Oil level check

[ELLA123]

Thanks for all your help, have ordered a bluetooth 4.0 for apple compatibility, OBU arriving tomorrow,

does anyone know the actual mm depths / volume values or have graph ? the link I was given is good info but not sure if its for the v60 D3 sump dimensions.

would be great if the 45mm = ca 4.8lt which is what volvo have measured ??

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by ELLA123

Thanks for all your help, have ordered a bluetooth 4.0 for apple compatibility, OBU arriving tomorrow,

does anyone know the actual mm depths / volume values or have graph ? the link I was given is good info but not sure if its for the v60 D3 sump dimensions.

would be great if the 45mm = ca 4.8lt which is what volvo have measured ??

A D3 VEA is the same engine as a D4 VEA, just a different tune/turbo arrangement, so the info should be valid for you... the member who posted it took the information from the Volvo workshop manual (VIDA).

I agree that a graph of volume Vs depth would be useful.

[ELLA123]

OBU UNIT arrived and have activated using car scanner, works great but no oil level 179 senser listed but not oil

does any one know how i can find the read out of oil level on the OBUII which app etc ??

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by ELLA123

OBU UNIT arrived and have activated using car scanner, works great but no oil level 179 senser listed but not oil

does any one know how i can find the read out of oil level on the OBUII which app etc ??

On the Android version you have to properly set the connection profile for the vehicle model to access a wide range of sensors. I'd assume you also need to do this for the Apple version of Car Scanner?

[piotrek]

For 4-cylinder VEA engine you should choose: Settings - Connection - Choose connection profile: Volvo - Volvo 2014+ VEA.

[RS3100]

In addition to the information that I posted on the other thread, I have recently changed the oil in my VEA petrol engine. The only real difference is that the total oil capacity of the petrol engine is 5.6 litres, whereas the diesel is 5.2 litres.

What I did was to start by measuring the oil level via the engine oil level sensor. I then drained the oil into a pan (from both sump and filter) and measured the quantity drained by tipping it into a graduated jug a litre at a time. I found that I had drained just over 5.2 litres from my engine. Bear in mind that there will always be a certain quantity of oil left in the engine.

After fitting the new filter and sump plug, I refilled with exactly 5.0 litres and ran the engine for a couple of minutes to fill the filter and check for leaks, then switched off and waited for it to cool down. (You should be able to check the oil temperature via the app as well as the level - the levels stated in VIDA are correct at 20 degrees C).

I then added oil in 0.1 litre increments, waiting several minutes each time for the sensor measured oil level to stabilise as the oil ran into the sump. In my case, 5.3 litres took me back to the same level that had been in the sump prior to draining it (and which was the same as at the last dealer oil change).

For the diesel engines, @Clan recommends refilling with exactly 5.0 litres of oil, no more. I would add 4.8 litres and run the engine to fill the filter as above, then add the remaining 0.2 litres in two 0.1 litre increments, checking the level each time to be sure.

After draining my engine and refilling with 5.0 litres of oil, the sump level was 45 mm at 20C prior to running it to fill the filter. After running it and allowing it to cool to an oil temp of 20C again, the sump level was 34.3 mm. This is probably the level you want to aim for if you follow @Clan's advice, but check what the level was before you drained the oil.

With 5.2 litres added to my engine, the sump level was 37 mm. This is the maximum capacity for a diesel engine, which you ideally want to stay below, but bear in mind there would also have been a small quantity of oil in my engine that had not drained out, so overall quantity would have likely been slightly more than 5.2 litres at that point.

Hope this helps

[Zebster]

Worth mentioning that after an oil change the dashboard e-dipstick will continue to display the pre-change level and annotations until you've driven around for a while, as it displays the average over the last 30km.

[ELLA123]

Thank you for info on levels etc. Have now got level reading which unfortunately has added to the saga. Initial reading 29.6mm. Then later (without using car) went to 20.9 later again 18.8. Now 15 !!!! Looks like the sensor is faulty but not sufficiently in fault for error code. Will need to get new sensor, can you just unplug and replace or will it need Volvo to reset / calibrate. (Obviously after draining oil). I cannot now trust the Volvo volume check.
Why o why don’t we have a dipstick!!!

Looks like drain down just to check volume.

[piotrek]

I think this oil level sensor seems perfectly ok, oil needs more time to settle, at least 2-3 minutes according to VIDA, sensor updates every 10 seconds.

Checking oil level in a cold engine, preferably in the morning, on a flat surface, would bring more reliable and consistent results. Compare levels for several days to see how oil level drops with rising mileage.

[ELLA123]

thanks for response.

I have since drained oil and checked volume and recalibrated sensor against depth and volume( 100ml increments)with very strange results which need analysing. Have now also had a 600mile trip with live ( running and hot) and cold data. ( from OBU) Once I have had a good look at these I will let this forum know.( have saved data) Do you know if VIDA works on computer circuit 0 volts or car ground ( 0 volts) as one will be floating and can be effected but the alternator generation and isolation can be a really big issue.

Also is the cable from sensor to computer screened ? - the old favourite "the earth loop" is coming to mind at present especially if the screen has been earthed both ends - a real no no.

Finally a question I asked before with no answer, has anyone seen the level gauge in the instrument panel read anything but min or max ? is its a gauge ?the sensor has the analogue output but are volvo using it as a high and low level trip ( switch) if so this needs some very heavy discussion with volvo
engineering !) my gauge flips between the two overnight, but that may be a issue relating to my problem. Would be useful if it is analogue driven ( albeit from A/D output into digital value.)

Have had no warnings or messages which seems strange given widely fluctuating OBU readings.

Sorry for all the questions but I need to understand this to have confidence in this piece of instrumentation.- always blame the instrument until proven otherwise.......... Dipstick would solve everything.