My daughter has a '03 Volvo V70 with the 2.4 Turbo. The car has 152K miles. We've spent more than the car is worth bringing all the mechanicals up to date, despite doing much of the work ourselves, in the hope it continues to run well. We are switching to Mobil 1 10w40 HM oil from 5w30. Which brings me to my question: Why does the manual recommend 5w30 oil up to 86 degrees F, but says 10w30 is good up to 104 degrees F? I would think the 30-weight end of the 2 multi-viscosity oils would protect the engine to the same temperature. What am I missing here? The viscosity chart also says 5w40 is good from -4 degrees to 104 degrees, which is why we're switching to 10w40 HM. I know the frequent advice on these forums is to follow your owners manual, but sometimes I think they're incomplete or misleading, especially as time goes by. The same Volvo manual says nothing about ever changing the ATF.
Confused By Volvo Owner's Manual Viscosity Chart
- Thread starter THX1138
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Exterior temp has little effect on the oil at operating temperature, aka when the engine is at operating temperature the oil temp will be very similar at 0 degrees or 115 degrees exterior temp. Simply put, the oil temp will be ~200 when the engine is running regardless of the outside temp.
However, the viscosity at engine start will be quite different.
However, the viscosity at engine start will be quite different.
Run either German Castrol 0W30 or Mobil 1 0W40, the Volvo engines seem to run awesome on those.
What he said. No need to peer deeply into oil requirements.
The myth of lifelong fluid has been long dispensed with. Do drain and fills every 300 miles. Then do a cooling line disconnect pump out when you can see improvement if you like.
In your car the fluid goes into the radiator's cooler from the lower line and returns to the transmission via the upper line.
I drive a 2002 non-turbo. Check your turbo return line for leaks. You're overdue for shocks/struts if they haven't been done. How's your DIM (instruments/gauges) performing? Make sure your coolant is all "true blue" (genuine Volvo dark blue coolant-G46 I think). Remember to put your ignition key into position II when reconnecting the battery.
I have 185K on mine. Kira
The myth of lifelong fluid has been long dispensed with. Do drain and fills every 300 miles. Then do a cooling line disconnect pump out when you can see improvement if you like.
In your car the fluid goes into the radiator's cooler from the lower line and returns to the transmission via the upper line.
I drive a 2002 non-turbo. Check your turbo return line for leaks. You're overdue for shocks/struts if they haven't been done. How's your DIM (instruments/gauges) performing? Make sure your coolant is all "true blue" (genuine Volvo dark blue coolant-G46 I think). Remember to put your ignition key into position II when reconnecting the battery.
I have 185K on mine. Kira
I considered the M1 0w40, but decided the additive package in a HM oil might be better for an engine with 150k+ miles. I think what Kira is referring to is every 300 miles drain the atf (you get about 3.5 qts.) and then refill. Over the course of several of these drain and fills you end up replacing 90%+ of the atf with fresh fluid. Or, as he said, you can use the transmission cooler line to power drain the atf 2 quarts at a time. We used this method and ran 12 quarts of clean atf thru the transmission.
Originally Posted By: THX1138
Which brings me to my question: Why does the manual recommend 5w30 oil up to 86 degrees F, but says 10w30 is good up to 104 degrees F?
Because at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, that 5W-30 is gonna get sheared to heck and back.
Which brings me to my question: Why does the manual recommend 5w30 oil up to 86 degrees F, but says 10w30 is good up to 104 degrees F?
Because at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, that 5W-30 is gonna get sheared to heck and back.
Those Volvo engines run forever as long as you replace the timing belt because if the belt breaks the engine is shot and will cost big dollars to fix
Mobil 1 0W40 is a great choice for the engine you have.
Make sure that the PCV works, It should be negative pressure at idle in the dipstick tube and under the oilfiller cap.
Make sure that the PCV works, It should be negative pressure at idle in the dipstick tube and under the oilfiller cap.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: THX1138
Which brings me to my question: Why does the manual recommend 5w30 oil up to 86 degrees F, but says 10w30 is good up to 104 degrees F?
Because at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, that 5W-30 is gonna get sheared to heck and back.
True in 2003 but not so much in 2015.
Originally Posted By: THX1138
Which brings me to my question: Why does the manual recommend 5w30 oil up to 86 degrees F, but says 10w30 is good up to 104 degrees F?
Because at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, that 5W-30 is gonna get sheared to heck and back.
True in 2003 but not so much in 2015.
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Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Run either German Castrol 0W30 or Mobil 1 0W40, the Volvo engines seem to run awesome on those.
+1
Run either German Castrol 0W30 or Mobil 1 0W40, the Volvo engines seem to run awesome on those.
+1
+2. I have a 2004 S60 2.5T with a 16T and a tune and I run GC (well it's made in Belgium now) 0w30 with a can of LM MoS2 and change my oil at 5000 miles. Could go longer, used to go to 7500 before the turbo upgrade. Engine runs strong and smooth.
Just FYI, I was overdue for a change a while back but far away from home so I drained out 2 quarts via the dipstick with a vacuum pump and topped off with 2 quarts of a different full synthetic brand and the engine was noticeably more sluggish and harder to start. As soon as I got home I changed back to GC 0w30 with MoS2 and all is well again. There's a reason it says Castrol on the cap.
Just FYI, I was overdue for a change a while back but far away from home so I drained out 2 quarts via the dipstick with a vacuum pump and topped off with 2 quarts of a different full synthetic brand and the engine was noticeably more sluggish and harder to start. As soon as I got home I changed back to GC 0w30 with MoS2 and all is well again. There's a reason it says Castrol on the cap.
Thanks for all the replies. I've done some additional reading and research, and evidently as someone suggested, the Volvo manual's recommendations are pretty much obsolete due to advances in oil technology. Beginning in 2005 Volvo began putting Castrol stickers (advertising, I know) in the engine compartment, and now gives its blessing to Xw30 weight oils for all years. I know I'm over-analyzing this, but that's part of the fun.
I'll third the Euro-oil suggestions, especially with the turbo. My S60 runs either M1 0W-40 or GC 0W-30. I actually prefer the GC, engine feels just a touch smoother to rev - but both seem to hold up very well to the turbo's strain on oil.
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