Volvo penta oil query

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RJJ

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Hi folks

Engine is Volvo penta D2 55. My first year of doing this and I am for various reasons keen to DIY. Questions are please: what oils to use for engine and saildrive?

For the engine: manual says 10.5 litres of 15w40 OR 20w50. It then specifies the following:
- VDS3
- or VDS2 AND ACEA E7
- or VDS2 AND DHD1
-or VDS2 AND API CH4
- or VDS2 AND API CI4

I have previously been told (including by the previous owner who did serious miles on this boat and did all the servicing himself). "any old 15w40 will do". What do the additional specs mean and can I ignore them?

Re saildrive, the manual says 2.9 litres of ATF (Dextrin II, III). Again previous owner said just use the same as engine oil which is clearly appealing for convenience and cost.

Of course I can just go to Mr Volvo but I would rather save pennies within the bounds of being sensible. Thoughts very welcome, thank you all.
 
FWIW my present boat came with several sealed green containers of oil with a Volvo sticker but the containers seemed 'familiar'. Out of curiosity I peeled the sticker off the first container that I used and, sure enough, the plastic of the container had the 'shield' emblem of BP.
After that revelation I never bought 'Volvo oil' - at Volvo prices - but I go by the specifications that are on the container, regardless of whose sticker is on it.
Make of that what you will...
 
RJJ said:
Hi folks

Engine is Volvo penta D2 55. My first year of doing this and I am for various reasons keen to DIY. Questions are please: what oils to use for engine and saildrive?

For the engine: manual says 10.5 litres of 15w40 OR 20w50. It then specifies the following:
- VDS3
- or VDS2 AND ACEA E7
- or VDS2 AND DHD1
-or VDS2 AND API CH4
- or VDS2 AND API CI4

I have previously been told (including by the previous owner who did serious miles on this boat and did all the servicing himself). "any old 15w40 will do". What do the additional specs mean and can I ignore them?

Re saildrive, the manual says 2.9 litres of ATF (Dextrin II, III). Again previous owner said just use the same as engine oil which is clearly appealing for convenience and cost.

Of course I can just go to Mr Volvo but I would rather save pennies within the bounds of being sensible. Thoughts very welcome, thank you all.
Click to expand...

Use a 15W40 or 20W50 and either to API CH4 or CI4 of your choice. 15W40 will be suitable for ambient temperatures up to 40C. Only use 20W50 if you will be operating in temperatures normally over 40C


Ignore the VDS stuff . It relates to Volvo oils used by truck operators allowing extended intervals between oil changes.

You choice whether to use a mineral oil, a semi-synthetic oil or a fully synthetic oil.

You may find modern oils, especially synthetic, have wider viscosity ranges than those spcified. Use an oil with an upper figure of 40, eg 0W40, 5W40, 10W40 or 15W40
The upper figure defines the viscosity when hot. The lower figure relates to the oil characteristics at very low temperatures.

Several years ago the recommended oils for all the VP saildrives ( except a long forgotten one based on a Honda outboard and the 120S-E ) were changed to the same oil as the engine. I suspect the change may not have been for technical reasons.
 
RJJ said:
Hi folks

Engine is Volvo penta D2 55. My first year of doing this and I am for various reasons keen to DIY. Questions are please: what oils to use for engine and saildrive?

For the engine: manual says 10.5 litres of 15w40 OR 20w50. It then specifies the following:
- VDS3
- or VDS2 AND ACEA E7
- or VDS2 AND DHD1
-or VDS2 AND API CH4
- or VDS2 AND API CI4

I have previously been told (including by the previous owner who did serious miles on this boat and did all the servicing himself). "any old 15w40 will do". What do the additional specs mean and can I ignore them?

Re saildrive, the manual says 2.9 litres of ATF (Dextrin II, III). Again previous owner said just use the same as engine oil which is clearly appealing for convenience and cost.

Of course I can just go to Mr Volvo but I would rather save pennies within the bounds of being sensible. Thoughts very welcome, thank you all.
Click to expand...

My VP engine calls for 15W 40 VDS2 and I have been using this for the last 5 years https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXOL-ENG...-OIL-VOLVO-VDS3-APPROVED-20-Ltr-/351199111854

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Any good 15W40 oil should do.

Your manual states CK-4 or CI-4 however it was written before CJ-4 and CK-4 were available.

From the API site: https://www.api.org/products-and-se...ations/oil-categories#tab-diesel-c-categories

API CK-4 oils exceed the performance criteria of API CJ-4, CI-4 with CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, and CH-4 and can effectively lubricate engines calling for those API Service Categories.
Click to expand...

Similar notes will apply to the other standards ... just use a good modern diesel engine oil, of a current standard and you will be fine.

Don't over think this and don't waste time trying to find a special supplier of CH-4 spec oil as it is old technology now ... you can use any of the later specifications.
 
I should add that ATF is NOT the same as engine oil .. .and if the previous owner has been using engine oil in his gearbox, then you probably don't want to do that!
 
rszemeti said:
I should add that ATF is NOT the same as engine oil .. .and if the previous owner has been using engine oil in his gearbox, then you probably don't want to do that!
Click to expand...

This is bad advice, based on ignorance. Volvo Penta decided about 10 years ago that their previous advice to use ATF in saildrives was inappropriate, and that engine oil should be used instead. So engine oil is the correct stuff to use.

Sail Drive Bulletin.jpg
 
rszemeti said:
I should add that ATF is NOT the same as engine oil .. .and if the previous owner has been using engine oil in his gearbox, then you probably don't want to do that!
Click to expand...

??

All Volvo Penta Sail drives now use the same oil as the engine except the long forgotten 50S, which used SAE EP90 / API GL-5 gear oil and the 120S-E which uses SAE 75W-90 /API GL-5

See post #3, PVBs post above and http://www.fybmarine.co.uk/PDF/Saildrive-oil-quantity-type.pdf
 
So I should take it that the £15 for 5 litres stuff on Amazon, graded as CG4, won't pass muster?
 
pvb said:
This is bad advice, based on ignorance. Volvo Penta decided about 10 years ago that their previous advice to use ATF in saildrives was inappropriate, and that engine oil should be used instead. So engine oil is the correct stuff to use.

View attachment 81826
Click to expand...

You may well be correct that Volvo now recommend 15W40 however, the fact that ATF is not the same as engine oil is a fact and as such still correct.
 
I guess if you only need 5 litres you could get Volvo Penta branded oil and the extra cost although double ,may be tolerable.
 
RichardS said:
I'm not sure what "synthetic technology" mineral oil is supposed to mean, but it would be fine. :)

Richard
Click to expand...

I bought some of this to use in my Lomax and wondered the same question. My research found that it is a distilled oil, therefore a Group III oil, that has comparable performance to a Group IV polyalphaolefin synthetic. I think the properties at very low temperatures may not be as good but hardly likely to be a problem in an open car with no heater only used in good weather.
 
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