C70 S70 V70: Oil usage after EVERY service

[GlasgowChauffeur]

Hi. We have a 2011 V70 D3. After EVERY single service it always uses ALL its oil within 500miles. We top it up and then for the next 500, have to keep an eye on it and usu have to add another few litres. After that it's all good. It never uses another drop until it's next service. No leaks, no smoke, nothing. The car has 179,000miles on it and has been doing this since around 59,000. It's getting a little frustrating. We cover around 6000miles a month with this car and after every service we have to carry a Gallon of oil around. Does anyone have ANY ideas at all??

Thank you.

[brickman]

By 'using all its oil' do you mean its dropping off the bottom of the 'min' mark on the dipstick, or do you mean within 500 miles its using its entire 5.5litre capacity?

The former is common, means whoever is servicing it is not running and waiting and checking the level after the service properly, tell them to amend their procedure.

The latter means you have some serious issue going on. Theres only two ways the oil can leave the engine, on your drive or our the exhaust. Either of which, loosing 1 litre of oil in a month you would know about it, either because of an Exxon Valdeez like slick across your drive, or an Exxon Valdeez like smoke trail behind the car continuously.

My car has interstellar milage and the only oil it looses is out of the crank seal, and thats maybe 200ml per 10,000 miles.

[GlasgowChauffeur]

Originally Posted by brickman

By 'using all its oil' do you mean its dropping off the bottom of the 'min' mark on the dipstick, or do you mean within 500 miles its using its entire 5.5litre capacity?

The former is common, means whoever is servicing it is not running and waiting and checking the level after the service properly, tell them to amend their procedure.

The latter means you have some serious issue going on. Theres only two ways the oil can leave the engine, on your drive or our the exhaust. Either of which, loosing 1 litre of oil in a month you would know about it, either because of an Exxon Valdeez like slick across your drive, or an Exxon Valdeez like smoke trail behind the car continuously.

My car has interstellar milage and the only oil it looses is out of the crank seal, and thats maybe 200ml per 10,000 miles.

Thank you. It is using ALL it's oil, but only for the first 1000 miles. Then it's fine for another 15000 and uses/loses ZERO.

Data for the car says 5.9 litres and that's exactjh what it gets but also what it loses.

[volvoid]

weird. How much oil smoke is there from the exhaust ? Do you look in the mirror ? Perhaps its spraying over the roads you drive on ? How oily is the engine bay ?

My only thought ( for what its worth ) is that clean oil is ungumming whatever bits are leaking, once the oil is filthy again something is gummed up. Suggests oil is being burnt. Might be time to sell the car ?

[green van man]

Something I have never heard of nor would I expect. To loose that much oil so quickly I would of thought there has to be signs.
If its dropping it there would be evidence, if its burning it there would be evidence.
The only thing similar I can think of is the rover V8 engine that was used in the TR7 rally cars, for some reason they blew up engines and upon investigation they found the sump empty and a gallon and a half of oil held in the engine oil galleries. Why or how they sorted it afraid I do not know, lost touch with the development engineer before they did.
Which is not a lot of help to you. When you find the reason please let us know, I for one am interested.
Paul.

[Orca2]

If you are using 5 litres of oil in that small a time period, the exhaust would look like the funnel on the queen Mary so you cant be burning it, if it isnt leaking out , and at that pace you would know , the only explanation is Green van mans. It is lurking in there somehow. I have never heard of a car doing this.

[GMcL]

What oil is being used at the service? Brand and viscosity? Do you use the same?

I had a car went through a litre of oil every 300 miles, the pistons were shot. I used fully synthetic oil which did not leave the usual black soot on the back of the car.

Maybe the garage is using a fully synth and your oil is different and not being burned. Very odd a heavy burner to then be a non-burner.

[Aveton Gifford]

Seeing as it's a 2011 model, could the soot filter (DPF) have something to do with it? or is that diesel they burn?

[GlasgowChauffeur]

Thank you everyone for all your comments.

We are totally stumped. If the car used ALL its oil, ALL the time then we could easily pinpoint a burn or a leak. Problem is, it doesn't.

The car does a minimum of 6000miles a month, every month. Serviced using Genuine Volvo parts and filters and proper 5/30 fully synthetic OEM Oil.

After the first 500/1000 miles are completed and its been topped up a few times, then it settles down and uses nothing until after it's nect service.

The car has never missed a beat and runs sweet as a nut.

[Bill_56]

I wonder if your car was one of those affected by the bodge/modification whereby, to cope with transient high oil levels, the dipstick was re calibrated so as to expect to be 'under filled'?

The problem they were trying to fix was modern UK pump diesel, in order to comply with European Save the Planet laws, became obliged to contain a certain percentage of bio-diesel. All well and good. But nobody had told the other engineers who trying to implement other European Save the Planet laws, by fitting regenerative DPF's, whereby fuel inevitably enters the oil sump. Whereas old fashioned mineral diesel evaporates off after entering the oil, the Bio diesel fails to evaporate, hence oil level rises. It caused a spate of well advertised and scary runaway engine self-destructs and so manufacturers compensated by leaving 'expansion space' in the oil sump fill levels.

If, as it sounds, the oil level stabilises soon after service then I'd be inclined to not not add any oil and not worry too much. Just make sure it doesn't ever drop below 'min'.