I saw SF Edge "Titanium" 0W-20 in Wall Mart today. I wonder if its the same stuff...

Oh yeah, and Wall Mart had 5 quart jugs of the stuff on sale for roughly $22 INCLUDING tax!

 

I'll check next time i'm in a Walmart, but I doubt that it meets the Volvo spec. Around here, Walmart have Royal Purple for about $40/5 quarts.

 

From the MY15 owner's manual:
"4-cylinder engines only: Volvo oil VCC RBS0-2AE/SAE 0W20 is recommended for extreme driving conditions.
This oil must never be used in 5- or 6-cylinder engines."

Is Castrol EDGE Professional V 0W-20 oil what Volvo uses at the factory in new Drive-E engines?
Where can i buy Castrol EDGE Professional V 0W-20 oil here in New England at reasonable cost?

I want to use this oil for the initial extra change, which i plan to do DIY at 4-5K and send a sample for analysis. Depending on the findings, I will probably revert to 10K intervals after the subsequent "free" 10K change by the dealer, provided they also use this recommended Castrol EDGE oil. With a little Googling, i found:

I did the mid-range oil changes with testing also until I was comfortable with the 7500 interval.

Doesn't the manual also mention SAE specifications?

 

No. The same info is also in the Warranty manual:

[/URL]oil specs by tonyjag03, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

Can't help with sources but curiosity got the best of me. I had no idea what Volvo VCC RBS0-2AE was, so I googled it. A Castrol magazine doc from http://issuu.com/castrolrussia/docs/castrol_news_1-2014 (page 9). Sounds like Castrol Edge Professional was developed exclusively for Volvo, etc.

You may very well have to get this from the dealer and let them do the out-of-interval changes (and keep a sample for testing). Or perhaps get it from the parts dept if they offer VCOA club discount (if you're a member).

 

Thanks. eeuroparts can't get that oil yet, but they do have genuine Volvo oil filters and housing (someone recommended keeping a spare, which sounds like a good idea.) I am a VCOA member. My first experience with the discount was 5%, but only over $150. What is it typically at Volvo dealers?

 

Oil Confusion

I went to a Volvo dealer today to buy VCC RBS0-2AE/SAE 0W20 oil; the only one specified in the user and warranty manuals for the 4 cylinder engine (severe service). They don't have it! The parts guy said there was a service bulletin saying that this oil is used ONLY at the factory for break-in. When they service Drive-E engines, they use Castrol Edge Professional 5W30 that they buy in bulk (drums). They could order quart bottles @ $7.50. He showed me the Volvo screen from which they order oil... no 0W20! He couldn't find the bulletin, even with a call to Volvo.

Has anyone seen such a bulletin? Perhaps you could post it for us?
Why would Volvo specify an oil they don't even sell?

There is a sticker above the radiator that requires ACEA A5/B5, not just for severe service, and 5W30:

[/URL]OilLabel by tonyjag03, on Flickr[/IMG]

Maybe I'll just use Mobil One 0W30 like in my other cars...it meets ACEA A5/B5.

 

The Volvo plastic filter housing, recently arrived from eEuroparts, will need a 16-flute 86mm end-cap socket. Neither Autozone, NAPA, nor CAP has this size, but they have smaller (82mm) and larger (90mm) ones with 15 flutes.

I found several alternatives on line, then ended up ordering a 3/8" drive Lisle 61660 86mm 16-Flute End Cap Wrench, which had all 5 star reviews on Amazon. This size seems to be used by Volvo and BMW.

Our dealer gave me the torque specs, which I posted in another thread:
"The drain plug torque is 38 Nt-m and the oil filter housing is 25 Nt-m. Volvo does not recommend removing the plug in the filter housing that is for the European market only."

The housing has torque specs on it: 25 Nt-m overall and 4 Nt-m for the plug, which is 6 mm allen. I'm not sure what they use the plug for in Europe, but it may help to let the oil out in a controlled stream to reduce the mess when you remove the filter housing.

I was really expecting more comments on the oil, usually a hot topic on automotive forums.
I finally found a source for VCC RBS0-2AE/SAE 0W20 oil: volvopartshop .com in UK, but it's $27 per litre bottle! I also found it on ebay (spanish?) for 12 euros/litre
http://www.ebay.es/itm/Castrol-EDGE...Dose-Volvo-VCC-RBS0-2AE-/281345213894?pt=Autopflege_Wartung&hash=item41817b45c6
Any info about a practical US source will be appreciated.

