I just bought a X Type a week ago. And I was wanting to do my own oil changes. How hard is this to do on this car Does anyone here do their own oil changes?

 

Very easy to do. Changed mine last week.

 

Mark, changing the oil on these cars is easy. Not any worse than any other new car. The only "hard" thing is accessing the oil filter if someone screwed it on really tight. But, other than that, everything is out in the open.

Of note, if you can access the oil plug without moving a plastic guard, then you are missing the air scoop for the transfer case. Do not fret. 99% of us are missing this piece. It rips off of the car really easy and most of us refuse to replace it every time it disappears or we do not realize that it is missing off of our cars.

 

Thanks Thermo. Do you have any pics of that AIR Scoop by chance? Or what the area around the oil filter looks like?

 

The oil filter is at the front and a little bit tucked up by the radiator. I just use channel lock pliers to get a good grip on it, then tighten it by hand. They always seem to get tighter on there after 3k miles. I would just go for it. Get under the car and you will see the oil filter and all the goodies. Pretty straight forward, but remember that the x type takes more than 5 quarts of oil, so just check the dip stick after the 5 quart jug until you can get it to read within the acceptable level

 

Awesome! Thanks! But now I'm just wondering about that air duct. And what it looks like.

 

Mark, it is a black plastic scoop that is about 8" wide and about 3" tall and make a 90 degree bend as I recall. One end has a screw on it, the other end has a plastic post. Like I mentioned, if you can easily get to the oil drain plug, then you are missing your scoop.

As a general reference, the owner's manual states that the motor take 6 quarts, an empty filter takes another 0.5 quarts. I normally round thing off to an even 7 quarts when I do an oil change. It puts the oil level up at the high end of the scale in my car.

 

yep..its real easy. my advice would be to buy the oil filter, then while in the shop buy the correct plastic oil filter removal tool, probably about another $12. use a ratchet with a good length extension bar so you can turn the ratchet from under the car easily.
There is not a lot of space behind the filter so using the claw/pinscer type filter removal tool is difficult...but it can be done.
When you remove the filter, oil will want to drop all over the mechanicals below it, so wrap a plastic bag or paper towel under the filter, then put the drain pan underneath, the oil will roll down the plastic and into the drain pan.
Part of the exhaust is right under the filter, so if you drip oil on it you will smell it in the car for a while, if you smell burning oil...good idea to check the filter to see if it is leaking or if you just got some oil on the exhaust.
After installing the filter make sure to clean the outside so you can see if there is a leak.
check the old filter to see if there is a rubber sealing gasket still on it, sometimes they come off and stick to the oil filter housing, not good!
ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING FOR TIGHTNESS AFTER THE JOB IS DONE AND DOUBLE CHECK YOU HAVE REPLACED THE OIL FILLER CAP!

thats my 2c...lol

 

I do my own oil and love doing it. Love it, that is, AFTER I get that !@#$% filter off. That SOB is hard to get to with an oil filter wrench. I've had to drive a screwdriver through the filter MANY times in order to twist that sucker. I'll be going with a K&N filter from now on, since they have a hex head on the end so you can grab it with a standard wrench.

Thanks go to other posts in this forum for turning me on to the K&N filters. And to those that mentioned the air scoop.... I love you! Now I know where that piece came from and where to put it back. I apparently took it off some years ago and it's been floating around my trunk and garage ever since, with me occasionally trying to find what I took it off of. (But now that I know, do I want to bother putting it back since it's gotta come back off at every oil change??)

 

Bahnjee. Just about every auto store sells a plastic filter removal tool for inaccessable filters. It slips onto the end of the filter and it has a 3/8 hole for a ratchet. There are many sizes available so make sure you get the right one.
Having the correct tool for the job makes life much easier.
$10-$15 is surely worth the time you save stabbing with a screwdriver?

 

I've used wrenches that slip over the end of the filter, but they end up slipping around and around the filter. Maybe I'm just putting the filter on too tight, but it's my opinion that they make these things with too many flats on the wrench end.

