significantly from the published properties of ZF Lifeguard 6 and Motorcraft Mercon SP, which are the only two fluids we know to be approved by either ZF or Ford for use in 6HP26 transmissions.

You mention "Jaguar’s own ZF T E-ML 11B certification," but this is not a Jaguar certification. TE-ML 11 is a list of ZF fluid specifications for transmissions used in passenger cars. When the number TE-ML 11 appears on the type plate on the side of a transmission, the technician knows to consult this document for the correct fluid specification from ZF. The document includes two classes of "TE-ML 11" fluids, 11A and 11B, but these are approved only for older ZF transmissions: 11A for certain 3- and 4-speed boxes, and 11B for transmissions up to the 5-speed 5HP18 boxes with the black type plates. Beginning with the 5HP18 boxes with green type plates, ZF no longer specified 11B fluids, instead specifying Lifeguard 5. You can download the latest edition of TE-ML 11 from ZF at this link:

ZF TE-ML 11 List of Lubricants

Like many other fluid makers, Pentosin states that ATF1 meets numerous automakers' and transmission manufacturers' specifications, including Shell M1375.4 and ZF TE-ML 11B. Yet, according to ZF, no fluid is suitable for use in both a 6HP26 and any earlier 5-, 4- or 3-speed gearbox. ZF does not even advise using its own Lifeguard 6 or Lifeguard 8 in any of its 5-speed or earlier transmissions. Instead, it still specifies Lifeguard 5 for green plate 5-speed boxes, and class 11B fluids for black plate boxes. For the 4-speed 4HP24 in my old '93 XJ40, ZF still recommends Dexron III.

The highest authority on this subject is ZF, the company that manufactured the 6HP26. ZF supplies state-of-the art transmissions to the top automakers in the world, including Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. ZF does not believe that the same fluid can perform optimally in a transmission for which a class 11B fluid is specified and a transmission for which Lifeguard 6 is specified. In fact, ZF apparently does not believe in the backward-compatibility of most fluids.

If the company that makes the transmissions does not agree that one fluid can provide optimal performance across multiple gearbox models, the only way Pentosin, Valvoline, Mobil 1 and others can make that claim is if their fluid chemistry involves compromises that make them "good enough" to meet the specification. But that doesn't make their fluids optimal.

Why would your shop use Pentosin ATF1? There could be many reasons. For example, in shops that service European vehicles, Pentosin is a commonly-used and trusted brand. So it is possible they had ATF1 in stock, the bottle said it met the M1375.4 standard, so they used it. It is unlikely that they conducted the same extensive research that has been conducted by members of this forum.

Why has your transmission performed to your satisfaction on Pentosin ATF1? According to the representative from ZF who responded to my inquiries, it is possible for a 6HP26 to operate on fluids other than Lifeguard 6, though ZF has not tested or approved any other fluids, including Mercon SP. However, it is also possible that if a fluid has slightly different slippage characteristics, friction modifiers, viscosity, etc., that internal operation of the gearbox may not be optimal, and could, over time, lead to damage. Because the transmissions in our Jaguars are so well isolated by rubber mounts, it is quite possible your transmission may be slipping or shifting a little more abruptly than it should, or the internal pressures and temperatures may be too high, but you might not be able to tell.

Ford specifies Motorcraft Mercon SP for use in the 6HP26 in its vehicles, and our member Box found a Material Safety Data Sheet for Motorcraft Mercon SP that shows it is manufactured by Shell and its properties are identical or virtually identical to the published properties of Lifeguard 6. Given these facts, ZF Lifeguard 6 and Motorcraft Mercon SP are the only fluids I am personally willing to recommend.

Cheers,

Don

 

Many thx to THE CAT and Don B. I am in discussions with my indie who sent me the same darn erroneous Pentosin spec sheet that they were going by and i had seen earlier. Honest mistake on their part. Have sent detailed data to my service manager to refute their assumptions. All of this will work out. It's the feedback and detailed input that jaguarforums.com that keeps me inbounds and in the know.