I hate to sound like a whiner, but really, in order to get to the oil drain plug and filter, you have to remove 6 fasteners in order to remove the belly pan below the engine compartment.

I appreciate that the belly pan shields the engine compartment from road debris, but geez, I ran out of daylight before I was able to get to the whole thing. I guess I will need half of a Saturday to change the oil on this beast.

No wonder Jag only recommends changing it every 10,000 miles (which I know is absurd).

Hopefully, I will get through this exercise more quickly every time I do it.

 

First time I did it......... 2 1/2 hours including the jack stands....

Now...... 30 to 40 min including the jack stands....

Plus... The engine compartment stays cleaner than any other car I've ever owned. Also, real easy to spot any leaks.

First time I changed the oil... stormed into the kitchen bitch'n up a storm.... now bitch that there isn't a belly pan on the Dodge Caravan......

 

Sorry to break it to you, but you probably are whining just a bit too much here. Compared to a few other cars I've owned changing the S-type's oil is a snap.

I do have a couple of quick pointers for you though.

1. Buy new hard ware for your under tray. I took my existing hardware to Lowe's and got all SS washers and wingnuts that really make removing the undertray much faster.

2. Get some ramps for the front of the car. Wal-mart sells Rhino brand ramps at good prices that will make servicing the car much easier (don't forget the tire stops for the back wheels!)

3. 10K miles on the oil is absolutely within the realm of possibility. If you drive your car 75% (or more)of its mileage on the freeway at cruising speeds, this car is pretty easy on the oil. You also have to take into account this car holds 2.5 quarts more oil than nearly every other car on the road(five quarts is your average fill, with many econo cars only taking 4qts!!). Especially with full synthetic and a quality filter (the Jaguar branded filter is a good one; I've cut it open), 10,000 miles is a no brainer.

 

Yep, a set of Rhino Ramps is the key. Our undertray has 9 fasteners (I replaced the two mostly stripped Posi-drive Phillips-head screws with a couple of flanged stainless steel ones that I had in my loose screw bucket) and I can now get the front end of the car up on the ramps and have the undertray off in less than 10 minutes. I can now put it back on in less than 15 minutes.

Experience along with the ramps have made this chore a lot easier now compared to when I bought the car back in mid-December....

 

How about a little cheese and crackers to go along with that w(h)ine........
Did I just hear the wifey......???

 

Call me a whiner but I completely agree. The frustrating part is that what should be an easy 10 minute job (1 jack, 1 wrench, 1 arm under the car) turns into a multi-step process. You shouldn't need screwdrivers and a socket set for an oil change. The engine was thoughtfully designed but the tray was not. It should have been designed around the drain plug and filter or they should have provided small access panels. Or at least made the tray two pieces.
One question I have. I usually lower the car so it sits level to make sure all the oil drains. What do you guys with the ramps do? With older cars I’d jack up the rear diff to level the car but I’d rather not with this one.

 

on the 4.2 i know the drain plug is on an angle on the back corner, so jacking or ramps actualy helps drain the oil.

sure all the panel removal can be hasseling, but it gives good reason to set aside a few hours every other month to take a good close look at all the parts underneat. give a nice wipedown, inspect the transmission pan and gasket, oil pan and gasketm subframe, steering linkages and stuff. i do it every oil change on every vehicle,

but if its a hassle for someone just bring it to a quickie lube, $40 with oil included is a bargain.

 

Has anyone tried one of the oil pumps? I have heard good and bad.

I must admit my days of oil changing are long gone. Now I go to an oil change place that does it for me. I have thought about doing it myself to save some money.

 

Maybe we should have a poll, whine required with oil change or not? (Beer is compulsory)

Why is 10,000 ludicrous? Seems fair to me.

 

Yes, the S-Type undertray could have been designed better with fewer (and sturdier) bolts holding it in place. But once you learn the tricks, it really isn't much of a problem to take off and put back on.

