Success! Volvo has approved the dealer request to replace the piston and piston rings. They will do this and provide more photo evidence to Volvo for feedback later this week.. as far as I can tell, this is the best case scenario, unless you consider the fact that it shouldn't have been an issue to begin with!

My car has 55k miles and it has 60k/6yr S&S extended warranty, so I'm curious what parts they will extend coverage on after the fix.

Thanks,
Thomas

 

Hello, I am new to the forum and am hoping I can get some advice/answers to a similar issue I have been having with my 2011 XC60. I purchased my car brand new in February of 2011 and due to my daily commute quickly went through my warranty (it took just under 2 years.) I am currently at 120k miles. I purchased the car based on my research of Volvo quality and the reputation Volvo has always had of being a good high mileage car. Once my car got out of warranty I began having it serviced at our local service station with no issue. Around 90k miles I started noticing a rattling noise coming from the front right side of the car when I would accelerate. Shortly after I would hear the noise my low oil light would come on. It always seemed to be near when my car was due for a service so I didn't think much of it at first; however, it soon became apparent that during each service my car was burning more and more oil. After my local service station did some research they found that Volvo had in fact issued two service bulletins in the last two years for an oil consumption issue the 2011 XC 60s were having. The shop owner suggested I take my car back to the dealer to let them know that the car was going through an unusual amount of oil between services. When this whole process started it was going through a quart of oil about every 7,000 miles. Initially the dealer stated they were aware of the problem and despite the high miles on my car and the fact I was out of warranty, agreed to do an oil consumption test. They instructed me to return after the first 1,000 miles so they could check the oil. After returning about a week later and finding the oil amount was normal they told me nothing was wrong with the car. I explained that the issue always appears when I get closer to the service and that it was too soon for them to rule out there were no issues. The service manager instructed me to return in another 1,000 miles and they would check it again. I did so one more time and the oil level was showing as normal. Around 3,000 miles past the original test I was heading home from a weekend out of town when the low oil light came on. My husband pulled over, let the engine cool for about 15 minutes and checked the oil level to find my car was almost completely out of oil. We immediately found a service station and bought oil so that we could at least get home. We went to the dealer the next day to tell them what happened. When we told them we had to put oil in the car they were very annoyed we did that. Obviously we had to or else the car would have seized up! They decided to initiate another oil consumption test, this time only getting us 2,000 miles past before the light came on again. This time the dealer took the car for the day and determined the problem was in fact the piston rings with oil dripping onto the spark plugs and into the fuel line. They took their findings to Volvo to request a Goodwill replacement of the lower portion of the engine only for Volvo to deny the request citing the high mileage of the car. The service manager called me to tell me of their decision and requested we contact Volvo ourselves to request the repair. We were also turned down, again citing the high mileage on the car as well as the fact that we were not loyal Volvo customers, ie not having the car serviced at a Volvo dealership post warranty. Under Maryland law you do not have to have your car serviced at the dealership and the dealership cannot hold it against you if you do not. After speaking with the service manager again and asking him to assist, he agreed to speak to Volvo to see if they would at least pay for a portion of the repair. Volvo immediately came back and said no, again citing the high mileage and once again brought up the fact that we were not loyal customers. This is our first Volvo and I am sad to say it will be our last.
I apologize for the lengthy post; I wanted to provide a little background as to what we have been going through in the last couple of months. I am just curious as to whether or not anyone else has experienced similar issues with Volvo being so dismissive of a claim as they are being with ours. I understand there is high mileage on the car but the car is only three years old and all the miles put on the car have been highway miles. I am also curious as to whether or not persistence has paid off in getting a Goodwill repair. The service manager has indicated that Volvo holds all the power in the decision making and there is no real appeal process. So far everyone we have spoke to has not been very helpful and does not want to hear our concerns. We’ve had excuse after excuse given to us as to why it is not their problem and how if we were loyal we might have had better luck with Volvo. The service manager also told me that the fact that others have reported having the same issue is inconsequential to our situation. Personally I think it is a very poor way to conduct business.
It is very disappointing how Volvo has handled this issue. It is also very disappointing to see it has been a common issue and that Volvo did not bring to our attention sooner. I’m now stuck with a car I am still paying on that I can’t sell until I spend a couple thousand to repair.
Any feedback from those who have been through this before would be appreciated.

