Hi Guys,

I just bought a '93 960. It's got 70 K on it. What weight of oil should I use in it? I've been hearing a lot about synthetic lately. On my '89 740 16 valve, many of you suggested that I use Shell Rotella 15W40. This seems to work very well in that car.

Thanks,
Dave

When using synthetics, why do I hear so many different weights people use? Why not use synthetic 10W-30, the weight the manual calls for?
--
Paul NW Indiana '89 740 Turbo 110,000

There is nothing wrong with 10W30 in a brand new engine. But most of our cars are somewhere between 100k and 200k miles. I prefer something a little thicker at this point since the engine is more likely to burn or leak oil. My engine is burning less oil with 5W40 vs the 10W30 I was using before. I go through about half a quart in 5k miles right now. With 10W30 the engine burned a full quart. But as a synthetic like Mobil 1 or Amsoil, both are excelent choices.

Mann filters do work. I use M1 10w30. I will be switching to 5w30 after reading all the info. Paul
--
'96 965, longtime 240 owner and 200K mile member

I have two of these cars and used M1 10W30 for a long time, I am now using M1 0W40 in both cars and have M1 5W-40 waiting on the shelf for the next chnage.

DEWFPO
--
1998 S90 070,350 and 1995 964 153,650

Your car suffers from valve stem deposits due to oil varnish (see the FAQ). Using a lighter synthetic will prevent these: Mobil 1 5-30 is perfect for year-round use.

15w40 Is listed as one of the acceptable grades in the owner’s manual but should not to be used in winter. When I used Delo 400 15w40 the engine had a habit of running rough for the first 30 seconds after start up. Manual prefers 10W30. That said I like a 40 weight because I do a lot of high speed driving in very hot weather. I have had good results with Mobil1 0W40. But I am now using Mobil 1 5w40 which is essentially a diesel oil. Diesel oils like Rotella, Delvac1 (aka truck and SUV mobil1) and Delo 400 are all diesel oils. Diesel oil usually has a much more robust additive package. The EPA discourages their use because they tend to be slightly thicker than other oils. In standardized EPA tests diesel oils are 1 or 2% less fuel efficient and therefore do not receive the “Energy Conserving” label. In the real world it makes not difference what so ever. Also diesel oils tend to kill your catalytic converter faster if your engine burns a lot of oil (also an EPA concern). But for that to happen your engine would have to be on its last legs anyway.
So for the 960 I would recommend Mobil 1 0W40 or 5W40 year round with 5k mile oil changes. Synthetic is the way to go.
Justin
94 965

I'm using Mobile 1 synthetic 5w 40 and haven't had any problems. That seems to be the weight oil I've seen referenced most often on this board by 960 owners. Some people have reported oil leaks when they switched from dino to synthetics. The conventional wisdom is that while synthetic oil won't cause a leak, it can leak through existing openings that are too small for dino oil to leak through.

Use whar ever oil you wish but, you have to use Auto-rx to clean you engine
and also in your tranmission first. Then we should have this discusion on oil wieght.

1990 regina 250k and 1998 S90 127k auto-rx, iradium plugs

Are the benefits of synthetic just that it extends the oil change intervals? Is it supposed to prolong engine life? As I recall, Irv Gordon uses dino oil in his car...guess that says something for it.

Thanks for the info.
Dave

I don't think anyone recommends extending the change interval just because it's synthetic. The advantages include fewer deposits and a cleaner engine. The 960 sometimes experiences the "no start" condition (engine turns over, but can't run because of lack of compression) due to sticking valves that don't fully close. This can occur when you shut down the engine after only a few seconds of running, also known as the "lawn mower" syndrome (crank the car to move it out of the garage so you can get to the lawn mower).

Synthetic oil provides a cleaner valve stem, reducing the chances of having the valves stick partially open and preventing a start. Ask me how I know (twice).

Robert

There's some discussion of what type of oil to use here:

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/EngineLubrication.htm

I personally use Mobil 1 10w30 in my '93 945T

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all of your responses. I'll get some Mobil 1 synthetic for the 960. I have a bunch of Mann filters for my 4 cyls. Will they work on this 960 too?

Thanks,
Dave

Yes.

Per my IPD catalog, the Mann filter fits all 1962 to 1998 Volvos, except for diesels.

The copper rings that you might have for the drain plugs should not be used in your 960, though. They have aluminum seal rings for them. This might be due to the different drain plugs that are for the 4 cylinders (all) vs 960 and 90 series cars (different sizes?).