Regular renewal of engine oil is important in a diesel engine due to the fact that carbon deposits build up quickly, and the engine will consume a small amount of oil in normal operation.

Engine oil is the most expensive consumable/service item for the Freelander and costs anywhere between £40 and £80 depending on brand and type.  It is also arguably the most important service item, and being able to do it yourself gives you peace of mind knowing it was done properly, and with the right quality oil.

Tools required

• 36mm socket with extension
• 10mm, 13mm and 15mm spanners or preferably sockets
• Oil drain pan with ~7 litre capacity
• Axle stands or ramps (optional)

Consumables required

• Oil filter (LR part number LRF100150L)
• Oil, grade according to user manual
• Sump plug washer (LR part number ALU1403L)

Method

First of all, the engine undertray must be removed.  This is by far the most annoying part of the job, and can be more frustrating than refitting the air filter cover.  On my vehicle the following bolts and screws need to be removed:

• Six 13mm bolts
• Two 10mm bolts
• Eight Philips no. 2 screws

I managed to remove the undertray without raising the front of the vehicle, which is fortunate since the engine oil must be drained when the car is level.  Not having to raise and lower the car twice was a bit of a time saver (since I have stands and not ramps).  If you decide to raise the front of the car to remove the undertray, for safety’s sake use axle stands or ramps, and don’t forget to lower the car again before draining the oil.

The following diagram shows the locations of the screws and bolts securing the undertray to the car.  On my vehicle the four screws on the bottom of the front edge of the bumper valance didn’t quite match the diagram, so I suspect the diagram shows a pre-facelift Freelander.  It is also important to note that the diagram indicates two particular bolts shown by the top left and right arrows.  These bolts are actually hidden from view when looking upwards from below the bumper; you need to pull the plastic valence down and stick your hand in to find them, and are a little tricky to get to – I used a 13mm socket and ratchet instead of a spanner, with the ratchet handle poking out of the side of the car.

Click to enlarge

Once the undertray is off, you will be able to see the sump with the drain plug facing the rear of the car.  Run the engine at idle for a few minutes to heat up the oil so it drains quickly, and you get as much out as possible.  Lay some newspaper on the ground under the sump, position the oil pan under the sump plug, and remove the sump plug with a 15mm spanner or socket.  The sump plug itself will probably drop into the oil pan, followed by a strong stream of oil.  Take care to reposition the oil pan as the flow of oil slows.  The oil will take several minutes to drain, and the book states the engine’s oil capacity is 6.8l so make sure you have a drain pan of sufficient size.  I drained around 6.5l from my engine.

Once oil has stopped flowing from the drain, remove the old washer from the plug, refit a new washer, and replace the plug, tightening securely by hand.

Location of oil filter

The oil filter is located at the front of the engine bay, in front of the intake manifold and just below the dipstick.  The oil filter cover needs a 36mm socket with extension, and can be persuaded past an obstructing pipe with a little jiggling or levering with a screwdriver – be careful if your engine is still hot though!  On my car there is a sensor in the air intake whose cable was in the way of removing the filter cap, but this was easily unclipped.

Remove the paper filter element from the oil filter cap, and replace the three rubber washers with those that came with the filter after having lubricated them with fresh engine oil.  Fit the new filter element, making sure it sits snugly over the round lip which fits into the filter element’s central cavity, and replace the filter cap.  Again, tighten securely by hand.

Refilling the oil is simple; fill the engine with half the oil, then leave at least ten minutes for it to drain into the engine.  Check the level with the dipstick (it’s important to wipe the dipstick before measuring the oil level).  Keep adding oil little by little until the oil is at the max mark – it takes around 1l to raise the oil level from the min mark to the max mark.  Replace the oil filler cap.

Start the engine and let it idle for a few minutes, checking for oil leaks.  If your oil level warning light comes on, it should extinguish after a short while of the engine running.

Replace the engine undertray.

Notes

I used Castrol Magnatec 5W-40 after much research, price comparison, and eventual realisation that almost anything is better than the black sludge currently sitting in the engine.  There is a very good source of information on the Opie Oils website.

There are two undertray screws on the front edge of each front wheel arch; these secure two triangular plastic flaps which can be popped out once the screws are removed.  The flap on the passenger side of my car was only secured by one screw, though there were two screwholes; I was unable to get a screw to bite into anything in this hole, and I suspect this is due to the fuel-burning heater exhaust being in this location.

I chose to fit a drain plug adapter from Difflock.com which will allow me to carry out future oil changes without completely removing the undertray, thanks to the hose attachment.

Refitting the undertray is difficult as a one-person job.  Balancing a rather large and heavy item while trying to line up bolt holes and also use a ratchet was not much fun.  I found the job easier by first inserting the front end of the undertray under the bumper valence and then loosely fitting the rear 10mm undertray bolts, fitting the remaining bolts only very loosely until all were located.

Some people find it beneficial to cut a suitably-sized hole in the plastic of the undertray for future oil changes.  But be careful, if the hole is too small you may end up having to remove an oily undertray and clean up a large oil spill, and if the hole is too large you could be exposing the delicate underside of the engine to debris from the road.

Do not be tempted to leave the undertray off.  Although it was designed to give extra protection to the engine while offroading, several delicate engine parts have no protection when it is removed, leaving them vulnerable to kicked up stones and chippings when driving on-road.