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Best Oil Volvo XC90 (for turbocharged Volvo motors)

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#1 ·
What weight oil to use?

I've been using Mobil1 5W-30 since my first oil change, mainly to reach good mileage. However, as the odometer approaches 50,000 miles I've been thinking to switch to 10W-30, especially with the summer approaching fast and the need to tow a boat to the lake.

My service technician says both 5W-30 and 10W-30 are fine, but I wanted to tap to the collective knowledge base of the Swedespeed community to see what people use and think about the different oil weights (and brands) out there.
Appreciate your inputs!
 
#3 ·
Re: What weight oil to use? (kaitsu)

Quote, originally posted by kaitsu »
I've been using Mobil1 5W-30 since my first oil change, mainly to reach good mileage. However, as the odometer approaches 50,000 miles I've been thinking to switch to 10W-30, especially with the summer approaching fast and the need to tow a boat to the lake.

My service technician says both 5W-30 and 10W-30 are fine, but I wanted to tap to the collective knowledge base of the Swedespeed community to see what people use and think about the different oil weights (and brands) out there.
Appreciate your inputs!

Kaj,

Living in GA, I would recommend a 10W-30 but since you are using Mobil1, you are just fine with 5W-30. If you ever do an ECU upgrade, you must go with a heavier weight.

Yannis
 
#4 ·
Re: What weight oil to use? (GrecianVolvo)

Yannis,

Thanks. Unreal, it's been 1.5 years since I bought the vehicle from you. I have been very pleased with the vehicle sofar. Take care,

Kaj
 
#5 ·
Re: What weight oil to use? (kaitsu)

Quote, originally posted by kaitsu »
Yannis,

Thanks. Unreal, it's been 1.5 years since I bought the vehicle from you. I have been very pleased with the vehicle sofar. Take care,

Kaj

In all honesty, it does not seem that it was that long ago! Amazing! Glad you have been enjoying it!

Let me know when you will be up in PA, again!

Yannis
 
#7 ·
What kind of oil to use on XC90

Hi,

I would like to know if anyone uses a synthetic oil in their XC90 and why? Is it better? Is it worth the bother and the price? What brand do you use?

I have recieved conflicting advice from the dealerships. Some say it will extend the life of the engine. Others don't recommend it.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Doris
 
#8 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (Doris)

Quote, originally posted by Doris »
Hi,

I would like to know if anyone uses a synthetic oil in their XC90 and why? Is it better? Is it worth the bother and the price? What brand do you use?

I have recieved conflicting advice from the dealerships. Some say it will extend the life of the engine. Others don't recommend it.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Doris

If you are leasing the car, I would not worry about it. If you are not and since your car is a turbocharged model (I saw that you have the T6) I would DEFINITELY spend the extra $$$ and use a FULLY synthetic (do not even think about using the synthetic blends) oil. It is worth the extra $3 or so per quart.

BTW, who is the "genius" that does not recommend using synthetic oil?

Yannis
 
#9 ·
Thanks Yannis. This is not a lease and I am planning on keeping the car for a very long time. I have 19K Km on the vehicle now and I have had 1 oil change at 11K (The dealer also recommended that I not change the oil more than the recommended 12K (Km that is). I have spoken to more than one service manager and they all seem to feel that the blend that they provide is sufficient. My feeling is that I would like to do everything that I can to avoid trouble down the road.

Does it matter that I have had one oil change with the dealers 'blend'?

Thanks again.
 
#10 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (GrecianVolvo)

Hey Yannis… While we are on the subject of oil, I noticed in the manual today that it says to jump up to 10w30 for driving in conditions exceeding (I believe it said) 85 degrees F. Here in Vermont generally temps during the summer months may hover around that and sometimes (such as today) go into the 90's.

I remember in the past asking several Volvo dealers about this and they said stick with 5w30. I do use full synthetic (Mobil 1).

What do you think?

Thanks
 
#11 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (VolvoStew)

I would also recommend full synthetic oil as well, especially since we have turbos. I took in my own oil for our first oil change, Mobil 1 extended life. I found Wal-Mart to be the least expensive. I asked the same question a few months back and it was pretty much unanimous that Mobil 1 was the prefered.

I hope this helps
 
#16 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (k2volvo)

My service department here in Germany recommended synthetic.

I had my first oil change right at the 2,000 mile mark and went to Mobil 1 extended life at that time. I wanted to get any initial residue out of there early. After this I will stay with Mobil 1 at the normally scheduled interval.

If you are that concerned, have a sample taken at your next oil change and send it for analysis......its pretty cheap and gives a lot of information about oil wear and engine performance.
 
#19 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (COMark)

i use mobil1 as well...switched to it after 3k miles (paid for the oil change). Like said above, its cheap at Sams Club/Costco. Ill usually pick it up there, if i dont want to deal with the madness of those places... WalMart sells a 5qt jug for $19 (meaning you have to pick up another single quart for $4-5, but still not bad)
 
#20 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (COMark)

Quote, originally posted by COMark »
regular Mobil 1 is fine, the extended life version (15Kmiles) does not meet fuel efficiency requirements.

Uh- oh... I just put that in mine last oil change... Can it cause any problems do you think, or will it be OK until I just change it out after 3500 miles?
 
