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Jaguar S-Type Transmission Problems

124

Comments

  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    You need a capable mechanic.
  • tee21tee21 Member Posts: 1
    I have the s-type automatic and it will not go into park or move out of reverse, however the the lever will move and it's connected to the cable. I can shift it with a screw driver into every position except park. Any ideas as to what may be causing this problem? thanks for any help and advice.
  • josebjoseb Member Posts: 1
    i just bought a 2003 s-type-r from the original owner for $6500. the car is clean and was well maintain at the dealer. the reson he sold it was because the car is stuck in park. i used a scewdriver to release the shifter and was able to drive the car home under 50mph. it will not shift and is stuck in 1st or 2nd. the car has 95k on it and the owner seemed to be very honest and told me this is the only major issue he has had with the car. he said this just happened out of nowhere and would rather sell it and move on. did i just make a $6500 mistake, or was this a good buy? he did tell me it could be a easy fix, or worse case a new trans, other than that the car needs nothing and is mint w/nav. package too. i would like to know what i am looking at here so i don't get ripped off by some shop, i live in chicago and any advice would help. should i keep it or resell it? thanks.
  • mbalasumbalasu Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2010
    My Jag has 115K miles.

    Why would a transmission quit uphill? I had only one instance in the past when I thought it slipped. Other than that I think this failure was sudden. I turned the car around using gravity, and rolling downhill I was able to engage trans in 2nd gear. I took the car to the mechanic (authorized he says to work on Jags), and I had the trans fluid level checked and there was no problem with the fluid.

    Before it quit, here are some things that I noticed, that might mean something for the diagnostic: I once adjusted / tightened the cable on the J-shifter in the cabin (1.5 years ago). Since I bought it (used) in 2007, I always had to wait a few seconds before the transmission would go into the first gear. After, that it was a breeze. Same thing going in reverse - had to wait until it engaged in gear, before accelerating.

    I read another posting's answer from SoberGuy, and it looks like there is a solenoid for the shifter. Could it be the solenoid? What are the symptoms when the solenoid quits? Can this be changed without rebuilding the whole transmission? Can it be changed by my mechanic by accessing the it from underneath after removing the pan?

    The mechanic that is looking at my car did not have the right code reader computer program (it was not reading 4.0 codes). He claims that he updated the software today and he called me to tell me that there are no codes from the transmission (I had the check engine light on when I took it in). He concluded that with no codes it is evident that the trans is bad and I need another one...

    When I took the car in, the first thought was the fluid level. He checked it and it was OK. Another thought was that the filter might be clogged. He took the pan down, but could not get a filter that day (Saturday). The pan magnet had some metal shavings but very little. I would say normal wear (like a thin paste on the magnet). Is it worth changing the filter and refilling the oil? Could a clogged filter cause this?

    Any comment or advice is appreciated. Hopefully SoberGuyJaguar is still around. I would like to hear his opinion on this issue.

    I searched eBay for used trans. I am thinking to fix it and sell it. I found trannys from $450 used to $1700 and up rebuilt. Any advice there?

