Go with the Synthetics, you can't go wrong. I use the Syn's in every fluid area, they don't retain moisture or breakdown on a molecular level the way that petroleum products do. Make sure you use a good oil filter, I recommend the K&N brand. Another upside is you don't need to change the oils as often. I only change my Volvo's every 7500 miles. I change my Benz every 10K and Mobil one is spec on that car and so is the 10K interval between changes. I do know that depending on how and in what conditions you drive, may give you that Service engine reminder light on your instrument panel a little sooner or later depending on engine demands. I would Highly recommend you flush the engine with a can of Sea Foam for about 45 minutes to an hour of standard driving before adding the Synthetic to your Volvo's diet. Sea Foam comes in a 16 oz white can with red lettering (You can"t miss it, it usually with gas and oil additives). Sea foam can be used 3 different ways, in the gas tank with a fresh tank of gas, in the engine oil as an additive and flush and can be sucked into the vacuum lines to breakdown carbon buildup in hoses,EGR valves and PVC systems. Good luck and if you have a clogged pickup in your oil pan, you need to get it replaced or cleaned ASAP, it will give your engine a terminal condition if you get my drift. Best of luck, hope everything works out for you!

 

When changing motor oil to a synthetic does one have to use a different filter? I guess the question is using synthetic oil require a different type of filter from a natual lube oil?

Any help appreqqciated.

Newport_j

 

Hey, I seemed to be able to shake a P0015 by frequent oil changes on cheap Wal-Mart stuf ($10 for 5 qts - every 500 mi or so). I'm now running Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 and I'll wait till about 2000 mi to change it. I'm using a standard, regular OEM filter and everything is working.

The previous owner of my car must have neglected to change the oil. After about 500 miles, my oil looked like chocolate syrup for the first 2-3 changes. It's been staying cleaner longer so I decided to go full synthetic. I read good things about Pennzoil Platinum , so it's the brand I went with.

 

Hey, guys a few things on the post about synthetics that you need to know. 1st off OEM stands for "original equipment manufacturer" so in reply to the poster who said they used a regular OEM oil filter, be advised that unless you got it from VOLVO it is "NOT" and OEM filter. So for all you guys that buy Fram or Motorcraft your not getting an OEM filter. Now to the meat and potatoes, if you decide to switch to a Synthetic make sure it doesn't say Synthetic Blend. Synthetic blends just means that a certain portion of the quart of oil has some synthetic product in it. Could only be 5 or 10 percent. If you are going too go with a fully synthetic motor oil make sure it says that on the label. Pennzoil Platinum is a blend, not a synthetic in full. Mobil one has some less expensive products that are blends as well, so make sure your getting the real deal. Make dang sure you use a top label filter like K&N or some other premium brand. This will ensure that the filter doesn't breakdown between increased intervals of oil changes. You can run synthetics longer than petroleum products, so if you use a cheap filter then you will still need to change it a 3K intervals and make sure you top off the oil afterwords since you will lose some degree of oil during the filter change. Good luck to al of you with their prospective Volvo CEL problems. I have been hunting a problem with my daughters S40 for 3 years. Every time I fill it up with gas I get an evap leak code. I clear the light every time and it stays off until the next fill up. It is maddening...lol!! But I love Volvo's and SAAB's so I put up with their constant temperateness!

 

I apologize to the poster who used Pennzoil Platinum in their car. It is indeed a full Synthetic not a Blend. I mistakenly got it confused with another product so the oil you choose is probably as good as any other brand of Synthetic, Do however change the oil filter every 3K if you purchased a cheap filter when you switched to the synthetic. It is always best to use a superior brand when using a synthetic oil investment in your ride!

 

Actually, you can buy the OEM filters online. The OE that Volvo uses are made by Mahle. Which is the brand I currently use and purchased a small stock of. They go for about $4 each.

 

You don't need a special filter, you need a HIGH quality filter. Believe it or not almost all oil filters have a paper medium to filter the product. If you use a cheap filter then you can bet the guts will be cheap as well. One of the reasons for using a synthetic oil is so you can extend the time and miles between oil and filter changes. By using a K&N or a Pure one filter you can be assured that the product will last the life of the synthetic oil. Hope that clears it up, but if not jot down your thoughts and I will try to answer them. Quite frankly I run synthetic products in every piece of machinery that I own!

 

Don't use a OEM Volvo oilf filter when using synthetics. They are designed for 3K to 3.5K oil change intervals. You need a far better than average filter to realize the real benefit of Synthetic products. Splurge and by the good stuff with a double filter element or enhanced filter medium. Several come to mind K&N,Mobil 1 and Purolator Pure One products to name a few. If your buying a filter for less than 10 bucks then your not buying a superior product, can't be clearer than that guy's.

