SwedeSpeed - Volvo Performance Forum banner

Repairing High Oil Consumption with Fuel and Oil Additives - 6 month update - it works!

5035 Views 67 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  Fooj
Six months ago I shared that using Liqui-Moly ProLine Engine Flush helped with my oil consumption issue on my 5 cylinder Volvo. Well, now that some time has passed, I can give an update.

Around 1 quart got consumed after 2500 miles. After adding Liqui-Moly ViscoPlus, I have not burned any oil after driving 1500 more miles.

I now have an improved procedure for fixing this issue:
  1. Lift the car with a jack and jack stands or ramps.
  2. Next, add a bottle of Liqui-Moly ProLine Engine Flush to the engine oil and idle the engine for 15 minutes.
  3. Drain the engine oil. Be careful as the oil will be hot!
  4. Remove the oil filter. A low profile 36mm socket and a flex head ratchet or a regular ratchet with universal joint and extension is required.
  5. Reinstall the drain plug and belly pan with a new aluminum crush washer.
  6. Install the new oil filter.
  7. Add a 300ml can of Liqui-Moly Viscoplus for Oil.
  8. Add new oil of your choice. I have had good results with both Castrol and Liqui Moly oil.
  9. Add a can of fuel system cleaner and top up the tank with gasoline. Any cleaner with a lot of PEA in it will work. RedLine and Techron are popular.
  10. Drive around. Recycle used oil properly!
A lower oil change interval is also useful to preventing oil consumption. An extractor pump will leave 100ml or so of old oil in the crankcase, but extracting oil halfway between Volvo's recommended 10k oil changes should be enough.

This works because Volvo did not design their oil control ring correctly. The oil control ring becomes fouled with carbon deposits, and oil ends up in the combustion chamber instead of being scraped down the cylinder wall. Engine flush will remove years of built-up deposits from the oil control ring.

The fuel system cleaner contains PEA, a detergent which can break up carbon deposits in the combustion chamber which result from oil consumption. These deposits can cause spark plug fouling, clogged injectors and other issues.

Since some oil is burnt and sent through the exhaust, it is essential that any oil or additives used are labeled as safe for catalytic converters!
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 2
21 - 40 of 68 Posts
72k miles on the car. I think it is ViscoPlus that really makes a difference. Try using some!
Do you know how much it thickens the oil? 5w40 oil seems to work for me. So far I've had better success with Castrol Edge euro than Mobil 1. Some have reported that using LiquiMoly oil gives even better results
Curious how much of that reduction in consumption is the flush, vs the viscoplus. Cuz I’ve done 4 flushes on 2500 mi interval and still have the same 1Q/1k mi consumption. What mileage are you doing this at?
If you follow the BITOG site at all, they reference an engine cleaner made by HPL that may provide results with fouled oil control rings.

LiquiMoly and short OCI seems to be working for me, but it's taken 4 or 5 treatments to really start seeing results. It wasn't until this last treatment (less than 150 miles ago) that I really started to notice a visible reduction in varnish on the cams, etc. Haven't measured it but my butt dyno and ear tells me the car is running better and making slightly more power. So possibly a small increase in compression as the rings free up.

If the oil consumption got real bad I'd try a piston soak with Berrymans B12 chemtool.
Do you know how much it thickens the oil? 5w40 oil seems to work for me. So far I've had better success with Castrol Edge euro than Mobil 1. Some have reported that using LiquiMoly oil gives even better results
Visco plus is makes 5w30 more like a 5w35, but it reduces oil consumption drastically.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Uh, the point of his post was that he was able to reduce consumption from a quart every 2,500 miles to now not having burned any oil in 1,500 miles.
@ captain obvious. The title of the post said “high” - high and normal are two different things. The point of my post was that I thought a quart at 2500 was high, and that something else might be wrong.

Thanks for your astute observation.
@ captain obvious. The title of the post said “high” - high and normal are two different things. The point of my post was that I thought a quart at 2500 was high, and that something else might be wrong.