What I mean is this: Let's start with a square. Put that square on the end of my oil filter and I can grip it pretty well and thus, unscrew the filter easily. Now let's add a "flat" so that we have a pentagon. Then we add another flat so that we now have a hexagon. Keep adding flat after flat after flat.... Pretty soon you have a circle. Now put a what is tantamount to a circle (because it has too many flats) and the end of my oil filter and now I can't unscrew the consarn thing.

 

I always do my own oil change on the x-type, I normally use the end of a corrugated cardboard box, rip the end off and wedge it between the oil filter and the exhaust, so it forms a sort of ramp. Undo the oil filter with my trusted chain link oil filter remover, unscrew the filter, then watch all oil run down the cardboard into a bucket. Job done.

Fill up the oil filter with oil, run a bit of oil with a finger round the seal and put filter back on. Then fill up with oil and keep checking that dipstick.

Job done, takes me 1 hr, I always put on a new oil sump plug, can get genuine filter and sump plug for £8.

 

Bahnjee...I have encountered the same problem...the fix is to put a square or 2 of paper towel over the tool, then put the tool on the filter..works great.
Ian d...I like the card ramp idea :+)
I forgot to add the oiling of the rubber gasket..thanks...very important!

 

No offence guys, I love DIY, however is there really a savings changing your own oil ? Also disposing the old oil safely could present an issue.

 

jagxster, there really doesn't seem to be that big of a cost savings changing your own oil (maybe $5-$10 if you buy your oil on sale,) but I won't ever let a "lube tech" touch my car again. They come up to me and say "thats the xj8, right?" Um... no.... x-type. can't you see the transfer case when it's on your lift? They also only filled it with 5 quarts of oil. If I owned a ford f150 or a honda civic, I would pull into jiffy lube whenever I needed my oil changed because they see those cars all the time and understand how to work on them. That's the pure reason that I change my own oil! That, and I can get a bosch filter and choose what kind of oil to use.

It all boils down to me being protective over my baby

 

I would pay more to do my own oil change!!
I know guys who work in those places and have been told about some of the tricks they get up to...let alone forgeting to replace oil caps...cross threading sump plugs...over/under filling with new oil....leaving an old rubber gasket stuck to the housing.....and more..
Most auto stores and walmart accept used motor oil for free recycling

 

I'd have to say I absolutely save money by doing my own oil changes. Not in the change itself, but in subsequent costs. I used to take my car in to let others do my oil changes, but that stopped when a moron of a tech somehow managed to NOT tighten the filter down on my old Honda Passport. Running down the highway, my engine seized up and broke a piston rod. Ended up costing me $1400 for a new engine. In a strange way, that turned out to be a good thing. Once I replaced the engine, I sold the car and bought my Jag. Out of the Soccer-Dad Passport and into the Cool-Dad Jag!

From then on, I've been doing my own changes - in my Jag and my wife's Passat.

I suppose I'm lucky in that I pass the local recycling center on the way to my in-law's house. I drain the oil into one of those sealable buckets and drop the waste off next time we're headed that way.

It's more than just cost savings, too. I find doing my own labor to be a lot cheaper than therapy. It's therapeutic, it's fun, and it makes me feel like a man! :-)

 

Hi all going to do my oil change soon has anybody used slick50 will do any harm or just stick to just oil???

 

Sounds interesting....I'll have to try that.
For those that are keen on the idea of the cardboard funnel, Northern Tool (and probably other places, too) sells a rubber coated, flexible Form-A-Funnel in several sizes to fill this bill. You roll/fold it to the shape you need and it stays in this shape while you funnel your oil. Then you clean it, flatten it back out and store it until next time. Yeah, its more expensive than cardboard, but more useful too (it stays in shape, it's not porous, etc). Online, they list only one size, but my local store stocks three sizes.

 

Absolute snake oil. No need for it.