i just purchased a 2003 S60. in the owners manual - it states oil changes are recommended every 7500 miles. is this correct? does the Volvo dealership have to do the oil changes or could anyone? also - it recommends maintenance every 15,000 miles. is this truly necessary every 15,000 miles or could i wait and do it a bit later. also - what is the approximate cost of these maintenance visits? any help would be much appreciated as this is my first Volvo.
thanks....
oil changes
changing the oil on an S60 is no more difficult than any other car. If you've ever successfully changed your own oil, you can easily change the oil on your volvo. You could also have a shop such as Jiffy Lube change it.
I recommend Mobil 1 synthetic. I noticed an increase in response and gas mileage when changing to synthetic. It's possible that the increased "response" was in my head, but I don't see how I could imagine improved gas mileage figures -- especially since I was playing on the pedal a little more since I thought their was better "response". Just explaining before someone jumps on me
The recommended change interval is VERY high imho. I change my full-synthetic every 3k miles (which I admit is overkill) but I view it as preventative maintenance. If you wish to use dino oil, you should change every 3k. With synthetic you could do 5k. I would never trust 7500 miles -- especially not with dino oil.
15k service intervals are recommended. It's good to have things checked over, and depending on how you drive, and how you wish to carryout preventative maintenance, you'll have some service points either every visit, or every other. Personally, I think it'd be a good idea to have your auto tranny flushed every 15k or every year -- whichever comes first.
A shop (both dealer and independent) will likely make this an expensive car to maintain. However, performing maintenance yourself dramatically reduces expenses. The repairs that I have done within the last 6 months or so (on my 11 year old 850) have cost me approximately $400 in parts -- which is a high 6-months for me because I had to take care of a lot of major maintenance. However, had I gone to a shop, I know this would have been aproximately $2500. Getting parts online is definitely a lot cheaper -- and if you're a little mechanically inclined and can search the internet, there's a lot of great information to be had. However, being a 2003 S60, you wont have near the quanitity of maintance I do.
I recommend Mobil 1 synthetic. I noticed an increase in response and gas mileage when changing to synthetic. It's possible that the increased "response" was in my head, but I don't see how I could imagine improved gas mileage figures -- especially since I was playing on the pedal a little more since I thought their was better "response". Just explaining before someone jumps on me
The recommended change interval is VERY high imho. I change my full-synthetic every 3k miles (which I admit is overkill) but I view it as preventative maintenance. If you wish to use dino oil, you should change every 3k. With synthetic you could do 5k. I would never trust 7500 miles -- especially not with dino oil.
15k service intervals are recommended. It's good to have things checked over, and depending on how you drive, and how you wish to carryout preventative maintenance, you'll have some service points either every visit, or every other. Personally, I think it'd be a good idea to have your auto tranny flushed every 15k or every year -- whichever comes first.
A shop (both dealer and independent) will likely make this an expensive car to maintain. However, performing maintenance yourself dramatically reduces expenses. The repairs that I have done within the last 6 months or so (on my 11 year old 850) have cost me approximately $400 in parts -- which is a high 6-months for me because I had to take care of a lot of major maintenance. However, had I gone to a shop, I know this would have been aproximately $2500. Getting parts online is definitely a lot cheaper -- and if you're a little mechanically inclined and can search the internet, there's a lot of great information to be had. However, being a 2003 S60, you wont have near the quanitity of maintance I do.
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Tsquared
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I have a 96 854 that I change the oil every 5K with Mobil 1 synthetic. The manual recomends a 7500 "normal" interval and 5000 "severe duty" interval. My 850 is used for short trips where it does not get a chance to get up to full operating temps - severe duty cycle. The manual also recomeds using synthetic oil. My opinion is that 7500 is a little too far on non-synthetic oil. I also use synthetic in everything I have.
If you are going to change your oil yourself and you plan on keeping the car more than 4 years you may also consider getting a dain valve. The 850 requires an aluminum crush washer for the drain plug. I installed a Fumoto valve when my car was new. Now at 110K miles the valve makes the oil change a breeze and it has paid for itself by not having to change the crush washer at every oil change. Check out their webpage if you are interested:
www.fumotovalve.com/merchant.cfm?pid=438&step=4
If you are going to change your oil yourself and you plan on keeping the car more than 4 years you may also consider getting a dain valve. The 850 requires an aluminum crush washer for the drain plug. I installed a Fumoto valve when my car was new. Now at 110K miles the valve makes the oil change a breeze and it has paid for itself by not having to change the crush washer at every oil change. Check out their webpage if you are interested:
www.fumotovalve.com/merchant.cfm?pid=438&step=4
'11 C30 T5
'96 854 - died an early death with 184K miles. Killed by the front end of an LTD on a suicide mission (T-boned and both cars totaled).
'96 854 - died an early death with 184K miles. Killed by the front end of an LTD on a suicide mission (T-boned and both cars totaled).
