2003 Volvo XC70 - oil requirements/recommendations?

[GSV]

My mom just bought one of these but she lives in New England. (Volvos in N.E. = shocking) I will not be doing the maint. on this but I want to point her in the right direction. What are the Volvo's oil requirements / change intervals ? Any Volvo enthusiasts or others with experience have any tips or things to watch for on these cars? thanks in advance!

 

[ALS]

I hate to be sarcastic about this but isn't there an Owners Manual in the glove box ? In side that owners manual there is a chart telling her when Volvo recommends oil changes and routine maintance to done on the car. It will tell which weight oil and whether they want dino or they recommend synthetic, and frequency of the oil and filter changes. The 5 cylinder that comes in that vehical is a very reliable engine if it is taken care of.

 

[Pablo]

I know I am a biased source, but Amsoil and Volvos seem to get along really well. Been a Volvo nut longer than I've been an Amsoil dealer. This all aluminum "constructed" (white) engine is NOT as robust as the red iron blocks of lore that regularly hit 300-400,000 miles+. My wife's 850 (1996) has basically the same engine as the 70 series and I have found the Amsoil 5W-30 (ASL) to be a good match. The advice to read the owner's manual is pretty sage....besides Volvo "encourages" synthetic motor oil.

 

[GSV]

Well I'm sure the owners manual would be compelling reading if I didn't live 2800 miles away. My main concern is if Volvo is doing the same thing as some other euro makers in pushing very long drain intervals while using Group 3 oils ala BMW and their new Castrol formulation. I hope not.

 

[Patman]

My dad is going to be getting one of these in August when his 2001 Infiniti QX4 lease is up. He'll probably get a 2004 model if they are out by then. I'm sure he'll use Mobil 1 10w30 in the warmer months and 5w30 in winter like he always does with his vehicles.

 

[mormit]

Nice car. You can download owners manuals and warranty books at: www.volvocars.com Volvo's recommendation in the US is for 10W30 in most climates. A good synthetic like Mobil 1 or Amsoil should be perfect in New England. There was an excellent used oil analysis a few months ago by some guy who ran M1 in his S80. In hotter areas like Utah I'd be tempted to run Mobil 1 0W-40 as a summer oil. Oil change interval is 7500miles/5000 severe duty. I'm currently running my 2002 S40 on Mobil 1 10W-30. Should have results in September. [ June 14, 2003, 10:59 PM: Message edited by: mormit ]

 

[Patman]

After viewing the Volvo Canada site, my new mission is to talk my dad into getting the 300hp V70R instead of the XC70!

 

[TooSlick]

GSV, Last time I checked it seemed Volvo was recommending 10,000 mile change intervals for most of their newer engines. Any decent synthetic should be able to go that far .... TooSlick

 

[drm7]

My wife had a 95 850glt when we were dating. Thankfully we met when we did! Her manual stated 10k mile changes and she was 2.5 qts low and just about to toast the engine. I topped it off and instructed her to change 3-4k. When I called the volvo lot they said that they used quaker state and I don't think it was synthetic. I freaked. We went to 3k and dino changes. The service guy said he thought that volvo wanted to appear to be low maint for the money so they have long changes. Throw the manual away and do what you do for every other car. I just don't believe that any manufacturer can make a 'magic' engine that needs any less maintenance than any other. BTW, her parents just bought the car w/91k (about 40k since the incident) and it seems to run just fine. It has been a great car.

 

[segfault]

Volvo's newest models specify a 7500 mile / 12 month service interval for most applications. They also have a service reminder on the message center that will alert the driver upon startup once it has been 12 months or 7500 miles since the last service. The owner's manual also recommends a 10w30 oil if the car will be driven in temperatures that exceed 80 degrees Farenheit, or 5w30 oil otherwise. I installed Mobil 1 5w30 at the first oil change in my mother's S80, even though it will get above 80 degrees here...

 

[Bill J.]

Volvo 2004 recommended change intervals are 7500 miles, less for severe service. They encourage synthetics. For many of the models they specifically recommend Castrol oil, which is interesting. It's interesting that for the older "red" block 4 cylinder engines of yore' (200-700-900 series) the sump capacity including filter was about 4.5 quarts. The 2004 minimum sump capacity is 5.7 for the smallest 4 cylinder up to 7.3 quarts for the larger engines.

 

[Dr. T]

I agree...have her check the owner's manual first. That said, use proper grade synthetic for the said interval.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman: After viewing the Volvo Canada site, my new mission is to talk my dad into getting the 300hp V70R instead of the XC70!

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I tried to talk dear old dad into a V70R yesterday but no luck. As a matter of fact it looks like he'll be buying the QX4 at the end of his lease, driving it another two years, then he'll get a Volvo at that point, just before he retires. So I've got a few more years to work on talking him into that V70R! It's one sweet machine, I'll definitely have one parked in my garage next to a new C5 if I ever win the lottery.

 

[mf150]

In the 92 940 sedan, they call for 10w-30 for regular service and 15W-40 while towing. This is before the engine and style change with the Ford takover. We had a 76 240 that lasted 500,000 miles plus before we sold it. It was on 10W-40.