SwedeSpeed - Volvo Performance Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

SPA XC90 DIY Oil Change with pics

150K views 299 replies 81 participants last post by  Garfunkgrin 
#1 · (Edited)
SPA XC90 DIY Oil Change with pics, UOA

I did an oil change on our 2018 XC90 at 5k miles, these steps and pics should apply for any 2016/2017/2018/2019 vehicle.
[This thread is for those interested in doing the oil change, not intended to start a holy war. Head over to BITOG for that :D]

See Post 36 for UOA! (Used Oil Analysis)

Materials:

Filter
(Comes with new crush washer, two rubber o-rings for filter housing and one o-ring on filter itself)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W4DSCFG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wrench
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0120RYAS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Oil (Available from Walmart at a very good price and occasionally goes on sale at Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KKJQS2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tools:
  • 17mm hex wrench
  • T30 Torx driver (T27 also fits)
  • T40 Torx driver or 6mm Allen

Volvo Oil Recommendation:

NOTE: Volvo now specifies 0W-20 for their SPA vehicles regardless of what is shown in the owner's manual. Oil must meet Volvo spec RBS0-2AE.



Steps:
  • Loosen oil cap under the hood
  • Remove the skid plate (10 T30 Torx screws, plus two spring loaded inserts; T27 also fits)
  • Remove the oil drain plug (17mm hex bolt)
  • Drain oil into suitable container
  • Replace the drain bolt with new crush washer, tighten slightly past 'snug'
  • Optionally remove the T40/6mm bolt from bottom of filter housing (to drain initial oil in filter) [Either T40 Torx or 6mm Allen wrench will fit]
  • Remove the filter housing with the Volvo oil wrench
  • Replace the filter within the housing
  • Replace the large o-ring on the housing
  • Replace the small o-ring on the T40/Allen bolt (bottom of filter housing) [If you removed the bolt]
  • Apply oil to all o-rings!
  • Replace the T40/6mm bolt [if you removed it]
  • Screw in the filter & housing back into engine, I had to use the wrench again. Do not tighten very much! Let the o-ring do the work.
  • Replace skid plate
  • Fill engine with 6.2qt of specified oil [Note: 2016-2017 is 6.2qt; 2018 and newer are 5.9 qt]

Service light reset:


Volvo oil filter wrench


Removing T30 screw, holding the skid plate


Drain bolt location, middle of pic


Removing oil drain bolt


Oil draining
(I recycled it, no whales or dolphins died...)


The oil filter housing


Removing the bolt from oil filter housing, T40 Torx or 6mm Allen will work


Removing the oil filter housing


Old oil filter within housing


Oil filter


Oil filter components


T40 Torx driver, supposedly it's actually a 6mm Allen bolt


Filter bottom bolt and o-ring


Location of large o-ring on filter housing


New filter installed in housing


Drain bolt with new crush washer installed


Installing filter housing



All done!
 
See less See more
1 20
#40 ·
I did an oil change on our 2018 XC90 at 5k miles, these steps and pics should apply for any 2016/2017/2018/2019 vehicle.
[This thread is for those interested in doing the oil change, not intended to start a holy war. Head over to BITOG for that :D]
I applaud both OP's industry and the quality and detail of the presentation. :thumbup: Its principal utility for me is proving that Volvo's inclusion of first 3 years' services is not trivial.

Last time I changed my own oil was on a Jag E-type during the Nixon administration, and I thought that was complicated.
 
#43 ·
Thanks for this thread. I thought I had everything I needed until I lowered the skid plate and noticed the oil filter canister.
A quick search @ the local autoparts stores came up empty so I searched the forum and found this thread. Luckily Amazon has same day delivery so I'll have the filter wrench by 9PM tonight. I didnt think any manufacturer still placed their filter at the bottom of the engine.

I DIY everything if within reason. No tech is going to care about your things as much as you do.
Not to mention the cost savings. If I had a mechanic install all the mods on my Wrangler it would have cost me 3 times as much.

Cheers!
 
#44 ·
Thanks for this. I couldn't find this thread for some reason when I did a search on the forum. I ended up finding it on a google search. My only question is, is this a T8 and if not does anyone know if there are any significant differences in changing the oil on the hybrid model? I always do my own maintenance and when I asked the a local salesman this question while preparing for our OSD purchase, he made it sound like it was some major deal to change on a hybrid and that I would need a lift to do it and would have to remove lots of components to get to it. It scared me a bit since I'm not familiar with hybrid vehicles, especially a European hybrid. He also mentioned that an oil change at the dealership with synthetic would run about $200. That to me is a deal breaker.

