Engine Oil Level Poll
 

To try and understand if this is a common issue or one that is rather more isolated I wonder if you could answer the poll questions above. That way we will be able to understand the occurence of the issue

Hopefully the mods will make this a "sticky". :thumbs_up:

Mods - can you make this sticky?
 

Good suggestion - how do we get the Mods to make it a sticky?

Rising oil level
 

My v70 D5 has been to various dealers a number of times during the last 2 years (twice in the last 2 weeks) due to this issue with the rising oil level. My car is generally used on the motorway and I only use V-Power or Ultimate diesel. My visit to volvo last week will hopefuly be the last until the next service, but I now have little faith in either the car or the dealers. All they have done so far is carry out various software upgrades. Could this be a mechanical issue too? This is my 3rd Volvo and the only one I have had issues with. Can anyone offer some advise on the problem?

What do you mean by 'issue', do you mean 'have you actually experienced a problem', or 'have you had the recall' ?

My experience from other forums, they will see this ask and automatically do it......hopefully. :)

Wait and see what happens, if not PM them.

I suggest that is 'actually suffered' from the Rising Oil level - that is what we want to know.

There are many recalls for many things almost none of which you ever encounter, having had a recall notice is immaterial if you have not suffered from the issue :)

How would I know if I have oil pressure issues. With a newish car under warranty I wouldnt think there would be such issues but unless told how would one know as I cannot see any oil spewing out anywhere or any smoke puffing.

That is what I meant :err:

I do not know anything about oil pressure issues, in fact I have never seen them mentioned anywhere (perhaps you could expand on this?).

The issue is in the title of the thread, Rising Oil Levels which you will notice everytime you check the oil level - assuming that you do.

Even under warranty you need to check the oil level since if it is low or high and damage occurs then the ensuing damage could be attributed to you as the maintainer and then the warranty would be void. You fill up the windscreen washers between services, you check the tyres, the need to check the oil level is in the same league as these items :)

Dear Abby,

I had the pox a while back but it seems to be cured now.

Mostly I am happy but sometimes when alone at night I worry that it may come back.

Should I answer Yes or No?

Yours etc,
Feeling Sticky

Quote:
Originally Posted by wilbydoughboy
How would I know if I have oil pressure issues. With a newish car under warranty I wouldnt think there would be such issues but unless told how would one know as I cannot see any oil spewing out anywhere or any smoke puffing.

I do not know anything about oil pressure issues, in fact I have never seen them mentioned anywhere (perhaps you could expand on this?).

The issue is in the title of the thread, Rising Oil Levels which you will notice everytime you check the oil level - assuming that you do.

Even under warranty you need to check the oil level since if it is low or high and damage occurs then the ensuing damage could be attributed to you as the maintainer and then the warranty would be void. You fill up the windscreen washers between services, you check the tyres, the need to check the oil level is in the same league as these items


I would have assumed that by having to much engine oil than the normal amount it would cause the oil pressure to rise. I remember once that I put in to much engine oil in my Ford Escort and the smoke that was belching out from the exhaust was very dense but this was a petrol engine so maybe with the diesel engine this wouldnt happen. I will keep an eye on the oil level but I havent been informed that I should check for rising oil level because I have put my trust in the Volvo brand and hope that their technicians would put the correct amount in at the service and inform me that this can rise. I dont feel that owners should take the blame for rising oil levels unless they are informed by Volvo and no blame should be put upon owners who would probably never have bought their cars if they knew that they had to keep an eye out for rising oil levels.

Excess oil will not cause the oil pressure to rise - it will cause the smoke you mention as the oil enters combustion chamber due to it splashing around excessively in the crankcase and usually being pushed up the crankcase breather into the air intake.

The effect on a petrol engine is to cause dense clouds of blue/black smoke, on a diesel it can cause runon, where the engine cannot be stopped.

Oil pressure is created by the oil pump which lifts the oil directly from the sump and is distributed to the bearings in the engine.

