Thicker Oil in a high mileage D5?

[Auto Addict]

Originally Posted by Dabb5ter

Hello all,

My V70 D5244T4 has now done 247k miles and is still running on the genuine 0w30 Volvo engine oil. I’m wondering if it’s now time for a thicker oil due to this higher mileage engine. What oil are you guys running your D5 on instead of 0w30? I was thinking of going with 5w40 or 10w40 low ash

IMHO... Rather than going to thicker oil I would change the recommended 0W30 engine oil more frequently than VOLVO advise and use the very best oil & filters available.

[Kev0607]

Castrol 0w30 A5/B5 is what's recommended in the euro 4 engine, but its expensive & the interval for replacement is 12 months or 18k (whichever comes first). You can use cheaper brands though, if you wish.

I recently serviced my S80 with "5w30 Mobil 1 Super 3000" (meets A5/B5 spec). It was a fraction of the price of the 0w30 Castrol, so I decided to use that.

I wouldn't go any thicker than 5w30 though personally. Its not as if we live in a seriously cold climate here in the UK, so 5w30 should be an alternative for you (just make sure it meets the A5/B5 spec).

If you look in your owner's manual, you'll see a chart that shows what oils you can use depending on the temperatures where you live. Here in the UK, I think 5w30 (which is in the manual) should be fine... it'll be thicker than the recommended 0w30 when the engine is cold though. Like I said, the UK isn't a particularly cold climate, so 5w30 should be fine for you to use (I wouldn't go any thicker than that though).

I change my oil & oil filter every year, even though I don't do anywhere near 18,000 miles per year at the moment. As your car has high miles (I presume its on the road a lot), then I'd suggest changing your oil more frequent if you exceed the recommended 18k replacement interval before the 12 months is up. If you don't exceed the mileage before the year is up, then change it every 12 months anyway.

[Auto Addict]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Castrol 0w30 A5/B5 is what's recommended in the euro 4 engine, but its expensive. If you refer to your owner's manual, it specifies what oils you can safely use in the engine (depending on the climate you live in).

I recently serviced my S80 with "5w30 Mobil 1 Super 3000" (meets A5/B5 spec). It was a fraction of the price of the 0w30 Castrol, so I decided to use that.

I wouldn't go any thicker than 5w30 though personally. Its not as if we live in a seriously cold climate here in the UK, so 5w30 should be an alternative for you (just make sure it meets the A5/B5 spec).

Agreed ... I used the 0W30 version of the same MOBIL 1 Super 3000 oil last time on my XC60 D5 as ECP had a great deal on it... 6 litres for £30.88 inc VAT (5 litre + 1 litre combo) It's good oil, probably as good as the VOLVO recommended Castrol and most importantly meets the required specks.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Auto Addict

Agreed ... I used the 0W30 version of the same MOBIL 1 Super 3000 oil last time on my XC60 D5 as ECP had a great deal on it... 6 litres for £30.88 inc VAT (5 litre + 1 litre combo) It's good oil, probably as good as the VOLVO recommended Castrol and most importantly meets the required specks.

Mobil is brilliant oil... top quality stuff.

I used 5w30 though (meets A5/B5 spec). Its fine for this country... its not like we're in Alaska.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Dabb5ter

Hello all,

My V70 D5244T4 has now done 247k miles and is still running on the genuine 0w30 Volvo engine oil. I’m wondering if it’s now time for a thicker oil due to this higher mileage engine. What oil are you guys running your D5 on instead of 0w30? I was thinking of going with 5w40 or 10w40 low ash

Just for interest what do you base your theory on ? Always stay with what the manufacturer recommends ..

[Tatsfield]

In the bad old days where it was a newsworthy story if a car exceed 100K miles because engines just didn't last, owners did everything they could to put off the evil day when their engine would be pronounced defunct. The advance of metallurgy and automotive engine design has changed this completely. If a Volvo owner wants to keep his car indefinitely he can be 100 percent confident that it will do more than 100K if looked after properly. Volvos have been recorded with fractional millions of miles on the clock on original engines. Looking after the engine properly means keeping to all Volvo maintenance recommendations and, as Clan says, that includes the recommended lubricant and other fluids. If the engine will not function within spec on recommended lubrication, it means that you already have a causal problem that needs investigating before you try sticking a band aid on a bullet wound!

