What is the collective opinion about engine oil levels? If the oil is half-way up the dipstick is it generally better to top it up to the “Full” mark or is that just a waste of money?
Also, does anyone have any particular brand of oil which they tend to use and if so, why?
Well DAF recommend on the CF, XF range that the oil level should be in the middle of the dipstick,as long as you keep it between 1/2 to 3/4 it should be ok unles the engine has oil issues
if you put it on the FULL level, when the oil gets warm, it will show as high on the dipstick and should set off a warning on the dash
i have found that if you have it on the full mark, you are forever topping it up, whereas, if it is half to two thirds, you don’t seem to put any in
as has been said, DAF recommend that it be about 2/3 on the stick
as for the brand, i find that the brand is not as important as the grade/type
as long as the oil spec is the correct for the vehicle, it does not really matter what the brand is
it is also cheaper if you buy it by the barrel, not by the gallon
Volvo used to say that the oil level will burnt to halfway on the stick then stay there. I’ve always found that to be the case. Strangely enough when the driver tells me the oil level is getting down to 1/4 on the stick or lower it always within a couple of weeks of a scheduled oil change.
coiler:
Volvo used to say that the oil level will burnt to halfway on the stick then stay there. I’ve always found that to be the case. Strangely enough when the driver tells me the oil level is getting down to 1/4 on the stick or lower it always within a couple of weeks of a scheduled oil change.
i also find the same, out of interest what intervals are you changing the oil+filters and derv filters on your volvos?
moose
Half way between the two marks on the dipstick is what I like to see.
if it gets down to halfway, then i top it up with a gallon, then i’ll pop in the workshop for another gallon.
i usually carry 2 gallons when i’m on the continent as i never know if it’ll be 2 weeks away, or could you just. and end up away for 6 weeks.
i have no idea what brand they use, they get it in bulk straight into a tank.
If it’s about half way between min and max on the stick ill leave it as a former employer of mine always overfilled the engine oil and it just nackered the oil coolers. Or that’s what I put it down to.
limeyphil:
i usually carry 2 gallons when i’m on the continent as i never know if it’ll be 2 weeks away, or could you just. and end up away for 6 weeks.
This day and age ■■? What you driving, a traction engine ■■ 
My thoughts exactly bbr.
If I was putting a gallon in so often I would be very worried.
Ran Volvos 25 years half on the stick is good.
Is said Magnum a Volvo engine?
Always used branded oil & changed it & filters every 6 weeks much to my fitters anger…
If you find that you use more oil just before a service is due, then you should reduce your service intervals, the reason it gulps it down then is because the oil has become overwhelmed by the contaminents in it and the whole point of changing the oil is to prevent damage from the contaminents, the oil itself is fine and never goes off, but those contaminents will cause premature engine wear and in the case of diesel or coolant contamination, they’ll drastically reduce bearing life 
Most engines will find their own level, as has been said, anywhere between the full and add oil marks is fine, if you try to keep it at the full mark all the time and the engine doesn’t want to be there, you’ll spend a bloody fortune and blow it all out of your exhaust, with catalysts and all that other nonsense in the exhaust sytem, you’ll also clog them up prematutely and give yourself headaches you don’t need
Oh and Slimeyphil, I’d be getting your boss to stick a set of pistons and liners in that motor of yours if I were you, that kind of oil consumption (a gallon at anything less than 5000miles) means that it’s on its last legs
NMM:
Oh and Slimeyphil, I’d be getting your boss to stick a set of pistons and liners in that motor of yours if I were you:
At that usage I’d be telling him to put the sump plug in first 
Our Volvo dealers advised that as long as it’s above minimum on the stick, leave it. Engines tend to find their own level, and any extra is blown out through the exhaust, breather etc.
Our newer wagons are on R&M, so we just give the driver (lucky enough to keep one driver per vehicle) a gallon can of the oil specific to that vehicle.
Our older (58 plate to T reg) lorries which are serviced by an ‘outside’ garage are run on their ‘general purpose/fleet’ oil which is Fuchs Cargo Maxx 10/40.
Oil spec these days is pretty crucial, I pity anyone running a mixed fleet of their own, it must be a nightmare…
Fortunately, topping up is not as frequent as it used to be.
Interesting question and Maggie will answer it for you…I can tell when it needs a top up the engine tone changes and of course you also have an oil pressure
guage which acts firstly as an oil level guage and I hope your rather nice rig is running on mineral oil for a long and happy life.
newmercman:
Oh and Slimeyphil, I’d be getting your boss to stick a set of pistons and liners in that motor of yours if I were you, that kind of oil consumption (a gallon at anything less than 5000miles) means that it’s on its last legs
what consumption?
if it is down to half, then i top it up.
i carry 2 gallons to be on the safe side.
sometimes i’m away from the yard, and i’ve only covered 2000 miles. but sometimes it may be over 10000 miles due to turning in calais.
can’t see what makes you think it’s using a lot of oil? i didn’t say it was.
Between the marks is fine, Gardner’s ran sluggish (yes, I know!! ) when the oil was on the top mark of the stick but pulled better with it lower. My old 265Li Rolls would use a gallon on a trip to South Wales and back, it used to trickle out through the exhaust flex on tickover, but still pulled well! 
It was finally parked up after comments about oil on fresh tarmac. 
Pete.
What others have said middle on the dipstick and keep a sensible sized bottle with you in case you do get caught out.
fly sheet:
My thoughts exactly bbr.If I was putting a gallon in so often I would be very worried.
Ran Volvos 25 years half on the stick is good.
Is said Magnum a Volvo engine?
Always used branded oil & changed it & filters every 6 weeks much to my fitters anger…
how often? just because it’s carried it dosn’t mean it’s used. 
i carry a first aid kit every day with over 25 plasters in it.
think about it.
You tell me how often, you said when it gets halfway down the stick you put a gallon in.
I carry plasters too, I do around 12,000 per month & dont carry oil, it never uses enough during my time away to need topping up.
I have no clue as to what you drive but I would put money on your wasting your time topping it to max with a gallon everytime it gets to halfway down the stick.
If it is needing this often as you imply its either leaking it or burning it, when I had an old oil burner I carried 50lts in the passenger side of the cab & yes I did say 50lts.
limeyphil:
newmercman:
Oh and Slimeyphil, I’d be getting your boss to stick a set of pistons and liners in that motor of yours if I were you, that kind of oil consumption (a gallon at anything less than 5000miles) means that it’s on its last legswhat consumption?
if it is down to half, then i top it up.
i carry 2 gallons to be on the safe side.
sometimes i’m away from the yard, and i’ve only covered 2000 miles. but sometimes it may be over 10000 miles due to turning in calais.
can’t see what makes you think it’s using a lot of oil? i didn’t say it was.
■■■■■■■ Noras , you should get that Belingo sorted Slimey .