I've decided that I'm going to do my own oil changes. Is there any advantage to using the Volvo spec'd 0W20 over the A5/B5 spec 5W30 that the manual says is acceptable for the US? Trying to decide if it's worth the extra effort ordering the Volvo spec 0W20 or just getting an A5/B5 5W30 at Walmart.

Thanks!

I would say for you, living in Texas? There is no advantage. The 5W to 0W is for very cold, freezing climates. Also the thinner 20 weight oil could be worse due to your hot climate in regards to oil film strength and sheering of the oil (bad) so I would just run the 5W30. No advantage for you to go to the thinner oil.

 

In the 15-16s Volvo recommends 0w20 due to the oil consumption issue that may develop. But I don't believe this applies to vehicles outside that window.

 

Apparently in Europe 0w-20 is called for vs here where in the past 5w-30 was good. My Volvo Dealer just finished my 2nd year service and the paperwork said that they used 3w-30. I asked the service advisor about that. She checked and indicated that they actually used 0w-20. So it must have auto filled the paperwork. Around Santa Barbara hitting below 40 degrees is a rare event. I am happy either way as the quality is good either way. Lower viscosity with all other things being equal would suggest better flow characteristics. Tolerances could be very tight on this particular engine. Also I imagine that the oil we add also helps to lubricate the turbo. Not sure about the supercharger. The Acura NSX new version 2017 and later has a V6 that is turbo charged and puts out 500hp. It has a dry stump oil system and calls for 0w-40 which represents a wide swing. It was built by Cosworth and costs $90k to replace. So I will use the appropriate oil. An oil change costs $500

 

I thought the oil that is Volvo VCC RBS0-2AE is made by:
Castrol
Motul
Liqui-moly
Ravenol
To name a few. Not just liqui moly exclusive. And as far as I know the approved viscosity was 0w20 for all the above oils.


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I thought the oil that is Volvo VCC RBS0-2AE is made by:
Castrol
Motul
Liqui-moly
Ravenol
To name a few. Not just liqui moly exclusive. And as far as I know the approved viscosity was 0w20 for all the above oils.

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Perhaps. At one time it was just Lquimoly. May be more now.

Approved oil weights are 0w20, 0w30, 0w40 and 5w30. All of which are highlighted in the manuals depending which version you have.

 

Now that my first three dealer oil changes have "expired", I am switching to Liquimoly 0w30 "Spec V". Sticking with the 30 weight for the extra stress of pulling a travel trailer in the hot summers in Utah. Readily available on Amazon.

 

The manual is weird. It says “ Extreme engine operation Volvo oil VCC RBS0-2AE/SAE 0W20 is recommended for extreme driving conditions.” The problem is it never defines what is extreme? Then before that it says “Full synthetic engine oil meeting the minimum ACEA A5/B5 must be used. Lower quality oils may not offer the same fuel economy, engine performance, or engine protection.” “Incorrect viscosity oil can shorten engine life under normal use. SAE 5W-30 will provide good fuel economy and engine protection.”

I remember reading somewhere that the 2.0L engines ship from Sweden with the 0W20 oil. Then the US service departments change that over to Castrol Edge Professional 5W30 at the first oil change. I’ve found a “oil change kit” with 6 liters of the Liqui Moly Tech V 0W20, an OEM oil filter, and a crush washer for a decent price. I’m just not sure if there would be a benefit to running the VCC RBS0-2AE spec oil or just a A5/B5 5W30 oil. I am planning on changing it out around 7,000 miles instead of the 10,000. I just have a hard time running oil that long in a twin-charged engine.

 

From Volvo:

All model year 2019 and 2020 vehicles for the U.S. and Canadian markets are delivered from the factory with Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil.
Any services or repairs on model year 2019 and 2020 vehicles requiring the replacement of engine oil must be performed using only Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil.
Volvo will not pay any oil maintenance claims that are performed without using Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil.

All model year vehicles (2015-) with a VEP(4Cylinder) engine that require engine replacement or engine rebuild must use Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil. It is required to notify the customer of this change for future maintenance services.

It is acceptable to use Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil on all model year VEP 4 cylinder 2.0L engines.

The vehicle’s Owner’s Manual currently reflects the global recommendation for oil viscosity.
The U.S. and Canadian markets will follow the extreme driving conditions recommendation.

As noted in the vehicles owner’s manual.
Extreme driving conditions:
Volvo’s VCC RBS0-2AE/SAE 0W20 oil is recommended for extreme conditions

 

From Volvo:

All model year 2019 and 2020 vehicles for the U.S. and Canadian markets are delivered from the factory with Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil.
Any services or repairs on model year 2019 and 2020 vehicles requiring the replacement of engine oil must be performed using only Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil.
Volvo will not pay any oil maintenance claims that are performed without using Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil.

