I’m hoping to put this question to rest for posterity so that anyone in the future who’s a P2 owner will see this thread and be helped by it!
All this information on oil specs and Volvo manual corrections is dizzying!!!
Actual question: what is the best engine oil for P2 Volvos?
I have a P2 2007 S60 2.5T FWD
I saw in an older thread that Volvo changed their recommended oil and that my manual, being two decades old, is outdated
Manual says to use Castrol (didn’t see Edge or Professional, maybe I should doublecheck?), but I read that it may be because of a deal they had
This confusing situation is compounded by the letter someone mentions in that thread that the EU petrol industry had to force Volvo+Castrol to open up their oil spec to other manufacturers
Based on the post by Perryn59, it seems that Liqui Moly is hardier as he said he used it in Porsche track car(s)
As seen in the post by @vonogo , Amsoil could be a little bit shady in their marketing?
vica153 says that Amsoil has an edge over LiquiMoly, then recommends LiquiMoly TopTec 6600, then finally ends the thread saying that Ravenol meets the “silly Volvo spec” and that Redline meets all industry/manufacturer specs
Based on Project Farm’s engine oil comparison, Amsoil had the best wear reduction/overall protection
Take a look at this screencap from the video:
HOWEVER, people say Project Farm is inaccurate/useless because their tests are like sniffing and tasting the oils to compare them?
I was planning to get the 12 set of Mahle oil filters from FCP Euro
Why Mahle?
Not only is it stock/OEM, but zmarshm1 also provided a nice comparison of oil filters and regarding Mahle, said “the crush resistance design and the better functioning seal make this the best filter to use”
That was 6 years ago in 2019, so could other oil manufacturers have caught up? (I will NOT trust Fram or K&N)
Anyway, after getting the bulk filters, I could easily get local oil (5qt Castrol Edge Advanced 5W30 is near me for ~$24) and mail the lighterweight used filters back as I’m sure they’d be much cheaper to ship than a full oil change kit
But only the Castrol Euro formula has A5?????
Last thing is that my dashboard said between 93°F-104°F in the daytime
Is the dash right or is it because the dark color of my car affects the temperature sensors?
In this hot weather, is it better for me to go 5W40 until fall/winter arrives or just stick with 5W30 all the time?
THANKS FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR!!!
Referencing:
1) An older thread from SPA section
2) Project Farm’s engine oil championship
3) Counter to 2, some forum threads like this one at BITOG