Hi new here -> Volvo 850 150k best dino oil for it

[wheelsup]

Hi everyone, I've seen this forum recommended from other sources as the experts in oil hang out here.

I have a 1995 Volvo 850 N/A. Volvo recommends 10w30 for my temp band (-4F to 104F). I am in Central NC so that is fine for temps.

It's been running dino oil since new. I have just started doing my own oil changes and I figure if it's made it to 150k I should start putting some quality oil in. I am the first to admit I didn't take good care of the car (think wal-mart supertech oil as it leaked out of the RMS) but so far it's not burning any thing. It's got Quarter State 10w30 in it right now, that was on sale and was my first bout with "brand name" oil. Yes you can laugh!

I was just wondering what a good quality conventional/dino oil would be good for me. There are so many brands, I'm not sure which to go with. Also I was thinking of going to a synthetic blend something like Valvoline Maxlife due good things I've heard about synthetics but didn't want to switch fully to a syn because I've heard it might cause leaks. The car already has a minor rear main seal leak. I've fixed the reason it blew (PVC issue) and the leak has slowed to a crawl but I'm not going to fix it ($800+ to drop the tranny).

These are my requirements (if they are reasonable)

• I would like for it to be available most places so it's easily procured.
• 10w30 as that is what Volvo recommends
• Dino or synthetic blend if that is OK and won't cause leaks
• If possible I would like to also use it for my 1998 VW Jetta w/ 112k on it. It also has dino in it but burns about 1 qt/600 miles due to worn rings

I guess it boils down to what's a high quality dino oil available in most stores? Or should I go with a high quality synthetic blend? Or maybe one of those quality high mileage oils?

Oh one more thing I run Mann oil filters in it due to the check valve that it has. OEM Volvo filters also have it, but Mann makes them. The car ran 50,000 miles without them but I recently decided to get on the right track w/ mx. She's been good to me so far I don't want to f up a good thing!

I do plan to do oil changes every 3k or maybe 5k whatever is recommended.

Thanks,
matt

 

[rg200amp]

I would run a 10w30 Maxlife at a 5000 mile change interval.

You should see many more years out of that car.

Welcome to the Forum!!!!

 

[duaneb9729]

welcome to the forum !!

lots of folks here seem to like supertech oil, there is also support for pennsoil, both the dino and syn.

i am currently using pennsoil dino, but will switch to the amsoil shortly because i want to go to a once a year oil change.

i use mann oil filters in my 97 jetta and i used to use them in my 242gl when i had that years ago.

good luck in your search, there are lots of great guys here and good advice to be had. again welcome to the forum!

 

[FrankN4]

If it were mine, I would go to a synthetic high mileage oil as it has seal conditioners as do all high mileage oils. If you do not want to do that, you can go to Pennzoil HM 10W-30 which is all Dino.

 

[wheelsup]

Thanks guys from the research I've done there is group II and group III oils, is valvoline a good oil these days? Is it a group III oil? I don't know where to find that out.

It seems like Pennzoil is highly recommended here, and Valvoline not so much?

What about this product?

What is the advantages of going to a "high mile" oil? Does it do any damage? More harm than good?

For example what about this?

Are these good dino oils? Or would I better be served with a synthetic blend such as this?

Thanks everyone!

 

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted By: FrankN4
If it were mine, I would go to a synthetic high mileage oil as it has seal conditioners as do all high mileage oils. If you do not want to do that, you can go to Pennzoil HM 10W-30 which is all Dino.


Yes I would do that I'm just worried about all the negative things I've heard about switching to a synthetic oil after using dino for so long. I don't want to break what ain't broke just yet. Thoughts?

 

[VK56VD]

Try Auto-RX. it may stop your leak. You can use a Group III Full Synthetic such as the highly praised Pennzoil Platinum on here and not have any problems with leaks.

 

[wheelsup]

The RMS seal is blown nothing but replacing it will stop the leak. There was too much crankcase pressure and even when relieved the leak is still there, although it's gone done quite a bit.

So I would like to assume the leak will still be there. Is the regular Pennzoil a group 3 oil?

 

[FrankN4]

Years ago, conventional oils would actually leave deposits in engines. These deposits would coat seals and seal access areas, no leaks. When switching to synthetics, the synthetics would clean away the deposits and expose the leaks. Synthetics were also very good at getting into every nook and cranny. Manufacturers started putting seal conditioners in their synthetics to keep the seals pliable and doing their jobs. As more detergents and dispersants were added to conventional oils, they also got seal conditioners.

