Oil additives.

[Madleee]

Can you use Slick 50 in an 850 T5?
Is it worth using Mobil 1 in a car with 166,000 Miles which has full VSH?

[Jod T5]

Can you use Slick 50 in an 850 T5?
Is it worth using Mobil 1 in a car with 166,000 Miles which has full VSH?

hi lee..., what makes you think you need slick 50 in your t5...i see that you have in the past used it in the 745....maybe it is just habit....
the 850's are quite happy on mineral oil, although i would recommend a semi or fully synthetic on your model due to the additional cooling required on the turbocharger....
i use 5w/40 fully syn, halford own brand and change the oil every 5k...i change the filter too and flush the engine with 5/40 to ensure that i have got all the oil out of the turbo circuit...i take a fair amount of stick because i flush the oil which some people consider unnecessary, however i cannot see the point in spending £30 on oil to leave 1/5 of the old oil in the turbo cooler...
Mobil 1 is a great oil but i would not recommend using a 0w/40 as this may lead to oil seal leak..due to its viscosity...iirc the only 10w mobil 1 is 10/30 but i could be wrong....
cheers
jod

[chow]

i agree with everything said above ,bear in mind with regard to slick 50 quaker state corp who make the product had to pay large fines recently imposed by the federal authorites for making false and unsubstantiated claims for the stuff, you might as well put on your feather headress and do a "oil dance" round your car for the good it does

[Madleee]

i agree with everything said above ,bear in mind with regard to slick 50 quaker state corp who make the product had to pay large fines recently imposed by the federal authorites for making false and unsubstantiated claims for the stuff, you might as well put on your feather headress and do a "oil dance" round your car for the good it does

Ta for the giggle

[VolvMan]

Have just joined the forum to seek some views and advice, please.

I have recently experienced the beginnings of oil loss and blue smoke from my Volvo 940 2.4 SE LTP

After reading posts on this forum I have also searched the internet and come across a product called XADO. Has anyone had experience of this product?

Their web site is http://www.xado.co.uk

I was intrigued, as they seem to have Volvo Approval and provide a range of oils and greases as well?

Any thoughts please

[chow]

Have just joined the forum to seek some views and advice, please.

I have recently experienced the beginnings of oil loss and blue smoke from my Volvo 940 2.4 SE LTP

After reading posts on this forum I have also searched the internet and come across a product called XADO. Has anyone had experience of this product?

Their web site is http://www.xado.co.uk

I was intrigued, as they seem to have Volvo Approval and provide a range of oils and greases as well?

Any thoughts pleaseim sure volvo do not approve there engine restoring product, its total boloxs ,you canot restore a worn engine by pouring snake oil into it, it just does not happen, theres only one way to restore a worn engine and thats to rebuild it, end of story

[RollingThunder]

One thing I would STRONGLY recommend - is NOT to use Slick-50 in a recently reconditioned engine. Did that back in the mid 80s with a recon Capri engine. It seized solid less than 200 miles later :( I come out in a rash just thinking of that damned stuff!

If an engine needs attention, give it some TLC not a bottle of instant-fix. In my experience it doesn't work for long, if at all.

Re oil, I used Magnatec GTX semi-synthetic in my old 2.0 20v 850. It seemed to like it a lot. I tried Mobil 1 in it, but it was way too thin - the engine rattled like hell and it just didn't sound right at all - an expensive mistake as I had to flush it out and refill with Magnatec the same weekend...

[John_C]

If you're interested in this sort of thing I can highly recommend:

http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

for engine oil info

http://www.carbibles.com/additives.html

for additives info

There is loads of useful (if cynical, but hell, I'm cynical too!!) advice and info on the site so I would definately check it out if you're at all interested in the mucky bits of cars.

Cheers,
J

[VolvMan]

Thanks chow and charltjr.

No information on Engine Oil Bible re XADO. I too am a sceptic on these sort of issues, but I thought I would report back.

