97 855R Oil change question..

[koffinb]

Hey everyone,

Been a while since I have logged on here. I am enjoying my R and I want to thank you all for the countless advice on repairs and maintnence.
I've put about 5k miles since purchasing it and I think its time to do the first oil change. I am sure this topic has been beaten to death so I will make the question a little less cliche...Has anyone on here used Mobil 1 10W-40 High mileage oil? And if so what was your experience with it? I am used to using Mobil 1 0w-40 in my BMW, but I have been reading that 10w is the best oil to go with for this car. I live in Virginia so the winters can go as low as the 20s, sometimes teens in the mornings, and as high as 104 in the summer.
I ask about the high mileage oil because I have a very small and slow leak coming from the RMS, and I was thinking it really isn;t worth touching right now.
Also is it safe to say 5,000-7,500 mile intervals are suffice for the car? It's my first HPT car so I am not sure how hard the turbo is on the oil. Not a drag racer, but I do get up on it every now and then .
The previous owner used synthetic and changed every 3,000. I think that is a bit much. Is it still necessary to let the car idle a little bit after a long/hard drive to let the turbo cool off, or does that only apply to older turbo vehicles?
Any advice or suggestions?
Once again sorry for the redundant topic questions.

[timmybdaddyof3]

In theory after a hard run you want to give it a second to cool down - synthetic oil minimizes this, but its commonly referred to as "cokeing". When you shut down the motor the oil stops flowing and whats trapped in the still hot turbo essentially bakes and burns in. Again, synthetic is a little more heat resistant, but I still get anal and stupid about it - cheap insurance.

Volvo's recommended interval for HPT cars is 5k; personally I do the 3k thing, but I also live in a rather hot climate and drive it like I stole it.

[jreed]

I haven't used the 10W-40 but I have been using the 10W-30....
I have a '97 855 with about 175k miles. For many years I used regular Mobil 1 10W-30 with changes every 5K miles/6 months. About 6 months ago I switched to the "High Mileage" version of Mobil 1 10W-30. It seems to be working pretty well -- about the same as the regular. Occasionally I would have to top up with a small amount (maybe 250 ml) of regular Mobil 1 10W-30 after a long trip up into the mountains (400 miles or so, going from 1200 foot to ~5000 foot elevation). So far I haven't had to do that with the High Mileage version, but I've only taken one mountain trip with it so far, so it's too soon to tell if it made any difference in leakage.

[phils94850]

Ive read using synthetic in a higher mileage car isn't a good idea due to it being so thin that if you have a leak it will get worse or can start showing leaks. Newer low mileage cars I use synthetic, higher miles, I use regular dino oil or high mileage oil..

[rspi]

I'm running 10w-40 in a warmer climate. If I were you, I'd run10w-30 in the colder months.

I switched to Mobile 1 HM, at 188,000 and now have 263,000. Make sure you have a good clean PCV system or your leak will get worse.

I sent oil samples to Blackstone labs and they recommended 8,000 mile change intervals. I believe 3,000 with full synthetic is a waste.

Make sure you use Volvo or Mann filters.

[JeffHicks]

My '02XC (Turbo) recommends synthetic. Period. Given that the difference between synthetic and dino oil is diminished, I'd go synthetic. And considering that you're in a warm climate, I'd use the higher viscosity oil.

Just note that synthetic oil usually leaks a little worse than dino.

Also, as rspi pointed out, the filter you choose is very important.

[timmybdaddyof3]

my 98 t5 owners manual also recommends synthetic at 5k intervals. As Robert said 8k is probably safe, the only reason I go 3 is because I have cheap access to the oil and I tend to drive like a moron (some people are crack addicts; I am a boost addict - the personality switch of the car that happens at 3200 RPM makes me smile)

As far as leaks, synthetic may cause (or expose) more as it flows easier. I get the whole "high mileage" thing, and if you are switching for the first time I would start there, personally I had maintenance records for my car from day 1 showing synthetic use every 3k, and I have been sticking to Mobile 1 10-40 synthetic regular without issue (at 280k)...she uses about 1/2 qt every change, and I am 90% sure its the turbo as its never been overhauled.

[northernlights]

I am sure this topic has been beaten to death so I will make the question a little less cliche...

I will happily beat it to death!

In my 94 Turbo, I've used Mobil1 0W40, Mobil1 5W30 High Mileage and Mobil1 10W40 High Mileage and have not seen a significant difference in either fuel economy, oil consumption rate, or other. I only started using Mobil 0W40 after it became available at WalMart in 5 quart jugs as it was almost 2x the cost by the quart.

I've also settled on 10000 km (6200 mile) intervals, because that seems like a reasonable metric number.

IMNSHO, more important than the grade is the ACEA rating, of which A3 is the best for severe service. Note that all of the above meet that spec. This spec is what Volvo-everywhere-else-in-the-world (i.e. not North America) recommends for the older models, and either A1 or A5 for the newer stuff. ILSAC, SH, GF5, etc are American Market creations conjured forth to try and improve fuel economy in 7000 lb vehicles (500 stone imperial) that in fact need to be placed on a severe diet instead of run on 0W20.

Also, don't worry about winters in Virginia. Keep in mind, the W actually means winter, and even 10W40 synthetic is pretty thin unless you are in Yellow Knife or someplace similar. Years ago in Massachusetts, I (tried) to run 20W50 mineral oil all year. Not on purpose, it's just what I used in the car to keep the oil burning under control! Note that under different circumstances (on a real bad oil burner) I had even run straight 50 weight, although not in the winter.

One very, very cold January morning after starting the car and driving away, I noticed the oil pressure dropped to zero once I put any load on it. The oil pressure gauge flopped down to the left like a windshield wiper on full speed! I think the oil was so thick that the pressure relief was lifting and venting most of the oil to the pan instead of flowing through the oil passages, so not much was getting up to the top of the engine where the sender was. But, even then it did flow a little, and after about one minute of idling the problem went away.

I did change the oil to 10W40 for the rest of the winter after that incident, and learned a lesson.

[koffinb]

Went with the 10w-30 high mileage..5qt jug from walmart. Couldn't find an extra quart of the 10w-30 so I just grabbed a 10w 40 to fulfill the 6 quart requirement for the engine.

Can anyone tell me what/where the leak in that last picture is from?

[timmybdaddyof3]

okay, 100% off topic....that car looks great.
what wheels and size are those, and are the rear mud flaps a volvo factory item?

As much as I am not a red car person, I am just totally digging the look.