#21 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (VolvoStew)

I use Mobile 1 also, changed it out after the first 1,500 miles. Now I just take the 6 quarts to the dealer when they do the warranty service and they put it in. I wouldn't use anything else. BTW, I use 10W30. Do you guys think I should be using 5W30? This is a 2.5T by the way.
 
#22 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (jaynlisa)

I would highly recommend Amsoil High Performance synthetic 5W-30. It is designed for 25,000 miles or 12 months, which ever comes first. All you have to do is swap out the oil filter (use a good one...Amsoil has their super duty flow filters) at 6 months. Typical yearly driving only averages 12-14k miles. Amsoil was first on the market (1972) and has shown again and again that it out performs Mobil 1.
 
#23 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (VolvoStew)

Quote, originally posted by VolvoStew »
Hey Yannis… While we are on the subject of oil, I noticed in the manual today that it says to jump up to 10w30 for driving in conditions exceeding (I believe it said) 85 degrees F. Here in Vermont generally temps during the summer months may hover around that and sometimes (such as today) go into the 90's.

I remember in the past asking several Volvo dealers about this and they said stick with 5w30. I do use full synthetic (Mobil 1).

What do you think?

Thanks

AT this time of the year, whether you use 5W-30 or 10W-30 makes no difference as both oils are, under operating temps, a 30-weight oil. The 5W-30 oil is thinner and flows better at very low temps, therefore I would use that since you live in VT. I am not sure that 10W-30 is labeled as an energy conserving oil but I know 5W-30 oils are.

Yannis
 
#24 ·
Re: (Doris)

Quote, originally posted by Doris »
Thanks Yannis. This is not a lease and I am planning on keeping the car for a very long time. I have 19K Km on the vehicle now and I have had 1 oil change at 11K (The dealer also recommended that I not change the oil more than the recommended 12K (Km that is). I have spoken to more than one service manager and they all seem to feel that the blend that they provide is sufficient. My feeling is that I would like to do everything that I can to avoid trouble down the road.

Does it matter that I have had one oil change with the dealers 'blend'?

Thanks again.

I do not know what your retailer's "blend" is...if they included it for free, then I would not worry about it (for the last oil and filter change). Ifyou had to pay extra, then I think it is not worth it.

Nevertheless, I still insist that a FULLY synthetic oil is the only way to go if you want the ultimate protection for your engine.

First oil change, for you, came kind of late...11K kilometers or 6,830 miles. I would not leave a regular oil in there for this long.

If you use a fully synthetic oil, then changes every 11,000 km is OK.

Yannis
 
#25 ·
Re: (GrecianVolvo)

From the info I received from Amsoil, there is most certainly a different oil needed for a turbocharged car due to the higher temperatures and differnt lubrication needs of a turbocharger bearing, and the fact that higher temperatures cause breakdown faster, and thickening after "cook down".

Email:
Date: Thursday, June 10, 2004 at 17:47:23
-------------------------------------------------------
1: feedback.setup
Name: Mr. P
Zip: 37205
Email:
Comments: Hello.
I recently inquired about some older model Porsches and got a nice response, so thank you kindly.
I just bought a new Volvo XC90, with their turbocharged 5- cylinder motor. I plan to break-in the car according to the dealer recommendations, and then switch to Amsoil and go on the oil analysis program, as we intend to keep this one for a long time.
I am interested in the best oil recommendation for a turbocharged car of this type. It has 208-hp, and we may elect to have the ECU reprogrammed for some additional power (up to 245, with boost changed from 8 to 14-psi) in the event it is needed for occasional passing and safety reasons, not for hot rodding.
Sincerely, Mr. P
I am a customer: checkbox

________________________________________
From: Mail TechService [mailto:tech@amsoil.com]
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 8:31 AM
To: Mr. P
Subject: RE: Technical Service Contact Form
To: Mr. P
From: AMSOIL Technical Services
Thanks for contacting AMSOIL with your concerns.
In response to your inquiry, our top pick for this application is our AMSOIL Synthetic 10W30 Turbo Formulated Motor Oil (ATM).
Thank you again for the opportunity to respond to your concerns. As always, please feel free to contact us again if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Jim Van
AMSOIL Technical Services
Every attempt has been made to ensure the information provided in this e-mail correspondence is accurate and reliable. However, AMSOIL INC. makes no warranty, guaranty or promise (express or implied) concerning the content or accuracy of our e-mail response, as it is based solely upon the information provided to us by the e-mail sender.
-----Original Message-----
From: mailconfirm@amsoil.com [mailto:mailconfirm@amsoil.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 5:47 PM
To: Mail TechService
Subject: Technical Service Contact Form

http://www.v70xc.com/forums/sh...=4283

Modified by Mr. P at 10:35 PM 6-28-2005

Modified by Mr. P at 10:36 PM 6-28-2005
 
#26 ·
Re: What kind of oil to use on XC90 (GrecianVolvo)

Quote, originally posted by GrecianVolvo »


AT this time of the year, whether you use 5W-30 or 10W-30 makes no difference as both oils are, under operating temps, a 30-weight oil. The 5W-30 oil is thinner and flows better at very low temps, therefore I would use that since you live in VT. I am not sure that 10W-30 is labeled as an energy conserving oil but I know 5W-30 oils are.

Yannis

Thanks Yannis
 
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