There are things you can ignore in your Land Rover and things you can’t. You could probably ignore that broken horn or that stiff car door handle. But there are more serious issues in your Land Rover that you absolutely can not ignore. For example, a leaking or damaged oil pan is one of them.
Located right under your Land Rover, the oil pan is an essential component not just for the engine, but for your whole vehicle. Consequently, it is best for you and your car’s performance that you know when and how to replace it.
What is the Oil Pan in your Land Rover?
The oil pan, also known as the sump, is a detachable pan found under your Land Rover. More specifically, it is a container or reservoir of sorts that is mounted to the bottom of the car’s crankcase. Oil pans generally have a steel or cast alloy body, but there are also some heavy-duty oil pans made of billet aluminum.
Since their location under the car exposes them to objects on the road which can be damaging, they must have a sturdy body. Moreover, depending on your Land Rover and the engine, the oil pan can usually contain anywhere from four to six quarts of oil. Additionally, there’s a drain plug at the deeper end of the oil pan which allows the old oil to flow out during oil changing.
The drain plug also has a magnet in it. Since the oil in the oil pan goes all around the engine, it often has some debris or metal shavings which the magnet catches. Besides that, oil pans also have dipsticks which dip down into the oil pan to check oil levels. Although, newer cars have electric sensors which can simply display oil levels on the dashboard.
Another component of an oil pan, in some cars, is the baffle. The baffle’s basic purpose is to prevent the oil inside the oil pan from sloshing around too much. It ensures that the oil pump has access to oil to pump from the pan to the engine. There are also different types of pans such as wet and dry oil pans.
What is the Importance of the Oil Pan?
The primary purpose of the oil pan is to store the engine oil when it’s not flowing within the engine. While your car is running, the oil pump sucks up the oil from the pan, and when your car is at rest, all that oil flows down and collects in the oil pan. Therefore, it ensures that the oil does not leak, and thereby maintaining the necessary oil levels.
Moreover, the most important function of the oil pan is lubrication. Your car engine contains numerous parts which are always moving and coming into contact with each other. The oil pan, along with the oil pump, makes sure the engine always has oil circulating to lubricate the parts. Insufficient oil in the engine can cause severe damage to your car from excessive friction.
Furthermore, another essential purpose of the oil pan is to maintain the engine temperature. The force and friction inside the engine cause it to heat up which is bad for the car. As a result, the oil from the oil pan also helps in cooling the engine as it goes around it. Besides that, if you notice other problems in your engine, here are some ways to solve them.
Moreover, the location of the oil pan also ensures that the oil itself doesn’t heat up either. Since the oil pan is under the car, as you’re driving, the air flows under the car and helps in bringing down the temperature by taking away some of the heat. So, given its importance, checking the oil pan is a must during your Land Rover maintenance, among these other things.
When to Replace the Oil Pan in Your Land Rover?
Keeping in mind the importance of oil pans, it becomes crucial that you keep it in good condition. Because if you ignore a damaged oil pan, it can end up costing you a lot in the long run. So, here are some signs which indicate that you need to replace your oil pan.
- - Oil Puddles Under your Car
The easiest and quickest way to see if your oil pan is damaged is to check the ground where you parked your car. If there is some kind of damage, you will notice oil puddles under your car. These may be just a few drops initially. But over time as it’s left unattended, these drops will become bigger puddles.
- - Oil Leaks Around the Drain Plug or Undercarriage
Sometimes, due to the damaged oil pan, the oil will leak from the cracks and start spreading to other parts under your car. Similarly, the drain plug can also become damaged and start leaking oil. So, even if you don’t notice any puddles on the ground, you should look under your car for any signs of damage.
Besides that, oil leaks from the front crankshaft seal are one of the common Land Rover Malfunctions.
- - Rapidly Dropping Oil Levels
As the oil starts to leak, the dipstick will indicate low levels of oil. This means you’ll have to add in more oil more frequently. If you notice that your oil refill is lasting lesser days, you might want to check the oil pan.
- - Cracked or Dented Oil Pan
While driving on a rough or uneven road, the force can cause visible damage to the oil pan. So, if you can see visible damage like cracks or dents in your oil pan, you should replace it.
How to Replace the Oil Pan in your Land Rover?
Once you’ve determined that you indeed do have a damaged oil pan, it’s time to replace it. But no need to worry because, with our step-by-step guide, you can change it in no time. You will need the following tools and parts:
- - Car Jack (or even ramps can do the trick)
- - Wrench
- - Container to collect the oil
- - New Oil Pan
New Oil Pan Gasket
Having the right tools and parts is like half of the job done already. So, if you don’t have the tools, you can get them here. Moreover, you can find the right parts for your Land Rover here. Although, you need to keep a few things in mind when buying Land Rover parts. Besides that, let’s look at the eight easy steps for replacing an oil pan:
- - Lift your car using the jack
- - Remove the drain plug and drain out all the old oil
- - Unbolt and remove the sway bar
- - Remove all the screws around the oil pan
- - Remove oil pan and oil pan gasket
- - Attach the new oil pan gasket and oil pan
- - Attach the sway bar
- - Run your engine to check for leaks
While you’re replacing the oil pan, make sure you’ve got gloves and goggles because things can get a bit messy!
Final Words
You already know the importance of oil for your car engine. Now you know the importance of the part that stores that oil. More importantly, you also know how to replace it and what signs you need to look out for. So, there is absolutely no reason left for you to continue ignoring it.
Even though the oil pan is not something that needs frequent replacements, but if it does get damaged somehow and you realize it, you can easily change it right away, all on your own.
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