 

Look this is good but this is the reason u are having this problem.
Volvo rec. Services every 7500 miles and the filter last. If you are having
Engine sludge u might want to keep changing it evert 3k. Rec. Regular castro gtx .
Synthetic is good but whats the difference if u have all that sludge in your motor.
Try to add a cleaner every other 3k service .see what happens is the cvvt valve adjusts the hub through some vain ports in the cylinder head well those ports get clogged with sludge causing problems. Since u are getting intermitten off and on cel u most likely have sludge problems that need to be address synthetic wont help in your situation I would think its a waist of money.pIm not saying its not good to run synthetic cause thats all I use in my cars.
But im saying u have this problem that needs to be fixed first.

 

I would get a proper diagnosis w/VIDA first before I put more money in. There is a function in VIDA which u can test if the CVVT is working right.

 

In answer to the last poster, I had already recommended using a flushing emollient like Sea Foam to bust up the sludge first. I would never recommend any product unless the engine was flushed in advance. In many 4 cylinder engines the PVC system is inadequate and results in a dangerous build up of sludge. In some cases the sludge is so severe that the pick up screen in the oilpan becomes covered over, therefore starving the engine of badly needed lubrication. In some cases you have to drop the pan and clean the sludge from the bottom as well as the pickup screen. In some early 2000-2003 SAAB products you had to clean the pan every 50K and install a updated PVC sytem to enhance the burning of sludge producing by products. Now the question of service. Volvo recommended a 7.5K filter and oil change as a way to enhance their cost of ownership numbers. Any Mechanic worth their salt will tell you that when using petrolium based lubrication products that 3k to 3.5K is the best defense against sludge buildup. Since synthetics don't produce the byproducts mentioned above, once you have your oiling system cleaned up the problem shouldn't return. As always, my recommendations are my own and not supported by any particular product or manufacturer. Good Luck and I hope you resolve your problems quickly. By the way there are some very good flushing products on the market that do great jobs. Make sure you follow their instructions to the letter to avoid any damage to internal components!

 

Okay, I have replaced Dino oil with a symthteic. It was a full Pennzoil synthetic. Now, the check engine light is still on. I expected that. When may I expect that it will go off? Will it go off? Must I change the oil (a synthetic) several times in order to get the CEL to turn off?

I have been struggling with this-CEL problem-for months.

Newport_j

 

Frequent oil changes have fixed my P0015. I posted what I did. Do you own a OBD-II scanner? If not, search online for one, they can be had for around $40. I reset my CEL at every oil change. Make it a point to go on a long drive or two on new oil. After the last reset the CEL never came back on.

 

Okay, now I have Sea Foam. I want to use it, but above all I do not want to harm my engine. There are several directions for administering it to the engine (gas tank, crankcase, etc.). Which is the best? Also, please remember that I wish to do no harm to my engine.

Please advise.

Newport_j

 

You are not alone. I've spent $600 parts and labor trying to get my cel off. I get a similar cam code. Now the dealer says i need to replace the smaller battery cable from batt. to fuse box near the fire wall. If it doesnt go off after that I might try an independant volvo shop.

 

I do not understand how replacing a battery cable on your car battery can make a CEL light with the P0015 code go off. If it does great. I will try it. I have tried everythig else. Still how is this a repair?

Newport_j

 

Do your self a favor and take an old pc of house wiring, (you know the 14 gauge 3 wire) strip the black solid core wire fully sheathed out of the bundle. Buy yourself a couple of crimp on ends that match your nut and bolt on the Negative Battery cable and one that matches the lug on the fuse box. You will create a very inexpensive replacement that is far better that the multi strand replacement cable you will get from the dealer. Now the good news, it could actually be your problem, intermittent grounds will throw codes all over the place. When you lose NULL (ground) you lose your base reference point for your measuring device, hence the code. Good Luck and make sure you post if you get success.

 

if you want to test cvvt and selonoid at the same time .energize the selonoid at idle and the rpms should change. check for oil in timing belt cover cause if there is oil there you probably need to change the cvvt anyway ($240). I'm still not convinced the cam locking tool is any better than the old way- the cel on my car is still on. after i get it off maybe i will mark my cams and try it the old way again.

 

Okay, I have checked the the codes with Autozone. They are P0456 and my old favorite P0015. The second code P0015 is pending according to the Autozone staff member. What does that mean?


The first one P0456 is a slight leak in the EVAC unit. Are these related? It seems possible.

What does it mean when code is pending?

Newport_j

 

My first thought on the P0456 is a loose gas cap. It's EVAP, not EVAC. It could be a small hole in a hose somewhere. But always start with the simplest solution first!

P0015 pending, the car has not completed enough of the driving cycle yet. In my own experience with my S40, and resetting the computer a lot, it takes about two hours of mixed city and highway driving.