Drain it out, refill with 5ltrs (no more) of new ATF, drive on.

 

No filter change? Feels a bit weird about it being overfilled atm

 

Hi Koley,

An overfull transmission can misbehave, and it is not healthy for the gearbox, so you really should reduce the level if it is indeed overfull.

But first, follow this procedure to be sure you are getting an accurate measurement on the dipstick. With the transmission at full operating temperature after a good drive (at least 15 minutes of mid-speed driving), park on a level surface. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the gear selector lever through each gear position, pausing for at least 3 seconds in each position (P, R N D 3, 2). This ensures the passages in the valve body and elsewhere are filled with fluid. Now leave the engine running, put the transmission in Park and set the hand brake. Check the level on the dipstick. It should be exactly at the HOT line, no higher or lower. Sometimes it can take several tries, wiping the dipstick clean between tries, to get an accurate reading on the dipstick, so don't quit until you have a clean, well-defined line of fluid on the dipstick.

P.S. In the U.S., the best fluids I know of for use in the ZF 4HP24 transmission are Redline Oil D4 ATF and Mobil 1 ATF, and a less expensive commonly-available option is Valvoline Dex/Merc, the non-synthetic version in the blue bottle, not the synthetic version in the red bottle. These fluids all have high viscosity indices similar to that of the original Dexron III, which is no longer available. I don't know what options you have in Sweden, but you're looking for a quality Dexron III equivalent with a kinematic viscosity at 40 degrees Centigrade of approximately 38 mm2/sec. You'll find that many fluids claiming to be Dexron III equivalents have viscosities close to half of that, and the 4HP24 torque converter will not operate properly on those lower-viscosity fluids.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thank you so much Don for the detailed reply!

When i checked the fluid i had just driven on a highway, so probably not that many gear changes. And i just moved the shifter quickly through the gears. I will do another test...

Ever since i got the car (2months ago) it has been rough shifting down from 3 to 2 and 2 to 1. Recently there has been a slight delay when shifting, so it revs a little bit more when you put your foot down. Is this "transmission slip"?
And lastly it has a tiny bit of a whining sound but its very slight and not at all like a straight cut gearbox.
Maybe these things can help you know if the overfill problem is massive and requiring an urgent fix.

Ive already bought 8l of some kind of ATF from the local car parts store.
Here is a link: https://www.biltema.se/bil---mc/bilr...ABEgJBGvD_BwE#
If that link does not work, heres a picture: https://productimages.biltema.com/v1...e/2000036325/1
It does not say anything about viscosity only that it meets the specs for Allison C-4, Caterpillar TO-2, Ford Mercon®, GM Dexron® II and GM Dexron® III.

Thank you again I appreciate the help very much!
//Koley

 

There is a transmission output speed sensor on the ZF4HP24

This intelligence signal " to " the Transmission ECU is used when it talks to the Engine ECU as they regulate each other as they go through there speed and load ranges

Reference page 54 pin A and F of the powertrain doc below . The figure title is mislabled in the document

This on the transmission connector can get dirty and cause problems but mostly in the park to 1st gear ranges from reading

This is a cheap electronics control approach vs. a underpressure pressure regulator and the time lag to get the different A , B , C drums to engage once the shift solenoids ( you have more than 1 shift point acting up ) are commanded by the Transmission ECU

 

Yes it’s meant for older transmissions that use Dex II/III and will work just fine.

You can even use newer synthetic Dex VI equivalents like Maxlife in this trans. Dex VI is thinner to start but shears much less than older ATFs.

 

Yes, that may very well be that your transmission is slipping.

Gear whine can be associated with low or incorrect fluid.

I tried searching for a Material Data Safety Sheet for that fluid but it appears the fluid is manufactured by an undisclosed company and packaged/branded for Biltema stores. Without being able to confirm its chemical properties, it is impossible to know whether it is suitable or not.