Your choice on whether to check the oil levels or not, I am not sure that I would put my trust in an oil level check that is done once per year at a service though :)

I've just posted a NO vote and hope I don't get punished by Sod's Law now...

I checked the oil level periodically using the dipstick from when I took delivery and after 3300 miles it has not budged; still on the maximum level.

I have seen what appears to be the DPF regeneration cycle several times now. The fuel consumption drops to almost half of what it normally is for the speed and road I'm on, and lasts around 10-20 minutes.

Average MPG so far is 36.4 on mixed roads with a careful but not OTT driving style, and ECC left on auto fulltime.

Could you explain what actually happens with the regeneration?

I'm certainly no DPF expert and there are quite a few detailed threads and links on this matter, but this is my basic understanding of how regeneration works:

The DPF consists of a fine ceramic mesh or membrane that collects soot particles in the exhaust gasses. As the filter becomes clogged with these particles over time, a back pressure builds up in the DPF. At a certain pressure level, the engine control unit injects diesel directly into the exhaust system before the DPF. This extra fuel ignites and raises the DPF temperature sufficiently to burn the soot particles and clean off the ceramic filter, thereby 'regenerating' it.

This is a highly simplified explanation and I'm sure the ECU factors in many other parameters too before deciding to initiate a regeneration cycle. Any experts, feel free to contribute...

So much for the theory. I understand problems arise when the exhaust system is not hot enough to fully ignite the injected diesel, some of which then finds its way into the sump. With normal diesel this would not be a problem as it will evaporate out of the sump, but apparently the plant oils in bio diesel do not evaporate and just collect in the sump, raising the oil level.

Thank you for the detailed reply nosmoking. :thumbs_up:

I have read the threads about the DPF, but what I really wanted to know is how did you know it was regenerating, in other words what signs were there? different engine noise, more sluggish, engine racing?
Sorry I didn't make it clear last time, hope it is this time. :)

I am in a similar situation, namely I am unable to tell when regeneration takes place and I can only assume that somewhere in the 10000 miles that my car has travelled that regeneration has taken place :)

I have never been aware that it has happened, and others have also indicated that they know when it is happening (though nothing definitive), perhaps I am missing the symptoms indicating that it is taking place (assuming it has :))?

Ah, gotcha! The few times I've noticed something I can only assume it was regeneration because of the increase in fuel consumption that I couldn't pin on anything else! I was on a motorway each time doing around 70 and didn't notice anything else, e.g. sluggishness or noise.

I could be totally wrong of course but I assumed that the additional injected diesel would have a direct hit on the instantaneous consumption, so this would be a fairly reliable indicator that regeneration was taking place.

Jus a post to pop this back up the list ... Sorry

This sounds like a real concern since I mostly do 15-20 minute stints in congested traffic with the car idling much of the time. Chances are I will not get the exhaust hot enough for proper burning (oil level issues) and will stop the car in the middle of its burning cycle (clogged DPF) frequently. Could be a real PITA. TIme will show as I won't get the car for at least 3 months.

Not used to check the oil level, either - my current Mondeo TDCi doesn't use any, nor has any of my previous cars for the past 15 years. Checked the level yesterday for the first time in 8000 miles (due to upcoming vacation drive) - still sits at the max level :)

Good to see it's a "Sticky"..........Cheers Mods:thumbs_up:

Hope I don't have to post bad news come September.

Just picked up my MY11 D3 R-design on Saturday 24th. Took it out for a spin on the motorway (no quicker than 70mph with aged inlaws in car) and at 89 miles on the clock I got yellow warning "Oil service required". (I cancelled message).
After reading forum before collection, I was not panicked, but very concerned of issue on a new car.

Then after a stop and on return journey at about 30mph and ~120 miles on clock it came on again. same message.

I will be taking up with dealer of course. Does this constitute a Yes vote for above ?

