TBH I truly feel like it was there simply to prevent inevitable oil drops from landing on nice driveways. The people who bought these brand new were the same people who typically buy land rovers new today, and you know how quickly and easily these can start weeping various fluids.

I bet it’s also a bit of every reason mentioned, but I wonder if the main drive was customer complaints about oily messes.

 

yeah mine leaks a little ( I think its st the oil pump housing gasket.. but i used dye in it and basically everywhere has a little dye now lol no specific place just generally in that area.. I had already replaced the front main seal and it seems fine so im still looking... I put a fresh oil pan gasket on it a few years ago but still leaked but ihadnt suspected that oil pan , I was just doing some maintenance as I aready accepted they leak.. recently my transmisison cooler pipe fatiwued and broke now that was a mess.... ive slapped a can of AT-205 in there to see if it stops... outlook is good at moemnt but just a tiny drip here and there in an isolated area even with the front wheel closer to passenger side... also.. what is that bolt by the oil fiter for aimin down at about 45 deg? is that a block off to where the older landies had the external cooler ? hmm could but a better oil sensor there maybe... Im using the sandwich plate between mount and filter but im using the larger wix and would not even fit with the rock guard drip container on bottom of engine lol

 

It's a LR diaper plan & simple!

No one can say oh it helps the vehicle when 94-99 D1's didn't have them, and they were more reliable. Same with 99-02 D2's they didn't have them and no issues. Then last 2 years of the D2 with the 4.6L, and LR knowing it was going away = simply slapped a diaper on it, and sent them down the line.