    Thank you everyone, and have a great day!
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Bear mbalasu, This doesn't sound good. First of all, if your transmission slipped while driving up hill, then worn clutches are the most likely culprit. However, slipping
    clutches will throw ratio codes in your trans. control module. Sounds like your technician doesn't have a scanner that will read anything but engine codes. Occasionally you can find a car that will flair between shifts due to low fluid or a bad shift solenoid. Unfortunately, a car that was pulling under full power untill you tried to climb a hill doesn't usually fall into this catagory. You MUST find a shop
    that can read your transmission codes and see which part of the system failed.
    Anything else is just guessing. Buying used transmissions that are 10 years old when your not sure what is wrong with yours is also a big gamble. When you call around to transmission shops, be specific. Can they read Jaguar tranny codes or not. I ASSURE you. If your transmission is acting up, then there are codes in the
    TCM which will point to the failing system. Good luck, Soberguy.
  • jess97jess97 Member Posts: 1
    took my jaguar to a good mechanic and fixed all engine leaks .car has new parts.
    when i step on the gas my temperature needle goes to high when i slow down or brake the needle goes back to normal temp. i do not know if car overheats ?
  • serega1serega1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi..
    I'm thinking to buy a 2003-2004 Jaguar s-type R
    I read a lot of messages. a lot of people saying that there are big problems with Transmission on 2000-2002 models, but what about 2003 or 2004?
    i just sold my 2001 BMW 740i and it had similar problems that Jaguar has. The car would not go into reverse gear.
    i tried to fix it but i couldn't, even bmw dealer ship said that they can not do anything except changing a transmission.
    so before buying S-type R 2003/2004 i would like to know if it has the same or similar problems.
    I was also thinking to buy XJR 1999-2002.Any sequestration about this car problems?
    Tank you.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    The 20003/04 s-type R has a different and much better transmission. It also has the automatic parking brake which should eliminate a lot of the reverse engagement problems that originate in parking the car on a hill and not engageing
    the parking brake before putting the car in park. This transmission has a lot of gear noise even when it's new, but it works great. This is a vastly better car than the 1999/2001 xj-r. Soberguy.
  • newjagowner1newjagowner1 Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2003 S Type R with 48,000 miles. The car looks great. The engine is a little loud, especially when slowing down. Does anybody recommend doing any kind of service since I just bought it?
  • skippskipp Member Posts: 1
    I have 2003 S type and the fault transmission came on does this mean I need a new transmission
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    ABSOLUTELY!!! You just bought a fantastic car. However, it is also 8 years old and is a very, very, high performance car. I always service my used car purchases completely when I buy them. First of all, people who are planning to sell their car will usually scrimp on maintenence since they are planning to sell the car and dealers who are selling the car as "just serviced" usually do the minimum. It scares me that you say the engine is a little "loud". See a Qualified mechanic immediately. That is a $12,000.00
    engine. For your sake, I hope it is just an exhaust leak. Don't mess around with this. Find out why it is loud immediately. Soberguy.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Not necessarily, are there any other lites on as well? Are there any symptoms? Most importantly, are there any transmission fluid leaks from
    the cooler lines that go from the transmission to the radiator. You can burn up a good transmission by driving it low on fluid.

    P.S: There is no dipstick on that transmission. Fluid level must be checked on a lift by someone who knows how to check it.
  • newjagowner1newjagowner1 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the info Soberguy. You're not in the Chicago area, are you? Would love a mechanic around here that I can trust. The car being loud is more from the tires. The tires seem to be in good shape. Maybe because they're lower profile? I did take the car into a mechanic and he said that all I needed was an oil change, which I was happy about but then again, maybe he didn't really know much about these cars. Anyway, thanks again for the response. Really appreciate it.
  • gcm2002gcm2002 Member Posts: 2
    Anyone have this issue or know exactly what it means? I have a 2002 Jaguar S-Type 3.0 V-6 with the sport mode button and I was driving yesterday and my car odometer now shows a "transmission fault warning" where the mileage is normally displayed? The car seems to drive fine under normal/lite acceleration and shifts through all gears without issue, but when you jump on the pedal you can feel it "bump" into 2nd gear as well as "bump" going into overdrive?

    Does anyone know if this could be a torque converter or speed sensor problem? I have an OBD II code reader/scanner, but it doesn't show there are any codes stored in the system? Its been a wonderful car since I bought (used-repo) 3 years ago with 79,000+/- miles. Now showing 99,214 in miles (not my daily commuter)... Hoping its not going to be something too expensive as my wife would like to see it go and replaced with something else like an ugly Mercedes or BMW, but I love the look and feel of this car over anything they sell new or used! No other issues with this car until now and all routine items have been taken care of on time. The 100K service was also completed last month (early).

    Any help anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated and if you know if a reliable and honest mechanic in the Riverside, California area (92562 zipcode) let me know as many of the Dealers close to me have gone away. Thanks again!
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Could be low on fluid due to a leak after 100,k service. Could be wrong fluid
    from 100,k service. Could be something wrong. You must get your car properly diagnosed. Does turning the car off and then restarting it cause the trans fault light to go away?
  • fifthavebandfifthaveband Member Posts: 1
    Have an 01 S Type which I really like w/112000 miles. At 12K had a new transmission and again at 50K - both times under warranty. Had a rebuilt transmission put in last June and back for several adjustments. Last time, repair shop said the transmission cables might need to be replaced since the transmission does not always engage when put in "drive". Mechanic said that could be the cause of the transmission problems. I am a gentle driver.

