Volvo Engines for Semi-Trucks & Commercial Vehicles
List of Engines for Volvo Trucks
Some know the Volvo Group as a manufacturer of luxury 4-wheelers (cars for the non-trucker), others know Volvo as a manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles. What you might not know is that in their heavy-duty trucks, they use engines they have built in house. Here are the three Volvo diesel engines that are currently being produced.
Volvo D11
The D11 is the smallest diesel engine Volvo offers, and trades raw power for improved fuel economy. Volvo prides itself on the D11’s light weight, putting near the front of its brochure how the latest generation of D11 engines is 17 pounds lighter than the previous generation.
The D11 has nine variations, ranging from 325-425 horsepower and 1250-1550 pound-feet of torque at the optimal RPM of about 1000. Of the nine, two are considered “Eco-Torque” and two are labeled “XE”.
Eco-Torque engines have two drive modes that the engine will shift between depending on power demand. If the engine sees that it needs to shift into High Torque mode to get up a hill or pull heavier cargo, it will change into that mode, but it will mostly stay in Low Torque mode for greater fuel efficiency, reducing airborne emissions and fuel expenses.
XE engines offer a single torque mode but intentionally locks the driver out of the highest gear except in specific cases. This feature also helps the driver save money on fuel expenses.
Warranties from Volvo vary from truck to truck and component to component. Their website insists that you contact the closest Volvo truck dealer for coverage information.
Specifications
- Base Engine Configuration: 4 cycle/Inline Six
- Emissions: Selective Catalytic Reduction
- Aspiration: Sliding Nozzle Variable Geometry Turbocharger
- Cam/Valve Configuration: SOHC/4 Valves per Cylinder
- Cylinder Head: One Piece Rigid Deck Cylinder Head
- Injection System: Common Rail
- Maximum Fuel Injection Pressure (psi):35,000
- Rating Uprateability: Software Only, Throughout Range
- Displacement (liters): 10.8
- Compression Ratio: 17:1
- Bore & Stroke (inches): 4.84 x 5.98
- Cylinder Spacing (inches): 6.06
- Full Dress Dry Weight (pounds): 2259
- Fuel Specification: Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, 15 parts per million
- Fuel Filters: Primary plus Secondary
- Total Lube Oil Capacity (quarts): 38
- Oil Filtration: Two Full Flow, One Bypass
- Oil Drain Interval, Normal Service (miles): 55,000
- Oil Specification: Volvo VDS-4.5, SAE 10W-30
- FLOCS Oil Drain Kit: Optional
- Air Compressor (CFM): Two Cylinder, 31.8
- Retarder: Volvo Engine Brake
- Engine Brake Rating (2200 RPM): 420 Horsepower
- Engine Brake Rating (1500 RPM): 266 Horsepower
- Engine Brake Weight (pounds): 25
- PTO Port for Live Rear PTO Pump or Shaft: Standard on VHD model
- Preheater (electrical): Optional
For more information on the D11 engine, check out its specification brochure.
Volvo D13
If you thought the D11 had a lot of variations at nine total, the D13 engine has twenty-two. They vary in horsepower from 375-500 and in torque from 1450-1850 pound-feet at 1000 RPM.
Beyond six basic D13s, four Eco-Torques, and nine XEs, the D13 has a new group with three engines: “Super Direct.”
Super Direct has no overdrive, only direct drive. This engine variation is designed to stay in the engine’s “sweet-spot”, ensuring maximum fuel savings and engine life. The horsepower on Super Direct engines maxes out at 450 as opposed to 500, though.
Specifications
- Base Engine Configuration: 4 cycle/Inline Six
- Emissions: Selective Catalytic Reduction
- Aspiration: Sliding Nozzle Variable Geometry Turbocharger
- Cam/Valve Configuration: SOHC/4 Valves per Cylinder
- Cylinder Head: One Piece Rigid Deck Cylinder Head
- Injection System: Common Rail
- Maximum Fuel Injection Pressure (psi): 35,000
- Rating Uprateability: Software Only, Throughout Range
- Displacement (liters): 12.8
- Compression Ratio: 17:1
- Bore & Stroke (inches): 5.16 x 6.22
- Cylinder Spacing (inches): 6.61
- Full Dress Dry Weight (pounds): 2605
- Fuel Specification: Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, 15 ppm
- Fuel Filters: Primary plus Secondary
- Total Lube Oil Capacity (quarts): 38
- Oil Filtration: Two Full Flow, One Bypass
- Oil Drain Interval, Normal Service (miles): 55,000
- Oil Specification: Volvo VDS-4.5, SAE 10W-30
- FLOCS Oil Drain Kit: Optional
- Air Compressor (CFM): Two Cylinder, 31.8
- Retarder: Volvo Engine Brake
- Engine Brake Rating (2200 RPM): 500 Horsepower
- Engine Brake Rating (1500 RPM): 350 Horsepower
- Engine Brake Weight (pounds): 25
- PTO Port for Live Rear PTO Pump or Shaft: Standard on VHD Model
- Preheater (electrical): Optional
For more details, check out the D13 specification sheet.
Volvo D13TC
The TC at the end of this engine name stands for “Turbo Compounding.” Turbo Compounding captures energy from the exhaust gas and returns it to the drive train, resulting in 6% improved fuel efficiency.
Horsepower ranges from 405-455, and the engines have up to 1850 pound-feet of torque. The brochure states that there are thirty-six different variations (nine different ratings in four different configurations: High Torque, Economy, Adaptive Gearing (XE), and Super Direct).
Volvo advertises the D13TC engine as half having a life of 1.2 million miles before requiring a complete overhaul. The Turbo Compounding D13 is available in all five VNL Volvo semi-trucks.
Specifications
- Base Engine Configuration: 6, Inline
- Displacement (liters): 13
- Compression Ratio: 16:1
- Bore & Stroke (inches): 5.16 x 6.22
- Full Dress Dry Weight (pounds): 2635
- Engine Brake Rating (2200 RPM): 500 Horsepower
Conclusion
Information about Volvo’s truck engines tends to be fairly sparse on their website. Most web pages and brochures instruct the reader to contact a local salesman to answer any questions he or she may have regarding which engine and variation is right for them, as well as complete warranty information. We can infer however from how Volvo advertises their engines that they place a much higher priority on fuel efficiency than they do on power, advertising all of the different features the engines have to reduce fuel consumption and extend engine lifespan.
Whether or not that is a good trade-off for weaker performance is ultimately up to you. If power is still necessary for your long hauls, you can opt to have an Economy Torque, which will grant the vehicle extra strength when needed. In any case, if you want you or your fleet to maintain a steady speed to reduce costs, Volvo is a manufacturer whose engines are worth looking into.
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