Range Rover Sport L320 (2010–2013) Oil Change Guide: 306DT Specialist

A step-by-step oil service guide for the Range Rover Sport L320 3.0 diesel. Covers the correct oil specification, engine-specific capacity, the full procedure with torque figures, and the lubrication, bearing and crankshaft failure risks for which the 306DT is known.

Engine Variants and Oil Capacity: L320 (2010 to 2013)

The Range Rover Sport L320 facelift range uses two 3.0 diesel outputs, the TDV6 and the SDV6, and both share the same 306DT engine. The petrol variants use different capacities and are out of scope here. Significant underfilling reduces the oil reserve and can lead to oil aeration or an interrupted supply under hard use, so get the quantity right and confirm the level.

The TDV6 and SDV6 are two output tunes of the same 306DT engine, not two different engines. This guide covers both diesel variants in full. V8 petrol variants are not covered here.

Fill method: Add the specified service quantity, stopping a little short of full so you can verify before topping up. Do not just empty the bottle in. Confirm the level and top up as described in the step-by-step procedure below, both before and after the first run.

Correct Oil Specification for the TDV6 and SDV6

For the EU-market, DPF-equipped 306DT this guide covers, use 5W-30 meeting JLR specification STJLR.03.5005, which corresponds to the period Ford WSS-M2C934-B requirement, normally at ACEA C1 (low-SAPS) performance level. Vehicles built for other markets, or without a DPF, may carry a different specified oil standard, so confirm the exact specification against your handbook or VIN-specific workshop information.

Low-SAPS means low Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur. The reason it matters on a DPF-equipped 306DT is emissions-system protection:

• DPF protection: where a Diesel Particulate Filter is fitted, low-SAPS oil produces less ash. Ash from higher-SAPS oils cannot be burned off during regeneration and gradually loads the DPF, leading to DPF warnings, limp mode and eventual filter replacement. STJLR.03.5005 (ACEA C1) is the specification JLR requires for this application.

• Use a 5W-30 that is approved to or meets STJLR.03.5005 for all normal operating conditions on this engine
• For the EU DPF application covered here, do not use oil that fails to meet the specified WSS-M2C934-B / STJLR.03.5005 requirement, regardless of packaging claims

DPF and fuel dilution:
Most L320 306DT vehicles in EU markets have a DPF, but fitment varies by model year, emissions specification and destination market. Confirm your car's emissions equipment from the VIN, handbook or exhaust configuration rather than assuming. On DPF-equipped cars, short-trip use and interrupted regeneration wash unburnt fuel down the bores and dilute the oil over time. If the car is mostly used for short urban trips, shorten the interval and watch the oil condition. A strong fuel smell or a rising oil level can indicate dilution and is worth confirming through diagnosis or oil analysis rather than just topping up.

Crankshaft, Bearing and Lubrication Risk on the 306DT

This is the most important risk tied to oil servicing on this engine, so it is worth reading properly.

The 306DT has a documented reputation for serious main-bearing, big-end and crankshaft failures. Low oil pressure, a restricted oil supply, fuel-diluted or degraded oil, excessive bearing clearance and bearing seizure can all contribute. The engine does use tangless (non-tabbed) bearing shells, but the absence of a locating tang is not itself an anti-rotation defect: both tabbed and tangless shells are held in place mainly by their crush and interference fit, not by the tang. What matters in practice is that if lubrication breaks down and a bearing seizes, a shell can move, obstruct an oil feed and cause rapid crankshaft damage.

The important practical point is that the precise cause of any individual failure cannot be read from symptoms alone. It may need mechanical oil-pressure testing and sump, pick-up and bearing inspection to establish. What you can control is the lubrication side: correct oil, sensible intervals, and not ignoring warning signs.

Symptoms worth investigating (not proof on their own):

• Bottom-end knock or rumble, especially at idle once warm
• Oil pressure warning light at idle or low speed that clears with revs
• Unexplained oil consumption with no visible external leak
• Oil that is heavily contaminated or clearly fuel-diluted well before the interval is due

Soot darkening the oil on a diesel is normal and is not by itself a sign of sludge, because the dispersant additives are designed to hold soot in suspension. Colour alone does not diagnose a problem. If you suspect low oil pressure, measure it with a gauge against the 306DT workshop specification rather than judging by colour or noise.