    Thanks.
  • blonddie66blonddie66 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2001 S Type with ~150K miles. I have to put the trans in low gear before putting it in drive or reverse. I was told that the trans cable is stretched and needs to be replaced. I've been driving it like that for over a year.
  • mrhappy727mrhappy727 Member Posts: 2
    This problem usualy originates with the TIRE or the WHEEL BEARING. Probably the rear wheel bearing needs to be replaced. Note turning the car left or right would "accentuate" this noise. If not that is a ford rear end and the noise is quite common. ie. you have a high performance machine and rear wheel drive "ford" rear punkins are used in chevys in NASCAR. Jag is owned by ford motor company.
  • gcm2002gcm2002 Member Posts: 2
    Hi soberguy, sorry for not getting back to you sooner! Turning the car off and on does NOT make the warning light go away. It does however turn on instantly at times when the car is started and other times take a minute or two to turn on after the car is started. I haven't really driven it much since my initial posting but fired her up and drive her today. Same thing as before... light foot on the gas and she shifts fine... jump on the gas and I have the bumping from 1st to 2nd and 4th to 5th? I was referred to a place in Escondido, Ca the other day called Rapid Transmissions by a very busy and trusted repair shop that doesn't do tranny work. They stated the diagnostic is FREE, :) so I will post more to you once they've given me there insight. Thanks again for getting back to and I will update you with more on this soon!
  • rbriggs500rbriggs500 Member Posts: 2
    There is a very good independent repair shop in Rancho Cucamonga that specializes in Jaguars and Fords. Robert is the owner and Kenny is the best Jaguar tech and is factory trained. The shop is called Dealer Alternative Solutions, 8747 Vineyard Ave., Unit 180, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730, Phone (909) 945-1114. They have always been very helpful to me.
  • kimg0530kimg0530 Member Posts: 1
    hello everyone i have a 2001 jaguar s-type with 130 k ... i am having problems with the gears. My car does not read drive unless i put it on 2nd gear, then ill put it on drive. It reads all other gears except for drive. I have been driving it for about a month now. can someone tell me what this could be and an estimate of the cost. I recently had a 2000 jaguar s-type with similar problems but on this car it would it not read reverse, took it to the mechanic said it was the adjuster cable cost me about $200 to fix. could this be the same issue or something more seriouse. Please can someone reply to my post i really want to know whats wrong with my car. Im a little scared because i saw another post where the repair for him was about 4,000!!!! to fix!

    can reply to this post or kimg0530@yahoo.com
  • kittywillroarkittywillroar Member Posts: 1
    Hello all. I've had my 03 S type 3.0 for almost 2 years. It was bought used and has pretty much been faithful except a year ago the battery lightcame on on my birthday. Stopped at parts store and light went off after rocking. They said it had 3/4 life left on it. Recently I discovered my radiator burst and in changing radiator some transmission fluid leaked out. My husband accidentally poured transmission fluid into engine , but changed engine oil and filter within a few hours( but we had already driven about 20 miles before he remembered).a gear shift warning came on and car now seemed to struggle to shift smoothly. Had trans fluid and filter changed and refilled and light went away( as it seems to do) but it shifts from 1-2 in quick succession; kind of like driving a big rig would then sounds like it's being suffocated to breathe until it gets up into 4th perhaps then it runs smoothe. Light went off but I know that's not how my car runs. Last night light came back on. I don't have the money to do a new trani, so if that's where this is heading, I'm going to wish mom's machine well( was so happy to move from moms mobile aka the Volvo Waggon) btw , I never changed battery. I have a new baby so I really can't have any car issues to deal with during these brutal new York winters. Help please.....
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    not much to go on here without having the car's computer scanned for trouble codes. That's what the lights are for, to alert you that diagnostic trouble codes are stored. Usually Autozone or OReilly will do this for you for free.

    If you get the codes, report back to us and maybe we can give you some ideas of what's up.
  • blackcat6blackcat6 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Jaguar S-Type with 60,000 miles. After the car was at the dealer ALL WEEK for tests, I was told I needed a new transmission. They performed every test, electrical, sensors, etc etc and could not determine the problem for four days !!!!

    I had a light come on saying "Gear Box Fault" twice while backing out of my garage. I went to the dealer and was told I needed to keep my foot on the brake pedal when shifting into drive !!!!REALLY??????????????????????????????? I informed them, that was what I always did, however I would be EXTRA cautious about doing it now.

    When I shut off the car and restarted it, the light/message went off and it drove fine. The THIRD time this happened, a few weeks later, the car would NOT move when I put it in drive.

    This car has had every service, many extra oil changes, and was not driven by a maniac !!!