Keep in mind that one of the purposes of the undertray is to cause the owner to decide that he won't service the car himself. It drives simple maintenance service revenue right back to the dealer at inflated, highly profitable prices.

As far as draining the oil with the car up on the ramps, the placement of the drain plug on our V6 3.0 is just fine for that. And if just a bit of old oil gets left in the pan, it really isn't a big deal. I'm running conventional Castrol 5W-30 with a Purolator oil filter and I've stuck to a 6,000-mile change interval. Well within specs and I don't foresee any problems in that regard....

 

I begin the day with the Jaguar still on the ramp, waiting for me to come out and put the pan in. It began raining about halfway into my oil change and didn't stop. The rain sped the oil change up by quite a bit, however, I wasn't able to finish. The car still sits atop a pair of borrowed rhino ramps in the apartment parking lot.

Jon is absolutely correct that the belly pan is designed to keep people from working on their cars. HA! That won't stop me. I will never let an oil change defeat me. If I can't change the oil on a car, I don't deserve to own the car, or in the case of Mercedes (which doesn't have a drain plug), I won't own it.

The oil change is the most basic automotive service.

I have Amsoil 5/30 and a K/N oil filter. I hope to go 8000 miles between changes. The good thing is that I believe that I will be able to do so. The oil that came out of the car was not particularly bad. I almost felt bad about doing it since it still felt slick and was only slightly dirty.

Someone mentioned that Jaguars were easy on oil. I tend to believe that, but I'm not going to take any chances.

 

It appears that the cheap cheese crackers helped calm your nerves today! I do agree with Jon and Jeff though, once you remove the underpan afew times it doesn't seem to bother you (us) as much, just part of the process.

Oh btw was that oil job half done or half started? hmmmmmm

 

Yes. Those, a six pack of Rolling Rock and about 9 hours of sleep made all the difference. I have developed my own strategy for doing the oil change.

1. Buy synthetic oil and a high end oil filter to extend drain interval.

2. Start job late in the afternoon. Remove pan, drain oil and remove filter. Fill engine oil with Synthetic oil.

3. Clean up around the car. Place fasteners in a cup.

4. Keep car on ramps until the next day....

On the next day...

Install belly pan.

Done!

It's a different strategy, but it works for me, although maybe I'll try and do it in one sitting.

 

Oh and duh.... Don't wash the car before you change the oil.....

It had to look funny as he!! when I dropped the front of the pan and got drenched with water as it came gushing out.... Man, what the heck was I thinking..I normally know better....

 

no offense, but i laughed my A$$ of at this.......thx i needed that today

 

Maybe you should try that act on the Tonight show....

 

Some say changing the oil on the jaguar S-Type is easy. Hahaha! What year are we talking? I am going to take an image of MY Jaguar 2003 S-Type so all could see, the location of the filter and the pipes surrounding it.

I have found that many people on this forum add their advice, even though the car people are asking about and the car they have are different years or even different models! How does that help anyone?

When someone asks a question, be respectful and remember, they aren't asking about a different car or the possible similarities. They are asking about a specific make model and year.

 

If you look at the original post he doesnt even specify what kinda motor he has in his S type. Thats the reason mods try to tell everyone to put their vehicle info in their sig or why now people just say if you want any info list your engine. This post is a good example he got opinions from all over the place cause no one knew which motor he was even doing an oil change on.

Just to let you know your sig says you have a 6V. LOL. Must of been typing fast.

 

I think the oil filter is in the same place on all the yrs. V6's as yours is.
Besides 90% of the members have the same engine as you and change the oil all the time pipes and all.

 

Hey! The first six valve motor....

Sorry.... I know... That wasn't very helpful...


Yup..Bingo... Yea, there are some pipes that run under and around the filter but there is still plenty of room to even get a filter wrench in there..Changed mine all the time...Just need to remember to have a rag with you to wipe off any oil that drips onto those pipes...But I just like to keep it clean...