I've had this car a few years now, originally bought it at the dealer's auction with 67k miles and super clean. Basically, like new.

Keeping this car for myself, I've noticed that when I do oil changes, the capacity is 6 quarts per the manual, including filter. I typically use 5W-30 and pour in 6 quarts.

Problem is that the dipstick always shows 1 quart low with 6 quarts.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

My '03 handbook says both the v6 and v8 take 6.9 US quarts (6.5 litres) including oil filter.

 

Yes. You need to add more oil.
.
.
.

 

Well, I'm looking at the manual for the 01 model and it calls for 6.0 quarts.


Need some advice here.

 

This has been a coffee table discussion for as long as I have owned Jags.

The dipstick, AND, the manual are only a "guide". Albeit VERY accurate, but an allowance is always factored in.

Both my V6 S Types take 6.6ltrs.
The X300 is 9 ltrs
The V12's get 10ltrs, and one sits on the mark, the other 2 sit a tad low. Care factor, absolute zero.

Nothing sinister is going to happen with a small overfill, or a small underfill. That is why we have a "low" and a "high" mark. If the manufacturer was sooooo pedantic about levels, we would only see one mark, as in "this is it, nothing more, nothing less".

My MK10 (3-8) sits "about" 1ltr down from full, always has, and if I top it off, it drops to this mark and stays there till the next oil change, and at 425000 miles, who really cares.

 

There was a change sometime and the dipstick changed accordingly. T shape dipstick handle 5.7 litres (around 6 quarts) O shape dipstick handle 6.5 litres.

 

I know there are some subtle differences between your 2001 V6 and my 2005 V6 but I don't know if oil capacity is one of them. My 2005 V6's dipstick registers "full" at just under 7 quarts. So I feed it exactly 7 quarts at every oil-and-filter change and have never had to add any oil between my 6,000-mile service intervals. The odometer will cross 80,000 miles today or tomorrow....

 

Add oil 'till it reaches a spot on the dipstick that you like.

 

This oil capacity thing is going to get more confusing/worse.

Newer cars, not Jags YET, now have NO engine dipstick.

You simply drain the engine sump, replace the filter, and refill as per the book/chart.

There is an oil level sensor that tells the ECU what is what, and obviously alarms, lights, engine shutdown, takes place when all is unwell.

Hopefully those sensors are more reliable than the current units we deal with, such as low coolant, low brake fluid.

 

It is the round style dipstick and I don't want to overfill and blow out the seals. Thus, the reason I'm asking.


You think another quart even when the factory fill level is 6.0 quarts?

 

Tony,

Straight up, fill the engine to the full mark, worry not about the amount so much as getting as close as you can to that full mark. A small amount either side is no big deal really.

An "overfill" of approx 2-3mm on the dipstick is NOT going to blow seals, or anything else for that matter. You would need about 3-4 quarts overfull before the oil contacts the "whizzy bits" and causes foaming etc.

The round ring dipstick is the same as both of mine, and I just changed both oils and filters, and both took 6.6ltrs. Hers sits a knats whisker above the full make, duh, and mine is smack on, life goes on.

 

I can't believe that it's been nearly a year since I posted this question. I've started driving the car a lot more recently and decided to do some preventative maintenance. The vehicle currently has 85k miles.


I called the Jaguar dealer this past week and asked the same question that I asked this community. The service manager said that on those vehicles (S type 3.0) they use 7 quarts. He said that the British measure oil differently and there is no allowance for the oil filter in their measures.


So, I did the change and added 7 quarts. Presto! Right at the full mark.


Thanks for the advice!

 

Maybe he was referring to the difference in size between Imperial quarts and US quarts.

 

We do, but we hardly ever refer to quarts. We use litres or gallons (or pints). Oil is retailed in litres.

 

True enough, but owners manuals here mention 'quarts' without specifying whether it's Imperial or US measure.

 

I think being US (/Cdn) books they'll mean the matching measures.

BTW US ones have JLM 18 rather than the English JLM 10 numbers.

I thought everyone filled oil by checking the level on the dipstick...

 

Not everyone.

 

I do, I've no concept of the capacity of my car I just fill it up until the dipstick says it's good.
I also never measured anything in quarts until I moved to the US, it was one of those measures you knew about but never used.
Topix say's that a 2001 V6 S Type needs 6.7 US quarts or 6.4 litres, the British not including the filter capacity story is new on me too.

 

Well, not doing it risks under or over filling.

 

Canada always used Imperial quarts, the US quarts having no legal status here.

How confusing..............


Is it an engine or a motor?