Most high mileage oils, like Pennzoil HM, are a little heavier in viscosity, more toward the middle to upper end of the grade. A 30 grade goes from a 100C cSt of 9.3 to 12.49. If I remember correctly Pennzoil HM is about 11.7. It has extra detergents and dispersants, extra antioxidants, and extra seal conditioners.

As mentioned above, MaxLife is a really good HM oil. I just don't like the way Ashland does business.

 

[Audi Junkie]

I'm using GTX 10w-30 in a 1998 V70 and it cut consumption over oils like RP 15w-40 and some others. GTX HM is good too.

 

[wheelsup]

I was thinking about maybe doing an auto-rx treatment in both cars and over on the auto-rx forums Frank Miller recommends GTX as well. I guess it doesn't matter much between these oils as long as the oil is changed regularly huh?

 

[Saab9000]

Take a look at your manual. For that year, the oil spec was probably SH or SJ oil. Almost all automotive oils today are SL or SM formulations which are very different from the oil specc'ed for your car.

The only oils that have the rating your car requires are diesel spec oils, HDEO's. Delo 15-40 is great and I'm currently running Rotella T synth, 5-40 in my 93 Saab.

I've done several UOA's and the deisel spec oils give far better UOA's than the Havoline did.

 

[addyguy]

Any 10W-30 HM oil will work great at 5k mile intervals. Castrol claims the lowest amount of 'burnoff' for their 10W-30 HM.

 

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted By: Saab9000
Take a look at your manual. For that year, the oil spec was probably SH or SJ oil. Almost all automotive oils today are SL or SM formulations which are very different from the oil specc'ed for your car.

The only oils that have the rating your car requires are diesel spec oils, HDEO's. Delo 15-40 is great and I'm currently running Rotella T synth, 5-40 in my 93 Saab.

I've done several UOA's and the deisel spec oils give far better UOA's than the Havoline did.


OK so form the research I've done:

"For automotive gasoline engines, the latest engine oil service
category includes the performance properties of each earlier
category. If an automotive owner’s manual calls for an API SJ
or SL oil, an API SM oil will provide full protection. For diesel
engines, the latest category usually – but not always – includes
the performance properties of an earlier category."

From API Service Recommendations (PDF)

Quote:
"SM - For all automotive engines currently
in use. Introduced November 30, 2004,
SM oils are designed to provide improved
oxidation resistance, improved deposit
protection, better wear protection, and
better low-temperature performance over
the life of the oil. Some SM oils may also
meet the latest ILSAC specification
and/or qualify as Energy Conserving."


From Pennzoil.com

Quote:
"It is significant to remember that each succeeding, or higher, performance rating includes all the capabilities of all those that have gone before it. Therefore, the current rating, "M," will work for any automobile engine on the road. "


My Volvo manual recommends SG SG/CD, SH, or ILSAC GF-1
My Jetta recommends SF or SG. In addition my repair manual (the Bentley) recommends SJ. That would seem to coincide with what API says about oils being backward compatible.

It appears it does this because those were the oil available then.

So isn't SM or SJ OK for use in these cars since that according to the API those oils meet all previous performance and protection specs?

thanks,
matt

 

[Saab9000]

I can only tell you my experience with UOAs. To me, the best proof is in actual data for your car based on UOAs.

When I used the Havoline which is an SM rated gasoline engine oil, I got very bad wear numbers for lead and copper.

When I used Rotella syn and Delo 15-40, both of which specifically say that they meet SG and SH specs, which my car requires, I got fantastic wear numbers.

 

[Ken2]

Any brand of oil will provide good service. The better brands, and there are many, will provide better service for more miles. If there is one best brand, nobody knows which that might be. I buy Schaeffer's synthetic blend or full synthetic by the case and run it 10,000 miles in my '96 turbo Volvo (and my Tundra) with excellent lab reports.

Use API Service Classification SM oil...that is right for all the engines listed. I don't know why Mr. Saab got bad numbers, but when switching brands the new brand might be picking up some crud left behind by the last brand, and this shows up on the analysis reports as wear metals. All brands leave something behind, so it isn't a worry.

