We have a 2019 XC90 (D5 engine). Was serviced in March 2024 after doing 48,000 miles but is now saying low oil level. Said the same a month ago and another litre of oil was added. Have booked into Volvo dealership next week but what is the most likely cause? Service department said it was unlikely to be the sensor…thanks!

 

Hi
I have 2019 xc90 with 45k miles and experiencincd similar low oil issues. Putting 1 Lt in every 400 miles.

What did the dealer say to you? Did you get it fixed.f

 

the risk of a bad sensor or software is overfilling the oil. If you can drain the oil out and measure then you can be assured to trust the sensor. With that said, assuming their are no obvious leaks/oil on the driveway etc, the likely cause is piston rings. Ask your dealer if there are any service bulletins specific to your engine and year and check your warranty dates. fix for bad rings would be new pistons/rings $$$$.

 

Yeah I doubt it is the sensor but haven't ruled out. My concern with taking to dealership to diagnose is that if it is the piston ring, Volvo now has it on record. That will eventually Hurt my trade-in value rather than repair piston rings.

Does diagnose results go in carfax for non volvo dealerships to see?

Warranty expired and no recalls

 

The car has been to local dealership and no obvious oil leaks. They drained the oil and put in a known weight of oil. Have to go back after driving 1200 miles to have it drained again and see how much oil it has used. Concerned though as after only a week the level on the screen has already gone down. What are my options if it’s burning oil as suspected. Dealership also said it doesn’t repair engines so only option would be a new one! Surely this is unacceptable for a 5 year old car with 52k on the clock…

 

your options are to go find a used engine (search car-parts.com ) or find a Volvo indy who'd be willing to do the pistons/rings on the existing engine. You may want to ask the dealer or the indy shop to do an inspection cam to see if there's any obvious signs of scoring on the cylinder walls or if they just suspect the rings are not doing the job. To note, this issue has cropped up on various Volvo engine models since 2012 so you can probably find plenty of info on the topic (service bulletins, class action law suits, related forum posts etc)

 

So, dealership has now carried out an oil usage check. Showed that it would be using 4.2 litres every 10,000 km (6,200 miles)! Limit is 1.2 litres. They said only option is for a new short block (as top of engine is ok). Comes in at £8,700!! Surely this is not acceptable for a 5 year old car with 54k on the clock?