Thanks for your astute observation.
You are correct, burning a quart of oil every 2,500 miles is probably high consumption, but here is the title of the thread:

Repairing High Oil Consumption with Fuel and Oil Additives - 6 month update - it works!

He indicates that he was burning a quart of oil every 2,500 miles and since he added the treatment he hasn't burned any oil in 1,500 miles.

So your brilliant observation is that since his car has oil consumption he should trade it in. Note to the reader: His car doesn't have oil consumption anymore.

Please keep keep enlightening us with your pearls of wisdom.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
You are correct, burning a quart of oil every 2,500 miles is probably high consumption, but here is the title of the thread:

Repairing High Oil Consumption with Fuel and Oil Additives - 6 month update - it works!

He indicates that he was burning a quart of oil every 2,500 miles and since he added the treatment he hasn't burned any oil in 1,500 miles.

So your brilliant observation is that since his car has oil consumption he should trade it in. Note to the reader: His car doesn't have oil consumption anymore.

Please keep keep enlightening us with your pearls of wisdom.
Not necessarily… My point was that those additives aren’t permanent fixes. Therefore the issue might return. That said I suggested trading in the vehicle to avoid an expensive repair bill later on.

And it wasn’t about “oil consumption” but rather high oil consumption - I think all engines consume some amount of oil. I’m being captain obvious now…

Na, I’ll leave the wisdom enlightenment up to you.
If the oil consumption got real bad I'd try a piston soak with Berrymans B12 chemtool.
The Berryman's soak has been working very well in Toyota's that burn oil. Lots of recent successes being documented online. I would definitely try this in a oil burning Volvo before throwing in the towel.
Not necessarily… My point was that those additives aren’t permanent fixes. Therefore the issue might return. That said I suggested trading in the vehicle to avoid an expensive repair bill later on.

And it wasn’t about “oil consumption” but rather high oil consumption - I think all engines consume some amount of oil. I’m being captain obvious now…

Na, I’ll leave the wisdom enlightenment up to you.
Honestly I am disappointed with Volvo's quality. This car has had fuel injector issues (thankfully while still under warranty), electrical problems (parasitic draw that would drain the battery in a week, I "fixed" it by bypassing the Sirius module with a MOST loop), oil consumption issues, and transmission issues.
Honestly I am disappointed with Volvo's quality. This car has had fuel injector issues (thankfully while still under warranty), electrical problems (parasitic draw that would drain the battery in a week, I "fixed" it by bypassing the Sirius module with a MOST loop), oil consumption issues, and transmission issues.
I feel your pain. I have been disappointed with their quality and durability as well. A few high profile and expensive issues on the SPAs have me concerned.
I can't say I've had any more problems with my 2014 S60 than I have with any other used Volvo. They've all needed something. Even my "reliable" high mileage 240s needed fairly constant work to remain road worthy and trouble free.

