Hi All,

Wanted to get the group's thoughts: For the new Defender, in the handbook (see attached page), it recommends getting the vehicle serviced every 21,000 miles or every 2 years -- whichever comes first. When researching the Ingenium engine-equipped vehicles (such as the Defender), it says servicing (including oil change) has been extended 30% from 16,000 miles to 21,000 miles due to several innovations of the engine that combine lower oil consumption and clean up of the combustion process--ensuring the oil remains cleaner for longer. I've never gone 21,000 miles btwn oil changes; however, this is a more advanced/efficient engine....allegedly. I am tempted to just get an oil change at the half way mark (10,500 miles) but curious to see what others think.

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2020 Defender 110 First Edition Indus Silver (Current)
2020 Discovery HSE Luxury Si6 Fuji White (Current)
2015 RRS Autobiography Fuji White (Former)
2011 RRS Supercharged Fuji White (Former)
2008 LR2 Fuji White (Former)

 

I'll ignore that schedule and keep changing it in my garage every 7500 miles with a good quality synthetic oil and OEM filter, just as I was doing with my LR4. Easy, dare I say fun 10-minute job, and safer than waiting 21K miles - even 15K always felt like too long of an interval to me. Not that I don't trust Land Rover's improvements to their engines, but it's my car and I feel better that way. The only difference with the Defender compared to my old LR4 is the plastic cap of the oil filter (you no longer need a funky 89 or 90 mm fluted filter cap socket to remove it, a 27 mm socket and torque wrench will do) and you can still vacuum the old oil from the top of the engine with a manual pump, now from the dipstick pipe that LR wisely (thankfully) decided to reintroduce on its Ingenium engines after going with all-electronic oil gauges for a few years.

Umberto

 

European manufacturers seem to keep stretching the oil change interval out. It seems as if they're just trying to get the motor through the 50k warranty period. I change the oil in all of my vehicles every 5k miles with high quality 100% synthetic. This is a turbo charged vehicle any sludge could be disastrous. I wouldn't be comfortable with 21k, 10.5k, and 7.5k may be often enough, but I plan on keeping the car 10 years and I'll change all fluids regularly.

 

Fast-forward 4 years from now and Defender owners that changed the oil every 21K miles will have noisy timing chains and need new tensioners. LR4 dejavu all over again.

 

I followed very firmly the 5000K or less approach on my 2011 V8 LR4. It is now at 135K miles and the tensioners are tapping, but just barely. For my turbo Evoque, I was was changing the oil every 3500 miles, without fail.

I would never go above 5000K without an oil change on any automobile. It's just very inexpensive insurance -- that's my thought. I have no factual evidence -- but the potential cost of failure is just too much. Plus, I have too many years of training to change at 3000 miles, always.

 

Especially when it takes 15 minutes or less to change the oil using a Mityvac.

 

It makes me wonder if these intervals are mandated by scientist that want to keep engines running tiptop or by scientist being pressured show that less oil will be used, therefore: more environmentally friendly (engine longevity and enviro cost tgere be damned...
I'd be comfortable at 10k... oil quality and engines not sooting up the oil have come a long way in a recent short time.

 

I'm going to play a bit of Devil's advocate here and then completely contradict myself. Modern full synthetic motor oil is incredibly impressive to the point of its viscosity remaining consistent throughout it's lifespan in your engine. I agree with the point being made that they wouldn't recommend this without having first tested and vetted it.

However, this is likely looking at the lifespan of the viscosity and the filter without the perspective of other things that can greatly affect it. These could be large temperature swings, high engine load operation, or the most likely culprit, dusty or sand road conditions. Check the fine print on that 21k!

If your vehicle stays on nothing but tarmac, and you don't push the engine to its limits, then their recommendation is likely just fine. I live on a dirt road and I will keep my LR4 to my strict 12mo or 5-6k mi interval and if I buy a new Defender keep that as well.

I'm not a mechanic, but rather an engineer (let the hate commence) and I work with large reciprocating engines everyday. In the name of efficiency we have begun to extend our oil change intervals further out. This however is accomplished with a rigid oil analysis program, and I could never see leaving the oil in my vehicle past 12mo without testing it just due to water or dirt contamination. For the cost of analyzing it, just change it.

Wilybyrd
'10 LR4

 

I just read an article about this question. The article stated that if you drive the car normal, feel comfortable following the schedule but most people do not drive the car normal. If you live in Hot or Cold areas, you need to change the oil more. If you drive off-road or drive fast, you need to change the oil more. At the end of the article, they said just to change the oil well before the recommended interval. Engines are tested in a perfect environment and the calculations are based on the perfect environment. My question is the transmission, LR says its sealed and no need to change it. I have read, that ZF recommends changing the oil every 75k and more if you drive it off-road/hard. What do people think?

 

Trans fluid... depends. I think that saying "life time fluid" sells cars but doesn't necessarily keep them running great. I'd do more like 60k on something I was planning on trying to keep forever... and book on something I was passing off eventually. I'm not sure of what fluids the zf uses and won't be researching it anytime soon. BUT... I've seen auto trans fluids that have detergents in them to keep sludge down, first hand and many times, kill old transmissions that were working fine with nasty old fluid and clutches by "washing" the old clutch packs... they go from working fine with nasty fluid to junk with new fluid... regular fluid changes would have prevented this... and it's the reasoning behind people saying "if you didn't change your trans fluid on schedule just leave it alone"... even if they don't know the reasoning. So... now that I scared everyone... I don't know what would be best... either stay on top of it or don't touch it at all ever. It's the fluid I don't touch on used vehicle purchases unless there is a good service history... changing every fluid can ne disastrous.