2016 S80 owner/shade tree mechanic looking for some guidance with respect to maintenance and replacement parts.
Oil: I’ve done oil changes at 4K mile intervals and switched from Castrol to mobil 1 (0w40) at the 10K mark– anyone know of any issues using mobil1 full synthetic? I’ve used Volvo filters but would be interested in good after market recommendations.

Brakes: At 30K I suspect front brake pads will be close to their end of life – I am looking for replacement pad recommendations, (other than OEM, or why other than OEM is not recommended). Are the pads semi-met or ceramic? Good sources of reasonably priced parts?

Brake Fluid: Depending on how long the brakes last, I may do brake fluid flush at same time. I *think* fluid is DOT4? What are some good aftermarket substitutes to use? Any special procedures to flushing? I use a pressure flush system.

Windshield Wiper Blades: Minor thing – I need to replace wiper blades and found out, one is 28” and the other 20” …very weird. Are they beam wipers? Blade recommendations?

Factory service manual: Lastly, I want to get a factory service manual and parts manual. What are the Volvo equivalents (names?) and where can they be found? (hopefully for free or reasonably priced)

Thanks for help/recommendations in any of the above.

J

 

on oils - check the owners manual where it lists the oil standards recommended for the car. Most name brand full synthetics meet the spec but its easy enough to check. Mobil has several different products so best to look at the container.

on brake pads - materials vary and each has their own strengths. Most cars have organic pads as OEM, which offer the best mix of feel at initial grab, moderate pedal pressure but tend to throw off dark dust. Semi-metallic puts metal bits into the pads which are harsher on the rotors, have more resistance to fade vs organics, throw off less dust and take a bit more pressure. Ceramics throw off a tan dust have the most resistantance to fade but also are the firmest feel/initial bite. The big difference on resistance to fade is during repeated extreme braking - say if you were driving in mountains, towing a trailer etc. If you don't mind the dust, OEM organics are the best match for a daily driver. Also, not all after market pads have some of the noise reduction features OEM pads have (like teflon shims and anti-rattle springs).

Wiper blades? my rule is buy the correct size and change when streaky...

brake fluid - for general maintenance, follow the intervals recommended by Volvo: https://www.volvocars.com/us/own/own...owners-manuals is a good resource for downloading the owners manual and maintenance guide. As a general rule of thumb, many recommend a flush every two years as a way to remove moisture from the fluid. again fluid type recommendations for your model are in the owners manual. Don't think 5 is better than 4 - its a different formula, use what Volvo recommends.

Shop manuals? See if you can find a VIDA CD.

Others - don't forget your other fluids - power steering fluid should be checked for color and level. Its really ATF (Volvo may spec power steering fluid on newer cars, which has seal lubricants). You can do a drain fill cycle by turkey baster out the reservoir, start up/turn lock to lock, repeat. Only takes a quart so you should even consider the extra $10 for the top shelf Volvo spec.

Transmission fluid - maintenance schedule should state how often to check the level /check for leaks. Factory doesn't typically say to replace the tranny fluid at xx miles. I personally use the 100K mile rule - others go at 50K, but then again most of my cars are older (my newest is a VW with DSG which requires transmission fluid drain/fills at 40K miles).

Coolant - most new cars have a 5 year drain fill using a distilled water flush. Just keep an eye on the level and color of the coolant (good to know what color your car takes as well - ie blue, yellow, pink all have a specific formula. Not sure what the 2016s use. My S40 uses blue, my wife's highlander uses pink. Just saying :-)

 

Don’t believe everything posted. Some people have lots of time, but no direct experience.

 

lol, experience I got... time, not so much. I started helping my dad rebuild the carb on the family's 67 Impala, Had posters in my room of a 69 Z28, a GT40 and my favorite, a Porche 907. First car was a 68 bug, then owned a 70 2002, a 73 Capri followed by two different 73 2002s,the latter of which was totally done with side drafts/cam/header, lowered suspension, hd bars. My college buddies laughed saying that car should have come with kidney belts. Moved on to an 84 4000S Quattro (best car ever, for my weekly trips to Squaw Valley), cared for my mom's 88 240 DL, inherited her S40 (now my son's ride), bought a 95 850T wagon (new, retired by my daughter at 250K miles), owned a 94 Grand Cherokee (yikes! don't ask...), a Highlander (most reliable car ever -200K+ still solid) and now drive a VW CC with a 2.0T. Getting itchy for a new project - was actually researching whether an LS3 would fit into a 94 BMW 840CSi... Sorry for the rant, I gotta stop watching the MT channel. Just remember, no job is worth doing unless there's an opportunity to buy a new tool.