 

Wow, Beachgal, that's quite a story. Now I am really worried about the long term reliabity of BOTH of my XC60's...............

Please keep us posted on the outcome and good luck!

 

40K per year is a lot. I know hindsight is 20/20, but an extended warranty in your case would have been a wise choice.. Since you drive the hell out of it.

 

What happens if you guys change the oil every 5,000 miles instead of 7,500? Oil degrades over time and it is unrealistic to maintain such a long interval and not expect any burning as a car ages and deposits build up inside the car. And yes, 40,000 miles IS a lot per year, so even though the car isn't "old", it does have a lot of miles which DOES make it "older" and more worn. Volvo's recommendation to go 7,500 miles and now 10,000 miles in between oil changes is bogus. Yes, depending on the type of driving you do, and if you request full synthetic oil(most dealers do not default to synthetic on the older cars, but they might be now on the 2013+ models with the 10k intervals), you MAY be ok.

Realistically, most people need to be changing their oil more often than these intervals suggest, and with the shorter intervals, the oil doesn't get "used up" as much and degrade to the point of disappearing. Sometimes they will consume oil due to other issues as well, but I wonder how much of these "problems" that these newer Volvos have is just because people are going too long on oil change intervals in the first place.

Try shortening your oil change intervals to 5,000 miles and use a high mileage specific oil such as Castrol's GTX High Mileage blend, or Valvoline has a full synthetic high mileage oil if you prefer. Use a slightly thicker grade than you're used to, maybe 10w30 instead of 5w30 if you have been. You may be surprised at the results, or you may not be.

 

What happens if you guys change the oil every 5,000 miles instead of 7,500? Oil degrades over time and it is unrealistic to maintain such a long interval and not expect any burning as a car ages and deposits build up inside the car. And yes, 40,000 miles IS a lot per year, so even though the car isn't "old", it does have a lot of miles which DOES make it "older" and more worn. Volvo's recommendation to go 7,500 miles and now 10,000 miles in between oil changes is bogus. Yes, depending on the type of driving you do, and if you request full synthetic oil(most dealers do not default to synthetic on the older cars, but they might be now on the 2013+ models with the 10k intervals), you MAY be ok.

Realistically, most people need to be changing their oil more often than these intervals suggest, and with the shorter intervals, the oil doesn't get "used up" as much and degrade to the point of disappearing. Sometimes they will consume oil due to other issues as well, but I wonder how much of these "problems" that these newer Volvos have is just because people are going too long on oil change intervals in the first place.

Try shortening your oil change intervals to 5,000 miles and use a high mileage specific oil such as Castrol's GTX High Mileage blend, or Valvoline has a full synthetic high mileage oil if you prefer. Use a slightly thicker grade than you're used to, maybe 10w30 instead of 5w30 if you have been. You may be surprised at the results, or you may not be.

We tried all of this on our A4, none of it worked. In many cases regardless of manufacturer, oil consumption is a manufacturing defect or design flaw. In this case IMO its a manufacturing defect since many do not not have the issue.

 

Beachgal-- sorry to hear about your issue. Two things that may help you when talking to Volvo:

1) unless your husband drained the oil on the side of the road, there is no way to tell that the car was "completely out of oil". More than likely there was none on the dipstick indicating you should add some. There was still oil in the pan since you got a Low Oil message and not a Low Oil Pressure message. The latter indicates an engine that was about to seize. Im not saying you did the wrong thing and I know hindsight is 20/20 but if you didnt feel comfortable driving it you should have had the car towed even if it was to a different dealer. I know circumstances may have prevented it.

