Is it ok to run a 25% diesel 75% oil mix in a 2.0D?

[chrisdc]

Originally Posted by 5cilinder

You need to google for a good one , many look the same but are different (the cheap chinese ones)
Go to a shop and ask if you can try it at the shop and buy if it works

Android will work on bluetooth but with an apple you need a more expensive wifi connector
You need to pair it first too your phone and then let the torqueapp connect also the pro version is downloadable for free outside the google playstore

My Apple was stolen. My new phone is Android.

[5cilinder]

I think you will find that the accuracy of blotter tests is not too good. There are some fairly expensive portable oil analysis units available that can give a rough idea, but taking a sample and using a cheap lab will provide far more information.
Modern diesels can accept quite a wide range of oil viscosities, although it helps to use a top quality oil that includes lots of anti-wear, extreme pressure and friction modifiers to help when the oil film fails. The engines that will suffer the most are those used by drivers with big feet in hot climates.

If I had to suffer the presence of a DPF, I would be tempted to try adding some extra additives with a before and after UOA (Used oil analysis) to see if it helps the wear metal figures. I'm lucky enough to live only a few kilometers from the best commercial oil and fluids lab in Southern Germany and drink with a few of the oil gurus. The only oil additive that seems to improve figures when added to a major brand top of the range synthetic like Edge, is Liqui Moly Ceretec. It won't harm a DPF and contains Moly, Boron and Ceramic particles (The Moly helps reduce main bearing wear, the Boron helps with upper cylinder wear rates and the Ceramic particles fill in pitting or particle streak scratches). The 50K km figure they advertise is rubbish, as I've not seen a UOA with an effect after the OCI it was used in. The chaps I know think half a 300 ml bottle every oil change is a better idea. I will test that additive early next year, but I'm busy testing different oils and you can't change two things at the same time, without confusing the results.

Liqui moly is the only oil additives company I trust and they are very good at answering questions, also it's important not to add anything with extra Zinc compounds as it will foul the Cat and DPF faster. Most oil additives are at best a waste of money and at worst harmful, but LM are a real top tier engine oil company and I've seen enough UOA before and after results for VW TDI's to know it's worth looking at that particular additive.

PS. Machinery and Lube articles are good in general and there is one on thin vs thicks oils that is worth reading.

The blotterspottest is excellent if you callibrate it with a known dillution rate
Its good enough as rough estimator
Ive tested for years sumpoil from shipdiesels , i tested for salt /water /acid and viscosity at sea , in the harbour it was additional lab tested for wearparticles
Ive only once drained the sumpoil at sea due to water contamination caused by a leaking heatexchanger
The oil was burned at a rate that enough freh oil was added to keep the oil fresh , also centrifugalfilters are excellent
Concerning your antiwear dopes, if you shorten your drainintervals due to fueldillution you also refresh those dopes well within tollerance
Extra additves are not needed , buy a good oil , preferably a low ash one
Buth higher ashed oils have better antiwear dopes but will produce more ash in the dpf
But if you clean the dpf every 100000miles with compressed air you will keep the backpressure low and dont have to buy a new expensive dpf the dealer gladly sells
Long haul truck dpf's are also serviced that way btw , but volvo like you to sell those time on time again

[5cilinder]

Originally Posted by chrisdc

I'm not so sure 10% dilution is normal simply because in my case the high oil level and / or poor condition of oil has triggered a code in the ECU (after only 4000km) resulting in a premature service. The car is supposed to go for 10,000km without any services in between. These are the terms of the warranty and maintenance plan. I did not choose the service intervals. Also, nowhere in the handbook does it say i must drain out oil at regular intervals to prevent damage to the engine. While the car was covered by the warranty, i could not touch it. (mechanically)

.

Im gladly not bounded with those bureaucratic thugs , because my car is older
Oildillution is "normal "with dpf's inherent due to their working principle
But that they dont mention in those salestalks or brochures
If the oil gets to high suck 2 liters out and fill one liter and keep your oillevel at minimum so that you have margin to catch the extra diesel

[chrisdc]

Originally Posted by skyship007

I think you will find that the accuracy of blotter tests is not too good. There are some fairly expensive portable oil analysis units available that can give a rough idea, but taking a sample and using a cheap lab will provide far more information.
Modern diesels can accept quite a wide range of oil viscosities, although it helps to use a top quality oil that includes lots of anti-wear, extreme pressure and friction modifiers to help when the oil film fails. The engines that will suffer the most are those used by drivers with big feet in hot climates.

If I had to suffer the presence of a DPF, I would be tempted to try adding some extra additives with a before and after UOA (Used oil analysis) to see if it helps the wear metal figures. I'm lucky enough to live only a few kilometers from the best commercial oil and fluids lab in Southern Germany and drink with a few of the oil gurus. The only oil additive that seems to improve figures when added to a major brand top of the range synthetic like Edge, is Liqui Moly Ceretec. It won't harm a DPF and contains Moly, Boron and Ceramic particles (The Moly helps reduce main bearing wear, the Boron helps with upper cylinder wear rates and the Ceramic particles fill in pitting or particle streak scratches). The 50K km figure they advertise is rubbish, as I've not seen a UOA with an effect after the OCI it was used in. The chaps I know think half a 300 ml bottle every oil change is a better idea. I will test that additive early next year, but I'm busy testing different oils and you can't change two things at the same time, without confusing the results.

