Well, I'm continuing with my own servicing of a recently purchased x-type. My next project is changing the oil pan gasket. It's been over 3k miles since I bought the car and changed the oil. I know the last owner didn't take good care of this car. I can see varnish on the timing chain and was considering using that 5min Gunk engine cleaner before I take the oil pan off and change the gasket and put either royal purple or castrol synthetic in with a k&n filter.

Has anyone tried Gunk or similar product? Would using Gunk raise the sludge on the bottom of the pan and make matters worse? I'm thinking may be there is no hope except taking the sludge off the bottom of the oil pan and changing the oil/filter every 3k miles from here on.

 

LEB, I have had good results with a product called "CD2". It is an oil detergent additive. Now, this stuff is your "3,000 mile product", but I normally only use it for say 50 miles and then swap out the oil. What sold me on the product was when I was rebuilding a boat and the engine that was in the boat had not been run for quite a few years. Even after running the engine for an hour, the valve train was still noisy as all get out. I dumped this stuff in and you could hear the valve train quiet down over the course of about 90 seconds. While this is an extreme case, I was sold on that product.

As for sludge in the bottom of the oil pan, I don't think you are going to find much there. Most of the oils made today don't sludge up like the older oils did. Besides, if you are pulling the oil pan anyways, leave the sludge there in the bottom of the pan to make cleaning it out easier. No sense in risking forcing all the sludge to the oil filter and causing it to get clogged up. You can see where that might get a little ugly. Then, once you get the oil pan back on, if you use quality oils, those will take all the remaining sludge out of the engine.

 

I would stay away from synthetic oil in an X Type, the owners manual does not suggest the use of synthetic oil in their V6 engines. I did some checking and spoke to a Jaguar mechanic. The reason Jaguar doesn't recommend synthetic oil it does not allow the VVT work properly, I use Castrol GTX 5/30w and change the oil every 5K miles or every 6 months which ever comes first

 

I am very skeptical of this. I just did a search on the word "synthetic" in a PDF of the owner's manual for the 2003.5 X-Type. They don't even mention the word.

Also, please see page 33:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...1&d=1268600302

Please supply a reference from the factory for this statement.

I've heard variations on these arguments since when synthetics first hit the market. And I can't remember one of them that has proven to be any more than either uninformed speculation or folklore.

 

I've heard that gunk may be a little to strong. I'll try 'CD2'.

I'm pretty much going to stick with synthetic. I haven't seen much in the way of bad news by x-type owners after using synthetic in their cars.

 

LEB,

Leave it alone. A little varnish won't hurt your engine. If you are really concerned, change your oil every 2000 miles for the next 6000 miles. Your car is running okay, right?
IMO, strong cleansing chemicals in a can usually do more harm than good to sensors, seals, plastics, treated surfaces, what have you. They do a good job of picking your pocket too. If it ain't broke don't fix it always applies to expensive Jag engines.

 

I'm completely with Tarheal on this one. Well, except for the twenty-thousand mile thing. He fat-fingered an extra zero in there.

Change your oil once or twice at short intervals, and then don't worry about it. Normal motor oil detergents will remove that sludge as well as anything you might add.

So you're saying your timing chain is not completely pristine white-looking steel? Totally normal.

Also, don't bother messing with the oil pan. You're just creating problems.

 

Thanks for the advice. Changing the oil regularly is probably the best medicine. I'm sure the last owner did change the oil every 20,000.

I have no alternatives about the oil pan. The gasket is broken. Gotta replace it.

 

In the owners manual of my 2003 2.5L X Type. in the engine section it says"Jaguar does not recommended the use of synthetic oil in there V6 engines."

 

I wouldn't put anything in the crankcase, change the oil several times after you have ran it on the highway at speed several times and when you change it make sure the engine is warm, as the sludge will be more likely to drain with the oil. Use a high detergent oil also.

 

Huh! I stand corrected.

Kind of.

I was so surprised to read this that I looked at the online owner's manuals from Jaguar's site. The 2002 manual clearly says it on page 7-7:

"Note: Jaguar does not approve the use of synthetic engine oil in the V6 engine."

However, there is also a Driver's Handbook supplement for the 2002 model year that reverses the warning, on page 16:

"Synthetic oil meeting the above specifications may be used."

Apparently, they removed the initial warning from the 2003 and later owner's manuals, and replaced it with the allowance that I mentioned. And the "Vehicle Specifications" manual that I cited specifically references the 2001.5 model year onward. It came out after the 2002 owner's manual, so it would seem that the original guidance has been superseded, even for the earliest X-Types.

