Old age and trust issues ‘97 XK8
 

Boy oh boy. My budget doesn’t allow me to go from mechanic to mechanic and I am unable to do the looking/troubleshooting myself. Question: last oil change a few days ago, my mechanic of 2 1/2 years said my oil pan was slightly “wet”, that “we” may need to change the gasket. Also suggested I drive the car more often and not just around town. Last bit makes sense of course. Any experience with the “wet oil pan may need gasket” being a quick money-maker for a garage? I don’t trust car dealers, real estate people, attorneys, repair garages , my ex-husband, etc. Meanwhile driving car a couple times a week, open highway. On my way to pick up white project boards for under car….

Looks like oil pan gaskets are as low as $11 on eBay. Mechanic may charge say 3 times that. Should not take more than an 1/2 hour to change. Ask for an estimate first.

Many repair shops have a one hour minimum hourly labor charge. Which is entirely reasonable. Even if fixing the issue takes 30 minutes, you are paying for the expertise, not just the exact time it takes. One hour rates can vary from $50 to $100+. You just have to ask for details before dropping off the car.

All that said, if you have a set of drive-on ramps and a creeper, you can get under the car and inspect the oil pan yourself. That may or may not be easy depending on your physicality.

I’m 72. Some days it easy to work on the car. Other days, not so easy.

if you are in the “not so easy” category, then owning this car may be expensive. They are no more or less reliable than any other 20 + year old car. It’s not the age of the car, it’s a matter of how well it’s been maintained that determines how expensive it will be to own.

Z

PS: these cars do not do well if left to sit unused. You need to drive it as much as possible to have the best reliability. When not being driven, the car needs to be attached to a battery tender. That will keep many electrical gremlins at bay.

I assume that the white boards are to check whether the car is actually dripping oil when parked? If it is not, then just ignore it unless your oil level is dropping if you check the dipstick every 500 miles or so.

Richard

Good that he drew your attention to it but that description puts it more towards the "unsightly" rather than the "high risk" category in my mind. Use your white board under the vehicle to source any oil loss and check the level with the dipstick regularly before committing to a repair.

Graham

oil pan leak
 

When we purchased our 1998 xk8 a year ago, we put it on a lift for inspection and saw that the oil pan was leaking, the gasket is easily accessible without any obstructions,
it was less than an hour to replace it. The advice to drive it and not let it sit is spot on.

Zray; I'm 83. Checked and added trans. fluid to my 05 VDP Saturday using ramps, jack and stands and creeper. Hopefully my shoulders will quit hurting eventually.

First, let me say that if you can't DIY (not uncommon, and not an insult), and you can't trust your indie shop, you need to find another car. If you think your indie is out to make a quick buck off of you, things aren't going to work out. Either develop a good relationship with an indie shop or switch to a much newer car.

Second, these cars don't use gaskets, in the traditional sense. They use mostly the equivalent of o-rings. These are generally easier to install and don't require sealant, at the expense of a somewhat shorter lifespan. And if left to sit too long they will get hard and leak prematurely.

The problem is that small leaks may not be serious, but they turn into big leaks. And big leaks can be serious. I've seen lots of cars with failed hoses, or failed belts, because of oil leaks.

My point is that your mechanic is 100% correct in pointing out small leaks. It's far better to stay on top of them and fix them when they are small, than to wait until your entire engine bay or undercarriage is coated in oil. Luckily, the lower oil pan of these cars is very accessible and the pan cover is quite easy to remove. If you wanted to dip your toe into the DIY waters, it's a good place to start.

There's my 2 cents.

Suspicion dies hard
 

You are absolutely correct, I know. And not insulted, at all. Wistful and envious of the people who can do extensive DIY on these cars. I love the car and I tend to overthink. (I could so easily be a Prepper) New service manager at my indie shop… old one always referred to the Jag as “our car”. I’ve had a long year, need to regroup and get back into looking at what the car needs. Thanks, appreciate your honesty!

If I remember correctly, forum member BobRoy took you under his wing shortly after you acquired your XK8. I assume he is in your general neighborhood. Have you reached out to him lately?