The only thing I really wish Volvo had improved on the P3 cars is the rust resistance of bolt on subframes and suspension parts. Also I wish the paint on the P3 cars had the durability of the older cars, but I understand the move to softer waterborne paints for environmental reasons.
The engine flush and additives are not temporary fixes though. These engines burn oil because the rings get gummed up. Changing oil more regularly and doing the flush keeps that from happening. So it actually is a long term fix.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
I feel your pain. I have been disappointed with their quality and durability as well. A few high profile and expensive issues on the SPAs have me concerned.
I will probably not buy another Volvo, given their decline. It is unfortunate because I like their safety-forward design and Swedishness, but other carmakers like Audi and BMW have caught up in terms of safety.
the 2012 S60 I purchased used from a volvo dealer because my girlfriend loved her volvo she had back in the 90's.....and not what I'd buy.......has surprised me. It is a great car overall.......72,000 miles
I am addressing oil consumption.....the pcv diaphram failed.....top engine torque arm replaced......serpentine and timing belt replaced along with tensioners, my choice......no tranny issues, complete fluid change about 15,000 miles ago......paint, suspension etc., all good...
....All performed by me........I do have vida/dice which allows battery and tranny resets ......
but, because of oil consumption issues, I'd be hesitant to buy a used one.......and not paying new car prices.....
...other makes can have oil issues also.....buyer beware, right?....
I will probably not buy another Volvo, given their decline. It is unfortunate because I like their safety-forward design and Swedishness, but other carmakers like Audi and BMW have caught up in terms of safety.
I am not sure if decline is the right word. The old ones needed lots of work too. My old 740 Turbo from the 80s had never-ending problems. None of them stopped the car from driving, but it was annoying like tail light lenses falling apart, the sunroof getting stuck, brake rotors warping, and 101 other things like that. The car would not die though, it got passed around the family and sold still running with over 300,000 on the clock.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Did you happen to try BG products, EPR and MOA? These sound similar to the Liqui Moly.
Did you happen to try BG products, EPR and MOA? These sound similar to the Liqui Moly.
I was under the impression BG EPR could only be purchased by a shop -- not your average consumer. I've heard it can work well though
I was under the impression BG EPR could only be purchased by a shop -- not your average consumer. I've heard it can work well though
My local repair shop uses BG products but anyone can buy them.
Can get 4 cans of BG EPR 109 on Amazon for under $50. 4 cans covers 4 flushes for our oil capacity. I may just give it a try since liquimoly’s done nothing noticeable over the last 3-4 changes. Only concern is running all these flushes, hope a passage doesn’t get blocked by dislodged junk and starve bearings… can’t keep burning a quart/1k though.
Six months ago I shared that using Liqui-Moly ProLine Engine Flush helped with my oil consumption issue on my 5 cylinder Volvo. Well, now that some time has passed, I can give an update.

Around 1 quart got consumed after 2500 miles. After adding Liqui-Moly ViscoPlus, I have not burned any oil after driving 1500 more miles.

I now have an improved procedure for fixing this issue:
  1. Lift the car with a jack and jack stands or ramps.
  2. Next, add a bottle of Liqui-Moly ProLine Engine Flush to the engine oil and idle the engine for 15 minutes.
  3. Drain the engine oil. Be careful as the oil will be hot!
  4. Remove the oil filter. A low profile 36mm socket and a flex head ratchet or a regular ratchet with breaker bar with extension is required.
  5. Reinstall the drain plug and belly pan with a new aluminum crush washer.
  6. Install the new oil filter.
  7. Add a 300ml can of Liqui-Moly Viscoplus for Oil.
  8. Add new oil of your choice. I have had good results with both Castrol and Liqui Moly oil.
  9. Add a can of fuel system cleaner and top up the tank with gasoline. Any cleaner with a lot of PEA in it will work.
  10. Drive around. Recycle used oil properly!
A lower oil change interval is also useful to preventing oil consumption. An extractor pump will leave 100ml or so of old oil in the crankcase, but extracting oil halfway between Volvo's recommended 10k oil changes should be enough.

This works because Volvo did not design their oil control ring correctly. The oil control ring becomes fouled with carbon deposits, and oil ends up in the combustion chamber instead of being scraped down the cylinder wall. Engine flush will remove years of built-up deposits from the oil control ring.

The fuel system cleaner contains PEA, a detergent which can break up carbon deposits in the combustion chamber which result from oil consumption. These deposits can cause spark plug fouling, clogged injectors and other issues.

Since some oil is burnt and sent through the exhaust, it is essential that any oil or additives used are labeled as safe for catalytic converters!
Volvo does not condone additives of any kind. Use only full synthetic A5/B5 5W-30 in your engine. If you have a 2013 S60 with the 5 cylinder engine, it should now be covered by the newly launched 100K oil consumption extended warranty just launched by Volvo. Check with your local Volvo Retailer for details.
Volvo does not condone additives of any kind. Use only full synthetic A5/B5 5W-30 in your engine. If you have a 2013 S60 with the 5 cylinder engine, it should now be covered by the newly launched 100K oil consumption extended warranty just launched by Volvo. Check with your local Volvo Retailer for details.
Does that warranty only apply to first owners of vehicles?
21 - 40 of 68 Posts
Top