 

I had an appointment at the Jaguar dealer today, to have my oil changed. When I spoke with the service writer I asked him what type of oil are you going to put in my car. He said "In the V6 Xtype we use Castrol GTX 5/30w oil." Then I mentioned your drivers handbook information 2002. He said, "I don't know what a driver handbook is.""There are owners manuals." I then said to him this drivers handbook say that synthetic oil can be used in these cars. He then looked in his computer and could not find any reference to synthetic oil for the XType 2.5L engine.

Then the service writer said to me, I don't know where your getting your information from, but I'll put synthetic oil in your car, but I will say the car will not perform as well, as the synthetic oil does not perform well with the VVT these engines have. He went on to say this engine is very strong and if you stay within the 7500 mile hard use and the 10K normal use parameters, regular motor oil works just fine. If it were my car however I would change the oil every 6 months regardless of the mileage.

As someone mentioned this could go on and on and on, and who's right? Does it really matter?

PS: My neighbor who is a long time Ford mechanic took a look at my engine last night, he took off the cover and took a look around, two thing he told me you can use a motorcraft 400 oil filter and this engine is the workhorse of the Ford V6 fleet and is presently used in the new Taurus. But has over 3 liters and is supercharger. I asked him what type of oil do they use in the engine. He drew a blank, as he has never worked on a new Taurus yet. At his dealership they assign certain models to mechanics, his has the Focus and 2 other models, and trucks. They do this so the mechanic knows each car very well. I said are there enough of these cars around to keep you busy, he said Yep Ford is selling a ton of cars these days.

 

Go to this official Jaguar literate web site:

http://www.ownerinfo.jaguar.com/extf...prod/index.jsp

Select X-Type, then Owner's Handbooks, then Continue. You will notice that the early manuals are referred to as "Driver's Handbooks," and the later ones as "Owner's Handbooks." The driver's handbook supplement that I referenced is in the 2002 model year. Every later handbook already allows for synthetics.

Not a real big deal, I agree, but these people are holding on to some old misinformation, and spreading it to the (admittedly-slight) detriment of their customers.

 

For some reason I can't open the site, I clicked on X Type, then 2003 then typed in oil and document I got to Owners Handbook and here I got stuck none of the 4 driver handbook selections would open. Also, My drivers handbook is called an Owners Manual here in the colonies.

 

I have done some research on lubricants. Castrol 5W/30 is a synthetic oil. Synthetic oils are more superior than mineral oils. They are now recommended in modern cars. They are stable at extreme temperatures(hot and cold) They also prevent sludge build up in the engine. This is the oil I use in my cars and the kilometres between the oil changes are greatly increased. Maybe the Mechanic you talked to does not know the difference.

 

The manual says you must not use oil additives not synthetic oils. All the oil types stated in the manual which Jaguar recommends are synthetic oils.

 

Castrol GTX 5W/30 is also a Dino oil. As this is what I use in my car. As my owners manual says, Jaguar does not recommended us of synthetic oil in the V6 engine. I had my oil changed at the dealer last week and this is what they used. I questioned him about synthetic and why it is no recommended. He said synthetic does not allow the VVT to work correctly. We've been going around on this subject for weeks, but I have not seen anything in writing from Jaguar saying to use only synthetic oils in these engines.

 

I don't know what year your X Type is, but as I just posted on another tread my owners manual does not recommended synthetic oil in the V6 engine. Read my post as to what the Jaguar dealer said about using synthetic oil in these cars. I did forget to mention the dealer also said I will put synthetic oil in your car but you will notice a decline in performance. But as I also wrote this issue has been going on for weeks and If Jaguar say Dino oil is OK that's is what I am going to use. I even checked with the dealer who formally service my car as he had a service reminded tag on the windshield and he checked back on his records and since new they have used dino oil in my car. But what I am going to do, is change it every 5K miles instead of the 7500 miles or 10K the Jaguar service recommends.

 

Adam - While I believe that you are correct to state that the original handbook for your car explicitly said that you should not use synthetic motor oils, it is apparent to the rest of us that this guidance has been superseded by more recent factory guidance. Please try again to download and review the handbook supplement that I referenced earlier in this thread. You will see for yourself that synthetics are now approved.

mmolaik - you have correctly stated that additives shouldn't be used, as per the current factory guidance. However, I believe that you have mis-stated the factory's position on synthetics; the current guidance does not state that only synthetics should be used, but only that they are an option.

 

I downloaded the thread provided, however once I downloaded it none of the documents would open, so I can read what the new direction Jaguar has taken.