2) The dealer is not holding your independent service choice against you. You are out of warranty and asking for goodwill. The law you are referring too is the Magnuson-Moss Act (link below) which prohibits a dealer from denying a warranty claim because they didnt do the routine maintenance. Since you are asking for goodwill by asking Volvo to pay for a repair they do not legally have too, this act does not apply. Servicing at the dealer is a way for you to show goodwill to the company, since you didnt, they arent showing any back. It sucks, but there is not much you can do. I know because I was in a VERY similar situation with our Audi, except ours went through a quart every 800 miles, about 15000 miles after the warranty expired. I wish we could have gotten to 100,000.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance

I would try a different dealer, fully disclosing you have tried once. These jobs pay well and a dealer may be motivated to help you in order to get the job. If that doesnt work, a qt every 2,000 miles on a car with about 100k is not that bad and not dangerous. Adding oil is still cheaper than buying a new car. I would keep adding oil until it dies, which is a long way from happening.

A few questions to help us understand more:

1) how much oil did you add while you were out of town? Oil consumption rates are usually linear and dont jump very much unless there is an outside factor. The manual for these cars says overfilling can cause increased consumption. So the fact that it went from normal @ 3000 miles to low @ 2000 miles says something changed.

2) Why cant you sell it?

 

There is definitely something bad happening with this model engine. I just had an engine replaced, and 300 miles later the new engine has lost 1 qt. of oil (oil level low). Does anyone know definitively if replacement engines are coming from the same production line and therefore have the same percentage chance of failure? I am losing trust... I used to say I would never buy anything but a Volvo and I was a walking referral... Even after my engine had these problems I still had faith because of their amazing customer service. Now I am skeptical.

 

What year, model and engine are you driving, out of curiosity? How have you been driving it since you got it back? Some consumption isn't unheard of when you're breaking in the rings, but make sure you're actually breaking them in. Also, usually if you're getting the low oil warning it's more than 1 quart low. What does the dipstick say in the morning before you drive the car? 300 miles is really not a long time, so that is a larger amount than one should expect, hence your understood suspicions... Log it with the dealer and make sure you're doing what you can to actually break the rings in.

 

Asking for a motor overhaul on a 120,000 mile car under warranty is a pretty bold request....I doubt ANY company would ever consider this. It's just not logical to more than double the warranty for you. It's disappointing as a Volvo owner for sure, but to think that the motor would be under warranty at that mileage is just asking for a lot. I also am a strong believer that, yes, building a relationship with your Volvo service department has many benefits. I know you can get work done cheaper somewhere else, but in situations like this, having a good relationship may have lead to a different outcome. Just showing up at Volvo service after you haven't been there for 70,000 miles and asking for a free engine overhaul is kinda a bad place to start. I don't say this to be critical, simply to remind everyone the reality of the situation. It's hard as a service advisor to "go to bat" for a customer when they haven't been there in 70,000 miles.

I'm still wondering what % of these motors are having a problem. I'm still quite skeptical that owners are correctly documenting oil consumption and all of these posts we are seeing on here may not always have merit (I'm not directing that at anyone here particularly to be clear). I just say this as an ex-Volvo service advisor that saw a number of oil consumption tests performed by very concerned customers than, in the end, showed absolutely no oil consumption. Sometimes people here their neighbor has a problem with their car, and suddenly their car immediately has it too. It's just concerned customers, and I get that...but sometimes it doesn't play out in reality Just something to think about. Obviously some of these motors have issues, and we are seeing some of those stories here. It's very un-Volvo like to have engine issues like this, and it makes me sad to see folks have to go through this. We know of many drivers that have no issues....are we just hearing the horror stories when it's extremely limited in regards to the overall production.

 

I'm still wondering what % of these motors are having a problem. I'm still quite skeptical that owners are correctly documenting oil consumption and all of these posts we are seeing on here may not always have merit (I'm not directing that at anyone here particularly to be clear). I just say this as an ex-Volvo service advisor that saw a number of oil consumption tests performed by very concerned customers than, in the end, showed absolutely no oil consumption. Sometimes people here their neighbor has a problem with their car, and suddenly their car immediately has it too.

