Hey everyone – it’s been a while! Hope all is well. I could use some advice but am hoping it's a simple fix.

How can you tell a Land Rover is out of oil?
It stops leaking.

My ‘06 LR3 HSE has 223,000 miles, previously with no leaks. But about a month ago, after parking it nose-down on my steep driveway, I noticed a few drops of oil. Not much, but it has continued and my driveway is looking a little rough. The oil levels seem fine, and it’s running smoothly, so I didn’t drop the skid plate until today.

Quick background: I’ve always done the maintenance myself, except the last oil change. That was about 1,000 miles (and 7 months) ago at Jiffy Lube, where we used a coupon for a cheap synthetic change (and my wife volunteered to take it). Don't judge.

Once I dropped the skid plate, no obvious signs of a leak, except right around the drain plug (see below photo). I tried tightening the plug slightly, but it just spins—it has some resistance, but it won’t set, just turns indefinitely. Could this be as simple as needing a new washer, drain plug, or both? Or is it a bigger issue with the oil pan itself?

I’ve been considering a new vehicle, but with the resale market for these currently around $2k, I might just keep this one running as long as possible. But if the oil pan is done… well, a new truck might be in my future. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

It sucks if you're trying to sell a LR3 but the resale makes them the deal of the century! If you want to get one, now is th time.

I'd say if you are lucky it's just a bad plug. If it won't tighten, it seems like it would be stripped just under the head, otherwise it might just fall out. I would try getting a new plug and washer and kind of pulling on the old plug while turning it to see if it will engage the threads.
The drain plig on my 08 was so stuck the head rounded off, so I left it and tried the extraction method of changing oil, which worked much to my surprise. So, whatever you end up doing, it's an alternative to consider.

 

You could do a Helicoil, too. There is a "fancy" one that Land Rover uses; I forget what it's called.