Ok, this is going to be a long post but I need your help guys.

I just bought a 2004.5 Volvo S40 T5 Automatic, with 120k miles on it.
I know it sounds too much, but it got a Volvo mechanic guy to check it, and he said it's ok. Just need to make the engine always cool by making the fan work almost all the time.
I got the carfax report and the previous owner had it maintained regularly at a Volvo dealer and did not seem to have any major problems or accidents.
I've been reading about this car and the problems people face in it. I just want to take it to the mechanic and tell him to check this and that and tell me if they need replacement/fixing.
i want to do a major check to the car before starting to drive it

1- Oil Trap
2- Timing belt
3- Tensioner
4- Odler
Don’t know what these are :P

Also, I want to know what engine oil to use (Mobil 1, Castrol GTX..), temp where I live can reach sometimes 40 degrees Celsius in the summer, and it's somehow a long summer, and during winter, won't go below 8 unless I go up to the mountains, which is not very often. So what engine oil would you recommend?

Also, what transmission oil to use?

Should I use fuel additives? Here we have 95 and 98 octane unleaded gasoline, but I hear that the octane in them is not as said.

What about the water? Volvo has a special water to cool the engine or just like my old Toyota, just add water?

How to test of the turbo is OK?

And one more thing, I got the car from USA, they use Imperial, and where I live it's Metric, can I change that?

Many thanks guys

 

-volvo engine are recommend to use castrol engine oil.
-use only oem volvo trans. fluid
-with gasoline turbo engine, the higher the octane the better
-volvo recommend oem antifreeze coolant, but u could use any other similar brand but NO WATER. coolant also act as a lube to the water pump too.
-there is a stall test u could test your turbo, but if u do it incorrectly, u could do more harm to your car, so i recommend u get a tech to test it for u.
-sorry don't quite understand your question. u mean u want to convert miles to Km??

 

i meant the temperature displayed, it's in Fahrenheit and i want it in Celsius
and the trip meter, can i change it from miles to km?

i did some research on Castrol oils...the best seemed to be Castrol Magnatec 10W-40
you guys recommend another type? how much would it cost? change every 5000 miles or 7500?

why use antifreeze? it never reaches freezing temp here! it can reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the summer, and not below 5 or 6 degrees Celsius during winter. I live in Lebanon (Middle East)

thx

 

I m not sure if u can change the temp in car setting, or it may need a sw.
-volvo recommend 5w30 syn. oil. every 12000KM, but if it is my car I do it every 6k either with syn.
-again coolant could act as a lubrication to the water pump & prevent rust in the cooling system = longer life. is not just about the temp.

 

ok with the coolant

i was checking the manual, and it has a chart with temperature and oil viscosity.
since it can reach 40 Degrees Celsius in the summer, according to the chart i can use
0w40
5w40
10w40

i notices some rust on the rear wheels brakes, the mechanical guy said nothing about it, should i do something about them?

 

-@ the summer time I suggest using 10w, winter 5w

 

My last research resulted in Mobil 1 synthetic being the preferred oil for my 2000 S40. Should I switch to Castrol?
Also for the transmission I use Valvoline Dex III/merc as advised by other forums. Whats your opinion on that? ( early 2000 model automatic 4 gear)
And last but nit least: I read and was told a lit that a 50:50 mix of antifreeze and water would be sufficient. Would that damage anything?

 

I think any type of Synthetic oil should work...

As for the fluids, some of them NEVER need to be replaced. Transmission and Power Steering are 2 systems that the Volvo Dealership mechanics told me never need replacing. As for brake fluid, I want to DOT 4 is what they recommend.

For gasoline, the manual says anything about 91 Octane is acceptable. As for fuel additives, the manual also says it does not recommend to use them. I don't know why it would say that tho, I have heard there is debate on them as they can sometimes do more harm than good with cars. It also tells you to not get cheap gas, but ensure you get gas with detergents.

With using coolant, don't use coolant that requires you to add water. I read somewhere that you using water could cause rusting. Just get some good Prestone 50/50 blend or something.