I'm more used to the $30 synthetic oil changes that I do myself in my driveway. I even change my own brakes. If you know how much a brake job costs then you can imagine how much money that saves, as a set of front brakes can typically be bought for well under $100 and they might take about 45 minutes tops to change on both sides. I do my own maintenance because I trust myself more, and I don't enjoy throwing money out the window for things I can easily do myself. I even have a radiator for my Tundra setting in the garage now waiting for me to install it. My truck was overheating one day and I stopped to have it checked out. Their diagnosis was a small hole in the radiator and offered to replace it for $1300. Not long before this I had my dad help me replace the water pump in the same truck which required us to remove the radiator, so I knew it wouldn't be THAT big of a job.

Anyway, I took the truck home and googled for a new radiator and found one for $230. That is a near $1100 savings. So aside from having to interfere with some weird hybrid electronics on the XC90, I plan to do the oil changes myself. The only down side I can see from this how to is the cartridge filters which are a pain in the butt and make a huge mess. Toyota uses the same thing and I hate them.
 
#45 ·
Like I mentioned in your other post, there is no difference between a T6 and T8 with regard to the oil change.

I wouldn't expect to find a set of brakes for $100 for that car. And if you do, there is a difference between OEM and cheap aftermarket parts.
 
#46 · (Edited)
Like I mentioned in your other post, there is no difference between a T6 and T8 with regard to the oil change.

I wouldn't expect to find a set of brakes for $100 for that car. And if you do, there is a difference between OEM and cheap aftermarket parts.
Ahh I must have missed that part. Its good to know then that there is no difference. From the looks of it I won't even need a lift then. I am fully aware of what an OEM part is as well. Aftermarket parts aren't always cheap either, but OEM parts are always expensive. As far as brakes go there are very little differences. They do make those semi metallic brake pads but I hate those because they seem to damage the rotor easier, so I usually just go OEM or something similar. Even a quick search for OEM brake pads for a 2018 XC90 turned up a set of front brake pads for $137 which isn't that bad either, especially when you consider a shop will charge you up to $300 per axle to change your brakes. Drive in with a new hybrid XC90 and expect to get hosed.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/10897/VOL_10897_BRKPAD_pg1.htm

Oh and to stick with the topic, I also found this link to a kit which includes everything you need to do the oil change on the XC90. I haven't priced it out yet to see how it compares, but it doesn't seem too bad for synthetic oil from Germany which includes the filter.

https://www.blauparts.com/volvo-xc90-oil-change-kit-20l-31372212.html
 
#47 ·
Yeah you may not need a lift. A T30 for the splash pan screws, a 6mm allen to drain the filter, the filter wrench and a 17mm for the drain plug is all you need.

There certainly can be a difference between OEM brakes and cheap aftermarket ones. I've seen many, many cars come in with aftermarket brakes with a noticeable difference in pedal feel and stopping distance. And yes, it is always more expensive to have someone do something vs. doing it yourself. Labor isn't free. Call a plumber to replace a water heater and he will charge more than it would cost to do it yourself. Nothing wrong with that.
 
#50 ·
Yes I agree to an extent. Don't take offense, but I assume you are a technician and its why you have such a strong opinion on the subject. I would use a shop for major repairs or obviously for warranty work, and I understand that the term major is different for everyone, but oil changes are very very minor and $200 is beyond ridiculous, which is the price I was quoted from the salesman for a dealership oil change with synthetic oil. As for brakes I imagine there are a lot less people who are comfortable changing them, but again, its a very minor normal wear and tear item that is very easy to do. I think if most people did a little research and even found someone to help them the first time, they would realize just how easy it is and would gladly do it themselves and save hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. Everyone should at the very least be able to perform normal wear and tear maintenance to their own vehicles such as change a tire if its flat, change the oil, change wipers, put gas in etc etc. Now I get it, someone people are older or maybe have injuries or something that makes it harder to do, but unless you are made of money, it pays to at least do the minor stuff yourself, and oil changes and even brakes are both very minor things, especially when you have disk brakes. That is why I love these forums and love a good how to thread. It helps to build confidence for those a little nervous about doing maintenance on their car. It might be a while, but if there isn't one already I will post a how to on a brake change for the XC90 when ever I get ready to do it.

P.S. I agree some aftermarket items are cheap, (not quality parts) but some are just as good or better than OEM. You just have to do a little research, or in my case trial and error. I found out over time that metallic pads are not worth the price, especially when you have to replace a rotor as well.
 