I did stick my neck out in the end after much money spent on parts and treat of an expensive new gearbox and I tried tried the Xado for geabox. See http://www.xado.co.uk/engine_treatment_oil_additives.htm half way down the page.

For what it is worth it worked for me. Gearbox much smoother and not as noisy. Will see how long it lasts. My issue here was do I spend £16.99 for thier revitalazant or a huge amount of cash for a new gearbox. If XADO didn't work I had nothing to loose.

Looked into Volvos approval a bit more. Seems as though they have a certificate to prove it, if this is just for the oils or all not sure.

XADO are obviously a big concern in Russia and Ukraine etc. See http://www.Xado.com. http://www.xado.co.uk have a news section showing various news topics. What intrigued me was that they obviously have some money with their support of high profile sporting events!!

Ever the sceptic but will report back on how I get on. May even stick my neck out and try the Oil.

VM

[Pete850]

Hi

Main dealers tend to use a product called Forte !!

This is a trade product but you can get it in good motor factors, not people like halfords etc.

No manufacturer will ever say their engines/cars will ever need anything except normal servicing, but i know for a fact that certain manufacturers have used certain Forte products to cure issues that happen and cannot be fixed without major investment/redeisgn.

i have used the fortifier. engine sounds sweeter and not so rough - would flush engine before using this and add it once every year when changing oil.

this is only my opinion and i'm sure others will have more advise for you..

hope this helps -- http://www.forteuk.co.uk/Home.htm

Pete

[DSK]

I would always stay clear of any product like slick 50. As mentioned above, they were sued a while ago after some customers started experiencing problems after using it. Such oil treatment claims are just ridiculous and many companies are producing poor products similar to slick 50 which are worthless at the very least.

We do use and stock 'some' Forte products as they are vastly used within the trade and actually work well. Some main dealers may offer it to you, most independant specialists will certainly have it in stock and some decent MOT stations and smaller car repair centres should be able to supply you some if you can't find it at a motor factors store (try a factors that a lot of the trade use in your area).

The only off the shelf products I would use myself if I could not use Forte for anything would be 'Wynns' products.

[4 forty]

this is a oil chemists website, with his experiments and conclusions to useing additives, well worth a look. pictures and evidence produced in trials.

www.bobistheoilguy.com

paul

[VolvMan]

For those interested though I would continue to report back on my experiences with the product XADO - a stay in day due to English weather.

As previously posted did try the gearbox treatment and so far all still in tact. How much it has worked can't tell but after my longest trip yet since the treatment (140 miles to Leeds and back) we are still in one piece.

Before the trip my blue smoke was still a problem, so rightly or wrongly tried their engine treatment. Result again has been promising, blue smoke certainly reduced. Have another tube to add, will see if this eliminates it!

Did try and get hold of "Forte" as DSK suggest, but site indicated trade accounts only so went no further.

My original reason for trying this product was that they indicate Volvo approval. I researched this and it seems valid. The salesman I spoke to at Xado UK www.xado.co.uk was helpful and allayed my suspicions.

His point was that if Volvo had not provided approval they would certainly have been stamped on by Volvo head office, which I suppose is true.

I know there has been much talked about "snake oils" and much confusion for all who try and obtain an objective view of all these products, the web is very confusing, so I hope my experiment is helpful to others.

Hence my post as I was one of those sceptics too

Ever the guinea pig

Volvman

[iGGy]

I presume the car makers will only stamp on them if it's brought to their attention.

If this stuff is suppose to "restores, repairs and reconditions" using "NANO Technology" then how does it actually know when to stop repairing and restoring?

If they'd like to pay for my fairly well worn engine if it finally goes pop when testing their concoction, I'd turn myself into an adorable furry little creature too. Otherwise I'll keep saving for the rebuild at the machinists.

[enginerestore]

Have just joined the forum to seek some views and advice, please.

I have recently experienced the beginnings of oil loss and blue smoke from my Volvo 940 2.4 SE LTP

After reading posts on this forum I have also searched the internet and come across a product called XADO. Has anyone had experience of this product?

Their web site is http://www.xado.co.uk

I was intrigued, as they seem to have Volvo Approval and provide a range of oils and greases as well?

Any thoughts please

http://www.xado-usa.com/
XADO is “a brand new product that’s 30 years old”. It was discovered accidentally north of Siberia in the early 70’s when workers discovered that when they drilled in a certain area, their drill bits were not wearing out. The ground was analyzed and an ore was discovered that, when introduced to high temperatures, created a ceramic-like layer on metal tools. In the early 90’s, this ore was synthesized and marketed in Europe for use in engines, tools and machinery. Use of XADO quickly spread to over 120 countries. In 2003, a U.S. patent was issued for the XADO product and process.

http://xado-usa.com/testimonials.html
........ A synthetic derivative of the minerals shangite, serpentine and muscovite, Xado’s formulation ......

The Russian project was taken over by engineers in Italy, who found the ideal material for the additive to be the mineral serpentine, which is rich in hydrated magnesium silicate (asbestos)
http://www.xaracon.com/asbestos/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscovite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine
http://www.galleries.com/minerals/si...t/muscovit.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special...ulltext=Search

[mharriso]

can't help but laugh at the irony of mineral serpentine and the snake oil comments earlier.... priceless....

[VolvMan]

Chow and charltjr and others.

Forgot about this but for what it is worth promised to report back on results.

FYI all "tickety boo" - no more money spent on gearbox to date and still smooth as silk.

Did also buy some of their oil - http://www.xado.co.uk/xado_atomic_engine_oil_lubricants.htm - for some reason fuel consumption improved - not sure why - only change this year has been oil so could be the XADO in it!!

Reply may be a bit late and you have all moved on but because all seems OK forgot about reporting back.

VM

[s60ben]

Volvo have a relatively simple view on additives... which was reinforced by the following.

Use of additives in engines
Volvo Car Corporation (VCC) does not recommend the use of any additives for engine oil as it will cause premature wear of the engine. You must be aware that the use of such products are not sanctioned by Volvo nor do they form a part of any of our scheduled service routines. Your warranty claim will be rejected if additives are found to be the cause of premature engine failure.


Use of additives in Auto-transmissions
Volvo Car Corporation (VCC) does not recommend the use of any additives in auto-transmission as it will cause premature wear. You must be aware that the use of such products are not sanctioned by Volvo nor do they form a part of any of our scheduled service routines. Only use the recommended transmission oils listed on VADIS, please DO NOT use any other types of transmission oil as it will cause premature wear of the auto-transmission. Your warranty claim will be rejected if additives or incorrect transmission oil are found to be the cause of premature wear in auto-transmissions

Snake Oils IMHO... all of them...Whatever the salesmen say...

My original reason for trying this product was that they indicate Volvo approval. I researched this and it seems valid. The salesman I spoke to at Xado UK www.xado.co.uk was helpful and allayed my suspicions.

His point was that if Volvo had not provided approval they would certainly have been stamped on by Volvo head office, which I suppose is true.

so given Volvo's stance... I hardly think that they have "recommended" Xado have they? :lol:

[VolvMan]

s60ben,

Not sure why you are antagonistic about this product. All I said it worked for me. By your tone and in depth knowledge of the Volvo warranty, are you a Volvo employee??

My 940 2.4 SE LTP is well out of Warranty. I am naturally inquisitive and so gave it a go.

As to you comment

..."so given Volvo's stance... I hardly think that they have "recommended" Xado have they?"

They must have otherwise they would not have issued their certificate of approval for their oils, which contain the XADO additive. See http://www.xado.co.uk/xado_uk_news_2005.htm.

VM

[Clan]

Thats the Volvo technology corporation , what department is that? Its not the Volvo Car Corporation ... VCC Recommend Castrol .. ???

[s60ben]

s60ben,

Not sure why you are antagonistic about this product. All I said it worked for me. By your tone and in depth knowledge of the Volvo warranty, are you a Volvo employee??

My 940 2.4 SE LTP is well out of Warranty. I am naturally inquisitive and so gave it a go.

As to you comment

..."so given Volvo's stance... I hardly think that they have "recommended" Xado have they?"

They must have otherwise they would not have issued their certificate of approval for their oils, which contain the XADO additive. See http://www.xado.co.uk/xado_uk_news_2005.htm.

VM

As tends to be common....

I'm not "antagonistic"... but it's been shown plenty of times, especially in the states where consumer protection has excelled against some of these firms, that they are snake oils...

Use what you want, I really don't care..

However I was stating Volvo's official line on "additives"....

The oil that has been allegedly submitted by XADO for "approval" is precisely that... an OIL.... not an additive... and I'd suspect there is some classic snake oil saleman double speak involved in the "approval"... just enough naff quality on the letters that you can't read it, how strange..... Never mind, time to send "Volvo Technology Corporation" an email :)

So Xado have a couple of oils approved then... allegedly.... says naff all about their additives...

I'm definitely not a Volvo Employee :lol:

Nor am I however a snake oil saleman.

Volvo Technology Corporation eh...

Short description of the company
Volvo Technology (VTEC) is an innovation company that develops new technologies and concepts for "hard" as well as "soft" products and processes within the transport and vehicle industry


Key factors (busines fields) for the company
• develop telematics systems and services for cars, trucks, busses and boats

Yeah, sounds like the perfect division within Volvo to do snake oil approvals.....

Nice to see the only thread you've EVER posted on is the "snake oil thread".... and seen as it's only fair coz you asked me first...

You don't happen to work for Xado or have any connection to them do you? (no of course you dont!)

[s60ben]

Actually I need to have a real good chat with "volvo technology corporation" the letterhead they've supplied to XADO is really unprofessional and not up to the standards of Volvo.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o79/bdlewisvolvo/xado/xado.jpg

I mean... you'd think a multi million world wide corporation would be able to have a professional company design their letterheads and ensure that their logo and name etc was centred properly wouldn't you... :lol:

Unless of course...... God forbid.... it's not really "Volvo Technology Corporations" official letterheading...
:mumbles:

[VolvMan]

s60Ben,

Glad to see you are an active contributor. Yes I am new to the BB. I have a Volvo and take a keen interest in her maintenance. It is my first experience of BB and I am sorry if you feel I have another agenda.

All I was trying to do is share my own experiences - you can take it or leave it , but XADO worked for me and I have gone on to use their engine oils as well.

No I am not a snake oil salesman and I can't comment on their letterhead, perhaps you should contact them and find out.

VM

[Sid60ish]

Just my two-pennorth. With a background of 34 years in the oil industry and 30 of those in Lubricants, there is, I believe a common stance with vehicle manufacturers and lubricants producers. Engines, gearboxes. final drives, hydraulics et al have designated requirements for lubrication in terms of viscosity, performance level and oil-change intervals. These are arrived at after huge amounts of formulation and testing in a cooperatrive effort between builder and oil producer(s). Oil formulations are put together to suit the application and sometimes the engineering is modified to improve things, ( I was involved with one manufacturers engine which has still not come to market after 12 years. The metallurgy was so off the wall that it could not be successfully lubricated to last more than 15 minutes on a test bed). The relevant oil specs then appear in the handbooks and both the manufacturer and oil suppliers will stand by their products as specified in the correct environment. Once you add anything to the lube oil you lose the backing of both the vehicle manufacturer and the oil producer. You have, in effect, introduced a whole new formulation which no-one has tested and which may, or may not, work as required.

Your best safeguard is to buy the best quality oil - THAT MEETS THE CORRECT SPECS - that you can afford and stick to the manufacturers drain periods............although these tend to be conservative. Why pay £30+ for good oil and then bastardise it with an additive that was never meant to be there and which may be doing more harm than good ?

I'm afraid I'm in the Snake Oil camp on this.