I have 1994 940 volvo wagon and want to start changing the oil myself. I have been using the quick lube places...I know Mann is the best oil filter to use, but are the others ok too like Fram? Also what type of oil brand ( Pennzoil, Castril, Valvoline, etc, seems like many dealers use and volvo shops use valvoline) is best for volvos? I was always told to stick with one brand...

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated!!

Chris from VA

Good for you. Mann filters are an excellent choice. Oil brand almost doesn't matter with modern oils if you are going to follow the severe service schedule. Any of the major name brand motor oils in the current SM rating are very good. Depending on where you live, Chevron Supreme or Texaco Havoline might be found on sale at bargain prices and they are a very well made oil.

If you have harsh winter conditions then I would run a synthetic at least for the winter.

Oil weight wise just follow the manual. My '96 850 manual suggested 15W-40 in the summer and 10W-30 the rest of the year, which is what I did.

I do not go for the long drain intervals Volvo claimed it's engines were ok for with conventional oils. My 850 manual said 10,000 miles. I said no way and followed the 5,000 mile severe service interval even though my driving didn't fit the severe service category. Never had oil leaks, plugged PCV system or the other problems one hears about and the inside of the oil cap area always looked clean. Last year I sold the car to a friend at 130,000 miles and they remain completely happy with the car.

John

Good move - there's a lot of satisfaction in doing some of your own maintenance, plus knowing that it was done right, and quality materials were used.

It's almost impossible to buy inferior oil these days - any major brand like the ones you mentioned, or from a big oil company like Shell, Chevron, Exxon, etc. will be good. They will all have considerably higher specifications for detergency, anti-wear additives, resistance to high temperatures, etc., than the oils on the market when your Volvo was made. So just shop for low price.

It's quite possible to buy inferior filters, though, so stick with the Mann W917, which is the factory original, or NAPA (a Wix with a paint job).

10W40 oils may have improved over the years, but I can't recall seeing that grade recommended in newer car owner's manuals, and in the 80's GM sent a bulletin to dealers telling them to discourage customers from using 10W40 as they were seeing too many warranty claims from sticking piston rings. They attributed this to the amount and type of additives required to get the big viscosity spread of that grade.

Your owner's manual calls for 10W30 oil for all normal driving conditions, and 15W40 for extreme hot weather, trailering, etc. Your manual also calls for changes every 7500 miles (I think - check it), but most folks here are going for 3000mi in city/short trip driving and 5000mi or so if you have a fair bit of highway miles in there.

Personally, I use Mobil-1 synthetic and double-up those miles between changes. This means half the oil used and disposed, half the filters purchased, and half the time on my back, under the 'fleet'. Everyone has their opinion on this!

Not mentioned so far: fill the new oil filter with the fresh oil before installing it - this will give the engine oil pressure almost instantly when you start it, rather than wait for the oil pump to fill the empty filter. Wipe the filter-to-block area clean, and after running for a minute, switch off and look around for leaks, then run your finger around the filter to see if things are still dry. Check the level on the dipstick, and away you go - after making sure you have reinstalled the oil filler cap. (BTDT - ouch.)
--
Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F/M46, dtr's 83-244DL B23F/M46, my 94-944 B230FD and 89 745 (LT-1 V8); hobbycar 77 MGB, and a few old motorcycles)

Chris,


FCP Groton sells a case of 10 Mann oil filters for $35.

Here's the link:
http://www.fcpgroton.com/volvo240tuneup.htm

Wixx makes a very good oil filter as well. I'd stay away from Fram, often refered to as the "orange kiss of death" by a number of Brickboarders.

Fram has had a big problem with counterfeiting. Their plant in Rhode Island was a customer of mine and I rememebr seeing a display of counterfeit product. One had a soup can label still on the inside when the scrap can stock was used inside out. And of course, the media was garbage. This was back about 10 years ago, at least. I don't know where they are making the product now, but from what I saw they were serious about making a good product. At the time I was selling metallurgical laboratory equipment and I usually dealt with the Quality Department. I had no negative observations at the time.

Bob in CT

I'm not a master mechanic by any stretch, but changing the oil - that I can do.

>>> ... are the others ok too like Fram? …<<<

No. Just use the Mann filters, and don’t forget to use a new crush washer on the drain plug each time. These filters aren’t expensive, I see that IPD has a sale on them right now, $42 for ten filters with washers (there may other sites that are even a little cheaper). So under $5 after shipping, including the crush washer.

As for oil, I use Mobil 1 10w30 but then again I have a turbo ('93 945T). Mobil 1 is more expensive but not too bad, ~ $21 for a five quart jug at Wal-Mart. I change the oil every 4,000 or 5,000 miles, or every six months, whichever comes first.

And congratulations on changing the oil yourself, it really is a simple process plus gives you a chance to see what’s going on on the bottom of your Volvo. For what it’s worth, here are the steps I go through when changing the oil: (1) Drive the car onto ramps. (2) Spread a few sheets of newspaper down, undo the oil pan drain plug catching the oil into a catch basin (I use a container that I picked up from Autozone). (3) After a minute or so, take the filter off, having another pan ready to catch that oil. Take a look at the filter, make sure the gasket is all there (not ripped off or anything)*. (4) Once the oil is done draining (ten minutes or so?), and using a new crush washer, replace the drain plug. Put some oil on your finger and rub it around the new filter’s gasket (that rubber part). Put it on, hand tighten it as much as you can. (5) Put in the new oil. I cut a soda bottle in half, lightly wash / dry it, then use that as a disposable funnel. (6) I then pour the used oil into the jug that had the new oil and take it to either Wal-Mart or Autozone for disposal. Just about any place that sells new oil will take your old oil at no charge. Write down the mileage and date on a piece of paper, keep that in your glovebox.

I normally change the oil in my ’99 Honda Accord at the same time, on that I use Castrol GTX 5w30 and oil filters from the Honda dealer.

* If the gasket is partly ripped off you have to make sure to remove the remaining gasket from where the filter was. If you don’t, the new gasket won’t seal properly and you can have catastrophic oil loss resulting in a fried engine. I’ve never heard of this happening with Volvos but I have with Hondas. Just take a look at the filter when you take it off.

If you are buying a case at this time, I just wanted to point out this special from IPD.

Free UPS ground shipping on orders of $50 or more. Phone orders only, “expires September 1, 2006”. US addresses only. Call 1-800-444-6473 (Hours: PST 8:30am to 5:00pm), mention code KR to receive this offer. Due to size, does not apply to exhaust systems, aerokits, air dams, brake rotors, trailer hitches, and oversized items.

FCPGroton (mentioned above) is also a good company, I've ordered from them before and they have a good reputation.

Thank you!! Very helpful!!

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html

Only use Mann filters. It is not worth sacrificing your engine for a few dollars. Castrol synthetic and Penrite are good oils for a decent price.