#52 ·
Thank you! I think I will invest in these parts and do my next oil change on my own. My car is due for it's first service; 12 months with a hair under 7,000 miles, and I wish I had changed the oil earlier this year on my own. I really want to change the oil at 5,000 miles intervals, but I am not willing to pay $140 for it at the dealership to do it outside the normal 10,000 mile interval. I have a short commute to and from work; the oil likely does not even reach full operating temperature during the commute. This is hard on the oil. When car manufacturers are doing their testing and are trying to reproduce real-life scenarios, I don't think they do twice-per day commutes of just 7 miles with the speed never going above 40mph in residential areas with no highway driving, in Colorado during the summer where the daily high is in the mid-90's and the winter where it's often around 20 degrees on my way in and 35 degrees on my way home. I have a few highway trips and weekend errand trips mixed in, but mostly my drive is a commute. So I think it's a good idea to change the oil every 5,000 miles or so, as long as it costs less than $50.
 
#59 ·
Id say do what ever makes you comfortable, but do you have anything concrete to back up that line of thinking. I've never heard of changing the oil more often if you only make short commutes. I always assumed the reason why oil broke down was because of heat. Seems shorter commutes in a cooler climate would provide a lot less heat. Some synthetic oil and filter combos are now saying you are good up to 15k miles. Even manufactures are mostly saying 10k is the way to go even with non synthetic oils. I will probably take advantage of my free oil changes for the first 30k but after that I will likely be changing my own anywhere between 10-15k miles using synthetic. Just me personally.
 
#53 ·
I'm all for doing it yourself. You seem to understand there are different levels of parts. Many people do not. We quote them whatever price for a brake job. They call Pepboys and are quoted much, much less. In their mind, they are comparing apples to apples and we are ripping them off. But if Pepboys were to use OEM parts, the savings would not be so great.

I wouldn't believe what the salesman says necessarily. $200 is nuts for a synthetic oil change. Talk to a service advisor and find out what the actual cost is. Of course, don't expect it to be what you can do it for.
 
#58 ·
I'm all for doing it yourself. You seem to understand there are different levels of parts. Many people do not. We quote them whatever price for a brake job. They call Pepboys and are quoted much, much less. In their mind, they are comparing apples to apples and we are ripping them off. But if Pepboys were to use OEM parts, the savings would not be so great.

I wouldn't believe what the salesman says necessarily. $200 is nuts for a synthetic oil change. Talk to a service advisor and find out what the actual cost is. Of course, don't expect it to be what you can do it for.
I would probably do better to check with a mechanic for sure, but I already know that its not going to be cheap for an oil change at a Volvo dealership, and for something as simple as an oil change I will just do it myself every time. I think it was a Pepboys that quoted me $1300 to change my radiator out on my Tundra. That included the price for the part, but still. Most of those shops give you the several options to include an OEM price. To me it really depends on the part and who is making the aftermarket part to determine whether or not OEM is really the way to go. As a technician I'm sure you would never take your car in to the dealership to get an oil change, or even brakes for that matter. Those are both relatively minor jobs, with the brakes probably being a little more intimidating to those not mechanically inclined.
 
#54 ·
Can you use an oil pump to extract the oil out of the dipstick? In my other cars I got lazy and cut a hole for the oil filter to make it easier to change. I also never drain the cap. Just remove the entire assembly.
 
#57 · (Edited)
Oil performs a number of important duties in a modern ICE. Think cooling, holding solids in suspension, preventing metal on metal contact to name a few. When I had my Acura 2001 NSX that I added a supercharger to I often used racing oil that was fabricated by a small company. I actually used a 0 weight racing oil for some time. It was amazing how free revving the engine was. I remember talking with the guy who formulates the oil. Obviously he made it for racing where the oil is changed often sometimes right after a racing event. He indicated that the key to good oil was its ability to prevent metal to metal contact. So the film strength was a key parameter. I used this oil for several years. The NSX was close to being a balanced engine and the tolerances were very close. I would probably not use that oil in the Volvo as I would not track the car or need it to rev that freely. Viscosity is important but there are other characteristic that effect overall performance. Changing the oil early is probably not going to affect the longevity of the engine to any great degree. Now if you are keeping it for 3 million miles than I am probably off with my statement. Generally what fails in a modern engine is not a part wearing out (bearings, camshafts, crankshafts, piston rings, piston bearings). Usually it is something that should have been replaced like a cam belt, or water pump, spark plugs, etcetera. Today's oils are superior to the ones we used in the 80s, 90s, and new millennium. Having sufficient detergents is important as well. I can recall when companies would send out oil samples for testing to determine when an oil change was necessary. It is often referred to as predictive maintenance versus preventative maintenance. Airlines and the mining industry have been doing this for decades. Moisture in the oil is a killer, which is why it is always hard on an engine when it is run on idle for a long time. It is important to get the engine up to operating temperature so that the moisture that normally is in the air does not stay in the oil. Eventually bad stuff like sulfuric acid and other chemicals form over time. I was surprised that the testing did not show the level of detergent, or the measure the ability of the oil to hold dirt in suspension (keeps it off of the metal to metal contact). We use to use chromatography paper to see how much the oil spot would spread on the paper. Acidity is really important to look at in motor oils. The color is of lesser importance. Of concern is the ability of the oil to withstand heat. As the molecules heat up and burn you lose the lubricating character of the oil. So often a oil is measured as to its ability to withstand a certain amount of heat before degrading. Lots of fun stuff. I have to think that with today's oils that 10,000 miles between changes is not a big deal. But again keeping a car to 3 million miles might change that belief.
Manny
 
