Hello guys;

I bought my 97 Coupe just a few weeks ago. It was "serviced" by the Land Rover dealership I bought it from (it was a trade-in).

When I check the oil, it looks clean but is clearly overfilled. It indicates on the stick well above the "max" marker (about the same distance above the "max" as distance between the "max and "min" markers.

Three quick questions for the tech guys:

1) My oil pressure gauge reads normal...spot on in the middle, every time I drive. Wouldn't overfilling affect oil pressure somehow?

2) I have a couple of pesky, relatively minor oil leaks. Is an engine that is overfilled more likely to leak?

3) What bad things happen when an engine is overfilled with oil?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

I always overfill the early V8 engines to the later oil level specs. I grind a new oil level mark on the dipstick for the later increased fill level.

Here is the TSB for the newer fill level.

bob gauff

 

Very good info, but does it apply to earlier than MY 2000? It doesn't sound like it.
In fact it seems pretty specific in saying from VIN xxxxxx onwards.

 

Thanks Bob - I hadn't seen that TSB.

But I've got the same question as avt007...I wonder why this wouldn't also apply to pre-2000 engines?

 

The new dipstick is used in the cars from early 2000 onward and the TSB was to alert the owners about the incorrect info in the vehicle handbook.

You can install the later dipstick in the early cars but your owners handbook will have incorrect info about the engine oil capacity.

That is what the TSB is all about.

bob gauff

 

And on a 20" wheel kit for xk's yrs ago and with bigger larger 20" wheels and tires. Wheel well lip extensions, it also came with a new oil dipstick that showed and allowed for another qt oil added. This was because jaguar felt that owners that got this package would want to and would corner at higher speeds the increased tire would give. This increase centrifugal forces throwing more oil away from the oil pickup and could lead to momentary loss of oil pressure when high speed cornering..so they increased the crackcase cap. And there must be enough room in the crankcase to add a qt and still not worry about oil windage under normal driving. Besides there is a windage tray in the crankcase to reduce this which also increases horsepower... This sounds like they filled yours a qt. So the short of it is youre fine. Go out and corner fine

 

Bob and Brutal
I've got a Silverstone the first XKR's introduced with the 20"wheels. I'm guessing that they added that dipstick to this package. About a week ago is the first time I've heard of the different dipstick on this Forum, from a E-bay ad.

 

Yes doug they did and thanks for reminding of the package name. Its could be put on "all" xk's not just the r's

 

Thanks Bob and Brutal-

So just to be clear, overfilling by a quart sounds OK, and was officially sanctioned by Jag eventually. Is there no effect on oil pressure readings with that extra quart in there? And would an engine overfilled by a quart be more likely to leak?

 

There's never a connection between oil levels and oil pressure unless the level is so low the oil pump sucks air.

If you're worried about the extra quart or two, have the selling dealer remove it.

 

I don't know if yours just has the wrong dipstick or not but an overfilled crankcase is not good. If the crank hits the oil, on long trips, it can create enough froth that the oil pressure drops as froth does not pump and bad things start happening. I had a brand new Probe GT that the dealer overfilled at every change unknown to me. I noticed low oil pressure on long trips and they could find nothing wrong. By the time I realized what was happening, the hydraulic lifters were shot, at 25,000 miles! They did the repair but it was hairy getting them to admit they did it.

 

I'm still confused. I read the TSB and it is not real clear. I have a 2000 XK8 with normal wheels and tires, and the dip stick PN is XR83 6752 AC. My VIN is A09151 which is beyond the Vin listed in the TSB. When I change oil and filter without an oil cooler it takes seven quarts of oil to bring it to the exact top of the cross hatched area on the dip stick. Now, am I running the right amount of oil in the car or am I a quart low? I don't do any heavy cornering. I just enjoy driving it.

Thanks guys.

EZDriver 2000 XK8 1995 XJ6

 

The TSB has a very convoluted way of saying things, but it appears to say:
Lawyers should be barred from writing TSB's.

 

I noticed after oil changes in my previous XK8 that the dip stick indicated overfilled by one quart every time. The tech said his manual said 8 qts was required.

 

Okay to be clear and from my memory. The capacity is normally 8qts. The tsb reffered to replacing dipsticks that were incorrectly marked at 7 for full. The silverstone package moved the capacity to 9qts. So my point on the silverstone package is that jaguar knows that even at 9qts the crankcase is not overfull to the point of causing oil whipping and aeration which as mots put it definitly can cause problems from any fluid meduim. Be it coolant, oil, or trans fluid or fuel. Air compresses and does not lubricate, and cavitation can also destroy metal easily cause it can be like small explosions. Trans mission and power steering systems operate on hydraulic pressure and since air compresses and fluid does not you loos ethe pressure needed for proper power steering or transmission operation.

 

I have an idea that may shed some light on the subjedt as to what the relationsip is between the three dip sticks in the TSB. I need someone that has the stick with the part number XR8 2806 to contact me directly. And someone with the stick NNE-1723NA to contact me directly. I want to do some measured comparisions to really find out what is going on. I will post the results as soon as I get the data together.

email address is BSudderth@juno.com

EZDriver

 

EZ,

I just checked my 97 (and then double checked)...there's no part number at all on my dipstick. The only markings of any kind are small, drilled holes for both the min and max levels.

 

The pdf of the TSB has an illustration of where the part number "should" be.

 

Good to know as some people like to run on the full'ish side anyways.

Is the difference between the existing low and full marks 1 quart?

That's just to figure out how much more can go in. Of course, it can be figured out by going to full, and then adding 1 more quart.

 

I have not head of the dipstick isssue before. The 4.2s in my two cars both show full with 7 quarts in the sump.