Disclaimer:
I'm neither a Mechanic, Scientist (petroChemical) or sponsored by any of the brands mentioned below.
I'm simply a DatabaseEngineer/DataAnalyst that has a passion for Oil and a passion for sharing knowledge.
Happy for people to point out errors in the information I've gathered, provided it's backed up with links so we can all benefit.
Cutting to the Chase
Volvo and Castrol partnered up in the development of the Oil required for the XC90's SuperCharged/TurboCharged B4204T27.
Other major brands took on this same approach a few years back and made vehicle specific oils.
The resulting oil for the engine is this:
SAE 0W-20 grade.
And coded like this:
VCC RBS0-2AE
You can read the product file here.
Not just any 0W-20 will do. Jaguar/Land Rover make their own specific 0W-20 oil as do Audi, Volkswagen and Ford.
I have found two other brands that meet this exact requirement for Volvo:
Liqui-Moly Special Tec V 0W-20 with the product brochure here. The "V" refers to Volvo
Eurol EUROL ULTRANCE VCC 0W-20 with the product brochure here.
Essentially, that is all we really need to know.
However, because the US have a differently documented specification, a minimum requirement was laid out.
This minimum requirement is:
5W-30 grade which meet the standard ACEA A5/B5. Rather than tell you what ACEA means, here's a link to the document that lays it out.
Penzoil make an oil that meets this requirement here.
Castrol makes one here.
In the US, they also recommend the VCC RBS0-2AE 0W-20 grade for use in extreme conditions (Towing is given as an example of extreme).
Now for the boring stuff...read on at your own peril
What's not widely known (because it's as boring as bat s#!t) is that 5W-30 from one company, isn't exactly the same as 5W-30 from another...in-fact, even within companies they are different.
See here for an example of oils from Castrol. What you'll see when you drill down and compare like-graded oils is that Pour points, 40ºC and 100ºC Viscosities and the all important Viscosity Index are all different.
Here's why the Viscosity Index is important.
The Higher the VI, the better the oil.
Here's a VI Calculator. Low Viscosity at 40ºC and a high at 100ºC will give you a higher VI.
It's the lower viscosity that comes into play at start up and the first couple of minutes of driving. I've heard this is where most engine damage occurs.
The higher numbers are also important, especially in an advanced engine like the B4204T27. If at operating temperature, lubrication is compromised, failure will occur.
The thicker the oil at operating temperatures, the harder it is to get to the essential parts of the motor - Cylinder walls, pistons, bearings, cam shafts....
But, it's a balancing act too. As too thin at operating temps, it'll just burn away.
Rather than me tell you what the numbers and letters mean, go to here. It's a long read...sorry.
I've put together a spreadsheet which shows the comparisons between the 3 above mentioned VCC rated oils (and one ACEA A5/B5 0W-30) more clearly. I'll post that after.
I'll do the same with a couple of 5W-30 spec'd oils too.
The short of it
I'd simply go with the VCC RBSO-2AE 0W-20 oil.
If it was easy to get, I'd go with the Liqui-Moly...but that's only my own personal choice.
I've never used Eurol and have never been a fan of Castrol (Apparently though, European Castrol is better than what we get here).
The service garage charged me over $200 for the Castrol oil today...3 years free servicing though, so thankfully someone else picked up the tab.
It (the price) is an important consideration. The Penzoil mentioned earlier is well priced...I'm just not certain whether it really is suited though, even though it's within the minimum spec.
For what it's worth
I've worked on my own cars since I was 16. I made mistakes early on that cost me an engine or two - one was a 1962 EJ Holden Premier that I bought from my Great Grandmother (She'd bought it new!).
That'd be worth around $25K-@35K now...biggest regret of my life was selling that beast. Best back seats ever 😉
I do all my own servicing and put $80-$100 oil in now. I'd rather save the labour and put in the best oil I can afford.
Currently, the Toyota RAV 4 gets fully synthetic Motul 0W-20 and it runs like a dream.
I also never skimp on brakes or rotors because it always ends up as false economy and of course, safety is paramount.
And Finally...