#65 ·
So I have a Mityvac fluid evacuator and used to do oil changes on my Land Rover via the top. Basically, the MityVac tube runs down the dipstick tube and sucks all the oil up. I could access my filter from the top, and then re-fill once done. Never had to even get below the car or pop the drain plug.

Given our oil gets checked electronically, does anybody know if we can do this on the XC90?
 
#67 ·
Castrol Edge 5W-30 is A5/B5 certified again. You will know as it will say on the front of the bottle "GDI Turbo Formula". It is about $20 a fiver on Amazon.
 
#69 · (Edited)
@stick_shift - You are the man! Thank you for this wonderful oil-change guide. It's detailed and even more helpful with all the Photos attached. Your thread led me to performing my first oil change this past weekend on my 2018 V90 CC @ 2500 miles on ODO. Everything went perfectly. Used 6 quarts of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5W30 Oil and the Car runs smooth as butter now! Thank you again. Really appreciate the guidance.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/taLyArUFbGJcCa3dA
 
#70 ·
One of the problems associated with short driving trips is that the engine oil does not get hot enough to vaporize out the water moisture. The moisture will react with byproducts of the oil and form acids. This can impact the metal components in the engine. Short trips and idling for long periods is hard on engine oil. This is often considered severe use and calls on more frequent oil and filter changes. Most vehicle manufacturers will show the common/expected preventative maintenance required. If you look you will also see a more severe preventative maintenance depending on how the vehicle is driven. When you first start a car it is not a good idea to rev the engine or drive it hard until the engine and oil have come up to operating temperature. Metal expands with heat and initially everything is cold. So when you first fire it up take it easy. Most newer cars (other than sports cars) no long provide oil temperature, oil pressure, water temperature readouts. We essentially are given idiot lights or check engine lights that tell you that you are screwed. I use to run 0wt racing oil in my Acura NSX that was supercharged putting out close to 400 HP at the wheels. I never had a problem but realize that there was a lot of faith in batch to batch manufacturing. I wish Volvo was involved in racing. I would love to see how their 4 cylinder performs in various tunes.
 
#71 ·
Good discussion here. I am on the 'follow the factory guidelines' path in general. I'd like to get an opinion and I am also going to run this by the dealership. I bought a 2017 S90 T5 Momentum used. The vehicle had 11,300 miles on it when I purchased it. The original owner had the 10K service performed at 7500 miles by a local dealership here in Raleigh, NC. I have a copy of the service order because it was in the dash at purchase. The car now has 17,500 miles on it and the service indicator light is on (as expected). I'd love to get back onto the '10K/20K/30K' schedule so I am thinking about letting this run until 18,500 miles, then adding another 1000 miles at the 28,500 interval (doing the work at 29,500) then getting back onto the normal demarcations at 40K.

Like @stick_shift, I plan on having UOA performed and I also use Blackstone labs for UOA on my 2016 GMC Canyon (Duramax Diesel engine). Not because I feel that I 'have to' but more for my own curiosity! BTW @stick_shift - my Canyon had exactly what they talk about with new vehicles showing up higher than normal metal content due to break in wear. It settled out for oil changes 2 & 3 and now after #4 is pretty low. Interval on the Canyon is calculated via driver info computer (% Oil Life) but in general is 7500 miles or so for the way I drive it.

So - the question here is, "How 'risky' is it, if at all, to slightly extend the service interval (adding another 10% to it)?" I am confident that Volvo has some variability built in, but not sure how much. Plus there is an issue re: extended warranty (I have a 6 year, 100K mile Volvo VIP Platinum Warranty) that requires service 'according to manufacturer recommended intervals'. All this being said, I am pretty comfortable with tacking another 900 - 1000 miles onto the window, but wondering what you guys (and girls?) thoughts may be in this area?
 