+1 A valid point

How widespread is the problem? Several people have said that it is extremely widespread, and yet the actual number of reported cases in this thread probably represents less than 0.1% of all SI6 engines in service.

How severe is the problem? Losing a quart of oil every 300 miles is serious, but every 3000 miles is no big deal. Most of the claims in this thread make no mention of the rate of consumption; just that an oil light came on. This creates the impression that some Volvo owners don't lift their hoods very often, and may have inflated expectations based on the long recommended service intervals.

 

The majority of the posts on this thread have culminated in Volvo either replacing cylinders or engines. Therefore, I think it is safe to infer that the people who are posting on this thread have experienced some abnormally high oil consumption that is coupled with severe fouling of spark plugs (and therefore have merit). Burning a quart of oil between oil changes is unacceptable for a modern vehicle that people are paying $40,000 for. I also have a 2004 xc70 with 130,000 miles on it. That engine is at the max mark every time I go to do an oil change. I also think it is important to note that in 2014 a car owner should not need to lift their hoods to check their oil on a car that is under 100,000 miles (and if it's a volvo- owners expect their engines to be reliable for upwards of 200,000). It is a reasonable expectation that a modern vehicle does not consume quarts of anything other than gasoline. I am pleased to say that Volvo is replacing my engine for a 2nd time (the second engine did consume a quart of oil in the first 300 miles it was driven- hopefully the 3rd will do better).

 

Burning a quart of oil between oil changes is unacceptable for a modern vehicle that people are paying $40,000 for.

I hate to say it, but I'm going to say this is considered NORMAL or ACCEPTABLE by every auto manufacturer under the sun!

A quart of oil every 10,000 miles seems too much!?!? Not very many years ago a quart of oil every 3000 miles was the norm for a huge portion of all auto engines, maybe even more oil was needed. A little oil usage is often part of the give and take for improved fuel economy. Personally, anyone who things adding oil between oil changes is unacceptable is going to have to rule out a large number of cars to meet that goal. Just goggle a BMW or Audi oil consumption and look at the results that pulls up.........many of those costing 2-3 times what a Volvo costs. Owning a car requires maintenance, and that includes adjusting the oil level. Probably with such high expectations you can see why Volvo is trying to implement a digital oil level gauge. I guess I'll have to buy a Honda so I don't have to add oil......oh wait, I just googled Honda and found that had to settle a class action lawsuit over excessive oil consumption!!!! Every car uses oil, sometimes you have to top it off between services. Period.

 

NORMAL or ACCEPTABLE by every "auto manufacturer" under the sun... Make this the norm of your fleet and see how long that company exists. Consumers do not accept this as "normal". Auto manufacturers call this "normal" to protect themselves. My family has owned Volvo's for many decades and the type of oil consumption that you are referring to you don't see until a car has 150,000 miles on it. At that point it is normally due to a faulty seal somewhere. The oil consumption referred to in these threads is caused by oil seeping into the combustion chamber... totally unacceptable for a new engine. If it were "acceptable" why would you read in these threads about Audi, BMW, Volvo ect. replacing engines. While it is normal for car companies to experience a certain % of manufacturing defects that require replacement, at some point that number becomes more than 2 standard deviations from the norm. I don't know if that is the case with the 3.0 and 3.2, but auto manufacturers do everything they can to keep this information unavailable. Again, we should all be grateful that Volvo cares about their reputation and will fix these problems in most circumstances at little to no cost to the consumer.

 

+1 for sure!

