I have a 96 Volvo 850 Turbo wagon (purchased new, but now has 136k miles on it) that is driven daily on a 50 mile, one way commute in Southern California on Hwy 15. Speeds vary from stoped to 80/90+ and traffic is so bad that times vary from 45 minutes to two hours. In other words tough usage. I'm using a synthetic 10w-40 oil and change at 10k intervals with 5k filter changes. I'm just putting this message up, because I keep hearing about using lighter new oils. I have a first time sample on its way to Blackstone, but I'm curious about what others think about an oil recommendation.
Comments, please what viscosity?
- Thread starter LarryL
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I'll wait until you get the UOA back before I try and make a recommendation. At 136K you are doing something right.
I am now running Amsoil 5W-40 in essentially the same vehicle - I got good results from 5w30 and so-so with 10W-40. That (hiway) kind of driving is not so hard on the oil/engine, btw.
I'd use a synthetic 5W-40. These will usually be a dual rated diesel and gasoline engine oil and a more robust oil than even a 10W-40 synthetic gasoline engine oil. 10,000 miles is a long drain interval for these turbo engines.
I find no need for an early filter change. I always use Mann filters on my Volvo.
Do consider an Auto-Rx cleaning of your engine, transmission, and power steering, and synthetic ATF after the cleaning.
Ken
I find no need for an early filter change. I always use Mann filters on my Volvo.
Do consider an Auto-Rx cleaning of your engine, transmission, and power steering, and synthetic ATF after the cleaning.
Ken
LarryL,
What synthetic oil are you using?
I considered a 5w-40 but it never gets cold here (San Diego) and the vehicle is always garaged. It only gets driven to work and back and never on the weekends. The only mileage this Volvo sees is to work and back...with my wife doing all the driving. Besides makeup oil on the filter change, it burns about a half a quart per 10k miles. Because of the oil filter change I usually don't add any oil, ever. I don't think my wife kicks the turbo very often and she is very steady driver. Brake wear is way under expected for the mileage. Depending on the uoa, comming back next week I may go to 5k oil changes and consider 5w-40.
Well here's the info...
Alum 2
Chrom 1
Iron 4
Copper 2
Lead 0
Tin 0
Moly 427
Nic 0
Mang 0
Silver 0
Tit 0
Pot 4
Bor 13
Sil 10
Cal 2311
Magnesium 8
Phos 1067
Zink 1067
Barium 0
Flash 385
fuel antifr 0.0
water 0.0
insol 0.3
TBN 2.1
any comments...?
Alum 2
Chrom 1
Iron 4
Copper 2
Lead 0
Tin 0
Moly 427
Nic 0
Mang 0
Silver 0
Tit 0
Pot 4
Bor 13
Sil 10
Cal 2311
Magnesium 8
Phos 1067
Zink 1067
Barium 0
Flash 385
fuel antifr 0.0
water 0.0
insol 0.3
TBN 2.1
any comments...?
Yannis, you say why a turbo.. I got a screaming deal at the end of '96. Volvo had too many Turbo Wagons here, lots of black ones. The price was lower than that suggested by any buying service and the dealer had a whole section of his back lot filled with them.
I was asking about the oil viscosity because on this forum I hear a lot about 'thinner' oils and a lot about Red Line being a racing oil not suited for street driving. So these results were gained with a too thick oil only suitable for racing?
Highway mileage is supposed to be good for an engine but the commute this car sees is heavy stop and go traffic with a 50 mile commute taking 2 hours about 20% of the time and once in a while a faster commute at 45 minutes, later at night. The overall average is an hour and a half. At two hours there is a lot of time just sitting and that can't be the best use of the engine.
Oh, another thing, the lab said that insolubles were very low and that meant the oil filter was doing a good job...I use a Mobil 1 filter.
I was asking about the oil viscosity because on this forum I hear a lot about 'thinner' oils and a lot about Red Line being a racing oil not suited for street driving. So these results were gained with a too thick oil only suitable for racing?
Highway mileage is supposed to be good for an engine but the commute this car sees is heavy stop and go traffic with a 50 mile commute taking 2 hours about 20% of the time and once in a while a faster commute at 45 minutes, later at night. The overall average is an hour and a half. At two hours there is a lot of time just sitting and that can't be the best use of the engine.
Oh, another thing, the lab said that insolubles were very low and that meant the oil filter was doing a good job...I use a Mobil 1 filter.
Two points:
1. 10W40 is probably not "too thick" for your engine, in your locale, and given that your motor oil probably gets hotter than sin during some parts of your commute.
You would probably be just fine running anything from 0W30, 5W30, 10W30 to 0W40, 5W40, 10W40, 15W40, probably even including straight SAE 30 weight most of the year.
If you don't mind coughing up the $$$ for Red Line, then this UOA proves it's a good choice.
A lot of us on here are probably jealous of that UOA.
2. Red Line is primarily a racing oil. The company's oil are designed to perform under prolonged high-load operations, and they place less emphasis on certain factors... like fuel economy or extended drain intervals.
For instance, your TBN at the end of the interval was 2.1. Acceptable, and it did you absolutely no harm. However, if you had chosen an oil engineered for longer oil changed intervals, you would likely have had more TBN left at that point. Perhaps as has 7 in some cases.
I am moving to a 5k interval with this oil change. I looked inside the cylinders with a boroscope and the hone marks are still there and it looks brand new. The valve seats and valve faces (for as much as I could see) look fine. I heard about doing an engine flush at about this mileage but I'm going to pass for now and leave well enough alone. I think this Red Lines stuff is working ok.
TooSlick, I did try 5w30 M1 last winter when the temps dropped into the 60's (lol). No change in mileage on the daily commute.
I think the real deal here is good weather and nothing but freeway mileage, agressive maintenance topped off with good driving habits.
I think the real deal here is good weather and nothing but freeway mileage, agressive maintenance topped off with good driving habits.
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