Range Rover classic 3.9EFI no oil visible under oil fill cap.

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TimoTS

TimoTS

Active Member
Posts
141
Location
Netherlands
Good day,

I've recently bought myself a range rover classic, it had a few issues that I've been able to fix except for one. When I opened the oil fill cap for the first time i noticed that there was barley any oil under the valve cover. when I ran the car and opened it again, there was still no oil. where should i start looking? Ive removed the belly pan and cleaned everything well. are there any common issues related to this? there is also no oil light on.
 
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TimoTS said:
Good day,

I've recently bought myself a range rover classic, it had a few issues that I've been able to fix except for one. When I opened the oil fill cap for the first time i noticed that there was barley any oil under the valve cover. when I ran the car and opened it again, there was still no oil. where should i start looking? Ive removed the belly pan and cleaned everything well. are there any common issues related to this? there is also no oil light on.
Click to expand...
What engine is it?
 
The lack of an old light on Classics can be caused not only by a failure of the oil pressure switch but also dry joints on the printed circuit board.

Assuming the 3.9 is the same as the 3.5efi, un-clip the back of the instrument binnacle & try to ascertain if the 'lugs' of the bulb (they just twist to remove/replace) are making good contact with the printed circuit connections. Your view of the board & bulbs is easiest from outside the car looking through the windscreen, due to the binnacle's close proximity to the glass.
Take care when replacing the back moulding, there are 2 metal clips at the bottom that the plastic needs to go behind & they are often bent due to clumsy replacement efforts, the top simply clips inside the housing .. if you don't get it right you will suffer rattling on a rough road surface. Frankly it's a cheap & nasty design on what was an expensive car in it's day.

I once replaced 2 pressure switches before realising where the fault laid :rolleyes:
 
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Is there an appropriate amount of oil showing on the dip stick?
Does the oil pressure warning light come on when you turn on the ignition?
Does the oil pressure light go out?
The oil systems on these are high volume & low pressure, shift a lot of oil but it may not be splashed all over the inside of the rocker covers.
Might be an idea to take one - or both - of the rocker covers off after running the engine & see what oil there is on the rocker assemblies.
Then run the engine with the cover off & see what comes out of where.

You could fit a proper oil pressure gauge & see what you're getting. Not done that, but there are a few on here that have who can no doubt advise you on 'how to'.

From personal experience doing a top end rebuild on my 3.5EFi a few years ago the oilways in the rocker arms can get bunged up with cr8p & the hollow shaft they run on can suffer the same issue - I was slightly surprised at the amount I flushed out of them when I had them off & stripped.
What you don't want to see when you take the covers off is a load of sticky or hard black crud all over everything. Common sign of infrequent oil changes or excessive time between changes.
 
Ratae said:
What you don't want to see when you take the covers off is a load of sticky or hard black crud all over everything. Common sign of infrequent oil changes or excessive time between changes.
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Bit late now I guess, but if ever I looked at a Rover V8 for sale I always took a pencil beam flashlight (not an ordinary torch)

Insisted on viewing the car with a cold engine.
Filler cap off, pencil beam down the 'ole onto the valve gear .. golden colour/light brown = well maintained, dark brown = caution, black = walk away :rolleyes:
 
norseman said:
Bit late now I guess, but if ever I looked at a Rover V8 for sale I always took a pencil beam flashlight (not an ordinary torch)

Insisted on viewing the car with a cold engine.
Filler cap off, pencil beam down the 'ole onto the valve gear .. golden colour/light brown = well maintained, dark brown = caution, black = walk away :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
It’s golden, always had its oil done on time, it’s just, I can’t see any oil splashing around when the engine is running. There is no oil light going off, and yes the light works.
 
Ratae said:
Is there an appropriate amount of oil showing on the dip stick?
Does the oil pressure warning light come on when you turn on the ignition?
Does the oil pressure light go out?
The oil systems on these are high volume & low pressure, shift a lot of oil but it may not be splashed all over the inside of the rocker covers.
Might be an idea to take one - or both - of the rocker covers off after running the engine & see what oil there is on the rocker assemblies.
Then run the engine with the cover off & see what comes out of where.

You could fit a proper oil pressure gauge & see what you're getting. Not done that, but there are a few on here that have who can no doubt advise you on 'how to'.

From personal experience doing a top end rebuild on my 3.5EFi a few years ago the oilways in the rocker arms can get bunged up with cr8p & the hollow shaft they run on can suffer the same issue - I was slightly surprised at the amount I flushed out of them when I had them off & stripped.
What you don't want to see when you take the covers off is a load of sticky or hard black crud all over everything. Common sign of infrequent oil changes or excessive time between changes.
Click to expand...
There is oil in the car, just changed it in hopes of it changing anything. The oil light works, and turns off when running, there is oil on the dipstick, just no oil splashing around when the car is running and I look under the filler cap.
 
TimoTS said:
There is oil in the car, just changed it in hopes of it changing anything. The oil light works, and turns off when running, there is oil on the dipstick, just no oil splashing around when the car is running and I look under the filler cap.
Click to expand...
Rocker caps off then and run to look for oil passage in the valve gear. Remember there are no spinning parts on top of the head and the oil should be oozing not spraying 👍
 

Shows the oil flow route - oil in black.
Goes into the hollow rocker shaft & through holes into the rocker arms themselves which have an oilway before draining back down to the sump through the 'V'.
So nothing really to throw the oil around inside the rocker cover hence no splash.
I think your best bet is to take one cover off - the right hand (as viewed from the driver's seat facing forward) will probably be easier - & running the engine to help set your mind at rest.
 
kermit_rr said:
Don't the rocker covers have a baffle so you can't actually see the valve gear(or any oil)?
Click to expand...
Unless the cover is different on the 3.9 (as opposed to the 3.5efi) with the filler cap removed enough of the rockers are visible to form an opinion as to the frequency of oil changes ;)
 
Henry_b said:
There is a baffle in the rocker covers so you can't really see anything..
Click to expand...
I must be losing it Henry, could have sworn that when checking out a 3.9 for a friend years ago I advised him to walk away because of the black appearance visible, plus it had a f..k. VCU.

Next time I'm at my 3.5efi I'll take a peek down the 'ole, just to check on my mental status!
 
norseman said:
I must be losing it Henry, could have sworn that when checking out a 3.9 for a friend years ago I advised him to walk away because of the black appearance visible, plus it had a f..k. VCU.

Next time I'm at my 3.5efi I'll take a peek down the 'ole, just to check on my mental status!
Click to expand...
IMG_2023-07-21-20-14-48-774.jpg


Seem to recall my old 3.9 having one, however I seem to recall the old 3.5's not having them..

More than happy to be corrected :)
 
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