My car now has 6k miles and I did the electronic dipstick check today and it says "Add 0.5 Q" so I wanted to add some oil since the next oil change isn't due for a while. I checked with local stores (Autozone and Advance auto parts) and none have heard of the Castrol SLX Professional 5w-20 oil. They have the synthetic GLX and Edge both in the 5w-20 but not the SLX professional.

The dealer said I have to use the SLX but they don't seem to have it???? Weird. Where can I get this? If I can use something else, what can I use to top off the oil per the warning message? Thanks.

Jlindy

 

According to the Castrol website, SLX seems to be available only through car dealers. The closest thing I could find was 5w-20 Syntec, which you can probably find at an auto parts store. Check the specs from the site against the requirements set out in the owners manual to be sure it meets spec, but I'm guessing it will and besides, 0.5 qt. of this full synthetic oil mixed in with whatever's already there probably makes little difference.

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/gener...tentId=6006933

 

I saw that on Castrol's website too but the local dealer doesn't have it which is strange if they are doing oil changes. Hmmm. Also didn't see anything at the local stores that met the requirements but didn't look outside Castrol line edge which was the only castrol synthetic close to SLX. Didn't know if I could use Mobile 1 or which brand of Mobil 1 met the specs??

 

I'm not sure about Mobil 1. I seem to recall seeing it discussed on Ferrari and M5 boards that it ain't what it used to be and may not meet current "best" specs. The reason the specs are so high on the Jag is probably because of the supercharger. I agree it's curious that dealer lacks oil to sell you yet is doing oil changes. Maybe they only have it in bulk and get it in 55 gallon drums. Isn't maintenance included with your car? If so, just drop by dealer and have them top it off? You wouldn't need a full service visit.

 

Got a call back from the out of state dealership where I purchased the car. They called the Castrol rep who unofficially said that if I needed to top off the oil in a pinch, then the Castrol Edge Titanium was the closest to the SLX and would work especially if I only needed 1/2 Q. They only use the SLX since that is what is called for but can't ship or sell to me since it is a hazardous chemical?? Still no idea where I can buy the SLX as they seem to keep saying that is really what I need.

FYI, once the car cooled down, it said oil level ok, but I am guessing it won't be long before I need to add so need to get this soon.

 

UK owners report the same conundrum. Apparently there is very little or none of this oil available outside the factories. 5W 20 is a fuel economy oil and the 5.0 DI V8 is designed for low internal friction losses: i.e. super thin oil when running hot. Since the oil is more viscous when cold than when hot I fail to see why you cannot use any 5W 30 or 0W 30 oil to top up. Half a liter isn't going to make any difference to the overall viscosity and at worst the fuel economy may be affected slightly. The oil is still going to flow throughout the engine.

Older XF spec 5W 30 for the port injected 4.2 V8, even for supercharged engines.

 

Proir to my last oil change, I was quart low. I used the Castrol Edge Titanium and didn't have any problems. My gas milage remain the same. I don't think you will have a problem.

 

On my last visit to the dealership for a complimentary wheel alignment before the first 12.5K miles and software a upgrade for the TPMS, they insisted on an oil change at the 8.5 k mileage, because of the climate in Charlotte so I agreed and they charged me $135 for oil and filter. After I checked the oil level at home the next morning it was .5 qt low. Not trusting the dealership, I purchased 4 qts of 10W-30 Castrol Edge Titanium. When I siphoned out the dealer installed oil it was the viscosity of water!
Since the summer climate in my area is very hot and I do a lot of sustained interstate driving with the rpm's around 2,250+ the higher viscosity shouldn't hurt. To my amazement the highway gas mileage has increased to a consistant 28 mpg on BP Ultimate. With Shell V-Power it's was 25 mpg.

 

Here are a couple of excerpts from Jaguar regarding the oil specified for the 5.0L engines. The oil "coming out like water" is a good thing is this case, contrary to conventional wisdom. Not only does this oil have better lubrication qualities and an extreme resistance to breakdown, it's lower viscosity is required by the infinitely variable valve timing components. Thicker oil slows the response of the timing units and is harder on the internal seals etc. of many components.

You wouldn't put thicker oil in a transmission, would you??

**********************************

Use only 5W-20 engine oil, meeting
specification WSS M2C925-A.
Jaguar recommends:
Castrol SLX Professional OE 5W-20.
In an emergency, if the oil of the above
specification is unavailable, the engine can be
topped-up using a maximum of 1 litre (2 US
Pints) of 5W-20 oil meeting specification
ILSACGF-4 API SM.
**********************************

Fully synthetic oil is specified; this is more resistant to
temperature-related degradation than conventional
motor oil. It also has lower viscosity at low
temperatures and improved lubrication performance at
higher temperatures.
The specification of SLX Professional A1 5W-20
synthetic oil is an important part of new engines oil
change strategy as it permits longer oil-change intervals
than conventional lubricants.
**********************************

Just something to think about.