Before I knew any better, I used Maxlife Dexron VI in our '93 XJ40 with the same ZF 4HP24 transmission as in your car. When I changed the fluid a couple of years later to Redline Oil D4 ATF at the recommendation fellow members of the Jag-Lovers forum, I was stunned at the improvement in performance. The gearbox felt more "hooked up" and gave better acceleration, there was a much more noticeable difference when the Sport Mode switch was engaged, and engine braking when descending hills was vastly improved. I realized that the torque converter had been slipping for two years with the Valvoline Dexron VI, and I had just thought it was "smooth!" This was what alerted me to the fact that we cannot trust the claims of third-party fluid makers and marketers without doing our own research.

The viscosity of Dexron VI at 40 deg. C. is 29.5 mm2/s, which is 22% lower than that of proper Dexron III (37-38 mm2/s), and its viscosity index of 155 is also about 22% lower that that of Dex III (198). Based on my own personal experience and research, I cannot recommend Dexron VI in your gearbox.

Cheers,

Don

 

The 04 XK8 has a totally different trans and filling procedure.

Most of the shelf multi vehicle ATFs like Maxlife and Castrol Transmax will do. Ford Mercon SP or ZF LifeguardFluid6 are the closest you’ll get to factory fill.

 

Nope , they are very different fluids

That being said the same concept and procedure works on the steering fluid as the old fluid absorbs moisture

This moisture in the form of water re vaporizes as vaper bubbles on the low suction side of the pump . this is termed cavitation and the source of the noise .

By removing the fluid from the reservoir by a 10 dollar siphon kit from the local parts store or by draining from the reseviar bottom hose and replacing it will eventually get rid of the noise after several drain / refresh cycles

Works and is a cheap first try on steering system problems like leaking seals that get rejuvenated with fresh fluid

 

Alright! So i just checked the fluid again and its very hard to tell, but the dipstick is "wet" with fluid all the way up to the wiggly bit on the dipstick. Theres no mark on the stick like with engine oil. This time i went through all the positions on the shifter for 3 seconds and i drove in city traffic for about 20min.

Since im going to change the fluid anyway i wonder now what the complete procedures are for changing with an unknown amount of in the trans.

ive found the dipstick nut and its in the front, so should i hoist the car upp in the back for it to pour out??

//koley

 

I just changed my radiator and condenser on my XKR X100 1999 and lost a little transmission oil. The problem is not sure how much I lost and as there isn't a dipstick can't check it. What oil should I use if I drain the transmission and refill it? How much oil does the transmission take, this is a mercedes 5 speed box? Can I buy a dipstick anywhere?

 

Thanks for your message but my car is mercedes gearbox and from that message by Don doesn't help me to discover what oil is available here in europe or quantity.

 

Fuchs ATF4134

 

Hi Froggy,

Any of the fluids listed on Mercedes Benz Sheet 236.14 are approved for your W5A580 / 722.6 transmission. You can see them at this link:

Mercedes-Benz Automatic Transmission Fluids Sheet 236.14

Some of the more commonly-available fluids include:

Mercedes-Benz ATF MB 236.14 (available from MB dealers and elsewhere)
Fuchs Titan ATF 4134
Liqui Moly Top Tec ATF 1600
Mobil ATF 134
Motul ATF 236.14
Pentosin ATF 134
Ravenol ATF M 9-Serie
Shell ATF 134
Shell Spirax S6 ATF 134M
Valvoline ATF Pro 236.14

The transmission capacity is 9.5 to 10 liters, so if you are going to do three drains and refills, you'll typically need at least 12 liters, sometimes 13 or 14.

Cheers,

Don

 

Hello Don

Thankyou for that info this morning it helped us a lot, so appreciated, and having contacted jaguar Caen and Jaguar Rennes neither have replied to our phone calls this morning BUT Mercedes Granville are loaning us their dipstick for the transmission oil change.
Many thanks

Foster maughan

 

thanks for the tip, the dipstick tube is huge compared to most other cars. took all of about 5 minutes