#72 ·
Good discussion here. I am on the 'follow the factory guidelines' path in general. I'd like to get an opinion and I am also going to run this by the dealership. I bought a 2017 S90 T5 Momentum used. The vehicle had 11,300 miles on it when I purchased it. The original owner had the 10K service performed at 7500 miles by a local dealership here in Raleigh, NC. I have a copy of the service order because it was in the dash at purchase. The car now has 17,500 miles on it and the service indicator light is on (as expected). I'd love to get back onto the '10K/20K/30K' schedule so I am thinking about letting this run until 18,500 miles, then adding another 1000 miles at the 28,500 interval (doing the work at 29,500) then getting back onto the normal demarcations at 40K.

Like @stick_shift, I plan on having UOA performed and I also use Blackstone labs for UOA on my 2016 GMC Canyon (Duramax Diesel engine). Not because I feel that I 'have to' but more for my own curiosity! BTW @stick_shift - my Canyon had exactly what they talk about with new vehicles showing up higher than normal metal content due to break in wear. It settled out for oil changes 2 & 3 and now after #4 is pretty low. Interval on the Canyon is calculated via driver info computer (% Oil Life) but in general is 7500 miles or so for the way I drive it.

So - the question here is, "How 'risky' is it, if at all, to slightly extend the service interval (adding another 10% to it)?" I am confident that Volvo has some variability built in, but not sure how much. Plus there is an issue re: extended warranty (I have a 6 year, 100K mile Volvo VIP Platinum Warranty) that requires service 'according to manufacturer recommended intervals'. All this being said, I am pretty comfortable with tacking another 900 - 1000 miles onto the window, but wondering what you guys (and girls?) thoughts may be in this area?
If I remember correctly, I read it somewhere Volvo (or maybe an individual dealership) will service your Vehicle at 1 to 1.5k miles variation to the 10k, 20k and 30k. So basically 18.5k to 21.5k miles for the 20k miles service and they will service it. You should probably confirm this with your Dealership. It would work nicely in your case if you do a 18.5k service and then a final free one at 29-29.5k.

As for how risky it is, it really depends on your daily drive. City or Freeway. I have a pure freeway drive for 90-95% of my Odometer reading and I'm sure my Oil is in a much better condition that one who has the same exact miles as me but on city driving. Only you can answer your own question.
 
#73 ·
I changed my own oil at around 3000 miles. I was the first consumer purchaser of the vehicle. I just wanted to do it so I could see how things were put together. Also the car had been manufactured over a year ago, so I did not feel that it was a bad thing to do. I have now put another 4000 miles on the car. The other day I pulled the air cleaner and was pleasantly surprised in how clean it looked. No shadows of dirt, nothing to shake out. So that tells me that the car has not been operating in really dusty areas. All the air that enters the engine comes in via the air cleaner. Other than combustion gases and the impurities that are created via that process, the oil should be in pretty good condition. The oils used today are really engineered for their specific applications. I bet the 2 liter 4 cylinder engine that Volvo uses will easily return 200,000 to 300,000 miles without any problems. I wonder who out there has the highest mileage on their vehicle? I will start a post to see.
 
#75 ·
Torque Specs

The oil drain plug torque is 38. Nt-m (28. Lb-ft), the oil filter housing is 25 Nt-m (18.4 lb-ft.) and the oil filter plug is 4 Nt-m (3. Lb-ft)
 
#243 ·
Thanks for this post.

In case anyone else is a total idiot like me and drains the oil only to realize they don’t actually have the correct filter cap wrench the day before the big family beach vacation and has to get one that day: O’Reilly sells an 86mm 16 flute cap wrench that works if you line it with a single paper towel to close the clearance.

Torque Specs

The oil drain plug torque is 38. Nt-m (28. Lb-ft), the oil filter housing is 25 Nt-m (18.4 lb-ft.) and the oil filter plug is 4 Nt-m (3. Lb-ft)
Used these and have to say that filter housing torque is so light it makes me nervous.
 
  • Helpful
Reactions: Pioneer4x4
#81 ·
Super helpful, right down to the proper filter wrench which I could not find anywhere and Amazon had here with free one day delivery.

One question - when refilling the oil that opening on top of the engine doesn't accept oil very fast without overflowing, a real pain in the neck. It's got some sort of a sieve in there. Any way to speed that up? I had to dribble it in slowly.

Mitch
 
#82 ·
Ive noticed the same painfull slow bubbling overflowing pour on my 2019 XC90. No issue with my 2016 XC90.

Hoping someone has a fix

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top