    I was told the problems of the earlier models (I had a 2000 model) transmissions, window regulators, etc etc had all been corrected !!!!!

    I am NOT sure if the problem is the transmission. They do not repair them, they replace them without ever opening up the old one. Does anyone have any ideas about this ???? This is a very costly repair, coming at a bad time and I am not confident they have identified the problem.

    Thanks for any help.
  • corndogjimcorndogjim Member Posts: 2
    O1 S Type, without any warning one evening tried to leave in car no matter what gear I put it in it wouldn't go into gear. This is auto trans, while messing around with shifter found that if I put it in second gear on manual side it would go into gear. This worked for about 2weeks then one day after driving car and letting sit for couple of hours it stopped going into any gear again. Had to tow it, put the car on lift at my house and checked linkage, cable is fine. Did not kick on idiot light and found no faults of any kind. Also while running car on lift for half hour oil pan for engine was warm but trans pan remained cold as well as lines that run to cooler. Any ideas? Would trans from Ford fit in car? I know it is Ford trannny, have not found the same complaints from ford owners that have this trans.
  • tjg328tjg328 Member Posts: 5
    I own a 2006 S type 3.0. When I bought it had 42,000 miles or so. I noticed the car would not shift up well an same with down shift. Took it in to dealer an they found out it needed a sw upgrade. This did fix the problem an it was still underwarty.
  • corndogjimcorndogjim Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for info but we have different transmissions. Yours is better, but im going to have mine rebuilt by Ford Tech.He told me he knew exactly what was wrong
  • julianemjulianem Member Posts: 2
    Hi on my 1999 V8 I finally got the gearbox fault light at 102K miles. After an inspection by Jaguar they recommended a new gearbox having found bits of metal in the sump pan. So out with the French 5R55N and in with a German ZF. I assume this is the 6 speed? Anyway it drives like a dream. I would welcome any comments. JM
  • isolde28465isolde28465 Member Posts: 7
    Man, I still miss my S-type. I traded it in after I had to replace the transmission at 60K miles and my extended warranty expired. That was 2 1/2 years ago, and I still miss her. Bought a pre-owned Lexus. A good, reliable car but no comparison to the jazz and pizazz of my Jaguar. Sigh.
  • ashjagashjag Member Posts: 3
    I just recently purchased a 2003 Jaguar S-Type and wanted keep someone handy in case I have problems. Please email me at AshleyandTaylorJackson06@yahoo.com
    Ty!!!
  • ashjagashjag Member Posts: 3
    I just recently purchased a 2003 Jaguar S-Type and wanted keep someone handy in case I have problems. Please email me at AshleyandTaylorJackson06@yahoo.com
    Ty!!!
  • julianemjulianem Member Posts: 2
    Good luck. Check regularly all bushes, wishbones, and anti roll bar and drop links. Also shocks. What engine is it? Hopefully as it is 2003 you will have the ZF box, better than the original French 5N55R. Watch out for minor electrical faults, door locks windows and of course the heater. Keep them all repaired and you will be fine. JM
  • ashjagashjag Member Posts: 3
    My Jag shifts from drive or reverse into neutral. They said it could be a computer problem, but from where?
  • 03styper03styper Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I own a 2003 S-Type-R. I have changed the injectors at 129000 miles and now it runs better than ever. I bought some used ones that were cleaned and flowed to within 3% of each other. What a difference it made, it is a pain to change them on the R model. The engineers that designed that system were nuts!! I do have a question, what type of transmission fluid does Jag recommend for the 6 speed auto?
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Needs a special and very expensive fluid. Does not use Ford fluid. Needs fluid for a zf 6hp24 or 28.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Some Jaguar owners with your car and your ZF tranmission report no problems using THIS FLUID:

