I only have two owner's manuals for my four bricks... 1984 and 1985. The '86 and '83, both bought second hand, came without the book. I dug out the manual for the '84 today and it says to use 10w30, good up to 107 degrees. This seems a little thin to me. Then below that, it says in cases of "severe use", e.g. motorway driving, short trips, long idle times, etc. to use 15w-40.

Just out of curiosity... what brands and weights are other bricksters using in 200/700 series cars with success? Can an oil that is too heavy (e.g. 20-50) ruin the engine?

Many thanks in advance...

Recomended oil weights became much reduced in the mid 80's. This was because a liter oil would improve gas milage slightly and there is a tax penalty if the corperate gas milage of all cars sold by any one maker was below a certain number. I have to assume Volvo was less then ideal and so recomended a lower viscosity. That being said, a lower weight oil will flow quicker and better to oil all the engine parts sooner after engine start up. Start up is when most wear occurs as no oil is in bearings. Heavy oil will take a few seconds longer to travel up to the head and down and around the crank. But heavy oil is better once the engine has run for five seconds or so.

Bill D.

I have the original owners manual for my 1980 244

"Year round: SAE 10W-30 or SAE 10W40

Above +14def F SAE 20W-50

Below 0Deg F 5W-20 or 5W-30

this should not be used when temp is continuosly above 32deg F"

Started using 10W-30 AMSOIL in my 85 245turbo. When 0W-30 became available, that went in. Still using 0W-30.

Unless your engine is well worn or built with wide clearances, a 20W-50 is not recommended. It will give you a performance decrease, because of the increased internal friction.

So 0W-30 has the best flow at start-up? I have been using 5W-30 Mobil 1 synthetic year round. What is the atvantage of a 0W-30 oil?

Thanks.

Yes, the 0W-30 will pump up and flow faster than the 5W-30, particularly in extreme cold. Depending on where you live, you may not see much difference. Last time I looked at the Mobil 1 specs, the pour point for the 0W-30, 5W-30, and 10W-30 were all the same--although to meet specs the pumping properties would have to be a bit different.

I use 10W30 dino oil year round (10degF - 105degF). Oil pressure gauge always reads good pressure, even after highway trips in summer.

If using non-synthetic:

10W30 for colder weather, 15W40 in hot weather or for a sick engine with terminal oil problems.

NEVER use 10W40 or 20W50. The additives used to provide such a wide viscosity range reduce the actual quantity of oil in the can, reducing lubrication qualities.

I use 10W30 year-round. No problems, and the temp where I live ranges from -10F to 100F.

If using synthetic:

Since lubricating qualities are better overall, you can (if necessary) use an oil with a wider viscosity range. Unless you are in extreme weather, though, 10W30 is always the best choice.

I had been using 20-50 in my '87 240 for the summer, and I just changed it on Sunday to 10-30. I live in Virginia, and the weather has just started to get cold (low 30's overnight). My car now seems to heat up faster than it did with the heavier oil, even before it got cold. 10-30 is probably a good year round weight to use in most parts of the country, and I plan to stick with it for a while. The brand I'm using is Castrol GTX with a Mann oil filter.

I used 20w 50 synthetic this summer and it worked very well. I do have a turbo car (1983 - non intercooled), which heats up the oil a lot, and it took the abuse well. A good winter weight is 10w 30, which is what I have in now. I wouldn't worry about what some people say about synthetic, beacuse it has worked well in my car, no extra leakiness or anything, at 193k miles. Its more expensive, but the drain interval is a bit longer. Check old posts, there have been a lot about oil.

My opinion.....

Really cold = 5w 30

Normal winter = 10w 30 or 10w 40

Summer = 10w 40 or 20w 50