I need to knowwhat part(s) and tools I'll need to orderto change the oil on my 4.4L (V8)XC90, as well as the air filter and cabin filter (non-charcoal). I'm also in need of arecommended websitefrom which to order all this stuff.

Maybe its justme, but some of the sites I lookedat were pretty confusingas to which oil filterto order, whether a crush ring was required or not, and etc. etc.I don't want to be under the XC90only to find outthe parts I ordered werewrong or need a certain size wrenchwith no way to get to the dealer or to order replacement / additional part(s).

Being out of work sinceOctober I'm not in a position to take it to the dealer for service right now and the oil change will be due soon.I'll be happy to post my findings/results after the maintenance is done of course.

Oh yeah... is there anything else besides oil and filter and air filter and cabin filter I should be changing at 60K miles? Any front end lube points or zirc fittings I should be paying attention to for example?

Thanks!

 

Hi,

Since I'm not privy to the XC90s, I am not sure exactly what parts & supplies are needed. I would say the OEM parts would be the safest choice, though once in a while the OEMs have faulty designs.

There seem to be 2 types of filters on Volvos, one is the traditional spin-on type, and the other one is just the inside paper filter that needs to be replaced. I would PM Moderator Tech for the best advice. The XC90 forum seems very slow lately, so try posting this in General Volvo Chat as well. Or, you may want to talk to the dealer's parts dept personnel.

As to oil, I would go with full-synthetic 10W-30, any name brand. Double-check with the owner's manual to see what oil the mfg recommends.

I know how it's like to be out of work. Been there & done that for almost2.5 years.


JPN

 

Hi JPN,

Thanks for the response. I did try to PM moderator tech, but got an undelivable not accepting PM's message. (Understandable, if he's the lead guy here his inbox would continually be overwhelmed!)

I'll repost at the General Volvo forum and we'll see how that goes. I saw your other note to the S60 owner regarding Europarts.com, I'll assume that's an endorsement for a site I too can get parts from.

I believe the oil that the dealer uses has been Castrol. Is itokay to switch to a synthetic afterrunning for 60K on petroleum-based oil? I have used synthetics before (ref. '94 Caprice with 5.7L V-8), but did so from day one.

Nice Tamiya models in your photo gallery, btw!

 

Hi Bluemagicbus,

I see, I too understand that Tech's mailbox could flood with 200 mails in one day! But hopefully Tech or others replyat General Volvo Chat.

I did some research on the issue, and FCP Groton did not have a section for XC90. I then tried eEuroparts and again they did not have section for XC90 oil change-related products. The XC90s seem to be very use-unfriendly in terms of information availability, as if the dealers are trying tomake XC90 ownersgive up home-servicing. I am feeling that I should buy a DVD-based manual for XC90, as Tech is too busy with other sections of the forum, and there seem quite a few people who're having trouble with the XC90s but there is not much help here, which is very unusual. If I find a good deal on a DVD, I'll get one and study it.

Yes switching from conventional to synthetic should not harm anything, as contrary to "oh it will leak" "it will thin out the oil" etc... These kinds of comments usually come from those who don't bother to study technology. One thing I'd like to recommend is of course go with a name brand's product and try 10W-30, not 5W-30. Or better yet, see if the owner's manual specifies certain SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) oil grade. Synthetic oil is usually best suited for turbocharged, variable valve timing kind of high-performanceengines or those that take up quite a bit of load.

Thanks for the comment on my Tamiyas. I've made more lately but have been burned out from work (working with J@p@nese people....↓[8D]) and haven't been able to upgrade the photo gallery.

Anyway, best of luck to you and I hope someone replies to you in General Volvo Chat with accurate info. If all else fails, see if you can visit a dealer and ask the service dept manager to see if he/she can give you tips. Many dealers, as contrary to what people say, seem generous when it comes to technical advice, after you make at least a few visits. I used to patronise the dealer in Schaumburg, IL and their technicians & parts dept personnels were very helpful.


JPN

 

Hi JPN,

Thanks for your measured response and all the info.. greatly appreciated!!

I agree with your assessment that the XC90 in not very friendly for owner-maintenance. Maybe with support of this forum and the other membersm we'll change that!