Prevention:

• STJLR.03.5005 (ACEA C1) oil only, changed on a sensible interval for how the car is used
• Let the engine reach full temperature regularly, and shorten the interval if the car lives on short trips
• Do not use engine flush additives on a high-mileage or neglected 306DT. Flushing can dislodge deposits and block the pick-up. If low oil pressure or bottom-end noise is suspected, change the oil and filter, measure oil pressure with a gauge, and inspect the pick-up and bearings rather than hoping an oil change alone fixes it

Once low oil pressure has damaged the bearings, an oil change does not recover the engine. The cause of the pressure loss has to be identified, and the sump, pick-up, oil pump, bearings, oil passages and crankshaft inspected as appropriate before the engine is returned to service.

What You Need: Tools and Parts for the L320 Oil Service

Parts required:

Tools required:

Step-by-Step Oil Change Procedure for the L320

Step 1, Optional Pre-Service Fault Check

If you have a scanner, it is worth checking for stored codes before you start, in particular anything relating to oil pressure or the oil level sensor. An oil change will not clear a genuine mechanical or sensor fault, so note anything present and deal with the cause separately. This step is optional and is not required to carry out the oil change itself. You can read more about Land Rover fault codes here.

Step 2, Warm the Engine to Draining Temperature

If the engine is cold, run it for a few minutes so the oil is warm and flows freely. If the vehicle has just been driven, let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes first. Oil at full operating temperature is hot enough to scald, so aim for warm rather than fully hot.

Step 3, Raise and Level the Vehicle

Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Raise the vehicle on a jack and axle stands, or use an inspection pit, and confirm it sits level. A nose-high stance traps oil in the sump and prevents a full drain.

Step 4, Remove the Undertray

Remove the undertray fasteners and lower the tray carefully. The plastic clips on older cars are brittle, so inspect them on removal and replace any that have cracked. Set the tray aside to expose the sump and filter area.

Step 5, Position the Drain Pan and Remove the Sump Plug

Position the drain pan under the sump plug, offset slightly toward the direction the oil will jet. Using the correct socket for your fitted plug (the standard OE plug is a 13 mm hex on an M14 x 1.5 thread), break the plug loose.

Let the plug drop into the pan rather than trying to catch it in the hot oil flow. Inspect the plug and its threads. The OE plug carries a bonded seal and is a single-use item, so plan to fit a new one on reassembly.

Step 6, Allow Full Drainage

Let the engine drain until the flow slows to an occasional drip, which usually takes at least 10 to 15 minutes on a warm engine. Ending the drain too early leaves old oil behind and dilutes the fresh charge.

Step 7, Remove the Oil Filter Cartridge

The 306DT uses a cartridge element in a plastic housing cap, accessed from above the engine, not from underneath. The cap has an external hex, so use a 36 mm socket (confirm the original housing is fitted, as some replacements differ). Rotate the cap about six full turns anticlockwise, then leave it in place for about two minutes so the housing drains internally and you avoid a spill. Lift out the cap and old element and discard the old O-ring. Fit the new O-ring supplied with the element: a reused, damaged or badly seated O-ring can cause an oil leak after servicing.

Step 8, Install the New Filter Element and O-Ring

Fit the new element into the housing. Lightly oil the new O-ring with clean engine oil and seat it fully in its groove. Start the cap by hand to confirm the thread has engaged correctly before using a tool. Torque the cap to the figure marked on it, which for the original housing is 28 Nm (some replacement caps specify 25 Nm); do not exceed it, as the plastic cap can crack if over-tightened. Replace the cap if it is damaged, or the complete housing only if the housing body or threads are damaged.

Step 9, Fit the New Sump Drain Plug

Clean the sealing face and fit a new drain plug (the OE plug has a bonded seal and is single-use; on an aftermarket plug, fit a new sealing washer). Start it by hand to be sure the thread is seated, then tighten to 23 Nm into the alloy sump. Do not over-tighten, as the threads strip easily. If the plug feels loose or cross-threaded on hand-start, stop and check the threads before torquing.

Step 10, Fill with Engine Oil

Remove the filler cap and add the specified service quantity for your car, stopping a little short of the full amount so you can verify before topping up. Do not just empty the bottle in. Because many of these cars have no usable dipstick and rely on the electronic monitor, a sound cross-check is to measure what you add: drain fully, then refill the known service quantity, adding the last part slowly. Use only oil meeting STJLR.03.5005 (ACEA C1).

