I have a 2004 Volvo V70 with 97K. Two months ago the oil light went on and the car was running low on oil. There had been no visible signs of oil leaking. The dealer checked car and could not find an easy cause and said to come back after 1K. After the 1K the car was down 1 qt. After another 1K it was the same. Dealer wants to clean the oil trap box- says there is a whistling noise from the dip stick when it is removed. Can you explain any of this, including whether this $600.00 service will actually help fix the loss of oil.
Suzanne, I have no idea what the service is, and no clue about whether it will help. At 97K if you haven’t spent a boat load of money yet on service and repairs on this Volvo you will. My advice is trade it in now because in the next few years you are looking at several thousand dollars per year on repairs. The next 50K miles on this car will be very expensive. Bail out now! I speak from personal experience.
Please note that the “oil light” is NOT an indicator of low oil level. It is THE indicator for low oil pressure. In your case, the low pressure was indeed caused by low oil level which caused low oi pressure. By the time that light comes on, you may already have damaged the engine.
I don’t know Volvos very well. I’m not even familiar with the term “oil trap box”. I have had Volvos with over 200K miles, still running strong. Whether their former owners spent thousands of $$ a year to get them to that point is doubtful. It’s more likely to be hundreds of dollars annually, unless you damage the engine by running it with low oil pressure. How many miles can you go @ 1000 miles per quart before you spend $600 on oil? Can you find an independent shop that knows Volvos which will do this repair for half price? Ask around.
I am suspicious of a $600 service that appears to be little known or maybe totally unknown. I would suggest getting a second, hands on opinion. It is difficult to see from here if there are leaks, or if there is some blue (oil) smoke from the tail pipe. (note the lack of blue smoke does not insure that it is not burning oil.
Ask note that some cars have low oil warnings as well as low oil pressure warnings. Check your owner’s manual and make sure which that is.
Never heard of an “oil trap box,” so I Googled it. It appears to be part of the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system.
These things sell for between $25 and $50 dollars, depending on model. Your Volvo dealer must have a REALLY high hourly labor rate.
I’d contact an independent mechanic for a second opinion/estimate.
And keep an eye on the oil level.
The oil trap box is part of the vent system in the Volvo and if plugged the oil will find another way out, eg main seal etc.
If you have a local import or Volvo specialist go there. $600 is quite steep but I imagine they changing lots of the small parts rather than cleaning the small pieces. Also it is a bit labor intensive to change/address/clean. I recall this repair to a relatives Volvo 850(older V70) that exhibited a similar whistle out the dipstick.