Engine oil

[Nicholas Lewin]

Since owning my 240 (B230F) I have been changing the engine oil twice a year

I put in 10W40 in the summer (Volvo's recommended oil) and I put in 5W30 or 0W30 in the winter (and yes I change the filter, the sump plug and sump plug washer too)

You might say overkill, especially given the low mileage I do and the stressfree life the car leads - that's not my question

In my head, using a lower viscosity multigrade oil in the winter is surely a good thing? The oil will flow easier at lower temperatures and so lubricate the engine quicker starting from cold. Clearly in the summer, you need something that will cope with higher ambient (and possibly operating) temperatures

So, why wouldn't I run with 0W40 all year round? In that case, given my annual mileage of about 5k miles, I'd probably only change the oil annually

Thoughts fellow 240ers please