Frequency of oil changing

[markas]

Hi all

Firstly on the Birmingham issue, being both a Brummie and from the Black country thats why we are having a new pay toll BNRR to get our own back on all you sarcastic types.

I personally change my oil every 5k on my 850 and would only push it to 10k if i did it in a 2 month period, but would still do an filter change inbetween. On my old 460 i used to change the oil every 3k and and plugs every 6k as it looked like coffee.

As already mentioned Oil and Filters are cheap insurance on the cost of your heart of the car! If you are a member of the club then come to the national and buy a pack of 4 or 5 Volvo filters for about 20 quid.

mark.

[pettaw]

Most of the functions of oil have been covered in the above posts. I would just emphasize one thing. Most of the acids of combustion are produced when the engine is cold and therefore running on a rich fuel mixture, also loads of water is produced at this time and so one of the most important factors for changing engine oil is the number of cold starts.

The main reason that everybody raves about synthetic oils is that they have a much better viscosity range and therefore are much thinner when cold and can get circulating much faster on startup and therefore transfer all of those nasty acids and combustion products away. I think they also can hold more particles suspended in them, but that could really be said for any modern oil, although lots of people say that full synthetic acts like a detergent/engine flush and can actually clean a dirty engine, particularly if changing from semi-synthetic to synthetic, which is why you have to be careful that you change very frequently for the first 6,000 miles if converting to synthetic on an older car, so that crud can't block up the oilways.

Duckhams is a fairly ordinary semi-synthetic oil. IMHO, GTX magnatec is a better oil to go for if you want semi-synthetic. Mobil 1 is the oil of choice if you want to go fully synthetic as I would recommend for your beast.

As Alex has said, 10k changes should be fine if you use synthetic as it seems that you do long journeys on motorways with few cold starts, the ideal work for an engine!!

Andy

PS: I reckon that one of the reasons that the older cars died of the 'black death' were that machining tolerances weren't as tight as they are now and therefore required thicker oil to keep the bearings lubricated. Also, oil technology wasn't what it is now and masses of sludge used to build up in the sump and a film of crud used to build up around rings and oilways and it would only be a matter of time before an oilway would block up completely and would blow something.

Just for my pennys worth...

I change my T5 every 5k miles with mobile one fully synth.

the engines done over 125k miles and yestuday when she went for an MOT the tester called me over and asked if it was a new engine. When I said No it's standard he was gob smacked.

He was rather impressed by the perfect sound the engine still produced after such a high milage.

I get my oil from france and pay a tenner for my Volvo filter.. cheap insurance against a big expensive volvo replacement engine i think....

Cheers

Gareth

So come on sunshine....spill the beans
How do you get oil to get on a ferry ?? Or does it just float over the channel on the water ? :)

And back to the question............ Fully Synth at 10k or Semi sinth at 5k........ ?????? I'm looking an answer before I organise getting it done pleeeease ?

Jim,
'96 855-R (The Flying Wardrobe)

Madness to put damned semi-syn in a tuned car! Surely if you can afford semi-syn at 5k you can afford fully syn at 5k, there is hardly any difference in price!

And just a note (allowing for these special deals places like Halfords do, where it's cheaper to get them to do than to buy it) an oil change on an 850/V70 is extremely easy..the filter is located horizontally underneath the engine i.e. the thread faces straight up, so there's no oil spillage when you remove it, plus you can fill the filter with oil before you attach it, eliminating that low oil pressure symbol (not good!) you get when you first start the engine after an oil change..

[GorgeousGeorge]

mornin all

asked for that i suppose ;)

so, i've asked this before, for my V40 2.0t should i go for Castrol Magnetec or Mobil 1, suggestions in the 40 forum were for the Magnetec.

Now the company will pay for the oil so i'm not bothered about a couple of extra quid for the oil, just want what is best for my engine.

also how much can i expect to pay kwikfit to do an oil change if i supply the oil and should i use kwikfit or someone else ????
cheers

scott

Alex, small point here.....

Fully synth to buy & fit myself is about £40 for 4 litres and I need more than that...... semi-synth fitted by National tyre with me glaring at them if £15 all in (inc filter)....... so please explain why there is no price difference ?? £60+ every 10k or £15 every 5k...leading to £30 every 10k.......they aint that close are they ????
Not in my bank account they aint ! :(
Still might have to think about this one...........couple that with the fact that my car is one of Volvo's best oil 'users' so in 5k I'll probably put about another 3 litres through it ! :o

Scott........... don't go to Kwik Fit, they'll put the oil filter on upside down and the oil in the ashtray :p Go to somewhere local and slip them a tenner, that usually works quite well !

Jim,
'96 855-R (The Flying Wardrobe)

Firstly if you're paying £10 a litre for fully synthetic you're being ripped off even halfords sell mobil 1 at £28 per 4 litres usually.

Secondly I get your point about it being much cheaper at a garage, do no garages near you do the same sort of special offer on fully syn?

Also check to see what oil filter national will use, the advice from the pros has always been its ok to use aftermarket parts, but not oil filters - stick with volvo (fram) filters.

But at £15 for a change I guess you can't go wrong!

Ohhhhh that feels better,

1 Fram Filter..cos they coulldn't get anything else (shame)..... 5 + litres of Duckhams QXR 10-40 semi synth..... book stamped and mananger invited to the National on Sunday (cos he loves 850r's and is looking for one) Oh and a contact for possible cheap tyres ;)

All for £15 :7

Jim,
'96 855-R (The LOOOOBRICATED on a budget Wardrobe)

Oh and a few interesting points for them that give a stuff.

1. My local Volvo Dealer now fits Total Quartz Semi-Synth to 850 Turbos (Petrols)

2. Halfords garages are now owned by the AA (Oh for gods sake) and want £35 to do a semi synth change.... and don't know what make the oil is nor do they have a filter and can't pop next door to buy one :(

3. The Volvo Dealer price for an oil & filter (remember semi-synth) is.....wait for it......... £141.79 (Oh but it does include VAT) and a Volvo filter. So, next service (130k) I'll not be having the oil change bit !

4. Motorway want £23 for a Castrol semi-synth & unknown filter....but we'll have to order it (probably a Fram in the end then ;)


5. National Tyre wanted £23 'coz I didn;t have a voucher and it's over 2.3 (just), but as the man in charge wants an r of his own and is looking for one, and spent an hour quizzing me on them and is probably coming to the National on Sunday to see us all, he relented and charged me £15............ Wonder if he's married ;) oooops !

Jim,
'96 855-R (The Flying Wardrobe)