When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
In addition, it will deteriorate with age - this vehicle was in extreme heat all of its life, I don't know if that contributed or the lock would've failed anyway. Didn't matter a single bit. When I saw it deteriorating, I ordered replacements but they turned out to be wrong - they changed the design since and they didn't fit anymore. Well, I forgot to replace them immediately, and... nothing happened.
Originally Posted by VillaDazzler
Any random stick contact through the armour and that plastic comes off. You'd be unlucky but it can happen.
See the picture below - this occurrence is firmly in the top left corner. Your call, but the probability of such an event is so negligible, I doubt it is a *practical* consideration.
Like others said, the lever itself is also not opening right away after the clip is gone, but has to be lifted before it can be turned.
I have to admit that doubts about this valve being exposed was the last straw in a decision to install an oil pan skid plate which turned to be just about useless there (should've installed the fuel tank skid instead), but as time went and I saw no traces of the valve being exposed to any kind of mechanical interference, I let the worries go. In the end, the valve outlived the vehicle.
I enjoyed having this valve very much, it made the oil change a procedure I didn't need to take my fancy clothes off for - they also sell a plastic adapter and a tube, they're very well worth it: snap on, drain, snap off. Just don't forget to close the valve before you put new oil in I was distracted by someone and forgot once, cost me half a quart, got one of these afterwards, never forgot again:
Jesus. Start driving your defender. They aren’t garage queens. You could be gone tomorrow.
Originally Posted by Husky44
Thank you for taking the time, to, research this and, to write it up!
I only have 1500 miles on my 2023 P300, so I hadn't done a lot of thinking about oil changes just yet, but the vacuum idea makes my old-school brain nervous. I have a couple of other cars that people use these on--everyone swears by them. I hadn't run into problems that forced me to use one yet, but had read enough about the Defender playing that I'm loving this alternative to the vacuum method.
I see only one reply in this thread mentioning the P400. I want to determine if the same fumoto drain valve linked a few time in this thread will fit the P400. Can anyone confirm please? If not, I will ask my JLR dealer to check if the P300 and P400 share the same drain plug part number.
The previous post, detailing my project installing the Fumoto drain valve, shows the end result. Others have noted the accessibility of the drain plug on the P300 without enlarging the opening, but the clearances are different on the P400, which is why I went the extra distance to make the job easier. It may be possible to do it without the extra clearance but I felt that it would take a bit too much wrangling to make it a simple process. I went with the F106S, which came with a drain hose, and both a straight and 90 degree snap on fitting. Oil changes are a breeze now. (And I can attest that the force, position and dexterity to flip the lever to open is such that no branch or kicked up gravel or rock will cause the valve to open unintended, as others have expressed fears of happening. But to add extra insurance to that possibility, I added the diamond plate cover. If you decide to skip that step the chances of that mishap range from extremely low to near impossible.)
Last edited by WTFChuck; Mar 24, 2025 at 10:27 AM.
This is perfect @WTFChuck Thank you. I’ll order the same valve and hose fitting right now.
Originally Posted by WTFChuck
The previous post, detailing my project installing the Fumoto drain valve, shows the end result. Others have noted the accessibility of the drain plug on the P300 without enlarging the opening, but the clearances are different on the P400, which is why I went the extra distance to make the job easier. It may be possible to do it without the extra clearance but I felt that it would take a bit too much wrangling to make it a simple process. I went with the F106S, which came with a drain hose, and both a straight and 90 degree snap on fitting. Oil changes are a breeze now. (And I can attest that the force, position and dexterity to flip the lever to open is such that no branch or kicked up gravel or rock will cause the valve to open unintended, as others have expressed fears of happening. But to add extra insurance to that possibility, I added the diamond plate cover. If you decide to skip that step the chances of that mishap range from extremely low to near impossible.)
The photo of the drain hose shows the straight and 90 degree angle snap on fittings both inserted into each end of the hose. I place them both that way so as not to lose either but I use the straight fitting usually, removing the angle one from the other end before I stick it into the catch basin. If you notice the picture on the packaging, the fitting is white and made of plastic. When I received my valve from Fumoto inside the package was a note from the company explaining that the fittings were previously made of plastic, but in response to customer feedback and technical changes, they decided to upgrade the quality of their product and changed over to brass fittings. It has a snap ring which connects to the nipple on the valve with a solid, reassuring ‘click’. Props to Fumoto for the improvement.
I only have 1500 miles on my 2023 P300, so I hadn't done a lot of thinking about oil changes just yet, but the vacuum idea makes my old-school brain nervous.
Wow, I put 40K miles on our 2023 in 18 months, changing the oil every 10K miles using the vacuum method.
FWIW, I used the vacuum method on our LR4 and the original timing chain guides were still quiet at 200K miles. I think changing the oil every 7500 miles (instead of the JLR recommended interval of 15K miles) was more important than the oil change method.
Jesus. Start driving your defender. They aren’t garage queens. You could be gone tomorrow.
Originally Posted by Husky44
Thank you for taking the time, to, research this and, to write it up!
I only have 1500 miles on my 2023 P300, so I hadn't done a lot of thinking about oil changes just yet, but the vacuum idea makes my old-school brain nervous. I have a couple of other cars that people use these on--everyone swears by them. I hadn't run into problems that forced me to use one yet, but had read enough about the Defender playing that I'm loving this alternative to the vacuum method.
Originally Posted by GavinC
I'm guessing he may have driven it a bit in the year and a half since the 1500 miles in October 2023 when he wrote that.
When I made the original post I had only had it for a month, and had been out of town for part of that time.
I was distracted by someone and forgot once, cost me half a quart, got one of these afterwards, never forgot again:
