oil question '95 850 N/A auto

[erikv11]

In the Volvos I like to run 10w30 in the summer, 5w30 in the winter. I used to run a high quality 15w40 (Rotella dino) in my NA for summers but I didn't like having to pay such close attention to weather and seasonality, to ensure I had the right oil in there. I look after 4 cars.

E.g. many people have already filled up with "summer" oil but all across the midwest we have been at or below freezing temps the last 3 days.

It can be fun to discuss these itty bitty details of oil specifications, but the bottom line is additive packs are rather good and these white blocks are practically indestructible. With regular oil changes it almost doesn't matter what you use. Just don't go extreme on the weight, and do changes in accordance with how you drive the car.

[cn90]

I thought I'd post a fuel mileage report on the Mobil 1 Synthetic 15W50.
It is 29-30 mpg on my 1998 S70 GLT with Auto Trans.

The relevant facts:
- Fill the gasosline tank, reset trip odometer, drove for 300 miles on hwy.
- Refilled with gasoline
- Car properly aligned
- All tuned properly (new spark plugs, cap/rotor, Bougicord etc.)
- Tires at 37 psi
- Single driver, no passengers, no heavy cargo
- Flat road, no wind, average speed 70-75 mph

So...I don't see a significant change in fuel mileage when using Mobil 1 Synthetic 15W50. For me, it is the same as when I had the 5W30 in there.

[mercuric]

http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/199 ... html#pg9.2

Note that Volvo did change the recommendations for 1997 cars, recommending that 15w40 only be used in severe service such as trailer towing in hot conditions.

http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/199 ... 6.htm#8:11

Volvo documentation lists one change for 1997 cars that may be relevant:

Improved hydraulic valve lifters on 4 valve engines 960/850

The new valve lifters (introduced into production week 615) are lighter than usual and are formed so that the oil cannot drain so easily.
This is to reduce the clattering noise which can occur when starting after having been parked for a long time.

I used to run a high quality 15w40 (Rotella dino) in my NA

That's great stuff. It's designed for diesel engines, as such it has an excellent detergent package which keeps internals nice and clean. It's also cheap in the big jugs. An most excellent choice for high mileage N/A engines, especially the older redblocks.

[Hoosier Shadetree]

I'm not an oil expert by any stretch of the imagination. I do have a friend that is quite knowledgeable on oils. He introduced me to Amsoil. I have been using it on a diesel powered Jeep with great success. I now use this oil on both of our Volvos ('96 855 Turbo w/212K miles and '99 XC70 w/105K miles). The oil: Amsoil, product code AFL, 5W-40 European Formula Mid SAPS. Together with a good quality oil filter and regular change intervals and you have a winning package. Hope this helps.

[northernlights]

Note that Volvo did change the recommendations for 1997 cars, recommending that 15w40 only be used in severe service such as trailer towing in hot conditions.

http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/199 ... 6.htm#8:11

Volvo USA did change it, but not Volvo Everywhereelse The way cars are tested for fuel economy here forces different oil standards than Europe, and using oil that meets an API or ILSAC spec is not good enough for many Euro engines. Remember the huge sludge problems for VW/Audi with the 1.8 turbo's? Sub-standard oil can cause a whole host of problems even when changed frequently.

The owner's manual I referenced was sourced from Volvo Australia 2004 for the V70/XC70. Here's the link if you want to see the whole deal. Because this was not meant for the US market, they have information about things like fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Pg 132) for both diesel and gas (petrol) versions. It is very unfortunate that we in the US do not get the same options as the rest of the world.

http://www.volvocars.com/au/sales-servi ... -my04.aspx

[rspi]

To me, oil is all about engine wear and seal life. My valve steams were leaking pretty good with the 10w-30, with 10w-40 they almost do NOT leak at all.