Refit the filler cap. Let the car stand for about five minutes, then confirm the level is at least at the minimum mark before you start the engine.

Step 11, First Start and Oil Pressure Check

Start the engine and let it idle. The oil pressure warning lamp should extinguish promptly once the engine is running. Do not raise the engine speed while the lamp is still lit. In very cold conditions, Land Rover notes it may take several seconds to go out.

With the lamp out, run the engine for several minutes (the workshop procedure specifies around ten), then switch off and check for leaks around the drain plug and filter cap.

Step 12, Final Level Check and Leak Inspection

Wait about ten minutes for the oil to stabilise, then check the level with the vehicle on level ground, using the electronic oil monitor or the dipstick where fitted. The electronic system needs the car level and the oil settled before it reads accurately, so follow the wait-and-recheck steps rather than adding oil while the display catches up. Owners often find the reading slow or fussy in practice, which is why measuring the oil you put in is a useful cross-check. Top up in small increments to the upper half of the operating range, waiting between checks, and do not exceed MAX.

Check the drain plug, filter cap and sump area once more for any seepage, and wipe everything clean so a fresh leak shows up on the next drive. Refit the undertray, tightening its fasteners snugly to suit the fitted bolts and clips rather than to a single fixed torque.

Reset the oil service reminder if your car uses one (see below) and confirm the bonnet is closed before returning the vehicle to use.

L320 Oil Service Torque and Specification Reference

Oil capacity (with filter change):

Oil Service Interval for the Range Rover Sport L320

The official JLR servicing schedule for this era is longer than many specialists recommend. Confirm the exact figure and conditions for your model year and market against your vehicle's service schedule rather than a generic number. The table below is our own conservative recommendation for engine longevity, based on the 306DT's sensitivity to oil condition and its exposure to diesel fuel dilution under short-trip use. It is maintenance advice, not the manufacturer's figure.

The TDV6 and SDV6 share the same 306DT engine and the same exposure to fuel dilution and oil-starvation risk under short-cycle use, so apply the same logic to both.

Inspect These Components While the Undertray Is Off

With the undertray off you can quickly check a few adjacent items that are cheap to catch early and are linked to long-term oil-system health.

Oil cooler and seals: The 306DT uses an oil-to-coolant heat exchanger. Its seals are a known wear item at higher mileage. External housing or gasket failure can cause an external oil or coolant leak; internal failure of the cooler core can allow oil and coolant to mix. Look for oil residue or coolant staining around the cooler.

Rocker cover gasket: These can weep, showing as an oil film along the lower edge of the cover. Trace weeping is not urgent but tends to worsen, so note the condition for monitoring.

Crankcase breather: The breather can accumulate oil and sludge internally over time. A restricted breather raises crankcase pressure and pushes oil past seals and gaskets. Check the hose for collapse, cracking and heavy oil deposits at the connections.

Sump area, previous repair signs: RTV sealant on the sump face or signs of a previous sump-drop tell you the sump has been off before. That can indicate earlier pick-up or bearing work, though it is not proof on its own. Note it in the service record.

Diagnosing Oil-Related Symptoms on the TDV6 and SDV6

Treat the table below as a guide to what to investigate. A symptom points to likely areas, it does not on its own prove a specific fault, so confirm before condemning parts.

Resetting the Oil Service Reminder on the L320

Reset methods vary by model year, instrument pack, market and software level across the 2010 to 2013 range, so there is no single reliable button sequence that fits every car. Reset the service indicator using the correct procedure for your specific vehicle, either from the owner information for your model year and VIN, or with a compatible diagnostic tool through the instrument cluster. If a menu-based reset in the vehicle settings does not work on your car, or the display does not respond, use a diagnostic tool rather than assuming the reminder has cleared.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: 14 July 2026

Disclaimer: This guide is provided for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the information here does not replace the official Land Rover workshop manual or the advice of a qualified technician. Engine specifications, capacities and torque values should always be verified against your vehicle's handbook and workshop data before carrying out any work. Budget Parts / roverparts.eu accepts no liability for damage to vehicles or property, or injury to persons, arising from work carried out in reliance on this guide. If you are in any doubt about your ability to complete this procedure safely, consult a qualified mechanic.