No I would say don’t vote it hasn’t got enough miles on it to establish that you are having an increase in oil level. You have false readings (hopefully) but I doubt the oil level could increase in 100 miles.


If you do you will distort the figures for the actual real problem

Just read back issue of how to read your oil level and popped out to car to follow instructions.

Indeed the 'Oil service required' message was displayed above a digital status bar showing over full !

Now booked in for Saturday morning.

Like Daleman I cannot see how this is related to the overfuelling and DPF issue - you haven't driven enough to warrant a DPF regeneration cycle, let alone managed to overfuel to the point that it will fill the sump :) The amount if diesel that it injected is minuscule therefore it will take many regenerations to realise the effect.

It seems more like a dealer who overfilled at the PDI than the DPF/overfueling issue - but I could be wrong, I often am.

It seems more like a dealer who overfilled at the PDI than the DPF/overfueling issue - but I could be wrong, I often am.

This was the case with my own "Oil Level service required" the dealer quizzed me believing that I had possibly overfilled the oil. Which I hadn't.
They removed some oil and downloaded the new software about 4 months ago.
The oil is still on the full mark, but I have had no further messages on the electronic dip.
Lexon

useful poll - do all voters have DPF ?

Update :
Dealer took some oil out of sump last Saturday. Was overfilled from new. Not done many miles but warning nor recurred since.

All XC60 diesel engines have a DPF fitted

I was told by my dealer that my XC60 2.4 D did NOT have a DPF !

I stand corrected, as far as I was aware all engines had a DFP to enable them to meet the Euro IV requirments. It may be worth checking as there have been posting on this forum describing similar issues with a 2.4d engine :(

Guess I am wrong again :)

Should have included the link to this post

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=84007

Clearly indicates that at least some people have a DPF on their 2.4D engines :)

To be honest I have learnt not to trust a word my local dealer tells me.......let's just say it's been a experience! Would be happy to be proved wrong

My car had the oil service warning come up a couple of weeks ago and it's booked in for Tuesday, apparently to have software upgraded and oil drained.

My concerns are:

(1) If this is such a widespread problem which it appears to be, why doesn't Volvo issue a technical recall and also carry out a preemptive modification? The very least they could do is to send out an advisory letter to XC60 customers!

(2) Why doesn't the oil service warning message display come up automatically rather than having to check it manually?

(3) My Dealer said that will drain the excess from the sump...this will of course leave contaminated oil which according to them will do no damage....well they would say that wouldn't they? They will have no idea of how much diesel will be left in the remaining oil and are obviously not doing an oil change as a matter of policy to save money. If the engines fail at a latter date as a result it will generate even more business for them. Diesel may have lubricating properties but it's the sophisticated oil that we should be relying on to protect our engines. If I asked the Dealer to dilute my sump oil with diesel as a matter of course I'm sure I know what the answer would be and would be given an graphic idea of the consequences.

Very well put Foringo. :star:

Hi Foringo,
If possible, when you take your car in could you ask your dealer for more information regarding this item, specifically:

- How exactly will they drain the excess? Will they undo the sump plug and then somehow control the amount draining out, or will they syphon out from the filler plug?

- Does the diesel separate from the oil after a period of time? Is the 'excess' they plan to drain out a mixture of oil and diesel, or are they somehow trying to drain out the diesel portion only?

Float to the top?
 

Going on from this with the diesel being lighter than engine oil does it float to the top? Anyone know?

The theory would suggest that the diesel will float, however it will be emulsified within the oil and it will take a long time for the relative specific gravities of the oil and diesel to cause them to separate :(

Don't accept them draining off the oil, tell them it is no longer oil but a contaminated mixture of diesel and oil!! Volvo do not tell you to top up the engine oil with diesel, they say it must the correct viscosity oil (and for good reason). Your point regarding engine damage is an opinion that I share, the engine might not seize up but longer term it can't be doing much good.

Please keep us all updated with the dealer response.