I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to hear that I got a good price for the rebuild. I went into it thinking it could cost me $4,000 or more, which is probably what it would've cost if I left it at the dealership. Thanks for the kind words.

I am really happy to have this car back!

I hate to jinx myself, but I haven't had the AC turn off from Auto since I got it back! I still have the airbag light, though. Will have to get serious about getting the driver's seat out, but for now I'm just going to enjoy having the car back!

 

I see there are many page views to this thread. I would love to know how this saga comes out.

But closer to home, does any reader know of a ZF-savvy tranny shop in the vicinity of Westchester NY, just north of the city? Say in Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, White Plains, and points north?

I dont have the problem but I am bracing myself for what on this forum seems inevitable!

 

The short summary is this: Transmission died, Jaguar dealership wanted $2,500 for the rebuild but said that it would probably cost more once they get it torn apart. I took it to a local mechanic who took it out and had a transmission rebuild shop rebuild it locally, and then the mechanic put it back in -- $1,716.31 total cost to me and the transmission is as smooth as silk!

 

Thanks, OldMike. And how many miles did you have on that tranny and how hard an accelerator are you? Do you routinely accelerate to 2500 RPMs from a stop, say two times as you ramp up, or are you typically a bit lighter on the pedal? I ask because a ZF distributor thinks this may be one of the behavioral problems that contributes to the valve body and pressure regulator malfunction. Scares the heck out of me every time I set out for a long trip away from home

 

I drive conservatively most of the time, no hard accelerations from standing still. However, I drive a lot on the highway and have to kick it down to pass on occasion. In fact, the time that I began to get nervous about the transmission was when I was driving through Nashville on I-24 and had to pass someone in heavy but fast traffic, it clunked and hit the lower gear real hard and made me go "Oh oh, that's about the end of this transmission!" I babied it for a few more months, ignoring the telltale signs of transmission failure (slight slippage when shifting into D from R and even a bit of slippage when starting slowly from a dead stop). Finally, at about 98,000 miles, it decided to fail -- when I slowly accelerated from a dead stop, it would only creep slowly forward and the engine would rev up as if in neutral. I drove slowly about a mile to the Jaguar dealership and the rest is history!

Now, it drives smoothly, in fact so smoothly that I don't even notice it shifting from 1st to 2nd, etc. When I come to a complete stop, it does so without any hesitation or noticeable downshifting issues. It's almost like having what I would imagine CVT to be! LOL

So there you have it. I'm not a heavy pedal kind of guy, but I do drive my XJ8 aggressively on occasion. I don't race, nor do I use the accelerator like an on/off switch!

Mike

 

This is about as lame an explanation as I've ever heard. It sounds more like some gibberish that Jag would spew. You should invite your ZF distributor to participate here and at a few BMW forums where this could be debated.
Who is this cretin anyway?

 

One of the best posts I've ever read!

 

Ross, my understanding is that what ZF is stating is actually correct, at least on the early cars and not necessarily Mike's '03. There's even a TSB correcting the valve problem with an oversized unit. Apparently, this wear in the valve body allows for excess pressure, which somehow affects the inherently weak a-drum. Is this wrong?

Scott

 

Perhaps correct in that a 2500 RPM shift is perhaps too much for this flawed transmission, alleged to handle 560 Nm. vs. the mighty AJ's 393Nm.(at a much higher RPM)

I'm no trans expert but would need some serious convincing that valve body wear is even dependent on shift RPM. This makes zero sense to me and again sounds like hoo-ha. Perhaps these valve body bodies also have disintegrating check ***** as some of the BMW units do.

To deny the inherent design flaws of this box is tantamount to denying a fart while in an elevator with only two people present. I can't believe anyone could characterize a 2500 RPM shift scenario as a "behavioral problem" with a straight face.

 

I needed that this morning!

 

Scott, Thanks for the input. Can you direct me to this TSB you speak of involving a pressure regulator or valve body? Was this from Jaguar? I wonder if it applies to my '01, built 11/00.

Thanks.

Your experience is one of the best I've heard. Did your rebuild shop have ZF knowledge, or just solid overall experience? And do you think it matters?

 

Len:
I guess it's not technically a TSB, but here you go!
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...ch-failure-pdf

cheers,
Scott

 

I'm upset....was washing and waxing the XJ8 and noticed that the under-tray is missing! It was there, but not sure who removed it, Jaguar dealership or the guy who R&R'd the transmission! I sent an email to the R&R guy asking him to return it to me. We'll see what he says!

I also never got the broken A-Drum like I requested. I was elated to get the car back, just didn't do a good job of pre-return inspection.

BTW Can I see the green tag on the transmission with it installed? I don't trust anyone, and I want to verify that they put the same one back in.

 

Yes, you can see the green tag, I think you will need a small mirror or light to see the exact numbers. I succeeded with it on a ramp. Curious about the A drum too.

 

Thanks! I will have to wait a few days before I can get to it, but I'm definitely going to check it out, and I'm going to ask him tomorrow why I didn't get the used parts -- I have it in writing that he'd give them to me!

I'm really upset about the under-tray because I had to buy one (used) last year when I realized the car didn't have one on it when I bought it. At least the brake coolers are still there but the whole thing is much more secure with the under-tray. I'll be really upset if the coolers fall off, so I'm going to drive the other Jag until I get this resolved.

What kind of idiot returns a car without all the parts re-installed!!!!! Holy cow!

 

I've been pretty cool so far but now I'm quite pissed....look at this photo and tell me what's missing!



I emailed the R&R guy again and gave him 24 hrs to figure out what he's going to do about this and the missing under-tray. I really need to get this car to my mechanic and put it on the lift to see what, if anything else, is missing. While it's up there, I can take a look at the green tag on the transmission. This really deserves a great big WTF!!!!

 

......wow......

 

The coil pack cover can be replaced for about $20 for a used one on ebay, the under-tray is more like $100 with shipping. If I get a new coil pack cover, it's going to cost a lot more, but I would be okay with a good used one.

I just want to slap this guy -- I dread looking under the car....my question is this -- did he have to take the coil pack cover off to do the transmission work? Probably not, so that means someone stole it while it was in his possession. I checked the oil the day before this all happened, and would have noticed if it was missing!

 

Mike:

I can understand your frustration, but if you are happy with the overall condition of your tranny rebuild, especially considering the great price you got on it, I may want and try to talk you off of the ledge just a little. Assume the best of the shop until you know more. Perhaps somebody just forgot and the parts are sitting there. And if not, if you talk to them nicely, perhaps they'll offer to replace them. If you go in with guns blazing (and I can absolutely understand why you might want to!), they probably won't. I lost an under tray (on the highway, nonetheless!) because a technician didn't fasten it properly. Scared the cr*p out of me and the car behind me. I just replaced it myself, figuring that that's sometimes the cost of doing business. I'm just glad I've got good people willing to work on my quirky car and will do the things I can't.

Just my two cents! So glad your car is running as well as it is after all that. Cheers,
Scott

 

Thanks for that, I needed to hear that.