My Volvo mechanic says the only oil to use is the dino Valvoline 30W in both of my Volvos (83 and 90 240's). What is the deal with brands of dino? Does the hydrocracking (I think that is the term) make a difference with brands? Basically, what brands perform well with regular changes (every 3 to 4K)? I have read all of the FAQ stuff and no one gets specific except with synthetics. Help with any advice.

Thanks,

Don

Absolutely 10w30!!!

I'm on my 7th Volvo, 5-P544's, 1-P1800, and the 1988 240DL wgn I drive now, love them all.

I'm sure I've tried every oil out there and no, I'm no chemist however, I have without a doubt noticed a great difference in oil when compared to Castrol.

That's my choice, Castrol, but that's only my experience.

Always use the recommended viscosity, and as they say, change your oil and filter at recommended intervals, from now until the end of time, no matter what.

You may ask that particular mechanic like person to watch out for that tree.

If he is saying straight 30W then he certainly does not know what he is talking about.

10W-30 OK he is correct.

Brand? Everyone has an opinion. Mechanics have lots of Opinions on oils. Not many based in facts, IMHO.

Valvoline does OK in used oil analyses'. Not great, but OK.
--
www.fidalgo.net/~brook4

A straight 30w motor oil is a no-no for this engine, unless he meant 10w30, which is the recommended viscosity under normal conditions per the owner's manual. Brand is largely (or almost exclusively) a matter of personal preference. Just about anything that you can buy off the shelf meets, and probably exceeds, Volvo's specifications for use in any of their gas engines. Shell Rotella is a great oil and can be had inexpensively. It's also available just about everywhere (YMMV). Castrol also seems to be a favorite on the BB. Nothing wrong with Valvoline, either. I think that the most important thing is to use good, high quality filter with an anti-drainback valve (e.g. Mann) and to change the oil frequently. 5,000 miles is a respectable change interval for dino oil. More frequently if you use your vehicle primarily for short trips at slow speeds, as condensation can build up in the crankcase under these circumstances. There are probably few, if any, benefits to be derived from switching to a synthetic motor oil at this point in your car's life.

Is your mechanic a chemist? A mechanical engineer? A petroleum engineer?

If he is, what's he doing working as a mechanic?

Advice from mechanics is cheap and usually only worth that.

Use any name brand oil you wish and you'll be fine.

And, surprise, surprise, this is what your owner's manual says, too.

You can take it to the bank that the people that made your Volvo (and put their words in the owner's manual) know more about your Volvo than any mechanic in the universe.

You'll be even better off with synthetic oil.

best response yet, getting tired of people worrying on this subject a LITTE too much... Street.

sorry, but I have to steer you specifically away from QuakerState. I watched an engine rebuild on some who used it religiously (and changed regularly)... the inside of the engine was tar. Absolutely gummed up. pushrods clogged and valves burned up. Sorry to anyone out there that uses it. I know this topic can get somewhat 'religious', but I saw what I saw (granted, on a V8 pickup, but it was an engine). Otherwise, I buy anything, but use Castrol 90% of the time just in case there is something else out there like QuakerState.

I agree with the Quaker State Sludge machine. I Have seen many engines especially with an aluminum head on a Cast iron block sludged up by Quaker State. Motorcraft oil used to be about as bad. I saw a Toyota pickup with the side of the block blown out from sludge...Quaker State Strikes again. My Favorite is Kendall. It seems to clean up an engine rather than clog it up. I started using Kendall in my 240 when I got it and could now tear down the engine without needing to scrape the sludge out of it.

Most of the oils out there will give very good results if you keep them changed and don't wait till they fail.


Brian
--
86 240GL, 86 740GLE & others

I usually use Valvoline, but I really think a lot of the name brand oils are all the same. Whats the big dilly?

There are brand differences resulting in sludge, varnish, viscosity breakdown, etc. This is documented. Valvoline is acknowledged to be a very fine quality product across the board.

I'm not so sure about Valvoline oils, when I used some in my 200 it broke down and turned black faster than anything else I have ever used, and it was their top mineral oil product, it left me a little wary of the stuff.

As for oil grades, diffrent countrys also get diffrent oil grades from some of the major companys, it's a weird thing, if you go looking for Mobil 1 synth here (in Australia) all you generaly find is 5w-50!
--
My 85 760Ti, and her name is Veronica...

if it's dino and you change it every 3k on the dot, then it's not really a big deal at all.

if it's synthetic, you're paying a premium for it, and as such, i would expect nothing but the best. that being the case, there are huge differences in synthetic oils. some are hydrocracked, which to me means 'fake' synthetic.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

That's interesting - a false phony. Neat, Huh? (I use a synthetic)

Jim Hampton

I have read that the Castrol synthetics are not really synthetic based any more but a modified dino base. Mobil tried legal action but Castrol's bottom feeders (any lawyers on the list please don't take offense...) apparently made the case that the dino crap was so modified/re-engineered that it was proper to call it synthetic! The main point here, of course, is the junk costs them a lot less to produce but they still call it synthetic and keep the price cranked up.