 

Well seeing it is the norm for Volvo, Audi, BMW, MB, Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda..........yup, they still exist. Sometimes the "wish list" of consumers doesn't really work very well with the realities of technical engineering. I bet you would really mad that I have to add GALLONS of oil between oil changes on my John Deere. Yup, I want 500 hp, nothing to ever break, 40 mpg, it should weight almost nothing....oh, and I don't ever want to add oil, too!!! Can you make that for me? Oh, and make it cheap, please. See where I'm going with this...... Auto manufacturers call it "normal" because it's just that....normal. Never having to add oil to an engine while you own it is just an unrealistic demand, and why are you asking for that anyways? You really are that lazy to check the oil and add a quart if so required?

 

***********: You must work for the auto companies as a claim denial specialist. I disagree with your claim that, "it is the norm for Volvo, Audi, BMW, MB, Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda," as for each of these companies it is the exception to the norm. Fortunately Volvo doesn't agree with you either as they recognized that 1 quart in less than 3000 miles on my first engine and 1 qt in 360 miles on my second engine was not normal. The fault was explained as a manufacturing defect. Additionally, Volvo has put forward TJ24643 (http://www.pennantmotors.com/personal/s80/TJ24643-2013-05-15.pdf). So ***********, if you buy a car that exhibits messages telling you your oil level is low and you choose to chalk it up as "normal" feel free (at your own expense). Since this forum is intended to assist Volvo owners, please take any messages of low oil as serious and ask to have TJ24643 followed carefully. Hopefully you are under warranty or that Volvo will goodwill a repair for you.

 

I'll just remind you that (in the past) I worked for years and years in the Lexus and Volvo service department....I'm quite familiar with oil consumption and warranty, and I'm quite capable of caring for my Volvo.

I'll say it again.....having to add oil between oil changes is considered ACCEPTABLE by every auto manufacturer. You claim it is unacceptable to add oil between oil changes. That is where I disagree with you.

I never said one thing about your specific engine oil failure in your car....clearly that was a defect. That's not what I was referring to. Again, a little research will show oil consumption guidelines for many companies, and your expectations exceed every companies for no usage between services.

 

Pretty much every car manufacturer on this planet considers a quart of oil every 1000 to 1500 miles as "acceptable" consumption for warranty purposes. This doesn't stop militant consumers from demanding zero consumption on the basis that they paid $(fill in the blank) for their car. But that is not my question.

My question is what percentage of 3.2 owners are experiencing abnormal oil consumption, and specifically how quickly are they losing oil?

Edit: @ quirozson, thanks for the link to the TSB. To Volvo's credit they're not insisting on a consumption log if a low-oil warning comes on, which might explain the lack of data on consumption rates. Also worth emphasizing from the TSB is that the oil level on these engines should never be checked within 15 minutes of shutdown. A local Volvo mechanic told me the same thing, and sure enough I've noticed false "low" readings immediately after shutdown which slowly rise to "full" after 15 minutes or so.

 

The reason this is stated in the owners manual is to allow oil from the upper parts of the engine (camshafts, etc.) to drain down into the main oil sump so that a proper oil level check can be performed. Pretty much true since the dawn of the automobile.

 

I own a 2004 V70 2.5T fwd. I change the oil every 5,000 miles and the dipstick shows zero oil consumption.
If I buy a new Volvo I expect the same from that 5 cylinder engine.

 

I have not read this entire post, but many people do not check their oil levels correctly. The car's engine needs to be not running for an appropriate amount of time to allow oil to drain back into the pan. In addition the car needs to be on a level surface when checking the oil. I learned that the hard way when checking the oil on my R. The level showed a "bit" low so I added. When checking the next time it showed a "bit" of overfill. I obviously did not allow enough time for it to drain.
I value ***********'s opinion and posts because of his knowledge, but we have owned 6 Volvos and have had 0 measureable oil usage between changes in any of them so far. I have a 1996 Ford Ranger with 116,000+ miles and have just started to have a little usage between changes of 3000 miles. Maybe we are just lucky.

 

Even today I heard on the radio talking about how high compression ratios and low-friction rings cause significantly more oil consumption just by more oil moving past the rings. In their opinion 1 quart per 1000 miles is not alarming on a GDI engine, and it quite common on many GDI engine. Sounds like the industry standard for oil consumption could change a little in the name of chasing mpg, wether we like it or not.

