Recommendations for new volvo 2012 s60 t6 r-design

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL

Why? Do you know something Volvo does not?


Volvo doesn't read the UOA section here at BITOG ... I wish they would.


Why, so they can see how well an oil holds up in service? After all, that is the purpose of the tool.

I'm sure Volvo has done extensive tear-down and endurance testing on their engines and their lubricant choice/recommendation reflects that. However, we can always just pretend Volvo slaps an engine together with no testing at all and it is up to us to use an oil contamination and life monitor tool to figure out the "perfect oil" for the application.

Sound ridiculous? That's exactly my point.

 

[Morik]

Originally Posted By: teddyboy
Originally Posted By: Morik
I'm still leaning towards the Amsoil Signature Series 0w30--it looks easy to get hold of (just order online), and it seems pretty good from the specs at least, and from a few searches.

The GC 0w30 also sounds good, but as I said, hunting for it would be a pain.

The easiest solution would be to use the dealer-recommended (and cheap) M1 5w30, which the dealer would supply for $35 (approximate price, saying my car takes approximately 8 quarts). But it sounds like people are suggesting that I go with a 0w30 or 0w40, and the amsoil would only be an extra 50-70 bucks a year (depending on how much they charge for shipping), so...

As I said earlier, I'm not convinced on the 40s... from reading around, I don't understand why I'd want to consider a thicker oil. Unless someone can explain it to me, I think I'll stick with a 30 oil.


It seems like the Amsoil is a lot of expense and bother for a car that is going to get relatively short ocis. Some of the most knowledgeable people around here advocatge M1 0W40 and it's half the price of Amsoil and much easier to obtain. But as we're so very fond of saying around here, your car, your money.


$50-75 bucks a year isn't a big deal for me... but if it really makes no difference, then yeah, I'd rather not spend it. I had 2 concerns with the 0w40:
- its a little thicker at operating temperature. Isn't that less desirable?
- its a little thicker when cold, which means less protection during my startups year round, right?

As for ease of obtaining, I find ordering stuff online to be less of a hassle than having to go to a store to pick it up, so the amsoil is fine in terms of obtaining it

 

[Morik]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
SL? Your choice is easy. Amsoil 5W-30 HDD.

Amsoil 5W-30 HDD LINK

I've been involved with Volvo white blocks since the mid 1990's. I've tried different oils, I've had customers running just about everything from 15W-40, 20W-50, 5W-20, you name it. The first conclusion is:

1st) be grateful for a relatively large sump. Yours should be in the 7 qt range. Very important in a turbo with extended drains. These engines burn a bit dirty.

Second: Synthetic oil, no doubt about it. You want an oil that doesn't shear.

Third) HDEO oil. Extra TBN and AW seem key in these engines.

I think the awesome stout base oils and huge add pack in HDD will be your best bet.



Comparing the oil you linked to the 0w30 signature series, I note that its cold-start viscosity seems a lot thicker (though its viscosity index is about the same, so I don't really know what that means).

The signature series 0w30 actually has a higher TBN than the HDD 5w30... guess I'm curious as to what the actual differences would be between the HDD 5w30 & the SS 0w30 in terms of wear protection & other stuff... am I reading the viscosity in terms of cold-starts correctly? Are they going to get closer together in terms of viscosity when the temps drop below 40C? (60F-30F?)

 

[wolfc70]

Originally Posted By: Morik
Originally Posted By: teddyboy

It seems like the Amsoil is a lot of expense and bother for a car that is going to get relatively short ocis. Some of the most knowledgeable people around here advocatge M1 0W40 and it's half the price of Amsoil and much easier to obtain. But as we're so very fond of saying around here, your car, your money.


$50-75 bucks a year isn't a big deal for me... but if it really makes no difference, then yeah, I'd rather not spend it. I had 2 concerns with the 0w40:
- its a little thicker at operating temperature. Isn't that less desirable?
- its a little thicker when cold, which means less protection during my startups year round, right?

As for ease of obtaining, I find ordering stuff online to be less of a hassle than having to go to a store to pick it up, so the amsoil is fine in terms of obtaining it


The M1 0w-40 will be a 30 wt in pretty short use. It is an excellent oil and seems to hold up well in turbo applications. It is one of the best oils Mobil makes and is factory fill for lots of manufacturers.

Amsoil is fine too, but with your use, it is a bit overkill. SSO, or AZO is a fine oil, but is meant for longer drains, and you will end up throwing out good oil. Amsoil's HDD would be a good choice, as would Amsoil's 5w-40 Euro formula.

For a turbo application, I would want to have a thicker 30wt like GC 0w-30 or a thin 40wt like Mobil 1 0w-40. Either of these oils will provide excellent protection in winter and summer. Since you mentioned that you might not keep this car that long, I would just go with the Mobil 1 0w-40 or German Castrol.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: wolfc70
Since you mentioned that you might not keep this car that long, I would just go with the Mobil 1 0w-40 or German Castrol.