For you guys that like to say 5w is ok, if you look at the oil chart, it specifically states that weight for temps under 0 degrees. So if you are not in a place that the temp gets that low, like where I live, running 5w is to thin. I don't think I have ever seen temps of less than 15 degrees here is 20 years. My car will never see 5w while I live here.

So, the real test to me would be engine wear. The real test would be what kind of wear you get with the weight you use. So, the best test would be to send an oil analysis to Blackstone or somewhere on your 2nd run of that oil. So, run 5w-30, after you change the oil for the first time, at the end of the 2nd cycle, send a sample into the lab and read the numbers. Then change oil and do it at the other weight. Other than that it's all guess work. Sure you can run a compression test to see how the pistons are wearing but a spun bearing will stop you dead in your tracks as well.

Owning a car for 5 years or 100,000 miles may not disclose the damage done. You may get rid of the car before you pay the price of running the wrong weight oil. If you get the samples from the lab you'll know right away. So you can pick up a car with 120,000 and drive it 70,000 miles, you can wear the motor out more in that 70,000 miles than the po did in 120,000 miles. Lets say that a motor with 50% wear will have issues running, the first 120,000 may have causes a wear of 5% because the person changed oil every 3,000 and used 10w-30 (say). Then you change to 15w-50 and in 30,000 miles wear the motor 20%. Only the lab or a compression test would tell. I think that lab test would be best.

[misha]

..I used to have a BMW E23 (1985 735i 5sp) with M30 engine. Even the factory owners manual stated for E23 and E36, you can use anywhere between 5W30 and 20W50. Here is BMW engine chart.

I agree.My father in law had a '93 BMW 750I V12 and i read that from the above in the owner's manual from his car.

Fast forward 10-20 years later, BMW now says "use 5W30". Engine design tolerances have not changed during those years!

My friend from Switzerland have '07 or '08 BMW 330 IX and oil change interval is at 30k km with 0w-30 oil,recommended from BMW.
The car was still in warranty and he firstly ended up with head rebuilt due to some bad noises from the engine(valve lifters).A few weeks after rebuilt which didn't done properly his engine sounded even worst and finally when they admitted that they blown-up the job,they installed a brand new engine in his car.

The point is....30k km oil change interval is way too long even if it's recommended from the car manufacturer.Personally,i would never keep the oil in the engine that far.10-15k km is upper limit even with fully synthetic whatever brand they are.

That's my opinion.

My grandfather who always drove Volvos,always changed the oil at 3k km interval(regular mineral oil) and his every Volvo was around 500k km without opening the engine and zero problems with engine.

[jblackburn]

Nowhere do any of those recommendations say anything about using 50-weight in a Volvo engine.

There's a reason why: it's too heavy.

Like someone said above, you'll do more damage to it in your ownership than in the previous 150,000 miles when the oil pressure is too high and stuff doesn't get oil like it's supposed to. There are little passages in these engines that are far too small to be running that oil.

[Hoosier Shadetree]

I checked with my friend, the oil expert. As many may know, the base weight of the oil is the last number, i.e. 20,30,40,50. The additives package is what takes it down to the 5W,10W or 15W. This explains why an engine may use oil with a "30 weight" but not the "40 weight". While the 5W-40 does have a lower temperature rating that one may never encounter, I posit that it is the quality of the oil, the additives as well as the base number of the oil that gives it it's credibility. I have had tremendous service from the Amsoil AFL 5W-40 and will continue to use it along with good filters in my Volvos.

[instarx]

For you guys that like to say 5w is ok, if you look at the oil chart, it specifically states that weight for temps under 0 degrees. So if you are not in a place that the temp gets that low, like where I live, running 5w is to thin.

I don't believe that is the way to read that chart. A 5w oil extends the ambient operating temperature range to those temperatures, it doesn't move the range down. A 5w oil isn't too thin when used above 0F.

I only use 0w or 5w Mobil 1 oils in my vehicles and I have no oil leaks. They definitely make diesel engines easier to start in even cool weather.