All model year vehicles (2015-) with a VEP(4Cylinder) engine that require engine replacement or engine rebuild must use Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil. It is required to notify the customer of this change for future maintenance services.

It is acceptable to use Castrol Edge Professional V 0W-20 Synthetic oil on all model year VEP 4 cylinder 2.0L engines.

The vehicle's Owner's Manual currently reflects the global recommendation for oil viscosity.
The U.S. and Canadian markets will follow the extreme driving conditions recommendation.

As noted in the vehicles owner's manual.
Extreme driving conditions:
Volvo's VCC RBS0-2AE/SAE 0W20 oil is recommended for extreme conditions

Thanks for posting that for EdVQ37 benefit.

 

Volvo should provide all 2019 and 2020 oil changes for free because it is almost impossible to get Castrol Professional in the consumer space.

 

https://www.castrol.com/en_us/united-states/home/motor-oil-and-fluids/engine-oils/motor-engine-oil-viscosity-grades/0w-20.html

Click on what you want, it'll bring up a map, then enter your zip code. Castrol claims 0w20 is sold at many retailers.

 

NOT PROFESSIONAL!!!

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You're 100% right. I don't see squat available for professional.

 

And if you go get Castrol edge oil changes done elsewhere, or done yourself, volvo is still not going to honor any sort of oil warranty claims. Really surprised they havent been sued to provide free changes. BMW has to through the entire warranty. Volvo just does the first 3 which doesn't cover up to the 50k mi.

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I think I’m going to try the Liqui-Moly Special Tech V 0W20 that meets the Volvo VCC RBS0-2AE spec. I can get 6 liters, an OEM oil filter and crush washer shipped to my door for under $57.

 

My daughter just got a 2016 XC90 T6 Momentum from a Volvo dealership; they bought an extended warranty as well. The car is driven highway miles mainly ( 50 ) miles per day plus other miscellaneous trips. We live in Georgia; no extreme temps and no severe driving conditions.

Would we be ok using a Castrol synthetic 5w-30 that meets the A5/B5 specs?

 

My daughter just got a 2016 XC90 T6 Momentum from a Volvo dealership; they bought an extended warranty as well. The car is driven highway miles mainly ( 50 ) miles per day plus other miscellaneous trips. We live in Georgia; no extreme temps and no severe driving conditions.

Would we be ok using a Castrol synthetic 5w-30 that meets the A5/B5 specs?

Yup. 5w30 is perfectly fine. As per the owners manual that's one of the acceptable grades.

 

I'll be sticking with the thicker oil for sure.

 

Thanks!

 

0w20 is recommended for fuel economy reasons (<1.0% improvement over 5w30) and to help meet Volvo's stated carbon goals. I'll stick with 5w30 in the TX heat and mild winters.

For comparison, my 2019 1.8L supercharged boat (250 hp) requires 10w40 to support continuous operation at 6k - 8k RPMs. Shear at temp is real.

 

0w20 is recommended for fuel economy reasons (<1.0% improvement over 5w30) and to help meet Volvo's stated carbon goals. I'll stick with 5w30 in the TX heat and mild winters.

For comparison, my 2019 1.8L supercharged boat (250 hp) requires 10w40 to support continuous operation at 6k - 8k RPMs. Shear at temp is real.

THANK YOU. That's what I was trying to say this entire time.

 

If the readings that I obtained via OBD and Torque were correct, then the T5 engine runs a lot cooler (about 85°C)
than the 2.5T of our XC70 (105°C).
The dynamic viscosity of 0W20 at 85°C is about the same as that of 5W30 at 105°C (data from Total lubricants).
So if (big if) the current pertol engines do indeed run much cooler, 0W20 gives them the same protection as 5W30
did in engines of the previous generation.

 

The info is from the Spanish and the Swedish manual for a MY2018 XC90. Both only list 0W20.
Since these 2 countries have a much different climate, I suppose Volvo only specs 0W20 in the entire EU.

 

This is a picture of my owners manual from a 2018 XC90 T6 R-design.

5w30, 0w30 and 0w20 are all applicable and perfectly fine for use in my Canadian spec Volvo.

 

I’m honestly not too worried about the 0W20 being too thin. I’m in north TX, and it’s not like west TX. We almost have 4 seasons here lol. While I wouldn’t feel comfortable running it for 10,000 miles (that seems like a stretch), at 6 to 7,000 miles I’m willing to try it. I run 0W20 in my V8 Silverado and the oil analysis comes back good. While it’s not super or turbo charged, it does have direct injection and is hard on oil. If I do go the 0W20 route in the T6, I will run an analysis on it for sure. Looking at the PDS for the Liqui-Moly, it seems to start out thinker than the 0W20’s available at the auto parts stores. There’s a reason Volvo has a specific spec and not just GF-5 or Dex1 Gen2 like my truck uses.

