Engine Oil Specification

[dawntreader]

I have reviewed the Operations Manual to determine the Oil Specification (see attachment) for my D1-30. However, I am unclear as to what "Volvo Drain Specification (VDS)" actually means and what the differences between the quoted specifications for VDS are and how important this would be in choosing a particular brand - anyone help please?

[tiger79]

VDS3 is simply a spec which Volvo created.  Almost any decent 15W40 oil will be OK.  If you Google for oil vds3 you should find lots of oils which meet the VDS3 spec.

[Yngmar]

You want API CH-4 or CI-4 , like it says on that table. Forget the VDS nonsense, that's just Volvo milking more money.

See also https://www.api.org/products-and-services/engine-oil/eolcs-categories-and-classifications/oil-categories#tab_diesel-c-categories

This stuff is often available in big supermarket car sections for cheap.

[dawntreader]

.............This stuff is often available in big supermarket car sections for cheap.

That's what I usually do anyway (ignore the 'VDS' spec.), but felt I ought to be better informed. Thanks for the information tiger79 and Yngmar, much appreciated

BTW, I am not comfortable with Volvo's 200 hour/1 year recommended oil change routine. I usually check viscosity between finger and thumb - if it's weak it gets changed and this is after about 75 hours - the filter replaced every other oil change.

[Symphony]

200 hours is roughly 5-6000 miles in mixed use in a car. It is not the hours that are important but rather the way the engine is used. When my last boat was in charter it would run continuously at 2400 for 4-5 hours at a time, totalling 50-60 hours a week. The oil was changed every 3-4 weeks and at 3500 hours when I sold it the engine was running perfectly.

Compare that with typical weekend leisure use where the engine might run for several short periods with the odd longer run, followed by long periods of inactivity. It is the deposits from low load running and incomplete fuel burning that colour the oil and degrade it, not any loss in viscocity (how does you finger and thumb tell you anything except oil is slippery?).

The once a year advice is the best to follow. Hours are almost irrelevant for many people as the typical annual usage tends to be +/- 150 for the "weekend" sailor. If however you do long hours of motoring the 200 hours is appropriate.