 

Sounds like the industry standard for oil consumption could change a little in the name of chasing mpg, wether we like it or not.

You raise a good point, that technology doesn't always take us forward.

From around 1985 to 2005 technology made cars better, faster, safer and more reliable. But that changed with the MPG/global warming hysteria. Now we've got low-friction piston rings contributing to oil consumption, extended oil change intervals causing timing chain failures, turbochargers that overheat while not improving real-world MPG, lifeless electric steering systems that handle poorly, short-shifting automatic transmissions that kill performance, lighter body structures with no towing ability, etc. The verdict is still out on ultra-low viscosity oils and "lifetime" fluids. To us older guys, it's the 1970s energy crisis all over again

 

@whizkid,

We've been a Hyundai family since 2008 and have nothing but rave reviews for Korean reliability. But I wonder why they made the decision to detune the 2015 Sonata 2.0T, especially when they were on a roll with that model.

 

They installed a slightly smaller turbo to make more low-end torque at the expense of high-end horsepower while slightly upping the MPG.
That was why if went down from 274HP to 245HP. From what I've read, it "feels" the same in everyday driving.

Not really a fan of the styling changes from 2014 to 2015 (I liked the older look), but to each his own.

 

Want to add my car to this thread.

Similar symptoms on my 2011.5 T6 at about 62k miles (60k mile warranty of course). Dealer and VCNA took care of the first step of the TJ, and replaced the cam cover seal.

Now, 4 months later, at 70k miles, same symptoms. Ugh. Have next appt scheduled next week. I hope VCNA still stands by the reliability going forward.

 

Want to add my car to this thread.

Similar symptoms on my 2011.5 T6 at about 62k miles (60k mile warranty of course). Dealer and VCNA took care of the first step of the TJ, and replaced the cam cover seal.

Now, 4 months later, at 70k miles, same symptoms. Ugh. Have next appt scheduled next week. I hope VCNA still stands by the reliability going forward.

Follow-up.

Second visit was completed, and evidently there is a new TJ. I've seen some discussion about this on the 2015 oil loss thread, too. The new TJ's are 30021 / 30025.

The "fix" is to update the ECM, put a label with the 'correct' oil capacities near the engine under the hood, add oil to this 'correct' level, and put a new dipstick with different (more?) graduations on it for measurement. I don't pretend to understand how this can prevent the loss of multiple quarts of oil, and the service manager just said "the whole thing is a computer these days, so it could fix it".

This was again covered by VCNA even though I'm out of warranty.

We'll see what happens over the next 5-10k miles I guess.

Ok, Follow-up again, 3rd incident, I'm now at 81k miles.

About 5k miles into my current service interval of 7,500 miles, and after completing the two previous "repairs" due to this issue, I have once again received the low oil warning symbol and the "Engine oil level low" warning. The oil level was once again down 2 quarts. I added 2 quarts of oil, and continued to drive the car.

This week, after about another 2,500 miles, I again received the warning. I have added 2 quarts of oil and I have scheduled a service appointment, and also contacted VCNA.

This CAN'T be "normal" for a modern car after 81k miles. I'll wait to see what VCNA's response is this time, but I hope they aren't going to try to say it's perfectly normal to burn through a gallon of oil in 7500 miles!

 

Follow-up.

Second visit was completed, and evidently there is a new TJ. I've seen some discussion about this on the 2015 oil loss thread, too. The new TJ's are 30021 / 30025.

The "fix" is to update the ECM, put a label with the 'correct' oil capacities near the engine under the hood, add oil to this 'correct' level, and put a new dipstick with different (more?) graduations on it for measurement. I don't pretend to understand how this can prevent the loss of multiple quarts of oil, and the service manager just said "the whole thing is a computer these days, so it could fix it".

This was again covered by VCNA even though I'm out of warranty.

