Diesel DPF recall

[Bill_56]

I take your point Roy, but I think that oil specification and SAE grading is a well understood and well documented science, and not something that Volvo can claim to be a matter of it's own opinion.

It'd a little bit like an electronics manufacturer, in trouble with equipment that draws excessive current and overheats, claiming 'We have our own definition of ohm's law'.

[The Doc]

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

Do you guys really think that anything posted here wouldn't be thought of by manuacturers legal departments and barristers?

I find this contribution offensive, suggesting as it does that no one on this forum has the intellectual capacity or education of someone working in a motor manufacturer's legal department or a barrister.

Speaking for myself, the answer to your question is, Yes I do. I have spent much of my long professional Engineeering career advising motor manufacturers how to solve complex technical problems which were well beyond their technical capabilities and I have also advised Lawyers on a daily basis on the merits, or demerits, of legal evidence that is technically complex and so beyond their understanding.

The sweeping derogatory and personal judgement you have made of the contributors on this forum, could be a matter that the administrators might consider.

[chunderground]

Originally Posted by The Doc

I find this contribution offensive, suggesting as it does that no one on this forum has the intellectual capacity or education of someone working in a motor manufacturer's legal department or a barrister.

Speaking for myself, the answer to your question is, Yes I do. I have spent much of my long professional Engineeering career advising motor manufacturers how to solve complex technical problems which were well beyond their technical capabilities and I have also advised Lawyers on a daily basis on the merits, or demerits, of legal evidence that is technically complex and so beyond their understanding.

The sweeping derogatory and personal judgement you have made of the contributors on this forum, could be a matter that the administrators might consider.

Putting yourself on a pedestal Doc ?
Talking down to others ....

[Chauffeurdude]

Calm down folks!! Bad feeling won't help our cause!! The general idea of this thread surely is to help eradicate the problem? I have followed and contributed to this thread and find it very interesting not to mention a little depressing that we have been lumbered with this problem!! I use my car for chauffeur/taxi work and bought Volvo for reliability, comfort and longevity. I appear to be very lucky so far in that my car does not exhibit the problem. My car has had the recall done and full service but as previously stated I have put the oil level back to just under maximum. Have done 8000 miles now since software update/service and oil level has remained the same

[Bill_56]

Hi Chaffeurdude,

Good to see you back on the thread again.

As we all know the dipstick can be vague, and allowing for that vagueness my oil level has not risen noticeably since last change.

Nevertheless, an oil analysis at less than 4k miles showed it to already be out of grade, and with a reduced flashpoint, both of which I think would be consistent with fuel-dilution. Before anybody starts telling me it's 'normal' for oil to degrade in service, the ACEA definition of A5/B5, as specified for the oil in use, includes the fact that it is a 'stay-in-grade' oil.

If you've been following the thread then you'll already know this, but if you want to find out if your own oil is still in grade then there's a laboratory in Swansea that will analyse a sample, for which they charged me £60 plus VAT.

[Chauffeurdude]

Hi Bill,. I will be changing my oil soon anyway as am not keen on the 18000 mile intervals, far too long for any oil imho!! I plan to change it every 9000 miles approximately to minimise any effects of dilution. I am tempted to get my oil analysed as a matter of interest anyway. Will let you know if I do. Cheers.

[dpfcampaign]

Afternoon.

In regards to the last post. I am going to get a full report done on my oil and fuel thats currently in my car. As i have not driven it for 1 year and its just been sitting on my drive would this affect any result?

[Nick44]

Originally Posted by dpfcampaign

Afternoon.

In regards to the last post. I am going to get a full report done on my oil and fuel thats currently in my car. As i have not driven it for 1 year and its just been sitting on my drive would this affect any result?

Suggest you give Swansea Tribology a ring first and ask.
The Doc negotiated a deal for Volvo owners, you may have to do your own arrangements, but I have found them to be very friendly and helpful.
Their contact details are in this (now massive) thread somewhere.

Off topic, but I wonder what the most accessed non-sticky thread on this site has ever been?

[Bill_56]

Originally Posted by Nick44

Suggest you give Swansea Tribology a ring first and ask.
The Doc negotiated a deal for Volvo owners, you may have to do your own arrangements, but I have found them to be very friendly and helpful.
Their contact details are in this (now massive) thread somewhere.

Off topic, but I wonder what the most accessed non-sticky thread on this site has ever been?

There is a 'view' counter on the index page, but I think that's the number of registered forum users who have view the thread. I think the thread ranks about 5th in this area of the forum. Ranked by no. of replies, it's number 1.

Just as interesting would be the number of external (unregistered) visitors. Whenever I start googling for further knowledge on the topics of DPF and Biodiesel, factory recalls etc, it's never long before I hit this thread which suggests it must be getting an awful lot of clicks.

[RoyMacDonald]

Must say I'm dying to see some comparative oil test results so we can see if there are increasing amounts of metal particles in it that would indicate abnormal wear.

Personally can't agree that the thicker the viscosity of the oil is the better the protection it gives. I started motoring when cars ran on 20w-50 ,and the engines on the ones I had didn't do anything like the milages all modern cars do. Of course Volvo always seem to have been able to design engines capable of starship milages.

Not coping with combustion products I know, but I have a central heat pump that is water lubricated and that's been running almost continuosly for 20 years. I don't think you can separate engine design and oil as engines can be designed to run durably on thin oils.

I think the putting derv in the new oil works as a good joke but you wouldn't put acidic water in the new oil either but that is exactly what happens every time you start a cold engine so as an argument in court I can't see that the derv in the oil statement would be taken challenge.

I hope the Doc dosn't mind me posting as I'm sure that nothing I say wouldn't be thought of by the legal guys and I think it's a good idea to test ideas in public rather than spend a load of time and money on cases that arn't cast iron. I do have a 100% success rate in the courts, protecting my clients interests so I'm not totally stupid.

I think that a claim for unsuitablity for type of use and refund from dealers who havn't made it clear about the DPF should always succeed, but claiming that Volvo aren't selling durable technology and getting the court to prevent them selling it won't.

Unless engines start failing early I don't think anything can be done. Volvo do have a good record for sorting out problems and paying for sorting it out on existing cars, up to a point that is. The XC90 design had it's share of design faults, all of which have been sorted out but there's no point asking them to pay for a new engine on a 15 year old car for instance