I changed mine on the XJR last night, and was wondering WTF the designers were thinking when they designed the aerodynamic lower engine cover.. it looks to me like they could have easily made the front half of the cover removable to you could get to the oil filter and the drain plug a little easier. Also the phillips head screws holding the front section up between the riveted bracket are soon to be replaced with hex head screws.

I never changed the oil on my 04 XJ8, do all XJ's have this lower engine cover or just the Type R?

Maybe I should design a lightweight aluminum version with a removable section for the oil change.

 

XJ8 is the same way. Once you figure it out, I guess it isn't too bad - should only take a couple of minutes to drop the whole thing. Without a lift, though, it is a lot of crawling around!

 

Change our own oil? We're Jag owners. Our butlers can take care of that when they're not serving tea and escargo! OK... I guess I'd rather crawl around on the ground to take the skid plate off and get a little oil running down my forearm from the filter than eat something crawls around on the ground leaving a snot trail everywhere it goes. People still ask me if I "lower" myself and go throught the drive through at Taco Bell. Not only do I change my own oil and "frequent" Taco Bell, I also wipe my own butt.

 

I also do my own oil changes. I put a two post lift in my garage a couple of years ago and it was worth every penny. When the car I'm changing the oil in has the drain plug on the side of the oil pan (instead of the center rear) I'll tilt the car a few degrees to that side and then let the oil drain out for a long time.
I'm in the process of sourcing a 55 gallon drum of that Royal Purple synthetic oil since I now have at least four cars that use 5w30.
I can also attest to the lower aerodynamic cover being a PITA (what were they thinking?) The two screws in the middle I replaced with a couple of bodywork hex head screws with a large washer that won't come off. Just put them in a nutdriver and snug them up.
kthrash- I thought about a trap door to access the needed parts for oil changing.
Chad

 

Guys, I have yet to look under my 08, and am wondering, can you drive it up on ramps and access everything with a limited amount of hassle? If I do it myself I can save about $50 per oil change. Another question, how many use an OEM (Jaguar) filter? If you don't what brand are you all using? Does the drain plug require a crush washer of some sort?
Thanks Jeff

 

I drove mine up on ramps just fine and accessed everything I needed to get to..

I used a Purolator filter and Mobil1 oil. Drain plug does not need a washer, it has a rubber one on it.

You need a 10mm socket and a phillips head screwdriver to remove the bolts/screws for the aero skid plate (unless they changed the fasteners from 06-08), and a 13mm socket for the oil pan bolt, and a funnel.

 

Thanks Kthrash, Sounds easy enough.
Jeff

 

I just changed the oil in my 2004 XJR for the first time. The skid plate wasn't a major issue but I'm thinking of leaving it off for easy access later. Anyone else leave theirs off?

 

I do a lot of my own work, but changing oil is not something I do. The cost savings just isn't worth it. I'd rather just bring my own supplies to the dealer and have them do it, or just bring it somewhere else.

You have to dispose of and transport all of the old oil to an oil recycling center, and that often means putting it in my trunk, which means I need to find all sorts of plastic bags and tarps to lay down in the trunk. Not to mention all the oil I get all over my clothes!

Meh! Not worth it!

As for the under engine cover, I wouldn't take it off. In other cars I've had, it is critical to air flow through the engine (cooling and intake) and for the car's general aerodynamics. Not to mention your engine bay will get a lot dirtier, and there is more chance that a piece of debris could come in there and get lodged in a belt or something.

 

Has anyone thought of using "DZUS" fasteners? A search the other night did not turn up anything. Which ones would be suitable?

USMarshall: Don't forget your alternator is down there. Other cars that have exposed alternators mounted low tend to lose alternator bearings.

 

I've always changed my oil, I like to look under the car for leaks and such to monitor things like the pinion seal, tranny and steering leaks and so on. When the car is up, I spray Ruglyde in all the suspension bushings and on all the rubber boots under there. I don't care for the mess, but I actually don't trust anyone else to do it right, the folks at service places that do this are not the main techs, they lose the undertray fasteners, put it back wrong and on and on..

 

Thanks for the advice about the bottom engine cover. I've only had it off for one day but now notice a ticking (not like the engine but more of a transmission) sound when the engine is idling at a stop light. The noise goes away when the car is in neutral or park. I'm not sure if it's something that is normal and I just didn't hear it before because of the cover or if it is something new. Looks like I'll be putting the cover back on tonight and hoping the noise goes away.

 

The last time I had the oil changed at the local garage half the fasteners fell off! I use zip ties and just cut them off to take off the undertray and replace them with new ones. They seem to work fine.

 

Car is very user friendly for service except that undertray cover is silly. I can deal with the bolts, its those 2 screws!! Seen as it only gets done 1x/yr at the most, I'll deal with it. 10K synthetic oil changes are fine by me, I just use the best stuff available when doing it!!

 

If your have a small magnetic parts dish, touch the philips screwdriver on the magnet.
You driver is now magnetized and will hold the screws on the driver.