 

Legal requirements regarding oil?

Our dealer found the following in their Volvo diagnostic system under the design and function section:
"Oil system - General
The engines from the VEA family have an oil system with a variable oil pump, piston cooling and oil level sensor. Service intervals are 30,000km/one year (market dependent). The engine oil used is a fully synthetic oil with SAE 0W20 viscosity with designation VCC RBS0-2AE. The oil, which is specially developed for Volvo, must be used in all markets. The exception is the USA where, due to legal requirements on the market, ACEA A5/B5 5W30 is used. In order to optimize the engine's internal friction, the lubrication system has a fully variable oil pump. The oil pump's variable displacement contributes to reduced fuel consumption. None of the engines in the VEA family have a dipstick."

Can anyone, Volvo employee or not, please explain why "legal requirements on the market" mean we have to use different oil in the USA?

 

I imagine the "legal requirements" are the prohibition on manufacturers requiring specific brands of accessories. They can't make you buy the "oil, which is specially developed for Volvo".

Either there's no 0W20 in the US (general availability) or the available 0W20 doesn't meet Volvo's specifications. There is a 5W30 that is good enough (but you'll lose a touch of MPG due to thicker oil; but that same oil was used during the tests (or factored in).

My prior vehicle required 5W20. When I first got the car I had a heck of a time finding the oil; Walmart of all places had it.

 

I imagine the "legal requirements" are the prohibition on manufacturers requiring specific brands of accessories. They can't make you buy the "oil, which is specially developed for Volvo".

Either there's no 0W20 in the US (general availability) or the available 0W20 doesn't meet Volvo's specifications. There is a 5W30 that is good enough (but you'll lose a touch of MPG due to thicker oil; but that same oil was used during the tests (or factored in).

Thanks for the plausible explanation.
There are 0W20 oils available here, but none meet Volvo's specs. The dealers only have Castrol Edge Professional ACEA A5/B5 5W30, and their price is not bad. I agree that there could be a hit on fuel economy, assuming that the car was filled with 0W20 at the factory. With winter coming, i am considering Castrol Edge Professional ACEA A5/B5 0W30, also OK per the owner's manual. But it is just as rare and expensive as the 0W20. In fact, i haven't found any US source of Castrol Edge Professional ACEA A5/B5, other than Volvo dealers.

 

Curious that they consider cold temperatures to be extreme driving conditions. For most of my cars the high end of the spectrum is considered to be the extreme end, especially in the Valley of the Sunstroke where I live. I wish that it only got up to 40 deg. C. I guess that that could explain why my Swedish sister-in-law can get into the swimming pool in March while I have to wait until July.

 

Decision time

I collected the following info about potential oils to use for our upcoming first (extra) oil change:

[/URL]OilCompar by tonyjag03, on Flickr[/IMG]
There don't seem to be any big differences.
It looks like the Castrol 5W30, available only from dealers but at reasonable cost, is not that different from the recommended 0W20, which appears to be unavailable in the US. The Kinematic Viscosity @ 100°C, probably the main driver of fuel economy, right?, is only 8% higher than the Castrol 0W20, yet 13% lower than M1 0W30 and 9% lower that Amsoil 0W30. Mobile and Amsoil have 0W20 oils, but they are NOT ACEA A5/B5 compliant, so I won't use either. So unless anyone has other insights, I will go with the Castrol 5W30, which is what the dealer will use anyhow for the free oil change at 10K miles.

 

TonyJag - thanks for the info here and how to change oil! Really appreciate it!
I'm in Worcester area, so probably close to you. What dealer do you go to? Would you recommend them? Did they know if/when RBS0-2AE spec oil might be available here?
Also, did you reset service reminder or you're planning to do it during 10K miles service? Are we able to do it ourselves on these cars?

 

Welcome to Swedespeed! Farrell Volvo. Yes.. very good buying and service experiences. They found the note in post #10 regarding recommended oil. I don't believe there is any plan to make it available here. Another dealer confirmed that. I find it incredible that Volvo had this 0W20 oil developed specifically for the Drive-E engine, then don't even make it available through dealers in the US. Same with 0W30. We would like to hear more on this subject from the Volvo employees and experts on Swedespeed.

Good question. I did not reset the service reminder, but will let Volvo do it at 10K. I could not find how to reset it in the manual, but it may be possible via an App like "Torque" running on a smart phone connected via Bluetooth in a device like OBDLink that plugs into the OBD port.

