When I change the engine oil in my 2013 XF 3.0 (V6 SC), can I reuse the same drain plug? The dealership tells me that the plug is not reusable. My mechanic thinks it might be good for 3 oil changes (no idea where he is getting that from). I am wondering (1) do I need to buy a new drain plug after changing the oil and (2) if so, where can I get one other than the dealership? Thank you for any input and help.

 

It's perfectly reusable. It has a rubber/plastic washer which in theory can be damaged when it's torqued right up then undone, but I am holding the OEM plug off my old XFR in my hand as I type (I replaced it with a magnetic sump plug when I did an oil change) and the washer is completely undamaged.
Plenty of new magnetic sump plugs out there on Fleabay for not many $ (much less than an OEM plug from a dealer), maybe an idea to buy one as a spare in case your OEM plug is too damaged to be re-used, although I believe that would be extremely unlikely.

 

Jaguar recommend not re-using the drain plug and their dealers are obliged to follow this guidance.

The reason for this is the rubber 'O' ring will seal perfectly on first use. However, it will begin to harden with repeated heating/cooling cycles and there is a risk it may not properly seal again if re-used.

Do Jaguar want customers coming back complaining about oil drops on the garage floor? Definitely not!

Can you or an independent mechanic re-use the drain plug? Absolutely - provided you accept the very small risk of a minor leak.

Although I agree with the logic of Jaguar guidance, I strongly disagree with them not not listing replacement drain plug 'O' Rings in the Parts Catalogue. Throwing away a perfectly good metal drain plug for the want of a new seal is lunacy.

Graham

 

Excellent. More helpful insight. Thank you, OzXFR!

 

That makes perfect sense, Graham. Apparently my mechanic thinks the 'O' ring will leak after 3 oil changes, but I am willing to wait until it actually does start leaking to replace it. It really is a travesty that the 'O' ring cannot be bought separately.

 

I asked myself the same question a few weeks ago and found that the part number for mine is shared with some Fords (surprise, surprise) and one can buy the complete plug with seal or the seal alone. There wasn't much difference in price and they were really cheap so I bought the complete part and a spare.

The potential pain with reuse is that if it does not seal on refilling with new oil ...

 

What is the part number for the 2013 XF 3.0? Is it the same as other years and models?