Dear frnds,

i got used(140k mileage) volvo turbo 850, and i want to change engine oil, but i want to put any cheap engine oil (what my mechanic suggested) other that mobil/castrol/volvoline...

Please sugest me whether i can put synthetic oil of any brand..?? or i need to go mobil/castrol/volvoline....pls suggest me..!!

thanks in advance..

 

Put any oil in the car that meets the specifications listed in the owners manual. As long as it meets the specs you are good.

 

You mention wanting to go cheap, then you mention going synthetic... Synthetics cost double that of dino oil. Older 850s may not be happy using synthetic oil which can bleed out through worn seals (don't believe posts that say this doesn't happen - it can and did on mine. I tried sythetic, got leakage through the rear main seal, reverted to "high mileage oil - which has seal softeners, and the leakage stopped). In terms of choice, there's really four products to consider - standard mineral oils, high mileage mineral oils (dino oil with additives to help remove sludge and soften rubber seals), sythentic blends and full synthetics. Volvo does recommend oil meeting API specification SG, SG/CD, SH or ILSAC GF-1 which almost all do these days. So if your car is running standard oil today, I'd suggest you start by using a high mileage oil on your next change to get some seal softeners into the system. then after 3-5K miles try a synthetic blend or full synthetic. I wouldn't worry about which brand so much provided it meets the API specs as noted. Of a more important consideration is the filter. The OEM Mann filters are highly recommended for 850s. They have a design feature which restricts the reverse flow which is intended to keep the oil up higher in the engine after turning off. As a general rule of thumb, this is not the area to go cheap. Keep clean oil (ie change 3-5K miles or 6 months - 2x that if you use synthetic), use OEM filters and your car will thank you.

 

I switched my car over to full synthetic Amsoil when I first purchased it, and luckily haven't encountered any seepy seals as a result. My 850 had around 150k when I purchased it.