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michele7557
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thank you for your replies. i will change the oil more often than the 7500 recommended miles with Mobil 1 synthetic oil. your help is much appreciated. now i am curious how much the maintenance visit will be. i just bought it yesterday and it has exactly 15,000 miles on it so of course the light has come on to recommend service maintenance. does anyone have a 2003 S60 (or close) who would know how much i can expect to pay? i've no earthly idea whether it will be around $100 or $500. since i am female and mechanically challenged, i definately will be having to take it to the dealer for upkeep. again - thank you for your help
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matthew1
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Here's a really general outline of items that require service.
http://www.volvospeed.com/Repair/servicefwd.htm
It's good only to understand what needs what and why. Your service items for 15k should be listed in your owners' manual. If you didn't get one, I think eBay might have them, or there's always the dealer.
Call the dealer and ask how much they charge for a 15k service. If they won't tell you over the phone, I wouldn't take it there. If you want to save money, compare what the dealer quotes you to what an indpependent Volvo mechanic would charge, by calling one of them (find em via phonebook). Make sure you're comparing apples to apples by listing everything off.
Keep in mind that a picky buyer of your car when you decide to sell in 1 year, 10 years or whatever might want to give you less if your service wasn't done at a dealer.
In any case keep paper records of your services. It's good for you and for the next owner of your Volvo.
http://www.volvospeed.com/Repair/servicefwd.htm
It's good only to understand what needs what and why. Your service items for 15k should be listed in your owners' manual. If you didn't get one, I think eBay might have them, or there's always the dealer.
Call the dealer and ask how much they charge for a 15k service. If they won't tell you over the phone, I wouldn't take it there. If you want to save money, compare what the dealer quotes you to what an indpependent Volvo mechanic would charge, by calling one of them (find em via phonebook). Make sure you're comparing apples to apples by listing everything off.
Keep in mind that a picky buyer of your car when you decide to sell in 1 year, 10 years or whatever might want to give you less if your service wasn't done at a dealer.
In any case keep paper records of your services. It's good for you and for the next owner of your Volvo.
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Also -> Amazon link. Click that when you go to buy something on Amazon and MVS gets a cut!
1998 V70, no dash lights on
1997 850 T5 [gone] w/ MSD ignition coil, Hallman manual boost controller, injectors, R bumper, OMP strut brace
2004 V70 R [gone]
How to Thank someone for their post
Hi Michele,michele wrote:i just purchased a 2003 S60. in the owners manual - it states oil changes are recommended every 7500 miles. is this correct? does the Volvo dealership have to do the oil changes or could anyone? also - it recommends maintenance every 15,000 miles. is this truly necessary every 15,000 miles or could i wait and do it a bit later. also - what is the approximate cost of these maintenance visits? any help would be much appreciated as this is my first Volvo.
thanks....
I think most folks who intend to care for their car for the long run will change the oil and filter at the 3000 mile mark. As far as the type and kind of oil to use, read the owners manual. Typically, 10W30 motor oil will cover all the tempurature ranges you're likely to encounter..... although if you live in one of the northern tier states 5W30 might be needed in winter. It has been suggested to use synthetic oil (Mobil 1) and I would certainly not dissaude you from using it...But, if you change your oil and filter regularly (3,000 miles) using non-synthetic oil, your engine will last just as long. Will you get increased MPG's using synthetic?.... probably not that you'd notice and certainly not enough to offset the cost of the synthetic oil. Your engine probably holds about 6 qts of oil and a quart of Mobil 1 (and most other synthetics) will run you about $4.75 a quart at Wal-Mart; do the math. Just as important as regular oil changes is the oil filter itself; here there are definite levels of quality. *Stay away* from FRAM oil filters; they are truely junk and available everywhere. Purolator makes an excellent standard filter and their "Pure One" is outstanding..they will run you $3-4 at your local auto parts store.
Taking your car to Jiffy Lube sounds like a great idea if you bring your own oil filter...the ones Jiffy Lube installs are of questionable quality... and watch the young gentlemen who assail your car like a hawk. You will invariably deal with some pimple-faced teenager who will be functioning at slightly above the comatose level. He will begin to pull apart your air filter, crankcase breather filter and other assorted "things" to show you how dirty they all are and that they should be replaced.... this is where knowing a little about your car and what needs to be serviced when comes in handy. Just tell the kid to leave all that stuff alone. Another bad habit of these places is over-servicing your oil; they put too much in. Might not sound awful but like the old saying, "Too much of a good thing...." Some engines can tolerate a *little* overfill others can't... in any event it is not a good thing.
Whether you are interested in the inner workings of your car or not, the owners manual is a good book to be familiar with. The scheduled maintenance section will describe what items need attention at the various mileage intervals. Typically there will be a lot "inspection" items and an oil change. Usually the 30,000 and 60,000 mile services have some meat to them...just check the manual. Taking it to a dealer for service is not required. In fact I would recommend you find a good local shop, one specializing in Volvos, to handle your needs (like oil changes). Something else to consider is an extended warranty.
1999 S70
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