Oh, I might add the here is the midwest at least, some of our owners have found the SLX OE oil at WalMart and NAPA stores, though they don't seem to always have a lot on hand.

Cheers,

 

FYI I checked both local walmart and Napa and neither had the SLX Professional or have even heard of it. Napa thought they could order anything but it wasn't in their catalog. There has to be a place where I can buy this stuff to top it off. Very frustrating. I know I could use edge titanium but prefer to use what is meant for this car.

 

Damn! I just checked into it and you are right. I can't find it now either. Late last summer our parts dept. got caught with their pants down and didn't have any oil for two jobs. One an oil change, and one an engine repair. My manager hunted down some SLX Professional OE 5w20 and got 10-12 quarts from a Napa store and 6-7 from a WalMart store. He found it by their websites. I can't find any mention of it now.

I don't get it! I'm sorry for the misdirection.

 

Don't go crazy looling for the SLX oil, the Edge Titanium is a superior oil and it is available in many places. Picked it up at Walmart!

 

Most, if not all, Jaguar dealers should have Castrol SLX OE 5W20 on hand. It's the ONLY oil we use for all the 5.0 L engines. Yes, it's thin. The tight tolerances of the 5.0 L engine require that a very thin oil be used. If you use anything other than Castrol SLX OE 5W20, you are at risk of losing warranty coverage. Notice I said at-risk of losing, and not "WILL LOSE".

Also, all 2010 cars should receive their first 15K service covered by Jaguar. Additionally, all 2011 cars receive 5 years/50,000 mile Platinum Coverage on maintenance - if you don't exceed it by time, the 15K, 30K, and 45K services are all covered by Jaguar, plus brakes, brake fluid, and wiper blades. There's no reason NOT to use SLX.

INSIST on the dealer using Castrol SLX OE 5W20. If they don't have access to it, or claim they cannot sell it to you over the counter, call me and I will gladly ship some to you. We can ship HazMat.

 

Jaguar insists that you use 5W 20 oil meeting a specific specification. They recommend the Castrol product that does so. Any oil meeting that spec can be used. The tricky part is searching the other products for a note that the specification is met. Since it is a Ford spec I would be surprised if only Castrol meets it.

This seems to be another tied marketing issue.

In fact a quick google reveals that Mobil claims their Mobil 1 0W 20 meets this spec:

http://thelubricantstore.com/custome...1-EP-5W30.html

and AMSOIL

http://www.amsoil.com/mygarage/vehic...10+JAGUAR+XF+B

and Bardahl (whoever they may be)

http://www.bardahl.ca/motor_oils.html

Any synthetic 5W 20 can be used to top up the sump by up to 1 liter (around a US qt).

These engines ought not to be using more than a liter between changes, once run in correctly. Mine uses around half a liter in 8,000 km at present which seems a lot (that would be just a liter between maximum mileage oil change intervals.)

 

Mobil 1 5W-20 meets the WSS M2C925-A spec. Available at your local Wally World. Just check the back of the bottle for the specs each oil meets.
YMMV,
Paul

 

quick question, per the manual, the oil must be measured when it is hot and after a run. It says wait 10 minutes after you stop on a level surface and push the start button without the foot on the brake and scroll through the screen until you hit the oil level. Every time I do this, it says "see owners handbook" and won't give me the oil level. Long story short, the next morning before I start it the first time, it says add 0.5 L or and most recently said add 1.0 L. If the car is cold, would this affect the oil level causing it to say I needed to add more than necessary? I'm out of town in a city that has a dealership that sells this oil so I am picking some up while I'm here. However, should I immediately add this in the airport parking lot when I return or are the levels still ok at add 0.5 for just driving home considering this is the cold reading?

Just making sure I am not operating at a dangerous level and having blow up/warranty issues per the other similar thread. Thanks.

 

I don't feel there is any reason you cannot drive the car home so you can properly check the oil level there; do give it the run time so it is warm.

Sometimes the wait does exceed 10 minutes a bit, so just give it a little more time. Having the car level IS critical though, maybe a little more than it should be, but that's the reality.

Cheers,

 

The sump is 6.5 qts (6 liters) which is a lot. The engine only needs topping up when a quart (or liter) low. Until then it isn't very important. It is very important not to overfill the sump. The engine is designed to run safely under all conditions with one quart missing from the sump. That is why there is that one quart gap on the dipstick on cars that had dipsticks.

Measuring the oil level when cold is a good idea as long as one remembers that oil expands when hot so only add oil if the oil level is very low when cold.

 

Jagular, I'm gonna have to differ with you on this one buddy. Jaguar says the 5.0L initial oil fill is 8.75L and the fill at oil & filter change is 7.25L. When we do the oil change it always takes just shy of 8 liters to place the indicator on full after we reset the average oil level, which has to be done after an oil change. One other tidbit to note.......the ignition should be left on during a top-up. That is so the electronic dipstick can register and display the new oil level.

Cheers,

 

That might be true for the 5.0L but he has a 4.2L which is probably where his numbers come from.