It is helpful to others if you update your Swedespeed signature with a brief description your current Volvo and other recent cars...

 

I plan to do at least one more extra oil change and Blackstone oil test at 16K miles, coming up soon. There still seems to be no affordable way to get the special Castrol Edge Professional ACEA A5/B5 0W20 oil developed specifically for the Drive-E engines in the US. I saw a few individual quarts on eBay at truly exhorbitant prices. Volvo NA told me it is available from dealers, but neither nearby dealer here in New England has it. They do have Castrol Edge Professional ACEA A5/B5 5W30 in 55 Gallon drums. One dealer would not sell it over the counter, but Lovering Volvo in Nashua sells it for less than $8/quart, poured into your containers. For the 6K extra change, I was able to find 6L 5W30 on Ebay at reasonable price. But the best I could find recently was ~$11/quart.

 

FUCHS; checkout the the link provided below.

http://www.fuchslubricants.com/titan-gt1-pro-v-sae-0w-20

 

Nice find! Fuche TITAN GT1 PRO V SAE 0W-20 is certified for Volvo VCC RBS0-2AE. But looks like it just as difficult to find in North America as Castrol Edge Pro 0W-20...

 

FUCHS Lubricants Co.
Corporate Headquarters
17050 Lathrop Avenue
Harvey, Illinois 60426
United States
Phone: (708) 333-8900
Fax: (708) 333-4470


I encountered this exact availability issue with JLR spec. Castrol Edge Pro "E" 0W-20 last fall. Now most all JLR dealers carry it at an affordable price.

 

both the castrol professional oils are available from;

www.lubeudo.com

for 10 bucks a quart with about 6 bucks shipping the last time i bought the 5w-30

 

I do not see the Castrol Professional V on that website. Can you provide a link?

 

It appears the Canadian dealers have started stocking Castrol 0w20 as of the holidays.

 

If you can use the 5W-30 then use it. The engine will be better protected. The only reason for 5W-20 is the slight increase in fuel economy which saves manufacturers some money in CAFE fines. There are many cars that "require" 0W-20 in America but more viscous weights in the rest of the world.

In my V70 2.5T I use Pennzoil 10W-30 full synthetic made from natural gas. It has a very low NOACK volatility and that seems to be reflected in the lack of oil consumption! 0W-30 would be more volatile because of the higher amount of additives to achieve the better cold flow

 

Just a precautionary note to the above post;
Keep in mind that VVT is viscosity sensitive on all modern engines. This is especially true in colder climates. Engine performance and setting a VVT - DTC will result from using the incorrect viscosity.....

I'll challenge the notion that 5W-30 protects better than 0W-20....
There's a reason why "Titanium" is a recent component of Castrol's additive package. Titanium additive isn't a marketing ploy or a play on words.
S.A.E. Technical Papers # 780370, 3790729, #790751, #821204, #821206 and #821247 - 80-90% of engine wear occurs at start up. 0W reaches critical wear areas quicker than 5W resulting in less wear at startup.

 

I tried calling several JLR dealers around - nobody has 0w20 Castrol Pro certified for RBS0-2AE. Some of them didn't even hear about it. Closest to me Fuchs oil distributor (in CT) does not carry 0w20 titan gt1 pro v either. Does anyone know of a place which in fact sells one of these oils?

 

JLR spec. oil is Castrol Edge Pro "E" 0W-20, I used the JLR oil as an example of availability.
Volvo spec. Edge Pro "V" 0W-20, I don't know who's stocking it in North America.
There may be merit in reaching out to FUCH's USA Corporate Office I listed in my previous post.

 

Good news! As of December 2016 another oil manufacturer had acquired RBS0-2AE 0W-20 volvo specification, Ravenol EFS 0w-20. It's available on Amazon (and probably other retailers) at $45-$47 for 5 liter jug.

http://www.ravenolamerica.com/motor-oil/0w-20-motor-oil-ravenol-eco-full-synth-efs

 

We now stock Liqui Moly "Special Tec V" 0W-20 synthetic engine oil, which carries Volvo RBS0-2AE approvals.

1 Litre Jug:
http://www.vivaperformance.com/liqui-moly-special-tec-v-0w-20-engine-oil-1l-1-05qt/

5 Litre Jug:
http://www.vivaperformance.com/liqui-moly-special-tec-v-0w-20-engine-oil-5l-5-28qt/