Other XC90 Problem: Where Can I Buy the Right Castrol Oil?

[Viper_7]

Volvo's marketing.

Your right all oil's are not the same, but Volvo will use which every supplier will provide them with the best profit margin's whilst at the same time having an oil suitable for the car.

You don't design an engine that will only ever take a specific oil grade/formula. Many many, oil's from different manufacturers will do the same job if not better.

So far I've always had Volvo service my vehicle because i'm lazy, as said - they recommended a different oil each time for the specific vehicle. - says it all.

right bed time!

Vipes

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Viper_7

Volvo's marketing.

Your right all oil's are not the same, but Volvo will use which every supplier will provide them with the best profit margin's whilst at the same time having an oil suitable for the car.

You don't design an engine that will only ever take a specific oil grade/formula. Many many, oil's from different manufacturers will do the same job if not better.

So far I've always had Volvo service my vehicle because i'm lazy, as said - they recommended a different oil each time for the specific vehicle. - says it all.

right bed time!

Vipes

Yes your right I've certainly fallen for Volvos marketing... I've owned four over a 27 year period.

Yes you can use a variety of oils, but will you get the same engine life that Volvo designed and tested for?

I've seen some great odball tests on Channel 5's 5th gear recently (how long will and engine run without any oil in it?) but while fun to watch it's not the way I want to run my Volvos.

I'm reminded of the time a sub contractor was trying using a sprayed render process designed in Germany... unsuccessfully on a major building project of mine. It just wouldn't spray and kept clogging the beautifull German machinery. After much work trying to solve the problem a German specialist was sent for and eventually he found that the major British supplier of sand had thought it wouldn't matter if the sand they supplied was a very slightly different spec to the one the Germans had specified. Well it did, big time. It cost hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost time.

Personally I'll stick with what Volvo tell me until I have very good reason not to.