Someone I know has been taking his '01 S80 to the dealer for bulk fill 5w30 changes . . . every 10k. Servicing it by the book, or so he thought. He was told NEVER to use synthetics in it by the dealer knuckleheads.
Just past 90k, the oil light comes on. Finds out it's 3+ quarts low. Tops it off. The light doesn't go off. Dealer rules out a bad pressure sensor and wants $500 more "just to look" at the crankcase. We know where this is going.
I give him 5 minutes yesterday and "took a look". The fill cap and baffle are covered with very heavy sludge. The dipstick is brown as a fudgesickle. No further need to look. It's a lubrication heart attack in progress.
Did an emergency ARX change on the spot. The drain plug was severely overtorqued and the plug gasket had been reused repeatedly. The filter housing nearly stripped my filter wrench from being overtightened. At $125/hr, gentle hands must be hard to find at that dealer.
As of today, the light has gone off. It seems to be staying off . . . most of the time. Got him on the highway in it today, driving the heck out of it, getting that engine off the brink.
If he can get the next 500 miles in without it starving, he may just dodge a bullet.
But with all that is now known about the later Volvo turbos, dealers pumping bulk conventional at that interval is just plain IRRESPONSIBLE. Yet it goes on and on and on.
If it survives, he's taking it to an indy from now on.
Just past 90k, the oil light comes on. Finds out it's 3+ quarts low. Tops it off. The light doesn't go off. Dealer rules out a bad pressure sensor and wants $500 more "just to look" at the crankcase. We know where this is going.
I give him 5 minutes yesterday and "took a look". The fill cap and baffle are covered with very heavy sludge. The dipstick is brown as a fudgesickle. No further need to look. It's a lubrication heart attack in progress.
Did an emergency ARX change on the spot. The drain plug was severely overtorqued and the plug gasket had been reused repeatedly. The filter housing nearly stripped my filter wrench from being overtightened. At $125/hr, gentle hands must be hard to find at that dealer.
As of today, the light has gone off. It seems to be staying off . . . most of the time. Got him on the highway in it today, driving the heck out of it, getting that engine off the brink.
If he can get the next 500 miles in without it starving, he may just dodge a bullet.
But with all that is now known about the later Volvo turbos, dealers pumping bulk conventional at that interval is just plain IRRESPONSIBLE. Yet it goes on and on and on.
If it survives, he's taking it to an indy from now on.