 

@BriDroid
I've swapped over to the LiquiMoly V spec 0W20 as it's easier to get than the Castrol here in AUS.
It performs well.
I agree with you that 10k miles is a long time between drinks and will also be changing mine more often[emoji106]

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It was a fine read I'll just add to the mix what you will receive now when you buy 2020 model.

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Interesting, I'm using Volvo spec 0w20 oil but my dealer is putting 5w30 during my annual visit.

 

Tech has posted many times that the 0w20 is recommended for engines with consumption issues. But that switching over to it even without a consumption issue will do no harm. Therefore, I'm more inclined to believe a technician who works on Volvos day in and out to know than backyard techs feuding over the issue. While maybe not right in 100 degree Texas Humidity (Houston, Brownsville, etc) it's a good choice for majority of us to use.

I intend to keep my car long term, and prefer to avoid the dreaded oil consumption / piston ring issue. If spending a few extra dollars on 0w20 will achieve the goal of long term ownership, I see no reason to skimp.

 

I'm curious, what is it that you think 0w20 offers over 5w30 or 0w30 and why?

So far Volvo's own oil guide doesn't show any benefit in any of the charts posted in regards to hot weather. Here's a better question, do you know what the cause of the consumption/piston ring issue actually is?

0w20 isn't going to prevent oil consumption/piston ring issues. Poor craftsmanship is poor craftsmanship.

Further more, 0w oil was developed for fuel economy and extreme cold weather climates. Period. If it's protection you want, the 5w30/0w30 weight oil will provide more safety for those seals than the fuel milage friendly 0w20. How? Film strength of the thicker oil at normal operating temps and beyond is less volatile to viscosity fluctuation and shearing at temp.

I too work with Volvo's day in and day out for the largest retailing dealer in my country. Believe me when I say, when I post something, it's is backed by creditable sources. In this case, everything I have posted is as per Volvo Canada's own on field Chief engineer and many, many years of experience with Volvo and their engines.

However, you are welcome to spend your money how ever you choose and best see fit.

Again, as per the original topic of this thread, 0w20 offers no advantage to anyone in a HOT climate like where the OP is from (Texas).

 

I recently swapped out using a Motul 0W20 oil to 5W30 liqui moly in another vehicle. I’d been using the 0W20 for 2 service periods (around 18000 kms (or around 40 tanks of fuel)).
Surprisingly, I’m now getting BETTER fuel economy...by 10% (another 45kms per tank)
This is showing the opposite to what is widely recognised I.e. a lower weight oil will provide a better fuel economy...and yes, I was surprised

Jus sayin’



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I simply said what I pasted above.

If a Drive-E engine is rebuilt or replaced, we are required to use the Castrol Edge Professional V 0W20.

Otherwise, it is not required in the early Drive-E engines. But it can be used.

 

Ok let me clarify. What is the justification for using 0w20 in rebuilt engines? Clearly Volvo believes there is some benefit or wouldn't mandate switching from 5w30 to 0w20. What is Volvo's rationale for issuing a technical journal on the subject?

Are the new rings designed to be used specifically with 0w20? Whereas, the older rings can use either 0w20 or 5w30? Or are you unsure of the justification.

 

There seems to be a lot of conjecture here as to why a particular oil is recommended. I kind of doubt that the 5-30w oil was responsible for any engine failures in of itself. It sounds more like certain engines experienced a variety of issues. In the end when rebuilt those engines were better suited to 0-20w oil. Changing the rings, pistons, and what ever else is done could in fact benefit from a lower viscosity oil. There were also problems related to specific spark plugs. It could also be true that to achieve higher mpg that a lower viscosity engine oil is recommended. These could be two separate issues and not necessarily related. Without hearing from the engineers who made the recommendations we are just shooting in the wind for rational. Frankly as long as you use an oil that meets the Volvo requirements as stated by Tech above I hardly doubt you will notice much of anything. The chemist in me would see that the new viscosity 0-20w should flow better than the 5-30w. It may be that under extreme conditions (such as towing) that the easier flowing oil is preferred. That could affect a lot of things. It is not just the bottom end, but also all moving parts including the turbo charger and possibly the super charger if so equipped. I contacted Castrol and asked them if a certain oil met Volvo's requirements. While it was not stated on the outside of the container, she checked and told me I was good to go. I suspect we are making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

And as for why other countries aren't reporting oil consumption problems, those engines might have different rings. Different counties have different emissions and fuel economy rules.