    PENTOSIN ATF1-1L



    You may want to further research this online as a lower cost alternative to the Shell ATF M1375.4 recommended by jaguar, which is very pricey indeed.
  • atazzatazz Member Posts: 1
    Hello, Thanks for the hard shifting infromation. What is "SW UPGRADE"
    and what did it cost? Is that software or parts?
    tanks tazz
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    A "software upgrade" is what is commonly known in the business as a reflash.
    When defects in a cars programming are discovered, the engineers rush
    to come up with a new program that will eliminate the problem. Sometimes the new reflash has its own problems. My '97 xk8 had about 6 new reflashes
    announced (transmission only) between '96 and '05 when I sold it. 1 hour labor time is the normal charge and there are few shops other than the dealer who can do it. With the "Data Aquisition Charge" It would cost about $135.00
    at my shop. Most Dealers would be cheaper if they are honest because they don't have to pay to aquire the new program from Jag.
  • albert34albert34 Member Posts: 1
    Im going to buy a vintage jag 2002 and i am going to check it with the country dealer tomorow .....thanks .
  • charle77charle77 Member Posts: 1
    Car has 135K. First 2 transmissions were replaced under warranty. Replaced one at cost in 2010 and it failed two weeks ago. Repair shop put in one with 75K on it as a favor. Now, cylinder 7 is misfiring and would be an expensive fix. Will try to sell or trade car and never get another. With the 4th transmission in the car, I just wonder if anyone ever successfully brought a class action suit about the problem against Jaguar. I have heard similar transmission horror stories.
  • jaymzsjaymzs Member Posts: 16
    In answer to your message, I also had a tech tell me on my 2001 S V8 that I had a weak or misfire on a cylinder and they wanted to pull the heads. Case in Point I ask them to switch the ox senser from left to right, there are 4 of them on the v8. bingo, the other bank misfired. Replace one ox senser for 200.00 at 55,000.00 the car now has 100+ on it, good motor!!!

    Last on your Trans, mine had torque coverter squeal which eventually chewed up the tranny.
    I had the trans flashed many times, but only would last for a few months and I would get program drifts. Trust me, if you want a bullet proof transmission to go back just have program drift. The ZF trans in this car is used in many high end cars.
  • jaymzsjaymzs Member Posts: 16
    #223 of 223 Trans Prob and Cylinder missing by jaymzs

    Oct 09, 2012 (9:04 am)
    In answer to your message, I also had a tech tell me on my 2001 S V8 that I had a weak or misfire on a cylinder and they wanted to pull the heads. Case in Point I ask them to switch the ox senser from left to right, there are 4 of them on the v8. bingo, the other bank misfired. Replace one ox senser for 200.00 at 55,000.00 the car now has 100+ on it, good motor!!!

    Last on your Trans, mine had torque coverter squeal which eventually chewed up the tranny.
    I had the trans flashed many times, but only would last for a few months and I would get program drifts. Trust me, if you want a bullet proof transmission to go back just have program drift. The ZF trans in this car is used in many high end cars.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    that is what I use also. slightly cheaper than genuine Jag and they ship it straight
    To you home or shop if you order thru "World PAC.com. just download their "speed dial" program, and you just got access to the cheapest Jag parts and even Technician advice. (for a fee) Soberguy.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    what are your codes? what is the transmission fluid level? Does your speedometer ever stop working. do you have ABS lites or traction control lites?
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    I hear people constantly saying that this is the same car as a Lincoln LS. it is not. They are both built on the same platform, but almost nothing interchanges. the Ford spark plugs will screw into the holes, but have different harmonics and heat ranges. the coils won't even interchange and the transmissions are completely different. The Ford unit is more dependable but doesn't shift at the higher performance speeds of your ZF. If you try to install a Lincoln transmission in your Jag, you will need the wiring harness,PCM, andTCM out of the Ford to make it work. Let's go back to the basics. What are your codes. are there any other lites on: abs,tcm, brake or parking brake?
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Take your car back to good mechanic and find out if it is overheating or you have a bad sensor or short in sensor wires etc. There is a coolant feed line on top of the v-8 models that can cause static cooling due to vapor lock. Checking the cooling system is much cheaper than replacing the head gaskets and then checking the cooling system. Rule #1. Never mess with an overheating Jaguar. Always tow or take them in immediately if they seem to be hot. The engines and heads are just too expensive.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Ford doesn't make an independent rear axle anymore and they sold out to TaTa Motor company in 2010.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Your Ford tech very well might know what is going on, but, he didn't learn it from Ford. Those cars use completely different transmissions and I would love to see the look on his face when he tries to order parts for your ZF6hp!
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    MY LABOR CHARGE FOR BEING HANDY IS 96dollars per labor hour.
  • soberguyjaguarsoberguyjaguar Member Posts: 43
    Do whatever you want with your car. However, a cylinder 7 misfire has nothing to do with your transmission except to throw it into limp mode. The cylinder either has a bad spark plug,injector or coil. All are easy fixes. Did this car have the plugs and coils replaced at 100,000 mi as needed?
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