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

In the bad old days where it was a newsworthy story if a car exceed 100K miles because engines just didn't last, owners did everything they could to put off the evil day when their engine would be pronounced defunct. The advance of metallurgy and automotive engine design has changed this completely. If a Volvo owner wants to keep his car indefinitely he can be 100 percent confident that it will do more than 100K if looked after properly. Volvos have been recorded with fractional millions of miles on the clock on original engines. Looking after the engine properly means keeping to all Volvo maintenance recommendations and, as Clan says, that includes the recommended lubricant and other fluids. If the engine will not function within spec on recommended lubrication, it means that you already have a causal problem that needs investigating before you try sticking a band aid on a bullet wound!

I suggested Mobil 5w30, but that's because it was far cheaper than the recommended 0w30 Castrol & was A5/B5 spec also. The owner's manual also mentions the different grades of oil you can use, depending on the climate you live in. Here in the UK, its not as if its below freezing year round & there's little difference between using 0w30 & 5w30, apart from the latter will be thicker when starting from cold & cheaper to buy!

For example, on the "recommended by Volvo lubricants/fluids" statement. Volvo also state the transmission is "sealed for life" & the fluid only needs to be changed in cars that used for "arduous" purposes. Therefore, many don't change the fluid (as recommended by Volvo). That works out well (not)...

When you bring your car for a dealership service, how do you know what they put in it? Do they use the recommended Castrol oil? I've read posts on other forums where dealerships have been using Mobil & I'm sure I've read somewhere on here in the past that they (a dealership) used the wrong grade of oil in a newer Volvo. Not that there's anything wrong with Mobil oil, but you'd think that the dealerships would be using the brand that's specified by Volvo (Castrol) & the right grade, wouldn't you?

[Tatsfield]

When you bring your car for a dealership service, how do you know what they put in it? Do they use the recommended Castrol oil?

Firstly I am lucky that my local dealership is extremely honest and ethical. That has been my experience for the past 3+ years. Secondly they print the oil used in the invoice which I am asked to pay and if there is a change of manufacturer I question them why. While I might accept another manufacturer's oil to the same spec as the Castrol oil, I would never accept a change in the actual oil specification unless they could convince me that the change was a Volvo permissible grade changes.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

Firstly I am lucky that my local dealership is extremely honest and ethical. That has been my experience for the past 3+ years. Secondly they print the oil used in the invoice which I am asked to pay and if there is a change of manufacturer I question them why. While I might accept another manufacturer's oil to the same spec as the Castrol oil, I would never accept a change in the actual oil specification unless they could convince me that the change was a Volvo permissible grade changes.

Exactly, you don't actually know what they use without physically witnessing it.

They "print the oil used on the Invoice"... They could type anything on there & you'd still know no different.

At least when you DIY service a car, you know the oil you've used because you've put it in yourself. On that note, there's nothing wrong with using 5w30 in a euro 4 D5 engine in the UK (providing it meets A5/B5 spec).

We don't live in the Antarctic, so it makes very little difference (apart from it being thicker than 0w30 when cold). If there was anything wrong with using 5w30, why is it mentioned in the owner's manual after all with a chart that shows what oil to use based on the temperature of the climate you live in.

Either 0w30 or 5w30, providing it meets A5/B5 spec is fine to use here (based on our climate).

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

I suggested Mobil 5w30, but that's because it was far cheaper than the recommended 0w30 Castrol & was A5/B5 spec also. The owner's manual also mentions the different grades of oil you can use, depending on the climate you live in. Here in the UK, its not as if its below freezing year round & there's little difference between using 0w30 & 5w30, apart from the latter will be thicker when starting from cold & cheaper to buy!

For example, on the "recommended by Volvo lubricants/fluids" statement. Volvo also state the transmission is "sealed for life" & the fluid only needs to be changed in cars that used for "arduous" purposes. Therefore, many don't change the fluid (as recommended by Volvo). That works out well (not)...

When you bring your car for a dealership service, how do you know what they put in it? Do they use the recommended Castrol oil? I've read posts on other forums where dealerships have been using Mobil & I'm sure I've read somewhere on here in the past that they (a dealership) used the wrong grade of oil in a newer Volvo. Not that there's anything wrong with Mobil oil, but you'd think that the dealerships would be using the brand that's specified by Volvo (Castrol) & the right grade, wouldn't you?

IIRC under competition law (EU) they aren't allowed to require this - it simply needs to be in tolerance.