Liqui moly is the only oil additives company I trust and they are very good at answering questions, also it's important not to add anything with extra Zinc compounds as it will foul the Cat and DPF faster. Most oil additives are at best a waste of money and at worst harmful, but LM are a real top tier engine oil company and I've seen enough UOA before and after results for VW TDI's to know it's worth looking at that particular additive.

PS. Machinery and Lube articles are good in general and there is one on thin vs thicks oils that is worth reading.

Very interesting reading about the additives. Like multivitamins, i have no doubt they are very controversial . This thread is probably going to trigger an avalanche of comments, both for and against. It does sound like you have good inside information. I will make a note of the products and companies you have mentioned, thank you. You have also made a valid observation about possible damage to other parts of the car if the wrong additive is used. I wonder how many people consider this aspect?

[chrisdc]

Originally Posted by 5cilinder

Im gladly not bounded with those bureaucratic thugs , because my car is older
Oildillution is "normal "with dpf's inherent due to their working principle
But that they dont mention in those salestalks or brochures
If the oil gets to high suck 2 liters out and fill one liter and keep your oillevel at minimum so that you have margin to catch the extra diesel

Well for me, the "marriage" to the dealer is over in a few days. I will do as you and others have recommended, use thicker oil and change it more regularly. The Mercedes was traded in on another Volvo some years ago. I bought it new in 2006 and kept it for about 4 years. I have another diesel vehicle (no DPF) and i change the oil on that one every 7,500km. The oil level never rises and drops maybe 500ml between services. (maybe less) This vehicle has covered 143,000km.

[SonyVaio]

For all the trouble and given the fact your about to go out of warranty, have you considered having a DPF delete done?

[skyship007]

Originally Posted by SonyVaio

For all the trouble and given the fact your about to go out of warranty, have you considered having a DPF delete done?

I would check with the equivalent of the MOT inspectors office first, in some countries it's OK to delete the DPF, but not in all. The TUV in Germany would throw a real tantrum if they found it missing for example.

[chrisdc]

Originally Posted by SonyVaio

For all the trouble and given the fact your about to go out of warranty, have you considered having a DPF delete done?

SonyVaio, yes, i confess i have. I think i can live the environmental implications because so much extra time, effort, fuel etc. etc is wasted keeping these DPFs working properly, that the benefits of DPF are actually outweighed by the disadvantages. The concept seems great but i guess current technology just isn't ready for them. Now to find someone in SA that can do the job properly without opening another can of worms.... I'm all ears if anyone can recommend a good firm with a proven track record.

[chrisdc]

Originally Posted by skyship007

I would check with the equivalent of the MOT inspectors office first, in some countries it's OK to delete the DPF, but not in all. The TUV in Germany would throw a real tantrum if they found it missing for example.

I'll check with some of the guys in the trade. As far as i know, there are no emission requirements at all, other than checking for signs of (excessive?) visible smoke. At present, if you buy a car here, it needs to go for a C.O.R. (certificate of road worthiness). Once you have that, you can keep the car as long as you like without having it retested. But if it changes hands, then it must go for C.O.R. again. We have cars here held together with wire. The fuel tank can be a plastic 5 litre container that the passenger holds. I kid you not!

[skyship007]

Originally Posted by chrisdc

I'll check with some of the guys in the trade. As far as i know, there are no emission requirements at all, other than checking for signs of (excessive?) visible smoke. At present, if you buy a car here, it needs to go for a C.O.R. (certificate of road worthiness). Once you have that, you can keep the car as long as you like without having it retested. But if it changes hands, then it must go for C.O.R. again. We have cars here held together with wire. The fuel tank can be a plastic 5 litre container that the passenger holds. I kid you not!

Yep then go for a DPF delete! Getting the exhaust side done is easy, BUT it might need an auto geek to figure out any ECU map or check engine warning results. Fine particle contamination is only anti social if you live in a city.
Once the DPF is gone you will have a much better choice of oils and a longer OCI should be possible. Lots of folks think changing the oil more often is good news, but if you don't have a contamination problem that is not always true. Modern oils contain a lot of detergent additives and when they are new, the first thing that they do is attack the nice old layer of Zinc and Moly deposited on the metal surfaces. They do that faster than the new oil can lay down a fresh layer for about the first 1 to 2K km, so the wear metal figures are often worse for a car doing short OCI's than long ones. Long OCI's and dirty but not blocked oil filters are better until something starts to go out of limits, like the viscosity is too low, Silicon too high or the detegents have run out, which will start forming sludge.

Oddly enough fuel contamination is not always bad, as Blackstone Labs published a UOA for a small Nissan truck that still had factory fill oil in it after nearly 200K km. The engine survived partly because some minor fuel contamination was helping to thin the oil and it offset the effects of Carbon build up thickning the oil (The detergents were used up). The net result was the viscosity was still in limits, although the engine survived because it was used in clean mountain air over a 15 year period and the air and oil filter had not been changed (The oil filter had not blocked), but were dirty enough to be very efficient.