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Gearbox Servicing

The trend in the automotive industry (and this is not just Jaguar,
but every manufacturer) has been to increase service intervals to
reduce the cost of ownership. The issue with this is those intervals
have been proven to be detrimental to the long-term reliability
and service life of the vehicles in question. This is the case with
Jaguar's 6HP and 8HP automatic transmissions.

If you weren't aware, Jaguar does not manufacture their transmissions.
Instead, ZF are the major suppliers for automatic transmissions for Jaguar/Land Rover vehicles.
As a transmission manufacturer ZF have their own specific service instructions on how their transmissions should be maintained, and we should, and do, trust the information supplied by the companies who've engineered and developed these transmissions over the vehicle manufacturer.

ZF 6HP & 8HP Automatic Transmissions

Here at E and E Services, we have worked on ZF gearboxes for many years, who are the supplier of 6HP and 8HP transmissions to Jaguar/Land Rover. JLR rates these transmissions for a "lifetime fill," however, when speaking with the engineers at ZF who manufacture these transmissions, we've learned that the transmissions are tested to 100,000 miles with an "acceptable rate of failure" on the original fill.

Is 100,000 miles what JLR’s definition of what a "lifetime fill" is?

Or is it that most vehicles are passed the extended warranty and "good-will" repair limit meaning a failure, after that is no longer JLR's responsibility? Who knows.
 
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In the case of the 6HP/8HP, ZF actually has a published service interval for those transmissions which completely contradicts JLR's service information with an interval of “8 years/150,000 km (93,000 miles) Under operating conditions with high temperatures and loads, or with unknown vehicle use in the past, it may make sense to replace the gear oil at shorter intervals”. 

This information supersedes JLR's "lifetime fill" rating.

 
ZF Aftermarket lubricants are an important component of all ZF transmissions. We recommend changing oils at regular intervals to ensure optimal performance and long service life for your ZF unit.
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The benefits of having your transmission serviced include:
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  • Extends transmission service life
  • Maintains maximum shifting comfort
  • Reduces wear on components subject to high levels of stress
  • Helps prevent transmission failure and general malfunctions
  • Better fuel economy
It is vitally important that you use the correct lubricant for your ZF transmission and don’t be tempted by a cheaper alternative.

Thanks to the ZF aftermarket list of lubricants we will always use the right oil for your vehicle.
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