What is the best method to drain the engine oil from the oil pan during an oil change? Level, slightly uphill or slightly downhill? From what I can see with my limited view of under the car it looks like the car should be flat or slightly down hill. Is this correct? I have used two drive-on ramps to either raise the front or rear in the past to change the oil in my vehicles but I do not think it will work on this car.

 

I just drive the front of the car up on ramps and pull the plug. If I remember correctly the drain plug is at the rear of the oil pan, so with the front up on ramps you'll get the most oil out.

 

AS a fellow DIY guy.... I take my car my mechanic just for the oil change. I don't know how you would get the car up without a proper lift. My ramps would not work nor do I want to start jacking it up and blocking just to change the oil. Cost me $16 and I provide all the oil and filters!

 

It a perfect world the car should be level.The factory did the design for the car to be on a lift.
But the truth is we need to get under the car so the front is raised for us to get under it.
If you are wanting to be real ****,pull the oil plug,lower the car, let it drain for a couple of minutes,jack it back up and put the filter and plug back in and fill it with oil.
Not me, I leave it on the ramps,drain the oil, replace the filter and plug,fill with one quart less than capacity,drive off the ramps and let the car sit on level surface with engine off for a couple of minutes.Then I check the level and add the amount to get into the fill marks.
Done!

 

On many Mercedes, the oil filter is actually accessible from the top of the engine compartment, and Mercedes recommends suction evacuation from the dipstick tube using fluid evacuators like these:
Mityvac.

On a Jag, you still have to jack up the car to get to the filter, so there is less incentive to use one of these, but the evacuators do make the job a bit less messy.

 

Rev I don't know about the 4.2 but the 4.0 has the drain plug on the front. I've got a low catch pan that actually fits under the car if I lay on the floor I'm actually able to drain it without jacking up at all. Then I'll raise it to replace the filter. I agree with Eaglexkr that the car should be level.
Doug
2001 XKR Silverstone