In your VW it is more likely that the rings are stuck with carbon in the ring grooves on the piston. Auto-Rx is effective in cleaning these. It will also recondition the rear main seal in the Volvo, but if the seal is actually damaged, nothing will fix that but replacement. The Auto-Rx cleaning routine cut my Volvo's oil consumption by 75%. Have you replaced the oil trap and the rest of the PCV system, including cleaning out the little, hard-to-find orifices?

Mann filters are good.

 

[Saab9000]

Originally Posted By: Ken2
Any brand of oil will provide good service. The better brands, and there are many, will provide better service for more miles. If there is one best brand, nobody knows which that might be. I buy Schaeffer's synthetic blend or full synthetic by the case and run it 10,000 miles in my '96 turbo Volvo (and my Tundra) with excellent lab reports.

Use API Service Classification SM oil...that is right for all the engines listed. I don't know why Mr. Saab got bad numbers, but when switching brands the new brand might be picking up some crud left behind by the last brand, and this shows up on the analysis reports as wear metals. All brands leave something behind, so it isn't a worry.

In your VW it is more likely that the rings are stuck with carbon in the ring grooves on the piston. Auto-Rx is effective in cleaning these. It will also recondition the rear main seal in the Volvo, but if the seal is actually damaged, nothing will fix that but replacement. The Auto-Rx cleaning routine cut my Volvo's oil consumption by 75%. Have you replaced the oil trap and the rest of the PCV system, including cleaning out the little, hard-to-find orifices?

Mann filters are good.


I did two successive UOA's of Havoline, sandwiched between Uoas of Delo and Rotella. The first for 20-50 Hav was bad, the second, for 10-40 Hav was worse, when I switched to Rotella, the numbers instantly went back to slightly better than the Delo numbers, so its not a random fluke going on. Clearly, an SG rated oil gave me much better numbers.

 

[Volvohead]

The NA white blocks are relatively easy on oil.
But at that mileage, I would first run two ARX applications.

Don't give up on the RMS just yet. Sometimes, it's leaking from other than blowout. I was able to recover mine with ARX, and my 850 has over 200k and is leak free. Do pull the flame trap, which causes a lot of these problems in the first place.

Once you finish up, you can continue running any premium conventional 10w-30 in it. But I think you find it runs better with a 5w-40. The pre-99 white blocks are prone to consume a little oil between changes. A 5w-40 will stop that. Try RTS. Your VW will like it, too.

Keep using the Manns. Nothing works better in that engine.

At 150k, your engine is just hitting its stride.

 

[Audi Junkie]

In that engine, you can't go wrong unless it's a totally obsolete oil. The way I see it is to not worry about brands and stuff, just use an oil properly, any oil. The GTX is a random closeout purchase, and it works in anything from the Volvo to the Honda to the Audi. I also use Delo 30 in that volvo, all summer. If I wanted to use synth oil, fine, the trick is to use it in winter and to use it a lil longer interval.

The way I advise to first decide how often you WANT to change oil and then *pick an oil that allows you to go that long* considering the anticipated number of miles with the visc for the appropriate climate.

If you only want to change once or twice a year, that means synth unless you only drive a few miles in that time. So, start with those inputs plus picking a brand you like and look at your climate...there you go.

 

[wheelsup]

Thanks guys I ended up with Castrol GTX High Mileage conventional. However not for the Volvo, but for the VW Jetta VR6 with oil burning issues. It was expensive (5.5 qts for $26 when the regular GTX was on sale for $12!!) but I wanted to try to see if it cut down on consumption.

I put in 10w30 but found out due to temps that the VR6's typically run at VW now recommends 5w-40. I'm guessing the 40 weight would cut down on consumption even more. But the HM oils are slightly thicker anyway so it may help.

Anyway I also plan on doing an Auto-RX treatment to see if that will reduce consumption and make the car run better. We will see. It has 113k on it right now, I'd like to get it to much less consumption and then I'd feel better about R&R the a/c compressor in the spring and dropping the tranny and doing the timing belt. If the consumption issues don't work out I will probably sell it while I still can.

About the Volvo I may try a synthetic blend like the Valvoline HM Blend when it comes around to that time. But first maybe an Auto-RX treatment with regular Castrol GTX. I hear Castrol is an all around good oil so I might stick with that brand for now.

-matt