Hello Everyone,

I have a 93 850 GLT with 166,000 miles. I have had the car for only two months and have done front brakes and a 30,000 service. My problem is that the "low oil level light" will come on. So I would stop the engine and check the oil level. The dip stick reads that the car needs one quart of oil. So I fill the car to the correct oil level and the "low oil level light" will shut off. So I continue to drive and the next morning I go and check the oil level and its over filled by one quart! Two volvo shops told me that this isn't possible. And that the car needed a tune up. So I listened.

Also when I had the oil changed for the first time this was when the problem started. The "low oil level light" came on and I checked the dip stick. The car needed one quart of oil. I thought the shop forgot to put one quart of oil in. They told me that they did not. The "low oil level light" comes on every 400 miles.

Notes:
-I use 20/50 Castrol
-Car gets 340 miles to 360 every gas tank.
-Some black some at take off once in a while.
-30,000 mile service was completed.
-PCV serviced, Fuel Filter replaced again after 30,000 mile service.
-Told by volvo indepedent shop who performed 30,000 mile service that the plugs that were orginally replaced were in good shape.
-No oil leaks, and undercarriage is dry.

I'm thinking am I actually burning oil? But the oil level reads overfilled at times when after I just filled to the top mark.

I don't know what to do next you guys? Need your imput to this problem. Should I look into valve guides, oil seal rings, and that means big $$$$$$. Should I drain the oil when the light is on and see how much comes out?

Thanks for your help.

Mark R.
Southern CA

Hello Everyone,

I had a compression leak test performed. And cylinder #5 has a low reading. I drained the oil and dropped Castrol 10/30 Syntec and Slick 50 High Mileage engine treatment. I'm picking up the car in the morning and will get a full report on all the cylinders.

The check engine light came on and codes read for EGR and O2 Sensor, we cleared the codes for now.

Shop now thinks;
1. Valve guides
2. O rings

The mechanic told me that I should continue to monitor the oil comsuption and worry about the problem later.

Thanks,

Mark R.
Southern CA

Why the Slick-50?
--
www.fidalgo.net/~brook4

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for all the imput. I'm glad to hear all your ideas. Tomorrow I'm draining the oil and filling it with lower weight and losing the "low oil level light" sensor. And recording the oil consumption. I will let everyone know what my results are in one month.

Thanks for all your help.

Mark R.
Southern Cal

First, you've got to slow down.

You've got too many balls in the air and you're never going to find an answer to this problem until you put some of those balls down.

And you need to establish a baseline.

First of all, I don't have an 850 with an oil level light, but in reading past posts about this feature, it sounds very unreliable. I guess the fact that Volvo discontinued the feature should give you the hint that it is not something that should be relied-upon.

So, forget about the oil level light. Make believe it doesn't exist. This shouldn't be a problem 'cause it sound like you know how to check your oil and it sounds like you currently do it frequently-enough.

Next, check your oil when the engine is cold (every morning). Record the reading. Over the course of a month, you will have an accurate record of your car's oil consumption. You can top-it-up each time, if you'd like. Regardless, you will have a consistent record of your 850's oil consumption. DO NOT do it, one day, first thing in the morning, and the next day, at the gas station after filling up. Do it while the engine is cold, first thing, every morning.

Once you do this, you can come back here and you will have facts that we can all use on which to base an accurate evaluation.

The shops that said give it a tuneup, loose them.

As to 20-50, is that what is recommended by Volvo in your owner's manual? I don't think so. Was it recommended by the guy you bought the car from--possibly to hide an oil consumption problem? Change the oil to a recommended weight and then conduct the test above.

By the way, shell bearings suffer their greatest wear damage on first starting up. Heavier weight oils aggrevate wear on startup. So heavier weight oils may reduce oil consumption, but they do long-term damage to your engine.

As to flushing and all that other stuff, first, let's see if there is a problem.

Ahhh yes the mystery of the missing oil. I'm had to find out the hard way why this was happening. If I were you, I'd get a compression check donw on your engine. Most likely, one of the pistons rings are shot and it's letting oil pass through. I was driving around doing the exact same thing and when I got it checked out, it seems thatI was basically driving on three cylinders. Luckily for me, the car was still under warranty, so I had to have the block, cylinders and rings all replaced. It was basically a rebuilt engine that they gave me. Depending on how many clicks you have, you might be able to swing it the way that I did. The volvo manual states that the engine should have it's oil changes every 16,000 km's. Ic canada that is. Of course everyone knows that that's insane!!!! But I guess they did'nt tell the previous owner of mine that. They got it changes every 16000 kms at the dealer and they had the records to prove it. And when I started to have these problems, I took it to them . They said that it was because the oil changes were'nt done often enough. duhh. So I showed them the record and to make a long.... llong story short, I had to fight to get another engine in my car. $10,000 worth of work!!!!! crazy!!!! And my car still isn't the same......

Good luck dude. I hope this gives you some ideas!!

Kevin,
Toronto, CA

As suggested in the other replies, I think it would be worth trying a good engine flush. Best I know of are made by AMSOIL or BG (also have heard some good reports about one called AutoRX). Then try at least a 20% mix of good synthetic for at least one drain interval.

Second the comment about lighter viscosity oil, too.

As already mentioned. Oil is ALWAYS checked cold. FWIW, '93 Volvos had a history of annoying "low oil" lamps years ago that would come on whenever it felt like it...they dicontinued the sensor/lamp on later models. You may want to remove the lamp at the same time keeping an eye on your oil as 850's as do a lot of modern cars burn oil...

you should not check your oil level IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHUTTING OFF ENGINE. you will not get an accurate read. let the oil settle (wait a few minutes). i agree with the other guys. you should use 5-30 or 10-30 synthetic or otherwise but 20-50 !!!! one thing you might want to look into would be those darling o-rings in the sump pump. also a good suggestion by the other guys, get a can of amsoil engine flush, follow directions on can...flush your engine.
regards

Almost sounds like the oil isn't draining from the top end down in to the engine - hence the low level, then later the higher level. I'm worried that the oil passages are caked and ugly. I would recommend a gentle engine flush.

So it's not an oil pressure issue? Just a oil level issue? Has anyone checked the oil pressure with a manual gauge?

Lastly - why petroleum Castrol 20W-50? This oil is way too viscous for your engine and may cause premature wear, even in southern CA, especially on cold mornings in the mountains. Volvo does not recommend this viscosity and has sent bulletins out in the past on it's use.
--
http://www.fidalgo.net/~brook4/oilslubesfilters.html

Good point about the 20W50. The oil-burning car below is also using 20W50. I don't know if in both cases it's an effort to stem oil use in worn engines, though. (I use 10W30 in the Volvo, still a baby at 106k, and 5W30 in the Honda Oddity. Synthetic in both.)

In addition to suggesting that the oil pressure be checked with a manual gauge, do you let the oil drain down for a couple of minutes before you check it? Is the surface you park the car on when you check the oil absolutely level?

-bill d cat