We'll see what happens over the next 5-10k miles I guess.

 

Follow-up.

Second visit was completed, and evidently there is a new TJ. I've seen some discussion about this on the 2015 oil loss thread, too. The new TJ's are 30021 / 30025.

The "fix" is to update the ECM, put a label with the 'correct' oil capacities near the engine under the hood, add oil to this 'correct' level, and put a new dipstick with different (more?) graduations on it for measurement. I don't pretend to understand how this can prevent the loss of multiple quarts of oil, and the service manager just said "the whole thing is a computer these days, so it could fix it".

This was again covered by VCNA even though I'm out of warranty.

We'll see what happens over the next 5-10k miles I guess.

I agree that a computer update could fix it. The 'correct' oil level sounds like they are adding more oil than originally specified, and the new dipstick is so it reads full correctly. The old dipstick would show overfilled. If it is indeed an overfill, its so the car can run longer before the light turns on. The manual says that as long as the oil level is between the hash marks, its safe to operate, it doesnt have to be full. Combine that with a computer reprogram, and chances are you will make it the full oil change interval without needing to add oil. Keep us updated.

 

Interesting tone in this thread, but I'll take a shot. First of all, if an automaker has to tell you a quart of oil going missing between oil changes is "normal", then they should say so up front, so we can all explain to them by not buying their vehicles that this is not acceptable. Second, I'm a mechanical engineer and do nearly all my own maintenance, so yes, I do know better. Third, Saturn told me the driver's side car seat "is supposed to collapse into the back seat in certain accidents, as a safety feature", so, yes Virginia, automakers do lie. And fourth, this is our third Volvo of four, but I see the flaw, the XC60 is the only one with a non-Volvo engine. Lesson learned, because the 5 cylinder Volvo engine belongs on Ward's list with the VW 1.8T, emission control system on the VW notwithstanding. Fifth, the only other vehicle I have owned that burned a quart in a measurable amount of time was the 1972 Monte Carlo I bought for $100. And I have a 1995 Astro with over 130,000 miles.

If you have continued, I may have a shot at some productive support in deciding what to do about our 2011 XC60 3.2 AWD. Love Volvo, love our dealer (though I'm a little miffed that buying two new cars from them wasn't enough to encourage them to help package the deal on my CPO 2009 C70 6MT), satisfied with the rebuild effort on the XC60 engine, but rings/pistons were done under warranty at 36,700 miles and the lackluster mileage has only gotten worse, currently at about 15MPG combined (sticker said 18 city, for those who have no clue) and 48,000 miles. But hey, it doesn't burn oil anymore, right?

So, what should I expect, and what consideration could be achieved? And with how much effort? I don't have any qualms about going to the mat to get satisfaction, but not interest in tilting at windmills.

Thanks

 

Interesting tone in this thread, but I'll take a shot. First of all, if an automaker has to tell you a quart of oil going missing between oil changes is "normal", then they should say so up front, so we can all explain to them by not buying their vehicles that this is not acceptable. Second, I'm a mechanical engineer and do nearly all my own maintenance, so yes, I do know better. Third, Saturn told me the driver's side car seat "is supposed to collapse into the back seat in certain accidents, as a safety feature", so, yes Virginia, automakers do lie. And fourth, this is our third Volvo of four, but I see the flaw, the XC60 is the only one with a non-Volvo engine. Lesson learned, because the 5 cylinder Volvo engine belongs on Ward's list with the VW 1.8T, emission control system on the VW notwithstanding. Fifth, the only other vehicle I have owned that burned a quart in a measurable amount of time was the 1972 Monte Carlo I bought for $100. And I have a 1995 Astro with over 130,000 miles.

If you have continued, I may have a shot at some productive support in deciding what to do about our 2011 XC60 3.2 AWD. Love Volvo, love our dealer (though I'm a little miffed that buying two new cars from them wasn't enough to encourage them to help package the deal on my used 2009 C70 6MT), satisfied with the rebuild effort on the XC60 engine, but rings were done under warranty at 36,700 miles and the lackluster mileage has only gotten worse, currently at about 15MPG combined (sticker said 18 city, for those who have no clue) and 48,000 miles. But hey, it doesn't burn oil anymore, right?

