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850 starts burning lots of oil from nowhere?

Help, Advice and DIY Tutorials on Volvo's P80 platform cars -- Volvo's 1990s "bread and butter" cars -- powered by the ubiquitous and durable Volvo inline 5-cylinder engine.

1992 - 1997 850, including 850 R, 850 T-5R, 850 T-5, 850 GLT
1997 - 2000 S70, S70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70, V70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70-XC
1997 - 2004 C70

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SomeGuy537
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Re: 850 starts burning lots of oil from nowhere?

Post by SomeGuy537 »

I'm getting confused. Since i added Valvoline stop leak i haven't had any oil consumption in 300 km. I will update later if this continues. I have a hard time believing the stop leak would've changed anything though because i still have smoke when starting it after sitting for a night. First i had no oil consumption then massive consumption and now it has apparently stopped burning oil again. Very strange.

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xanthefin
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Post by xanthefin »

For me it.. worst in hot summer. And sometimes stays away awhile. I will myself change new valve seals when i will do again timing belt job on this car as it starting to be over 5 years now with earlier.

One oil consumption can be If oil plug has become loose. Happened me this year as noticed super wet oil plug area.

SomeGuy537
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Post by SomeGuy537 »

During the last 500 Km i drove now my car seems to have lost no oil. Instead when i check the dipstick it appears that it is overfilled. How can this be when i always check the oil during identical circumstances?

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manovlov
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Post by manovlov »

I'm not sure if I've seen the answer to this question in the post, but when was the last oil change? Has the oil filter been replaced?

I tend to do a "zero stage" when something like this happens: I change the oil, the crankcase seal and the filter.

Excess oil can be caused by overfilling.

Engine no turbo = 5,8 liters included filter
Engine turbo = 5,8 liters + 0,9 Liter if the oil cooler is empty

My manual says:
When evaluating oil consumption, take into account the fact that the oil can be diluted, which compromises the accuracy of the level reading. For example, when a vehicle is used repeatedly over short distances and its oil consumption is normal, the dipstick may not indicate any drop in level, even after 1,000 km or more. As the oil gradually mixes with fuel and water, the level may appear unchanged. These substances diluted in the oil evaporate when the vehicle is driving at high speed, for example on the highway, and this phenomenon could make it appear as if the oil is being consumed at high speed.

Manov
1995/02 850 GLT 2.5 170 Petrol M56

SomeGuy537
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Post by SomeGuy537 »

manovlov wrote: 07 Jan 2021, 10:10 I'm not sure if I've seen the answer to this question in the post, but when was the last oil change? Has the oil filter been replaced?

I tend to do a "zero stage" when something like this happens: I change the oil, the crankcase seal and the filter.

Excess oil can be caused by overfilling.

Engine no turbo = 5,8 liters included filter
Engine turbo = 5,8 liters + 0,9 Liter if the oil cooler is empty

My manual says:
When evaluating oil consumption, take into account the fact that the oil can be diluted, which compromises the accuracy of the level reading. For example, when a vehicle is used repeatedly over short distances and its oil consumption is normal, the dipstick may not indicate any drop in level, even after 1,000 km or more. As the oil gradually mixes with fuel and water, the level may appear unchanged. These substances diluted in the oil evaporate when the vehicle is driving at high speed, for example on the highway, and this phenomenon could make it appear as if the oil is being consumed at high speed.

Manov
that part from the manual was very interesting. Haven't found anything similar in my PDF manual for 1997 850's. I have a 94' NA and i'm pretty sure the oil capacity is in fact 5.3 liters. Last oil change was done roughly at 185 000 Km. It now has 186 864 Km on it. The oil filter was changed to an OEM Mann filter at the last oil change.

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manovlov
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Post by manovlov »

It would be interesting to find an OEM manual from this generation of engines to see what is told about that. If i don't say stupids things (which would be astonished from my part...), i believe have read that between low and high dipstick oil level, it may be something about near a liter of oil.

The next time you will drive your "baby", see the oil level after 15 mn, engine off. Then before the next trip, look at the level cold engine. You will see if you miss or not oil.


Have a look here
https://www.volvohowto.com/volvo-850-s7 ... l-engines/
Volvo Oil Level.jpg
Manov
1995/02 850 GLT 2.5 170 Petrol M56

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misha
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Post by misha »

Red dipstick handle from min to max 1l.
Fluorescent dipstick handle 1.5l from min to max(which is stamped on dipstick).

Engines with red oil dipstick handle have crankcase capacity 5.3l including filter.
Fluorescent....5.9l.
'97 850 2.5 20v / fully equipped / Motronic 4.4 from the factory / upgraded with S,V,C,XC70 instrument cluster / polar white wagon
History of Volvos in the family:
'71 144 S
'73 144 De Luxe
'78 244 DL
'78 244 DL
'79 244 GLE
'85 340 GLS

SomeGuy537
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Post by SomeGuy537 »

Update: I think i can verify the apparent strangeness of this behaviour now. A couple of months ago i topped up the oil and after around 3000 Km i had only lost around 3 Dl of oil. I recently topped off the oil again and now after only a couple hundred Km the oil consumption is huge again. Around 4 Dl in 400 Km.

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Cookeh
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Post by Cookeh »

As I said earlier in the thread, mine used to do this (still might, actually, but I do such high miles currently its hard to verify). Huge amounts of oil burned very quickly after an oil change, then once at a certain level it would burn next to nothing for months. No idea what caused it, same with all oils. I used to think I had the wrong dipstick, so was overfilling and getting weird readings... iPDs website suggests I have the correct dipstick though so it's not that. Will continue to monitor this thread

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Clemens
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Post by Clemens »

I once had an Audi A6 V6 that consumed quite some oil when topped up, but once you got closer to thw bottom mark the oil consumption was not noticeable anymore.

And my 95 854 10V also burnt quite some oil when full, then remained steady. The valve stem seals were bad, so I had to refill half a quart every time I fueled up.
Summer: 1996 855 R
Winter: 1994 855 T5M
Donor: 1995 854 10V

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