Engine Oil

[Clive12]

Hi Guys

Can anyone out there help, what engine oil are you using?

The owners manual on page 384 it says:
Castrol Edge Professional
Oil grade ACEA A5/B5
Viscosity SAE 0W-30

My engine is a D5244T11 in other words a 5 cylinder diesel and it’s a Volvo 2014 reg with a manual gearbox.

From what I can see on the 4 litre container it says Castrol Edge 0W-30
ACEA C3 API SP


Below is what I have read on another forum, grant you the question is about a petrol engine.

www.quora.com
Can I use engine oil ACEA C3 in place of ACEA A5B5 for a petrol engine?


Former Motor Mechanic and Enthusiast. 50 Years (1970–2018)Author has 744 answers and 369.6K answer viewsUpdated Apr 25

Not recommended for a start their viscosities are different C3 is also designed for particle filter equipped diesels. A5B5 is not. Most A5B5 oils in fact come with a warning that they are not suitable for all engines and the owner should check their hand book..

With out knowing what vehicle, or how it is equipped there is no way to assess the suitability of either.

Just use the oil that the manufacturer has specified.


The guy who answered the question has said C3 is designed for particle filter equipped diesels whereas A5B5 is NOT, which seems to contradict what it says on page 384 in the owners manual.

So what oil should go in my engine??

[Kev0607]

0w30 A5/B5 spec. This is the oil you want.

The guy might be a mechanic with a lot of time under his belt, but he's not an oil expert. Across the car industry, a lot of money is spent on development of engines and what lubricates them. I wouldn't take a single bit of heed what you read on "Quora". Its a good job you questioned it!

A5/B5 spec oil IS for vehicles with DPF's. Using anything else spec wise can cause soot to build up, which can clog the DPF. Other car brands may use different spec oil, but we're talking Volvo here and this era of diesel engine took 0w30 A5/B5 spec. Later Volvo's with 4 cylinder diesel VEA engines took a different type/spec oil, but that doesn't relate to your car.

It doesn't have to be Castrol... you can use whatever brand you want, so long as its 0w30 A5/B5.

This viscosity/spec of oil is what has been recommended by Volvo for many years for this engine/era of car. Don't use C3 or any other spec in your engine. In the owner's manual for your car, it will say 0w30 A5/B5 oil, not C3.

Stick with what the manufacturer says... That'll be correct.

If you want to use Castrol, you can use this;

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/castr...4ltr-521773231

Alternatively, Shell;

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/shell...4ltr-521773091

I've just linked those quickly for illustration. Search for the best deal yourself and pick what suits your budget.

Note: You'll need more than 4L of oil for your engine. So one container won't be enough. Some brands sell 4L containers, some sell 5L... Eitherway, one container isn't enough.

I think you'll need to buy 6 litres, which will allow you to do an oil change and have some left over for future top-ups. 5.6 litres in all 5 cylinder diesel Volvo's (apart from the D5244T10 205bhp engine, which takes 5.9 litres) is a safe bet. Don't add any more, as these engines are very particular about the oil level. Add even a small amount too much and it can throw a warning light on the dash. 5.6 litres should be fine in yours.

[Clive12]

Hi Kev

Thank you for your prompt reply, it’s much appreciated and for the two links you gave me.

When I was looking for the oil on Amazon, the Castrol I could see only said C3, that’s when alarm bells started to ring.

Normally I would only use oil to the spec and viscosity as quoted in the manual even if the brand is not as quoted.
I will shop around as I know some brands are more expensive than others.

I didn’t notice in the manual, it saying if the oil needs to be ordinary, part synthetic or fully synthetic, any ideas?

Although the car is 2014, its new to me hence the questions.

Thanks again Clive

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Clive12

Hi Kev

Thank you for your prompt reply, it’s much appreciated and for the two links you gave me.

When I was looking for the oil on Amazon, the Castrol I could see only said C3, that’s when alarm bells started to ring.

Normally I would only use oil to the spec and viscosity as quoted in the manual even if the brand is not as quoted.
I will shop around as I know some brands are more expensive than others.

