Acceptable dealer explanation?
 

On checking oil level after a service I was advised the method of replenishing is to put in a specified (by Volvo) volume (5.2ltrs for XC60) irrespective of reading. It was suggested the reading would 'sort itself out after a run'. Car has now done over 100 miles since service earlier today and reading is showing 3/4 way between min and max.

Acceptable, or not?

TIA.

I got this spiel from an independent garage once, but it never did sort itself out and they topped it up for me in the end, free of charge.

Is your car a diesel? If so, I believe that you shouldn’t completely fill the oil at a service so as to leave the capacity needed for when the dpf regenerates (and the resultant deposits into the oil). If the oil is filled to maximum at a service, your oil level would eventually exceed maximum and cause issues.

I hope that’s of some help.

Car is a diesel. Second service, this didn't happen last time.

3/4 is perfectly acceptable and a very good level, It is now normal practice to refill the oil to below the max level.

Too high a level can damage your engine and some owners have experienced high oil level warnings which were caused by diesel getting passed the pistons from the DPF injection system.

(During the DPF regeneration diesel is injected into the engine during the exhaust stroke to increase the exhaust temperature to over 400°c to burn of soot in the DPF) It is this diesel that has caused the high levels in some engines.

The e-dipstick system shows the average for the last 30km. Hence you need to drive at least 30km (~19 miles) after an oil change before the true reading is available. To avoid confusion, a Volvo dealer would reset the system to show the correct 'full' indication immediately after the oil change. 5.2L is the correct volume but odd why yours isn't showing 'full' though, as there is sufficient headroom in the system before the 'level high, remove 0.5L' message appears, should your car ever suffer the issue of a rising level (my slightly older model never has, in fact the level drops and I need to add oil from time-to-time).

My car has never suffered from rising level. It is 2yrs old, today was its second service at 29700miles. Run home was more than 100 miles and level has not come up in that run. As I say I did not have this problem last time. Something doesn't feel right.

Has the option to post images directly been removed?

Just a thought IFO, the reading may show as full the next time you start the engine if you didn't stop on the journey home, (i.e. You have to turn the engine off, wait about 10 min, and then it should show the correct level).

You can post images directly using the paper clip.

Only a small number of owners experienced oil level rising, but Volvo responded by putting slightly less oil in the sump, the difference between 3/4 and full is not much and nothing at all to worry about.

Thanks fellas, I guess my discomfort stems from the fact it read max at last service?