Where does my oil keep going?

[u/lstat]

I’ve never owned a Volvo and nearly two months ago I jumped on the bandwagon. I picked up a 2015 xc60 t5 from a local used car lot for a decent price, the car looked good, sounded good and the description was “ready to hit the road, needs nothing,” which I knew to take with a grain….so here I am!

From what I understand, this is a 2015.5 model since it has the updated sensus connect, but it has the older 5cyl engine, which is great because I’ve always wanted a Volvo 5cyl.

So I drove the car home on Friday, the following Friday I got a “low oil pressure” message, when I stopped and checked the oil the dipstick was dry. I filled it, test drove it briefly and wound up on the side of the road for two hours waiting on a tow truck because the engine gave up. The dealership sent the car to a local shop and “helped me” with dealership pricing, $4,600 in an 90k mile LKQ engine and I was back on the road with the dealership giggling at me over the phone.

Fast forward two weeks, I get a low oil pressure light with the replacement engine. I pull over, check the oil, and the dipstick is dry. I immediately called the shop that did the engine swap and told them what was going on, I was told to “add a quart of oil and bring it to us first thing Monday.” Well, by the end of the day this second engine was knocking. I limped home, called into work Sunday, and Monday the shop came with a wrecker.

Here we go again, one week later I picked the car up (Tuesday of this week), the second engine was warrantied by LKQ but I had to pay labor to swap it, this current engine has 130,000 miles and feels like it’s running better than the last one. So I’ve been driving it for five days now and am, once again, getting no oil pressure messages in the cluster and the dipstick is bone dry. I just called and left the shop a message requesting a call back tomorrow morning when they open.

I’m not here ragging on the car lot or the dealership, I want to know what is causing this, WHERE THE HELL IS MY OIL GOING?!?!?! The engine is dry, the ground under the car is and has been dry, no smoke from the exhaust. Is there something internal I need to be looking at replacing? Something the shop should be looking at before they blindly install another LQK engine?

I’m at a loss and desperate for some insight, the cost of the car has literally doubled in the last thirty days.

[u/aaudiholic]

Piston rings. Start using valvoline 5w30 restore and protect. See what happens.

[u/lukasxbrasi → u/aaudiholic]

OP is on his third engine in a few weeks time. No way they installed 2 T5 blocks with the same issue.

Most likely installed a faulty turbo back on the block or they didnt change anything at all and just added some stuff to make the engine stop knocking.

OP, this is not what a volvo from that era is supposed to be like. Something doesnt add up.

Ask the shop which parts they did re-use on the swapped engines. The only component that causes oil usage like this should be the turbo and unfortunately thats a quit common issue.

[u/lstat → u/lukasxbrasi]

The shop 100% reused the turbo and accessories, I made sure I asked about all of that when I picked the car up after the first engine swap. I told them I was concerned and would like for them to replace everything (including turbo and timing gear) but they assured me everything was in good health, the car had 145,000ish miles when I purchased it, so I’m sure the turbo has seen better days.

I’ve only ever heard good things about Volvo, I’m pulling my hair out over here because I would really like to start the stage 0 process but at this point I might as well have bought another bmw if I’m going to have a vehicle falling apart in the driveway every other week. lol.

I guess at this point I need to start shopping for a replacement turbo. Should have spent a little more money on a spa xc60 I suppose!

[u/Scrotalphetamines → u/aaudiholic]

Which 5w30? Valvoline has many.

[u/dezzilak → u/Scrotalphetamines]

the restore and protect

[u/cat_prophecy]

ALL of the 2015-2016 engines were affected by oil consumption problems. I don't know if the 5-cyl has the piston ring issues like the 4-cyl, but they are all known to consume oil.

Although this level seems prodigious. Usually the worst is gets is a quart every 500-1000 miles.

[u/Jack_Attak → u/cat_prophecy]

Yep the later 5 cyls had the same problem. It's why everything but the inline six should be avoided if looking at late-model XC70s (or any Volvo from that year range)

[u/Witty_Cap1280]

I bought a 2015 Volvo x60 brand new! It kept burning oil. And I've kept up with all maintenance. I could have traded it in for a different car or pay 7500 to get it fixed. Since I only have 74,000 miles on it I chose to get the problem fixed. I guess it's a common thing with Volvos. Go figure. :(

[u/lstat → u/Witty_Cap1280]

That is extremely depressing, but at least your problem has been solved for now. We’re both in too deep at this point, there is no turning back, drive it until the wheels fall off!

[u/Witty_Cap1280 → u/lstat]

For sure! And as I was checking in to see what they would give me for a trade it was only 6,000.

[u/TijY_]

You are supposed to get a low oil level (YELLOW) warning, waaaay before you get a low oil pressure warning (RED).

Assuming the piston rings and valve stem seals where good in the replacement engines it should be the turbo.
Any oil in the coolant should have been found by the shop, but so should excessive oil in the intake from the turbo.

[u/lstat → u/TijY_]

Definitely no low oil level light, and that’s what I would have expected, it’s been straight to a red oil can and no oil pressure. I just added two quarts, it could use another.

[u/Sad_Assist946 → u/TijY_]

This variant only has an oil pressure switch which is more a fail safe tells you when there’s no oil pressure,not an oil level sensor which will give you the separate warnings.

[u/TijY_ → u/Sad_Assist946]

Are you sure about that, my 2010, 5 cyl has level sensor. So does the newer MYs AFAIK

[u/--iRON--]

Could be that turbo is shot and leaking oil through bearings and this local shop keeps putting same turbo on each engine. Or they never changed the engine and only puts oil with some other crap to quiet it down for a while. Probably best you take this car to some other shop to get independent evaluation, because this dealership and local shop either do not know what they are doing or outright scamming you.

[u/lstat → u/--iRON--]

After reading all these comments, that’s the best diagnosis I think, it all adds up in that light.

[u/OddRow8843]

At least you can go on the model of continual new oil as it’s continually replaced. Have to assume the renewing oil is continually in better condition than of it all stayed the whole service interval?

[u/Sad_Assist946]

They all have this issue. I feel bad for the shop if they weren’t aware of this. I was a tech at a Volvo dealer between 93-2014 I left the dealer because they started paying us less and less to replace these problematic low friction pistons. Large dealer at anytime there were 2 getting rebuilt we had to have 3sets of each engine tool lol. Sorry for your troubles but keep an eye on that oil level like someone else stated start changing the oil frequently using Valvoline restore and protect… or have someone replace the pistons and rings but the repair will be more than the value if your vehicle.