Recently, I decided to change the transmission oil, along with the front and rear differential oil and transfer box oil, in my 2017 Range Rover Sport 3.0 automatic diesel L494. Since I found a lot of questions on forums about this process, I thought it would be helpful to document it here, with some pictures and videos I took along the way. Hopefully, this guide will be a useful resource for anyone looking for information on this topic.

Why I Decided to Change the Oils

Transmission Oil: My Range Rover Sport had 72,000 miles on it when I decided to change the transmission oil. After browsing forums and JLR websites, I noticed that most people recommend changing the transmission oil between 50,000 to 100,000 miles. Since my car didn’t have any records of a previous transmission oil change and I bought it at 59,000 miles, I figured it was time. While some argue that you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, I saw the potential for avoiding sudden, costly gearbox failures as a compelling reason to go ahead with the change.

Front and Rear Differential Oil: This was another topic that caught my attention on the forums. Although I wasn’t experiencing any symptoms like whirring, whining, or howling sounds, many users and reputable websites recommend changing the differential oil every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Given that my car had no record of a diff fluid change, I decided to take care of this as well.

Transfer Box Oil: Changing the transfer box oil is often recommended at 50,000 to 60,000 miles for the Range Rover Sport L494. Since I was already at the mechanic’s for the other oil changes, I decided to go ahead with this one too.

Choosing the Right Oils

Choosing Transmission Fluid

I chose ZF Lifeguard Fluid 8 for the transmission, as the 8-speed automatic transmission in the Range Rover Sport is made by ZF. I also ordered the ZF sump pan and filter kit to go along with it.

My mechanic estimated we’d need at least 9 liters, so I ordered 10. However, we only ended up using 5 liters, which was a bit surprising. The JLR website states this transmission can take up to 8.5 liters—lesson learned.

Choosing Front and rear differential Oil:

For the differential oil, I went with Ravenol 75W-90 (fully synthetic) as recommended by JLR. I ordered 2 litres, both of which were used. Needed about 500ml-600ml for front and rear differential took 1.5 litres. 

Choosing Transfer Box Oil:

I chose Ravenol Transfer Fluid DTF-1 (fully synthetic) for the transfer box. Although I ordered 2 liters, we only used 1 liter.

The Oil Change Process

I’ve been using the same independent mechanic for small repairs like brake pads for the past 15 years. He’s highly knowledgeable, has a loyal following, and although he says very little, he’s always helpful. I decided to have him do the job, as the DIY route seemed time-consuming, and I didn’t have all the necessary tools, particularly a jack or axle lifters.

All four oil changes took him about 2-3 hours. I had the opportunity to watch him work and took some pictures along the way. Of course, he made me sign some health and safety checklists before starting.

Some pictures of each oil change and also video further below:

Transmission oil change pictures:

Rear Differential oil change pictures:

Front Differential Oil change pictures:

Transfer box oil change:

Video of the Oil Change

Final Thoughts

I hope you find this post helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!