Has anyone changed their oil and filter themsleves? Apologies if this has already been posted, but I couldn't find it. It looks like a complete nightmare due to lack of space at the front of the engine. Land Rover aparently use a specific tool to remove the filter. My local dealer want £140.00 to change the oil. I can do it myself for around £60.00. I've always change the oil and filter between services, but I get the feeling this is gonna be a bit of a hard task. Any help would be much appreciated??

Thanks Phil Gone - TD4 XS Auto, Sumatra Black, Mud flaps and side strips, clear indicators, private plate, privacy glass

Phil......................... why change the oil between services?
The oil is synthetic and is designed to go 12 months and 15000 miles between services. OK so clean oil is nice in your engine but I doubt it will extend the life of it much and the carbon deposits etc that a diesel engine makes will be straight back there the 1st time you run the engine. I wouldn't say that you are throwing good money away with the price of oil today but it isn't necessary to change the oil between services.
Americans cannot grasp the concept of oil engineered to go for yonks between services mainly because they have been brainwashed by the oil companies that they should change the oil and filter every 5k miles, which is OK if you are paying only a few cents per gallon for it but even they have woken up to the fact that LR use synthetic oils which can go the distance without a filter and oil change in the middle, especiall now that oil has gone up to about $1 a gallon over there! How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

I know what you're saying mate, but there's arguments for and against really. I know in theory sythentic based oils last the distance, but i'm still a fond believer that changing the oil every six months is always good. Particularly so for Diesel engines, taking into account the high compression they run under. Don't think I'll have a choice though as it looks a real b@£tard to do without the correct tools and I'm certainly not paying £140.00 to have it done. thanks for the post though. Phil  Gone - TD4 XS Auto, Sumatra Black, Mud flaps and side strips, clear indicators, private plate, privacy glass

Tim in Scotland wrote:

Phil......................... why change the oil between services?
The oil is synthetic and is designed to go 12 months and 15000 miles between services. OK so clean oil is nice in your engine but I doubt it will extend the life of it much and the carbon deposits etc that a diesel engine makes will be straight back there the 1st time you run the engine. I wouldn't say that you are throwing good money away with the price of oil today but it isn't necessary to change the oil between services.
Americans cannot grasp the concept of oil engineered to go for yonks between services mainly because they have been brainwashed by the oil companies that they should change the oil and filter every 5k miles, which is OK if you are paying only a few cents per gallon for it but even they have woken up to the fact that LR use synthetic oils which can go the distance without a filter and oil change in the middle, especiall now that oil has gone up to about $1 a gallon over there!

I totally agree... about making the oil do what it's supposed to do. The oil manufacturers spend a fortune on developing high performance longlasting oils, then we go and ignore them and change at 50% of the advised limit ... someone is making a fortune out of that ... and its not the owner of the vehicle ...

I'm not sure I agree it is the oil companies who browbeat folks into wanting to do a 3K or 5k miles oil change, the oil companies are producing these high tech oils and suggesting that you CAN safely make these extended oil changes. Somehow there is something in motoring 'folklaw' that prevents folks from accepting the claims of long life high spec lubes.

I'll repeat a couple of comment I've made before about oils specs and oil changing ... when did you last here of a vehicle problem that was related to the quality of oil/or oil change interval? Another point IF, and its a big IF you have bought your FL2 (or any other vehicle) with the express intention of running it until the day it drops, the I can accept you have a vested interest in its longevity from day one (and maybe then there is comfort factor in an enhanced oil change regime. But how often is that the case these days, has anyone reading this bought their FL2 with the intention of running until the day it drops? I'd guess no one.

If you're intending to run the car fro 2, 3 or four years, maybe upto 40-60k miles then I really don't think you'll have the slightest problem if you run to maunfacturers spec oil and oil change intervals. Personally I would derive no extra feel good factor by more frequent oil changes or over spec'ing the oil. That said then the rather blunt question is ... why bother ...? Stornoway Grey GS ... What a fine motor ... but not any more ... ... psst look at my gallery!
Company cars ... a thing of the past - May 2013.

I'm now contemplating keeping my Fl2 until the day it drops. Trading my farm truck in against my next 'new' car in 2-3 years time then abusing the fl2 on the farm, this makes sense as after a couple of off road trips in the fl2 I've learnt the suspension is about 100 times better than the pickups suspension

But with this in mind I will still stick to Land-rovers service interval and not add any extra oil changes.

but as it took half an hour with an industrial power washer to blast the mud out of the wheel arches on my truck so I could send it in for a service, could I give my fl2 that kind of punishment ? with this in mind I should have bought a grey one - less good looks to worry about .......................

Just realised farm trucks need .....dare I say it....... a tow bar  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

CG get yourself along to the local Landy Dealer and have a drive in the new Defender with the Transit engine.
I think you may be pleasantly surprised at how civilised it is these days. Locally the farmers here are dumping lots of Ford Rangers and the like and are all moving back to Defenders or even Disco3 commercial's for farm use.
And a Defender with a tow bar doesn't mark you out as a vanner...........................  How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

Defenders are good work trucks without doubt, but they are too antiquated now , no crash safety , no air bags and the doors still leak (read flood) every time it rains . Its time LR reworked the defender from the ground up. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

'Tis obviously a long time since you have been in a Defender CG. Yes I get a damp right foot when we have tropical rain storms and floods, but even my 1996 90 never gets flooded inside unless I put the garden hose into it to wash out all the mud I've dragged into it....................... How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green