An ad from the 80's in Australia:
I'm neither a Mechanic, Scientist (petroChemical) or sponsored by any of the brands mentioned below.
I'm simply a DatabaseEngineer/DataAnalyst that has a passion for Oil and a passion for sharing knowledge.
Happy for people to point out errors in the information I've gathered, provided it's backed up with links so we can all benefit.
Cutting to the Chase
Volvo and Castrol partnered up in the development of the Oil required for the XC90's SuperCharged/TurboCharged B4204T27.
Other major brands took on this same approach a few years back and made vehicle specific oils.
The resulting oil for the engine is this:
SAE 0W-20 grade.
And coded like this:
VCC RBS0-2AE
You can read the product file here.
Not just any 0W-20 will do. Jaguar/Land Rover make their own specific 0W-20 oil as do Audi, Volkswagen and Ford.
I have found two other brands that meet this exact requirement for Volvo:
Liqui-Moly Special Tec V 0W-20 with the product brochure here. The "V" refers to Volvo
Eurol EUROL ULTRANCE VCC 0W-20 with the product brochure here.
Essentially, that is all we really need to know.
However, because the US have a differently documented specification, a minimum requirement was laid out.
This minimum requirement is:
5W-30 grade which meet the standard ACEA A5/B5. Rather than tell you what ACEA means, here's a link to the document that lays it out.
Penzoil make an oil that meets this requirement here.
Castrol makes one here.
In the US, they also recommend the VCC RBS0-2AE 0W-20 grade for use in extreme conditions (Towing is given as an example of extreme).
Now for the boring stuff...read on at your own peril
What's not widely known (because it's as boring as bat s#!t) is that 5W-30 from one company, isn't exactly the same as 5W-30 from another...in-fact, even within companies they are different.
See here for an example of oils from Castrol. What you'll see when you drill down and compare like-graded oils is that Pour points, 40ºC and 100ºC Viscosities and the all important Viscosity Index are all different.
Here's why the Viscosity Index is important.
The Higher the VI, the better the oil.
Here's a VI Calculator. Low Viscosity at 40ºC and a high at 100ºC will give you a higher VI.
It's the lower viscosity that comes into play at start up and the first couple of minutes of driving. I've heard this is where most engine damage occurs.
The higher numbers are also important, especially in an advanced engine like the B4204T27. If at operating temperature, lubrication is compromised, failure will occur.
The thicker the oil at operating temperatures, the harder it is to get to the essential parts of the motor - Cylinder walls, pistons, bearings, cam shafts....
But, it's a balancing act too. As too thin at operating temps, it'll just burn away.
Rather than me tell you what the numbers and letters mean, go to here. It's a long read...sorry.
I've put together a spreadsheet which shows the comparisons between the 3 above mentioned VCC rated oils (and one ACEA A5/B5 0W-30) more clearly. I'll post that after.
I'll do the same with a couple of 5W-30 spec'd oils too.
The short of it
I'd simply go with the VCC RBSO-2AE 0W-20 oil.
If it was easy to get, I'd go with the Liqui-Moly...but that's only my own personal choice.
I've never used Eurol and have never been a fan of Castrol (Apparently though, European Castrol is better than what we get here).
The service garage charged me over $200 for the Castrol oil today...3 years free servicing though, so thankfully someone else picked up the tab.
It (the price) is an important consideration. The Penzoil mentioned earlier is well priced...I'm just not certain whether it really is suited though, even though it's within the minimum spec.
For what it's worth
I've worked on my own cars since I was 16. I made mistakes early on that cost me an engine or two - one was a 1962 EJ Holden Premier that I bought from my Great Grandmother (She'd bought it new!).
That'd be worth around $25K-@35K now...biggest regret of my life was selling that beast. Best back seats ever 😉
I do all my own servicing and put $80-$100 oil in now. I'd rather save the labour and put in the best oil I can afford.
Currently, the Toyota RAV 4 gets fully synthetic Motul 0W-20 and it runs like a dream.
I also never skimp on brakes or rotors because it always ends up as false economy and of course, safety is paramount.
And Finally...
An ad from the 80's in Australia:
