Only 5 quarts of oil drained second oil change in a row (also… drain plug?)

[cjm41]

Okay- so first time I did an oil change on the 2014, I’d just gotten the truck. I thought maybe the last oil change wasn’t filled all the way or there was some circumstance that may have caused it when only 4.5 quarts came out.

I put 8 in, everything was fine.

Fast forward about 7500 miles, I just took 4.5 quarts out again.

This truck has 87k miles, runs flawlessly, doesn’t smell, doesn’t smoke. If it were burning three quarts of oil in 7500 miles I would notice something.

So I start digging around thinking maybe there’s more to getting oil out than sucking it out with a mityvac.

Then i stumble across this video from FCP Euro where they’re draining this 2016 LR4 from underneath.

So now I’m having a *** moment. Anyone have any insight or input here?

(Edit… I can’t believe double-u tee eff in the form of three letters is censored)

 

[f1racer328]

I pulled my drain plug after sucking oil out with an extractor and didn’t get much at all from the plug. Maybe 3 ounces or so.

I can usually pull out around 7-8 quarts so my Discos consuming a small amount of oil after 7500 miles, but not as much as yours.

Do you periodically check the oil level on the gauge cluster? I check weekly and have had to top off every so often. Usually it’s when I’m doing more towing and aggressive off roading.

 

[jlglr4]

I don’t think 3 quarts in 7500 miles is a ton. I remember my ride in high school would burn a quart every 1000-2000 miles, and it didn’t really smoke much or anything. On the LR4 though, I thought you might get an “add oil” message if you were down 3 quarts. I check the oil level periodically and I check right before an oil change so I know what I should expect to suck out. It’s never been 8 quarts - usually 7 to 7.5. I would just check the oil level every 1000-2000 and see how much you’re really burning.

Not sure why the w-t-f moment from the video.

 

[16FujiDisco]

I always drain using the plug; 1 - I don’t want to pay for an extractor, 2 - getting underneath give you a chance to look around for things dripping or wearing out

 

[cjm41]

Well it turns out I had to put about 7.5 liters back in.

Which means I was running like 3 liters short. There was no low oil warning. No indication there was an issue. I am not sure how it got 3 liters short, I’m the second owner, truck is semi-local (previous owner was in Manhattan Beach) truck has a clean and thorough Carfax with all services done at dealership (no repeated “check oil” type jobs, there are a couple anomaly “check battery” jobs), and a valid CA state smog from just before I bought it. I’m pretty new to CA but I would think excessive burning of oil might cause an issue. No signs of a leak. Nothing.

I am going to obsessively monitor the oil moving forward.

Not sure why the w-t-f moment from the video.

This was the first reference I’ve seen to a drain plug on the Lr4. I researched this pretty extensively before buying a $100 vac. I would need to go back and look at my post history and my LR3/4 FB group post history but I vividly remember bringing it up a year ago and being led to believe there was no drain plug (nor dipstick, but my M3 is the same way so I’m used to that).

Sidenote about the high school car, my $800 86 Firebird burned a boat load of oil, but it also needed to be parked on a hill so I could pop the clutch to start it and it had a house speaker in the trunk. I expected it from that thing. I also expect it from a Land Rover, but it just seemed like a lot.

I pulled my drain plug after sucking oil out with an extractor and didn’t get much at all from the plug. Maybe 3 ounces or so.

I can usually pull out around 7-8 quarts so my Discos consuming a small amount of oil after 7500 miles, but not as much as yours.

Do you periodically check the oil level on the gauge cluster? I check weekly and have had to top off every so often. Usually it’s when I’m doing more towing and aggressive off roading.

I checked it once. I’m going to obsess over it now. I don’t tow but I do have 32” AT tires and a roof rack. If I’m doing 80 mph and let off the throttle I might as well be towing a shipping container of lead blocks. There’s a lot of wind resistance so I’m def putting it through its paces.

I don’t daily drive it or commute in it. It’s an overland/road trip rig.

I always drain using the plug; 1 - I don’t want to pay for an extractor, 2 - getting underneath give you a chance to look around for things dripping or wearing out

Yeah had I known about the drain plug I’d have skipped the vac purchase.

I’ll be checking the oil constantly now. Definitely low oil message. I put 5 liters back in waiting for the reading to come up.

Thanks everyone… I think I just need to not sleep on monitoring this. I’m also a bit concerned about the fact there was no warning to add oil. Certainly something I should dig a bit more into.

 

[ryanjl]

You all who are balking at a $100 mightyvac purchase must value your time cheaply.

I'd guess the mightyvac saves around 30 to 40 minutes per oil change when you add up removing/reinstalling the skid plate, crawling underneath, changing clothes to stain-friendly ones, etc.

I've done 13 oil changes over the 6.5 years I've owned my LR4. 13 oil changes, saving around 30-40 minutes each, is 6.5 to 8 hours of time I've spent doing other things.

And this is just for oil changes. Many use the mightyvac for transmission fluid, diff fluid, etc. It's a super-handy tool.

 

[ktm525]

I vacuum bleed my brakes with it too.

 

[LR4Slavo]

Maybe you have a slowly seeping valve cover? I have the issue, waiting for my next oil change interval to replace it on the passenger bank. My leak does leave a few drips of oil on the ground here and there but its mostly leaking from the back, which basically avoids the exhaust and drips straight down on the skid plate before dropping on the ground - if your leak is centered it would likely burn off on the manifold covers and I don't think it would cause a noticeable plume of smoke.

Would also explain smog passes

+1 on the Mitivac, I have an off-brand but I use it religiously on my other cars and I plan to use it on the LR on the first change but I'll be doing 5k mile intervals instead - I also use it on my mower and motorcycle.

 

[jlach993]

Well it turns out I had to put about 7.5 liters back in.

Which means I was running like 3 liters short. There was no low oil warning. No indication there was an issue. I am not sure how it got 3 liters short, I’m the second owner, truck is semi-local (previous owner was in Manhattan Beach) truck has a clean and thorough Carfax with all services done at dealership (no repeated “check oil” type jobs, there are a couple anomaly “check battery” jobs), and a valid CA state smog from just before I bought it. I’m pretty new to CA but I would think excessive burning of oil might cause an issue. No signs of a leak. Nothing.

I am going to obsessively monitor the oil moving forward.


This was the first reference I’ve seen to a drain plug on the Lr4. I researched this pretty extensively before buying a $100 vac. I would need to go back and look at my post history and my LR3/4 FB group post history but I vividly remember bringing it up a year ago and being led to believe there was no drain plug (nor dipstick, but my M3 is the same way so I’m used to that).

Sidenote about the high school car, my $800 86 Firebird burned a boat load of oil, but it also needed to be parked on a hill so I could pop the clutch to start it and it had a house speaker in the trunk. I expected it from that thing. I also expect it from a Land Rover, but it just seemed like a lot.



I checked it once. I’m going to obsess over it now. I don’t tow but I do have 32” AT tires and a roof rack. If I’m doing 80 mph and let off the throttle I might as well be towing a shipping container of lead blocks. There’s a lot of wind resistance so I’m def putting it through its paces.

I don’t daily drive it or commute in it. It’s an overland/road trip rig.



Yeah had I known about the drain plug I’d have skipped the vac purchase.

I’ll be checking the oil constantly now. Definitely low oil message. I put 5 liters back in waiting for the reading to come up.

Thanks everyone… I think I just need to not sleep on monitoring this. I’m also a bit concerned about the fact there was no warning to add oil. Certainly something I should dig a bit more into.

House speakers in a car was the best sounding thing for a guy strapped for cash i miss those days honestly lol.

 

[ktm525]

There is little reason to worry. The LR has a larger sump than in Jag applications. This is for oil pickup at extreme off-roading angles. A couple of those litres are likely redundant f you are on the pavement. As you said the vehicle will let you know if oil gets to stupid low. By the amount you sucked out it sounds like you were close.

Even with a drain plug I have no appetite to deal with the skid plates and rolling under he car. The mity vac gets close to all the oil out. LR designed it that way with the included suction tube. It bottoms out at the bottom of the sump.