I didn’t notice in the manual, it saying if the oil needs to be ordinary, part synthetic or fully synthetic, any ideas?

Although the car is 2014, its new to me hence the questions.

Thanks again Clive

No problem. Fully Synthetic is what you need.

Yes, definitely shop around to get the best deal you can. Castrol is at the dearer end of the spectrum. Shell is a bit cheaper. Its the viscosity and spec that matters... Use whichever brand you want.

[Bonefishblues]

A couple of Volvo dealers do OE kits on eBay using branded Volvo oil. This is one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201185360402

Opie Oils is also a very reputable supplier who does oil solus, or with a service kit.

[Kev0607]

Here's some other options;

Comma 5L

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COSAN-LUBRI...008454&sr=8-10

Comma 1L (as 5L won't be enough)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comma-VTC1L...008454&sr=8-16

Or, buy the service kit from eBay. Very good value considering you get an oil filter, 6L of oil and a new sump plug washer. Its probably the best deal to be honest. See the link above posted by "Bonefishblues".

[Clive12]

Kev
You’re too quick for me lol:

While I was waiting for you to come back I put my car reg in on a website and its come up with Fully Synthetic Oil, so confirms what you say.

Its strange how some of the manuals assume people know if its synthetic oil which needs to go in the car.



Bonefishblues

Thank you for the link, I’ve had a quick look, although it’s got Volvo slapped on the front of the container, stupid I know but it doesn’t state if the oil is fully synthetic, the very thing I mentioned in my reply to Kev.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Clive12

Kev
You’re too quick for me lol:

While I was waiting for you to come back I put my car reg in on a website and its come up with Fully Synthetic Oil, so confirms what you say.

Its strange how some of the manuals assume people know if its synthetic oil which needs to go in the car.



Bonefishblues

Thank you for the link, I’ve had a quick look, although it’s got Volvo slapped on the front of the container, stupid I know but it doesn’t state if the oil is fully synthetic, the very thing I mentioned in my reply to Kev.

Lol.

I think most modern engines take fully synthetic oil now, but granted, the manual should say that (its a bit confusing). Semi-synthetic is usually thicker oil, which wouldn't be suitable for your car. Semi-synthetic is used in commercial vehicles like wagons or older cars that didn't have the emissions gubbins on them like modern stuff has.

[Clive12]

Kev

Comma I know, I use their oils in my Isuzu Trooper and had no problems as old as it is and I can see it’s got fully synthetic slapped on the front of the container.

Maybe I’m a bit old fashioned but if an oil is fully or part synthetic, I like to see it stated on the can😊

I will have a shop around for the Comma prices.

Thanks again for the help

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by Clive12

Kev

Bonefishblues

Thank you for the link, I’ve had a quick look, although it’s got Volvo slapped on the front of the container, stupid I know but it doesn’t state if the oil is fully synthetic, the very thing I mentioned in my reply to Kev.

No problem, your call and if the words aren't there, and they are important to you then your prerogative.

You might want to take a look at the debate about what actually constitutes 'fully synthetic', and in particular Group III oils, which can constitute 90% of 'full synthetic' oil. Part synthetic that uses a greater proportion of Groups IV and V and a small amount of mineral oil might, by all measured performance, be a better oil, for instance. For the record, Castrol won a court case when challenged by Mobil to be able to continue call Group III oils 'full synthetic', on the base of something of a technicality, but it's Groups IV and V where the real quality lies.

I guess what I'm saying is that the bigger brands tend to justify their price. By big brand, I'd include Volvo too. 'Full synthetic' is a badge on a can as much as many others, but it's not necessarily a badge of quality, simply because it's there.

I will dig it out of my memory banks, but there's a UK oil association that is an industry membership org., and amongst its activities is testing. I was browsing their 'under investigation' list a few weeks ago, and there were a few names that seemed to be cropping up reasonably frequently - that is, that the oil they were selling didn't meet the ACEA Standard claimed.

I trust I've muddied the waters to your satisfaction?

ETA
These guys are the org I mentioned. We'd know Mannol & Westway quite well on here.
https://ukla-vls.org.uk/case-outcomes/