I heard the F-Pace does NOT have a oil drain plug and that the dealer has special equipment to drain the engine oil !! Is this true??!!

If it is then assuming you are keeping the car past the warranty period of 5 yrs, how would you change the oil/filter?? Can only a Jag dealer do this simple service??

Also I heard the oil is a special blend of synthetic hence the 16K mile service., and its hard to find !!

Any input is welcome.

 

Many modern cars have no drain plugs and the oil is removed from the top with suction. Most corner garages have the machinery to do this and there are lots of DIY kits available.

Probably one of the best innovations in decades. I always hated having to lift the car to do a simple oil change.

 

So it is true!! I can see how it will be helpful in servicing the car. But excuse my ignorance I have never heard of such a thing in every day cars. Used oil inherently gets heavier and forms a sludge like cake on the bottom of the oil pan. Removing it from the top seems to be in-efficient.
Can you name a few other modern brands that share this practice??!!

 

Not true, you have to remove a a plate but it does have a drain. No dipstick though, it's electronic. Dealership services it using a special machine from the top. Many people do their own oil changes.

 

No offence but it sounds like you're partly stuck in the past with outdated practices and partly still believe old myths. Modern engines using modern oils don't have layers of sludge on the bottom of the pan.

Even if true, there's no difference in letting gravity it drain out a hole or letting a pump suck the sump dry. Net effect is the same. All the old stuff is gone.

I think on the F-types (might be XJ), the drain plug hole is higher up in the sump than the bottom of the suction tube.

 

Really? so you are saying all the VW group including Porsche and Audi are stuck in the past with outdated practices?! As far as i know GM, Ford and Chrysler/Fiat are still practicing it too.

 

Incorrect... for the 2.0d it has both a convenient drain plug location and a dipstick. PITA huge plastic skid plate to take off though. I'm going to modify for access to the drain plug next time I drain the oil. But for now I did an early change myself and next year will have dealer do the freebie, so won't be for a while!

 

Gerald what kind of oil did you use? the best on the market or what Jag suggests?

also how much do you think an early oil change will cost at the dealer? or maybe that's a topic for a new thread by itself.

 

Given it is a diesel I stuck with Jag spec special formula Castrol Syntec available only at dealer... for now. Like my Chevy diesel truck there aren't many options. Gas likely has same spec in other brands.

Oil and filter cost $150can at dealer. You're looking at $400can for dealer oil change. Same as my old Volvo. Makes me puke so future changes will be done by me.

 

That's almost the same price as the wife's Macan !!!

But i'm curious about something. BMW has done some studies/research and has hence reduced their annual service of oil/filter from every 15K miles back down to every 10K miles. (due to reduction of synthetic oil viscosity)

I wonder why Jag has kept it at 16K??!! even during the break-in period.

any ideas??

 

No IQ on that. I'll likely stick to 10-12k intervals.

 

Don't listen to Mikey, he has some strange views. It is always better to use drain plug instead of suction for an oil change, as drain plug and gravity removes nearly all residues not caught by the engine filter. Long-term, this reduces sludge.

 

Actually, they reduced service interval not because of viscosity but because of sludge issues with direct injection engines. That is, oil lubrication properties were still within specs, but it was forming sludge more readily.

We have few people who tested oil at 15K and it was fine, however it takes engine tear-down to see sludge issue. Of that, I am certain, we will see more once these cars get older.

 

I own an XJ (2012) and I have drained my oil both ways now. I just recently bought a vacuum machine to suck the oil out of my car. The XJ does have a drain plug, but like on the F-Pace, you have to remove the plate on the underside of the engine to access the drain plug.

As for the amount of oil that got pulled from the engine, I would have to say that it came pretty close to getting every last drop out of the engine. I am sure there was a little bit left that a "old time drain" would have possibly gotten out. But then, if you had parked the vehicle on a slight incline, you could have very easily left that much behind too.

I bought a mid grade vacuum pump that was rated at 1L/min with the oil at 40-50C. I used the pump with the engine at ambient temp (20C) and it took the pump about 30 minutes to pump out the 7 quarts of oil. Granted, I think it will be quicker the next time as I think I had a slight air leak in the suction tube, resulting in a slower suction/flow rate.

Call me old school, but I am still changing my oil at shorter intervals. I guess I view it as oil is cheap insurance for what a motor costs these days (I have the 5.0L engine). I am changing the oil at 7500 mile intervals using full synthetic 5W-20 oil. I have not seen any build up of sludge in the engine using this oil change interval at any time I have serviced the car in the cars 67K mile life.

If there are more questions about the vacuum way of changing oil, let me know.

 

Don't listen to SinF, has no real-world experience to back up his strange claims that he presents as 'facts'.

 

There is substantially less sludge build up with synthetic oils but over time it will happen. It will just cake in and sit at the bottom of the pan. That's why when you drain the oil using the plug it seems like a small sliver of a stream will drip forever.

And yes you most definitely had an air leak. At 1min/L it should take less than 10 minutes.

What brand pump did you buy? can you post it??

 

Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But anyway you know what i'm talking about.

 

Obelix, I bought a Hardin oil pump (Model HD-700). This is the 100W (8 amp) version of the pump. I paid $33 to buy the pump and have it delivered to my house. I will probably end up spending another $7 to get some different tubing and then seal it with some special sealant I have. There are cheaper units out there, but they also pump much slower. So, you can get the 5 amp units out there for say $25, but it will take you twice as long to get the oil out.

I bought mine via E-bay and there are tons of options when you start looking there.

 

Let's say you're right that there's sludge that's settled in the pan even though you've just run the engine and the oil is still warm/hot meaning that it's still in suspension.

Let's also say that this sludge would not be picked up by vacuum for some unknown reason.

On your engine, the suction tube tube bottom end is lower in the engine sump than the drain plug. Why would more sludge not be removed by suction than by gravity?

Again, beware guys on the internet that predict gloom and doom but have no actual experience or knowledge to back themselves up.

 

The Jaguar site just recommends Castrol Edge oil. Guess this would be available outside the dealership.

Jaguar and Castrol Partnership - Co-engineering Quality Oil

Just checked- it is $75 for a 3 pk 5 qt at walmart

The filter is another story. Also, I am aware of the many brands of pumps on the market but personally i tend to follow RECs of fellow users.