Even if you were to keep the car long, these two oils would certainly help you accomplish it.

 

[Morik]

Well, so here is what I'm hearing:

- I could go with one of the high quality amsoil oils. These would be more expensive, and almost certainly overkill. The price isn't really a factor for me. That said, if it really is just throwing money away (because with my driving pattern it won't make any difference), then I wouldn't have a reason to do this.

- I keep hearing german castrol, but as I said, I'm not really considering it because it would be too much of a bother having to hunt it down.

- It sounds like a reasonable & less pricey option would be M1 0w40, but I'm still curious why I would want a thicker oil given my usual driving habits. I.e., why NOT go with M1 5w30, given my normal driving habits? The M1 0w40 is actually thicker when cold according to the data sheet, and is a little thicker at operating temp too... why is this a good thing for me?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Morik
- I keep hearing german castrol, but as I said, I'm not really considering it because it would be too much of a bother having to hunt it down.

Do you have AutoZone or PepBoys in your area? If so, chances are they carry it.

 

[A_Harman]

German Castrol isn't as hard to find as you're thinking. I can go to Auto Zone any day and buy it. It is Syntec 0w30 European Formula, and if you read the back carefully, it says Made in Germany. Hence the name German Castrol.

M1 0w40 is pretty close in character to GC, as it starts as a thin 40, then shears early in life down to a thick 30-weight and stabilizes. Over the past couple of years, people on this forum have started to prefer it to GC because of its higher VI and newer technology additive package.

M1 5w30 would also be a good choice. It has Honda's HTO-06 approval. This is a very demanding specification for turbocharged engines. Since you're in Massachusetts, you don't have a lot of subzero starts during a winter, so the 5w- part of it isn't really a concern. The API recommends use of 5w- oils down to temperatures below 0F.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
M1 0w40 is pretty close in character to GC, as it starts as a thin 40, then shears early in life down to a thick 30-weight and stabilizes.

Looking at more recent UOAs of M1 0w-40 (API SM/SN formulation), I don't see it thinning out of grade anymore.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
M1 0w40 is pretty close in character to GC, as it starts as a thin 40, then shears early in life down to a thick 30-weight and stabilizes.

Looking at more recent UOAs of M1 0w-40 (API SM/SN formulation), I don't see it thinning out of grade anymore.


Exactly. And it didn't in every application anyway.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Morik
Originally Posted By: Pablo
SL? Your choice is easy. Amsoil 5W-30 HDD.

Amsoil 5W-30 HDD LINK

I've been involved with Volvo white blocks since the mid 1990's. I've tried different oils, I've had customers running just about everything from 15W-40, 20W-50, 5W-20, you name it. The first conclusion is:

1st) be grateful for a relatively large sump. Yours should be in the 7 qt range. Very important in a turbo with extended drains. These engines burn a bit dirty.

Second: Synthetic oil, no doubt about it. You want an oil that doesn't shear.

Third) HDEO oil. Extra TBN and AW seem key in these engines.

I think the awesome stout base oils and huge add pack in HDD will be your best bet.



Comparing the oil you linked to the 0w30 signature series, I note that its cold-start viscosity seems a lot thicker (though its viscosity index is about the same, so I don't really know what that means).

The signature series 0w30 actually has a higher TBN than the HDD 5w30... guess I'm curious as to what the actual differences would be between the HDD 5w30 & the SS 0w30 in terms of wear protection & other stuff... am I reading the viscosity in terms of cold-starts correctly? Are they going to get closer together in terms of viscosity when the temps drop below 40C? (60F-30F?)



There will be some difference in flow at cold between the two, that's for sure, but the HDD will still be fine at the temps you are mentioning. I would say, yes the two have TBN's very close together initially, but the additive pack is just more detergent rich in the HDD. HDD with a higher viscosity is just a better fit for the engine, trust me, I know this from experience, not just trying to make a sale.

 

[Morik]

Well, unless anyone has a reason why I shouldn't use the HDD amsoil oil (aside from overkill... its ok, I don't mind overkilling my engine in terms of keeping it happy), I think I'll go ahead with that.

I assume buying with the intent to store for 2-2.5 years is ok? I see some people on here storing for 5+ years... should I go for a larger stockpile? heh... I have inside storage, so the temps won't go through crazy fluctuations. (Just thinking with preferred customer discount and buying a few years in bulk can save some cash)

Thanks for all the help guys

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Morik
I assume buying with the intent to store for 2-2.5 years is ok? I see some people on here storing for 5+ years... should I go for a larger stockpile?

Shelf life shouldn't be a problem.

Personally, I only keep enough oil for one oil change. What if the car gets totalled tomorrow and the car you replace it with has different oil requirements? What if there is a new/better oil that comes out next year and you suddenly develop an itch to try it? Besides, there are probably better places to invest your money than in an oil stash, but this is BITOG afterall - people do it all the time.