I do use Castrol dino oil but have always used Mobil 1 in the synthetics. I suppose I would try the Amsoil if it was more conveniently available, they've been in synthetics a long time as well.

Justin B.
83 Turbo

Most brands of "synthetic" oil sold in the US is group III based. This means that it is hydrocracked and heavily processed dino oil which has performance characteristics close to group IV/V based oils (which some will call "true synthetic"), and significantly better than group I/II conventional oils.

Group III is significantly less expensive to make than group IV/V, but the price difference is not generally reflected on the retail shelves (if it were, it would be a bargain in price/performance).

I've been using Valvoline 10-40 in all our cars. What would be the advantage of switching to Valvoline 10-30?
--
Thanks to everyone for the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, stock; 86 240, 129K

There are a number of oil tests posted on the web. Even within the same brand, 10W30 generally beats out 10W40 for all tested parameters. The expert commentary that I have read is that a 30 viscosity points spread is the practical limit, and a 20 point spread requires less additives and generally results in a better product. (this from a guy who ignores the experts and the test results and uses 20W50 - a 30 point spread)

Ok, here is my "outdated" 2 cents worth.
In a class in college, LONG (*sigh*) time ago, we conducted "experiments" on some major brands of oil. We used a "friction" machine, and something that analyed "sludge" from burning an oil. As I recall, the friction tests did bear out some name brands; Castrol and Valvoline were right up there as far as friction performance. Pennzoil, Quaker State, Union's "Triton" and Havoline amongst the worst. This also beared out with the "sludge" test. The "Pennsylvania" oils burned with the most sludge, (Pennz and Quaker), while Castrol and Valvoline were cleaner comparitively. I do not recall all the other brands we tested off hand, but those few stand out in my mind. I think we tested "Standard Oils" stuff also and they did OK.
On a "practical" note, in auto shop, the worst engines I actually ever saw internally were those using primarily Pennz or Quaker State. They developed a sickening "greenish-grey" sludge that was like a thick gooey mud that we labeled "Pennsylvania Mud". Of course, this does not mean using those particular "name brand" oils is neccesarily "bad", especially now after so many years of "progress". Changing oil frequently, especially when you use Pennz or Quaker, (in my opinion) surely will help.
Would be interesting to perform those tests on "modern day" oils, including the "synthetics". Anyone have current info on that?

Funny you should mention Quaker State and grungy engine innards in the same sentence! ;-) I used to get a peek inside a lot of motorcycle engines at a motorcycle shop I used to hang out at years, and years, and years... well, long time ago, and the ones that always ran Quaker State were the most varnished up inside. The ones that seemed to have the least varnish had been running Castrol GTX, I can't comment on the sludge factor...

Justin B.
83 Turbo

30W is an unusual recomendation.

Where do you live? Straight-weight oil means that you are getting more oil and less viscosity additives, which in theory means better lubrication at normal engine temperature, BUT, if it gets very cold or very hot, your engine will likely last longer with a multi-weight oil.

In the published lab tests, it seems that 10-30 oils end up on top.

Most european cars owner's manuals recommend 15W40, but that stuff is hard to find and it is never on sale.

In Sacramento, both the Volvo and the BMW dealers put Castrol 20W50 in every car they service, regardless of owners manual recomendations.

I put 250k miles on my Toyota Starlett using Castrol 20W50 exclusively. It never needed ANY engine work other than alternator and water pump, and it was still in great shape when I sold it.

I've toyed with the idea of using synthetics, but I've had two negative experiences with synthetic gear oils, so I stick to what I know works well for me.

15W-40 oils are sold at Wal Mart in the US. They may be on a separate shelf with a bunch of products for diesel truck drivers. But the 15W-40 oils there meet API SJ or SL ratings for gasoline engines as well as various ratings for diesel engines.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. A 10W-30 or 5W-30 is best for your car, for many reasons. A synthetic or synthetic blend is even better. "My mechanic sez..." has led a lot of people astray when the said mechanic trained on Model A's.

I second this motion. Get some 10w-30, not straight weight oil in your engine. If it is hot where you are, you can get away w/ 20w-50. I am also a strong proponent for synthetic oil; I have used it in both of my cars w/ great results, as has numerous guys here on the brickboard. Can I suggest a new mechanic?

Roguls
New York, USA