I did some more digging on the web myself this morning. I was surprised that I could not get all the parts I needed from Europarts direct website in a self-directed manner. For instance, the available air filters are referenced for a 5 cylinder or 6 cylinder, but nothing on the 4.4 V-8. I'm sure a phone call or web inquiry to them would clear that up, but the info just wasn't there.

Next I went to Autozone, but their information was equally cryptic and I soon gave up. I wasn't happy withnavigating the site and the continual notes for me to contact the local store as everything was "special order".

In looking up the website for Murray's Auto Parts I was directed to PartsAmerica.com. Lo and behold! Their site was able to identify the V-8 related components including several vendor choices for most items. The oil filter element choices surprised me, as they were STP and Fram, vs. other sites only mentioned Mahle and Mann.

I can't see where this will be an issue (I've had good luck with other STP and Fram components), and at this point, once I figure out all the "stuff" I need, I'll probably order from PartsAmerica and be done with it. For the oil filter I'll probably choose the Purolator, as it shows a large heavy O-ring (could this be the crush ring?) as part of the replacement, whereas the other vendors only show the element itself.

As I said before, I'll keep track of and note how all this goes, in hopes that it helps other XC90 (and other 4.4L V-8 powered Volvo) owners!

If you ever find your way to Detroit, be sure to give me a shout.

 

Hi again Bluemagicbus,

This will be a short reply, as I'm about to go to bed, zzz....

Glad to hear you've found something. Aftermarket filters should be fine, but I would make sure that they come with built-in check valve, though I'm not sure if this is a feature on the V8 XC90. It is a feature on 850s.

As to Purolator & Fram, I would read the box to see where it was made at, and if it was made in C...., I would think twice installing it. Recently there are many inferior parts floating around the market, and the majority of them seem to be from C..... In J@p@n, there have been many cases of food poisoning and they've eaten food from C..... and those foods contained insecticide.

>If you ever find your way to Detroit, be sure to give me a shout.
I sure will do. I once lived on the west coast, in a town called St. Joseph. If the airline I work for decides not to merge with another airline, I would love to work at their 2nd base; DTW.

Good night,


Kanji/JPN

 

The "crush ring" you mentioned is more of awasher for the drain plug. I guess it gets crushed to helpseal the plug. I have re-used minetwice without any issues, Ishould probably buy some for my next change.

The oil filter wrench for the 2.5 was different from the norm, I think it was a 16 flute. I found it on-line from$2-25. The $25 model was more of amechanic/shop quality. Igot the $2and it worked fine.

I also found that a local Hi Lo (parts house) carried Wix filters which are highly rated (stay away from the orange! It may look high quality but the orange paint is the highest quality part of it). The filter for the 2.5 is just the cartridge style, replacing internals rather than whole filter.

 

Hi Spoonman,

Thanks for the info on the crush ring. I've seen a similar application on the air intake system of my John Deere diesel but not on a lube system.

I found a photo of the oil filter housing, and, while it appears made of plastic, I think I'll be able to remove it with a filter wrench. I have two, a strap-style that uses a rachet to turn the cartidge off, and a standard metal one with serrated teeth. Between the two I should be able to get the sucker off.

There isn't a Hi-Lo close to me based on a web search, but do appreciate the tip on the Wik filter element.

I should most likely get the maintenance done in the next week or so, and will write up my findings when I finish.

 

I was unsuccessful in getting the filter housing off without the right wrench on my 2.5. It was not accessable at all with anything I came up with. Yours may be different.

I ended up changing the oil without changing the filter then doing anonther oil change 2K miles later when I got the wrench.

Good luck....

 

Hey, thanks for this spoonman. I'll be sure to get under it to make sure I can access the filter housing with my existing wrenches before I start draining the oil.

The parts stores are several milesaway; way too far to walk or ride the lawnmower to!

 

Update: Several weeks have gone by since my last post on this thread in which I promised to detail anything unusual in routine LOF procedures for the V-8 XC-90. Now, I have to admit that I whimped out and ended up back at the dealer again yesterday, lol!

We were at the 60K miles point where plugs also get changed and a few additional inspections. After discussing it with the little lady we decided to go back to the dealer for this service interval, and to take care of the oil with filter, and air and cabin filter replacements myself at the next interval.

Hadn't forgotten to get this info posted, just going to be delayed a bit... yes I know, wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.....