So, what should I expect, and what consideration could be achieved? And with how much effort? I don't have any qualms about going to the mat to get satisfaction, but not interest in tilting at windmills.

Thanks

I'm somewhat concerned that my car went from full oil to getting a "low oil" light after 3000 miles. And somehow an ECM update and a new dipstick fixes this problem? Why were they replacing camshaft seals, pistons, and often times engines for the same problem for the past 3 years? Under the previous TJ they would have actually looked at the engine to determine the cause of oil loss. They won't do this anymore. The only thing I noticed about the new dipstick is it has 2 seals at the top, and has a much longer hash line on the stick. I've heard someone mention the ECM update may fix excessive engine blow by. Regardless, I'm going to watch my oil level carefully because losing 2-3 quarts of oil in 3000 miles should not be acceptable.

 

Just picked up my XC60 from the dealer. They put 6 miles on the car - completed TJ30021 with dipstick, ECM update, and more oil. I'll wait and see how it does the next 3k miles.

The dealer tech suggested to VCNA that cylinder 6 was burning oil, but that comment didn't warrant a response from the VCNA contact - he said the car qualified for TJ 30021.

Dealer has been good - just following VCNA's directions. Did get to see a new XC90 in the showroom when I picked it up tonight..

 

Nice. Volvo will sell us the tech bulletin for a car we paid for... https://www.volvotechinfo.com/index.cfm?event=item.getItem&item=TJ30021-2015-03-31

But it is good to get a free list of issues. Like the BT on my C70 has been a little wonky since I got it and lo and behold, there was an RTJ. May have to buy it to see if there is any fire there.

So, am I reading the interpretations correctly that it appears they twiddled some things to get more oil in the engine and maybe changed the low oil light threshold in the ECM to mask the oil consumption? If so, that's a serious breach of integrity. And it seems kind of silly, considering the 850GLT could be 4 or 5 quarts low before the light came on. If you are losing that much, another quart or so is kind of small potatoes.

 

The only significant difference with the dipstick is a longer hash area to signify a larger range of "normal" oil levels. I've heard someone mention on this forum that the ECM update solves a problem with excessive blow by from the engine, causing oil loss. I have no way to verify that because my service manager had no idea what the cause was, as they are not allowed to diagnose the problem now. I can verify that my engine sounds different now after the update. I used to have a strange noise on hard acceleration from the engine, like marbles in a can. I brought it to the dealer after I first got the car and they said it was normal. That sound is now gone.

 

Yeah, that sounds like the hatched section is two quarts instead of one, which does nothing to fix the loss, and blow by I thought is supposed to be fixed with the PCV valve, putting the oil back into the engine.

How are oil levels trending since you got it back?

 

Slightly off topic - my reverse camera on my 2011 (not Sensus) navigation has gone on the fritz. It hasn't happened before the ECM update, but no idea how it could be related. The dealer service advisor said there is a known technical journal for the issue, but no idea the cost to correct. The car is 2,500 miles out of warranty, even though they continue to cover the oil consumption issue.

Anyone else have this?

 

Meh, I take it back regarding extra oil burning impacting the environment. Only about 25% increase by volume and there isn't that much burning. But the issue of partially combusted oil damaging emissions systems components still applies.

 

Survey says...

Replace the engine. I'd sure feel better if they knew what was wrong with this one and could tell me the new one doesn't have the same problem.

 

I have read on here, and been told by my dealer, that it was a machine that was not boring the cylinders correctly on the 3.2. Its also possible your rings never seated correctly. Are you sure its new and not remanufactured? This engine hasnt been available for several years, and with the amount of oil consumption issues I am skeptical that it is new. This may influence your decision about replacement vs having them help you get into a new car.