Dipstick

[FIBAMAN]

Is there any means of retrofitting a dipstick to my V70 D5.
All this instrumentation is fine, but I still prefer to see physical back up.
Call me old fashioned but electronics are not infallible.

[MikeBJ]

I'm with you on preferring to have the ability to do a physical check - there is, however a dipstick. At least there is on my 2011 D3. Its not exactly accessible, but it does exist.

[Ern]

The little dip stick which is fitted to the front of the sump is a b.. to get at, however it is there. The Police version of the V70 had a dip stick, so the parts do exist and could be fitted.

[Freelancer]

This is on VolvoSwedens Oil Change video:

https://youtu.be/6n0p66YDz6g

Parts for classic dipstick installation.
985133 - BoltМ7 X 20
31316562 - Dipstick
31375301 - Тube
30637865 - O-ring seal

[daveherns]

Can I do this on a 2016 D3 ?

[Freelancer]

Originally Posted by daveherns

Can I do this on a 2016 D3 ?

Not Sure, Id check with Volvo

[FIBAMAN]

Originally Posted by Ern

The little dip stick which is fitted to the front of the sump is a b.. to get at, however it is there. The Police version of the V70 had a dip stick, so the parts do exist and could be fitted.

Found it! and you are so right about access, I will have to make a puller tool to save me getting my arm trapped; so far it is solid, so hard to pull out I am starting to wonder if it is screwed in ha ha!

[green van man]

Originally Posted by FIBAMAN

Found it! and you are so right about access, I will have to make a puller tool to save me getting my arm trapped; so far it is solid, so hard to pull out I am starting to wonder if it is screwed in ha ha!

Nope it's a push fit.
Thing is as dealers measure the amount of oil they put in the sump why would they use the dipstick to check it. D5 5.7 litres exactly, no need to check. It's only if you have doubts over the electronic guage that you would use the dip stick.

I have doubts over the electronic guage, mine happily told me the level was 100% when in fact the oil barely reached the min mark on the technicians dipstick. As I was about to tow the caravan 450 miles to Scotland I put half a litre in the engine and checked it was half way up the dipstick before setting off.

It would seem the electronics is calibrated at service time, I asked dealer to check it was calibrated correctly in future.

Reading this thread I am going to price up the conversion kit.

Paul.

[FIBAMAN]

Originally Posted by green van man

Nope it's a push fit.
Thing is as dealers measure the amount of oil they put in the sump why would they use the dipstick to check it. D5 5.7 litres exactly, no need to check. It's only if you have doubts over the electronic guage that you would use the dip stick.

I have doubts over the electronic guage, mine happily told me the level was 100% when in fact the oil barely reached the min mark on the technicians dipstick. As I was about to tow the caravan 450 miles to Scotland I put half a litre in the engine and checked it was half way up the dipstick before setting off.

It would seem the electronics is calibrated at service time, I asked dealer to check it was calibrated correctly in future.

Reading this thread I am going to price up the conversion kit.

Paul.

I have worked with diesel engines from 1/2hp to 24000 hp. Some with very sophisticated intrumentation systems, but without exception they all had a visual check; no instrumentation is totally infallible and lube oil is so fundamental to the engine, not just for lubrication but it also contributes to cooling. I would always top up up to maximum mark.

[Tatsfield]

I would always top up up to maximum mark.

Warning to those who might not know but the older D5 diesels had DPF regeneration problems which resulted in unburnt diesel fuel being dumped into the engine oil sump. If the sump was filled to "Max", the additional fluid would dilute the oil and raise the level to above the safe maximum level which could result in over-pressuring the engine. The Volvo solution to this problem was to calibrate the electronic oil level display to show 75% of the maximum capacity as full and leave the 25% available to take up dumped diesel. However they did not change the dip stick but merely made a technical notification that the oil should not be filled above 75% of the empty to max range. Anyone not knowing this and seeing that their dip stick showed the sump as only 75% full might take the advice innocently offered and end up overfilling their sump. It has happened!

It's all down to an originally poor DPF design and a ham fisted Volvo solution. Later changes to the ECU programming minimised the problem but some poor owner could cause himself trouble if he blindly filled the sump to the Max!