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bozmandb9



Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Posts: 1055

2013 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Causeway Grey
Oil level

Hi Guys. Thought I’d check my oil level and it’s showing as underfilled.

Did some Google searching, and it bought up info from here to indicate that I shouldn’t trust the reading!

So what do I do? I’ve topped up by half a liter. It’s about 2-3k miles since my last oil change. No problems or warnings. In the absence of the bodge to create a distick is there no way to reliably check oil level?

Thanks in advance. 2012 SDV8 Vogue SE

Post #716347 18th Apr 2025 4:07pm
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madnessgonemad



Member Since: 28 Aug 2020
Location: Kent
Posts: 108

England 

I had the same issue with my L322 2012.
The yellow warning light went on so I checked the electronic level which showed underfilled. I put in 2 litres and the light went off but it was still showing under filled.
I rang up my Indy where it was booked in for a service a few weeks later. They said the only way to 100% check the oil level is to see how much comes out at an oil change.
They told me to keep an eye on it. I was wary of putting more oil in if the gauge was faulty and there seemed no sign of an oil leak.
It turned out the oil filter gasket had gone and it was leaking and burning off the hot engine somewhere.The level was very low.
I suppose the moral is drain the oil and see how much is in there so not to cause damage with too little or too much oil.
What was wrong with a dipsticK????!

Post #716351 18th Apr 2025 5:20pm
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Kot



Member Since: 10 Mar 2021
Location: Broadland
Posts: 1376

United Kingdom 
Re: Oil level

I would start by Buying a vacuum pump (Sealey 10L suits me) and extract the oil and measure the quantity, you will know then that the oil sensor is correct. Replace with new oil (C1 presume its a 4.4 diesel?) I usually put in 9.3L of new oil (it will be different if it's a 3.0 diesel) and change the oil filter and then reset the service indicator.
Plenty of threads on here on changing oil and filter change @Baltic Blue is a good thread. 2018 SE SDV8 4.4 Byron Blue

Post #716355 18th Apr 2025 6:43pm
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bozmandb9



Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Posts: 1055

2013 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Causeway Grey

Think I'll do this, I've been trying to find a C1 or C4 5W40, but think I'll have to admit defeat, and stick to 5W30 C1! 2012 SDV8 Vogue SE

Post #716413 19th Apr 2025 7:54pm
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bozmandb9



Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Posts: 1055

2013 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Causeway Grey
Re: Oil level

Kot wrote:
I would start by Buying a vacuum pump (Sealey 10L suits me) and extract the oil and measure the quantity, you will know then that the oil sensor is correct. Replace with new oil (C1 presume its a 4.4 diesel?) I usually put in 9.3L of new oil (it will be different if it's a 3.0 diesel) and change the oil filter and then reset the service indicator.
Plenty of threads on here on changing oil and filter change @Baltic Blue is a good thread.


The problem with this is confidence. If I buy an extractor, and get 8 litres out for example, it may be that my oil level was low. Or it may be that I have not successfully extracted all the oil on my first attempt with a new pump.

Also, do we really know exactly how much oil should come out with a pump? I guess in a perfect world you get 9.5 litres out and put the same back in. But if you get 7l out, put 9.5 litres in, I guess you could be taking a massive risk! 2012 SDV8 Vogue SE

Post #716418 19th Apr 2025 9:52pm
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Kot



Member Since: 10 Mar 2021
Location: Broadland
Posts: 1376

United Kingdom 

In that case use the drain plug! 2018 SE SDV8 4.4 Byron Blue

Post #716424 19th Apr 2025 11:17pm
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kevinp



Member Since: 28 Sep 2019
Location: Telford
Posts: 1319

United Kingdom 2011 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black

The pump method gets virtually all the oil out. It starts sucking air when all the oil is extracted.
You will probably get a touch more out than you need to put back in because of oil dilution.

Post #716426 20th Apr 2025 12:07am
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janpel



Member Since: 13 Jun 2022
Location: Harderwijk
Posts: 2

Netherlands 2016 Range Rover Vogue SDV8 Kaikoura Stone

I did a test on a 4.4 and 3.0 SDV, first took all the oil out with a vacuum pump and then took out the sump plug. In both cases there was hardly any more oil coming from the sump.
It shows that the vacuum way is very effective and thereby a whole lot cleaner and quicker then the sump approach.

It helps to loosen the oil filter cap first before the oil removal start, so that the filter housing content can drain in the sump before taking the oil out.

Post #716443 20th Apr 2025 12:41pm
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nambFFRR



Member Since: 07 Aug 2018
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 213

United Kingdom 2016 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Corris Grey

I’m in the same boat. Recently serviced by Stratstone and it’s showing underfilled on the gauge but bang on the minimum. Guess if they always do this they can save nearly 2 litres in every oil change the savings to them will add up over a year! I’m a sceptic and a pessimist!!
My thought would be to extract and see how much oil I can get out.
Previously on another 4.4 tdv8 I’ve managed to extract nigh on 10litres. I topped up carefully with new oil and bit by bit it took again nigh on 10litres - I ended up with some spare oil out of the 2 5 litre containers I used. I’d guess it was marginally over 9.5litres.
I love the idea of the drip stick option if anyone develops one
Best regards
Mark L405 2016 4.4SDV8 Autobiography Corris Grey/Pimento - Current
L322 2011 4.4TDV8 Vogue SE Alaska White/Charcoal - Gone
and lots of other none LR stuff…..

Post #719385 7th Jun 2025 9:41pm
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supershuttle



Member Since: 20 Mar 2011
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3912

England 2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Luxor

I have the opposite to most, using the vacuum method I get 8 and a bit out so I put 8 and a bit back in. The electronic indicator on the dash reads full, I wonder if it’s reading under and I should add another litre, would it do any harm if it was overfilled anyway? Or for that matter what if it did only have 8L in? Geoff

Post #719407 8th Jun 2025 1:35pm
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nambFFRR



Member Since: 07 Aug 2018
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 213

United Kingdom 2016 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Corris Grey

bozmandb9 wrote:
Think I'll do this, I've been trying to find a C1 or C4 5W40, but think I'll have to admit defeat, and stick to 5W30 C1!


Halfords do a synthetic 5W-30 C1 to the Land Rover and Ford spec for the 4.4 engine. Halfords put out orders to the oil suppliers who blend oils from Castrol and another oil co (can’t remember at the minute) which is fine for the V8. Shell/castrol/mobil etc are all over priced due to marketing and advertising. Normally I use Opie oils and buy Valvoline oils. Opie sell them in 5litre containers and are reasonably priced.

Regards
Mark L405 2016 4.4SDV8 Autobiography Corris Grey/Pimento - Current
L322 2011 4.4TDV8 Vogue SE Alaska White/Charcoal - Gone
and lots of other none LR stuff…..

Post #719436 8th Jun 2025 8:53pm
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Bardley



Member Since: 01 Jan 2025
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 3

United Kingdom 2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Corris Grey

Just a recommendation..used this for years in the D4, now in the L405 V8.

Click image to enlarge

Free delivery: usually APC.
I also use the 10/60 they sell in an LC8 KTM.

Post #719443 8th Jun 2025 10:04pm
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