I bought my 2003 XJ8 in April 2012, with about 63K on the odometer, the evening before embarking on a 1,500 mile trip to Wisconsin. As a part of my pre-trip prep, I checked the oil and saw that the level was down to (maybe even a little below) the MIN mark on the dipstick. So, having had no experience with these cars, I falsely assumed that one quart would fill it up to MAX or close to it. Of course, it did not. I put about 2.5 quarts in and drove to Wisconsin where I had the oil changed at my "trusted" quick oil change place. Since then I've driven to Wisconsin and back several times and have had the oil changed at quick oil change places both in Wisconsin and Florida -- why? Well, mostly because I'm pretty busy but also because I didn't have the proper drain receptacle.

Well, today I checked the oil (mileage is now at 86.8K) and saw that it was low, so I went to the auto parts place to get a quart or two but decided to get the proper equipment and do it myself (I've always been a DIYer, so having others change my oil for me is not something I'm used to doing).

My driveway is a slight uphill into the garage with the garage floor basically level. I backed the car into the garage, stopped when my front tires went up the little bump into the garage. When I got on the ground in front of the car I found that there was ample room to change the oil and filter without using ramps or jacking the car and using jack stands.

I drained the oil, replaced the drain plug, took off the filter, screwed on the new filter, added 7.5 quarts to see how high it registered on the dipstick. Ran the car for a minute or two, checked the oil and saw it was a bit more than 1/2 way between MIN and MAX, so I added almost the rest of the 7th quart, now it's almost at the MAX mark, right where I want it.

Why am I writing this up? I don't know, maybe it's because I'm so thrilled that this car has, once again, proven to be one of the easiest cars I've ever had to work on. What a joy to know that the "$200 oil changes" that I hear people talk about (not on this site, but in person) at the Jag Dealership is such a screw! I couldn't be happier with this car!

One last note - when I poured the used oil into the 5 quart container, I noticed that it took almost ALL of the used oil. I spilled a small amount and put the rest in an empty 1 quart container. Seems as if I had only about 6 quarts in there, which is consistent with the dipstick registering almost at MIN before I started.

That's it, nothing earth-shattering, just a nice, easy oil change!

 

Very nice write up, thanks for sharing!

 

I think it was low because most cars take 6 quarts and they just assume. My Mercedes s500 would take 9.

 

That's what I thought the first time when I just got the car, but now when I get it changed I check it myself to make sure, I also stay in the garage and watch/coach them -- once I saw the kid trying to rip the air cleaner cover off without fully unlatching it!!! He almost broke it before I could stop him. Another time a kid was putting air in my tires without knowing how much to put in -- he said he just fills them to the same PSI for every car that comes in!

 

mine took 8 quarts last time i did a change, and how the hell did you find enough room to crawl under there? i couldnt even get my head down there. the car sits so damn low to the ground

 

Like I mentioned, my driveway is a slight uphill to the garage, plus the garage floor is about an inch up from the driveway. I backed the car into the garage with the front end hanging out of the garage. Just enough room for me and my oil pan.

 

Sounds like the next best thing to a hoist for those quick inspections.

Is that the beginnings of a new country song?

 

I jack the front RH corner of the car up enough to get under & reach the drain plug, then once most of the oil has drained out I remove the old oil filter. Then I lower the car again to make sure the sump is completely emptied, before raising the car again to refit the drain plug & fit the new oil filter on

 

I have a set of steel ramps that I normally use for oil changes, but on this car it wasn't necessary.

One thing that was such a pleasure was having the oil filter so readily accessible. I have cars that only a contortionist can remove the oil filter!

The amount of time I spent in the auto parts store was longer than the time it took to change the oil. I found the oil right away, but forgot my reading glasses at home so I couldn't look up the oil filter number in the reference book. I had to wait for an employee to help me -- that was nearly 5 minutes since each one (there were three) was busy with another customer looking stuff up on the computer. Then, again because I forgot my glasses, I misread the sale sign on the oil, so I had to get different oil. Finally, the guy let me get the oil and filter deal even though I was getting a different filter -- they were out of the one that came with the deal. In between all of this the guy had to reboot the computer, then we had to move to another register/computer, then he had to help one of the other guys look up a spark plug on his computer, then another guy answered the phone at the register/computer that we were using to check me out so we had to wait for him to get done. All in all, rather comical, but I eventually got my stuff!

 

Don't do what Richard did - some of the best reading on JF
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/o...72/#post234183

 

I'm still laughing -- thanks, I needed that! I read the entire thread and part of the original "hootus" thread -- omg, what can I say!