S40: What engine oil would you recommend?

[kilou]

Hi,

my 1997 S40 2.0 (atmospheric engine, B4204S) has now 315'000km and I'm looking at a good yet affordable engine oil for it. I've been running 5w40 in the past but it was burning a little bit oil. At the last oil change, I used a cheap 10W40 at Carrefour in France (I think it is manufactured by Elf but sold under Carrefour name). It's a very cheap oil, like 3euros/l......but the car seems happy and doesn't burn any oil anymore. However of course at 3euros/l I wonder about the quality (I did 10000km on that oil and recently change it again with the same oil).

So basically it seems the car is happy with a 10w40 but...

- I've heard 10w40 is the "worst" grade as it breaks down rapidly: most if not all 10w40 are not fully synthetic ie they have to use a lot of additive to achieve that rating and those additives wear out quickly. Fully synthetic oils appeards better but are found only in 5w40 or lower....oil burning in my engine.

- Castrol Magnatec 10w40 hve bad reviews about sludge buildup...

Considering the age of my engine, what oil would you recommend? I'm looking for an all year round oil with good antiwear properties that will make the volvo engine live for another 200'000km hopefully

Actually does Volvo recommend 10W40 for the B4204S engine?

Thanks

[chb]

I have the same engine (2.0CD V40 1998), but only at a small 148000miles!
Volvo recommend a 10w40 oil for this car, in the uk most garages use Castrol Magnatec.
Personally I have run the car on fully synthetic 0w40 and 5w30 for the last 70,000 miles without problem. I suspect that yours has lasted so long precisely because you use good oil.

[manoman48]

I use 10w40 semi-synthetic but do oil changes at 6000 miles. Could probably go longer with fully synthetic but always use the opportunity to do other basic service jobs anyway.

[keithyboy]

The only car I've ever used anything exotic in was my Mundano which needed a 5W30 and you could only get sem-syth. I subsequently discovered that Jaguar specified a 5W30 for some of their engines and recommended Havoline non synth. Mondeos are really funny about oil and it ran best on that stuff.

I've owned lots of very high mileage cars including a pair of Primeras that had done nearly 300k between them. Neither had seen anything more exotic than cheap 10w40 every 10k and neither used a drop of oil or had the slightest rattle from the timing chain.

Buy a 10W40 made by someone you've heard of, change it every six months/6K, and it'll last forever. Using synthetic might allow you to extend those intervals but an oil change is a good excuse to have a poke around.

BTW, none of this applies to turbocharged engines which are a completely different kettle of fish.

[Raj]

I just did an oil change and i used 10/40 Mobil S, seems to be ok.

@ keithyboy, where in bolton are you?

[keithyboy]

Originally Posted by Raj

I just did an oil change and i used 10/40 Mobil S, seems to be ok.

@ keithyboy, where in bolton are you?

Stoneclough.