Ok, I plan on doing oil changes inbetween my scheduled ones on my '04 XC90. I was wondering what everyone else uses for oil. Volvo recommends Castrol, but my dealer uses Motorcraft. I was thinking of just using Castrol GTX for the first 10,000 miles and then switching to Mobil 1. What do you guys think about this plan? The only thing that concerns me is the fact that the vehicle is turbo. Will Castrol GTX be good enough or should I use a turbo approved oil like Penzoil Turbo? Just cursious what you guys think.</P>

 

Factory scheduled maintness call for oil changes when the oil service light comes on. About 7500-10000 miles.</P>


This is what I am doing:</P>


First oil change at 2500 using castrol. Clean up thenew engine shavings. Next oil change at scheduled interval and use whatever the dealer is using. Next oil change at scheduled interval with Synthetic Mobil 1. The car will have over 10,000 by then. I will bringthe oilto the dealer if they do not carry Mobil 1. I am a die hard fan.</P>

 

That's similar to what I'm doing. I changed the oil the first time at 3000 miles with Castrol Syntec Blend which is a semi-synthetic. Then the dealer will change the oil next at 7500 miles with the Castrol again and then I'm going to go to Mobil 1 the next time. Thanks for the reply. Once you put Mobil 1 in, how many miles are you going to go between oil changes?

 

According to the Mobil 1 hotline, (800) 662-4525 in the US, officially the oil shouldbe changed at Volvo's recommended 7500 mile interval. However, we all know synthetic oils last much longer than that. Commercial fleets running large engines use oil analysis and find they can extend their drain intervals many times. The problem is that microscopic particlesare either generated by normal wear or enter through the air system and can contaminate the oil. Unless the oil is analyzed periodically to make sure the particles are not building up, you risk shortening the life of the engine.</P>


Unofficially, some people change Mobil 1 at 15,000 miles or more, but change the filter more frequently and seem to have good luck. Personally, I expect to keep my Volvo for over 200,000 miles, and changing the oil is pretty cheap insurance. I figure that if I change the oilwith Mobil 1 at 7500 miles instead of 15,000 miles, I've spent an extra $600 total over the life of the car.Not a bad investment.</P>

 

I use Mobile 1. 10-30W (in Northern CA). Change Filter every 5K, and change oil every 10k. Have been doing it in my 1996, 960 old lady since I boght it new. She still hauls up the hills just fine.

In any case, I suggest that whichever brand you use. Use only the syntetic oil. Because they withstand much higher tempertures, far better then organic ones. All late model cars use syntetic oil. It is bit more expensive, but at the end of the day, you will get your money's worth by having to visit the garage less often.

 

frankly, just about any synthetic oil is the same. There are only 3 or 4 motor oil refiners in the U.S. and only a few of the big brands refine their own (ExxonMobil)for one). Walmart Supertech is made by Warren Oil Co., a large distributor of motor oil. The difference is the proprietary additives that they use and I will bet that they are pretty much the same with different names. I have been using Walmart full synthetic for years with no problems caused by oil. Same for Amazon Basics synthetic, also made by. Warren.

 

original post was from 2005 - which was way before there was a full shelf of competitive synthetic brands.

That said, as a general best practice when choosing oils, 1) read the owners manual for recommended weights and factory oil standard specs. Chose an oil that meets those specs 2) If you own an older car which has not been running synthetic, consider using a high mileage blend formula which contains seal softeners for an interim oil change or two then try a full synthetic high mileage product that meets all specs and is the correct weight.

 

I agree with all of that. It is probably more important to make sure that you are using the proper weight because cars today are specifically engineered for that. Any synthetic made in the US will meet the specs for most engines that are not for racing or super high performance. I just have a thing for paying extra for a name brand when it is not significantly better than the other stuff. There is a guy on You Tube who did a series of tests for heat, cold, viscosity, etc. on various brands of synthetic oil. The big name brands were not significantly better than the cheaper brands and in some tests, they fared better.
good information on the high mileage blends.

 

good point about tuning the advise based on model/year and the importance of correct weight for newer models. As to researching brands and quality, bobistheoilguy.com is an excellent forum with a ton of useful content.

 

If in doubt, change it early. A couple of gallons of oil are a lot cheaper than a replacement engine