We find out what’s involved in changing the differential and gearbox oils on a Mk1 XF 3.0D
THE SIX-SPEED ZF automatic gearbox fitted to the first-generation of XF seen here is also found in a number of other Jaguars and even non-Jaguars. However, there are a few differences, such as the earlier gearboxes having a removable filter inside the sump pan, whereas later ones have a combined sump pan and filter.
What this means for servicing is less hassle because the pan and filter can be quickly swapped, unlike earlier ones where the pan is retained.
In our case, we discover there’s limited space around the filler plug, so the gearbox needs to be lowered to be able to extract the plug and fully tighten it at the end of the job (a problem that isn’t evident on all of these gearboxes). Undoing the mounting bolts for the gearbox crossmember is all it takes to lower the gearbox, but this needs to be tightened back up before refilling the gearbox, then slackened again to fit and tighten the filler plug.
We also discover our sump pan is secured with larger Torx T40 bolts, whereas they would have originally had a T30 head, so perhaps it has been serviced before. The following steps were completed with technician Owain Neild at North Wales Jag Centre. If you are keen to try this job yourself, we recommend attempting to undo the gearbox filler plug before draining the oil to ensure the gearbox can be refilled – it’s no use draining the oil if you can’t refill it!
2 Leaving the frontmost T40 bolt loose and in position allows any excess oil to drain out of the drain plug when the sump pan is released. This is a very messy job, so having a large drain bowl or tray is essential
