ALL 2001 trannies eventually go bad, they're junk?

Post by **seggs** » 08 Jan 2010, 10:24

Is there any way to tell if a transmission still has the "stop neutral" software without going to the dealer for an update? I would like to make sure my car has the newer program, but would rather not spend the $$ if it can be avoided.
Thanks

Post by **jblackburn** » 08 Jan 2010, 10:36

I know it's not good for it, but come to a complete stop, sit for a few seconds, and quickly take your foot off the brake and floor it. If there's a slight jerk or hesitation before the car begins to move, it still has the stop-neutral function enabled. You may also feel a slight jerk while coming to a stop.

Post by **E170_Driver** » 14 Jan 2010, 20:24

What is the recommended fluid to put into a 2001 V70 2.4T transmission?? I would like to do a flush and refill, but want to make sure I find the right ATF...thanks much.

Jan

Post by **jblackburn** » 14 Jan 2010, 20:27

JWS-3309. You can get it from a Volvo dealer, or Toyota sells a similar fluid that is fine to use as well. Or use the Mobil alternative. Any of them are fine.

928mr2 · Post by **928mr2** » 16 Jan 2010, 13:49

Last year I had a couple of bad symptoms with my tranny and I've been told over a forum that my tranny was burnt or was going to be very soon.
I checked the fluid that was of a dark colour. I made a flush myself and used the Mobil 3309, I also went to the dealer to have the upgrade for transmission software and my car drives perfectly well since that. The software made a huge difference. I don't preach for dealers but that time it was usefull and not expensive for the excellent result. My car has 110 000 miles and 12 000 miles since the upgrade and flush.

Post by **E170_Driver** » 21 Jan 2010, 20:48

Finally found the ATF dipstick hidden underneath piles of hoses and lines. When I check the fluid it seemed reddish clear in color and at a good level. My questions are, 1. can one make a determination in what shape the fluid is in by just sampling from the distick; 2. Type 4 ATF from a Toyota Dealership is acceptable in a 2001 V70 transmission; 3. there are indeed 7.25 quarts of fluid in this particular unit. Out of curiousity I called my old Volvo dealership in Lexington, KY to get a quote for their Volvo ATF = $21.56/qt and the parts guy could not answer the question on how much fluid my tranny needed.

Thanks

Jan

otis44 · Post by **otis44** » 21 Jan 2010, 21:45

E170_Driver wrote:Finally found the ATF dipstick hidden underneath piles of hoses and lines. When I check the fluid it seemed reddish clear in color and at a good level. My questions are, 1. can one make a determination in what shape the fluid is in by just sampling from the distick; 2. Type 4 ATF from a Toyota Dealership is acceptable in a 2001 V70 transmission; 3. there are indeed 7.25 quarts of fluid in this particular unit. Out of curiousity I called my old Volvo dealership in Lexington, KY to get a quote for their Volvo ATF = $21.56/qt and the parts guy could not answer the question on how much fluid my tranny needed.

Thanks

Jan

Red fluid is good, brown burned fluid is bad. Toyota T-IV fluid is fine and will be considerably cheaper than the Volvo dealer. I'm not sure on the transmission capacity, but if you do a drain and refill I think you will get 3-4 quarts out of the pan. Just measure what you take out and put that amount back in, assuming the level is correct to begin with. Many people flush these transmissions via the transmission cooler line at the radiator, 12-16 quarts is normally used with this procedure. The drain/refill vs. flush argument is about like what brand of oil do you use, especially regarding cars with high miles. I have flushed several of them with higher miles using the cooler line and have had no problem.

dmcentire · Post by **dmcentire** » 22 Jan 2010, 12:41

In regards to flushing/changing the tranny fluid, I have a 2001 XC70 that's starting to show problems. It takes a while for the problems to show up, but then they do it starts by having a semi-hard shift between 3-2 or maybe 2-1 when stopping. When the problem gets worse it starts to slip between the same two when accelerating. When I took it to a local Volvo dealer they said the transmission needed replacing and that the fluid was "black and burned."

I wanted to hear opinions of whether it would possibly be a bad idea to change/flush the fluid, or should I leave it alone? I have heard from a couple tranny shops that changing the fluid could make the problem worse.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 22 Jan 2010, 12:52

Not sure why they would say it's a bad idea to change the fluid. That's actually the best idea right now. Always start by changing the fluid, you should be doing it anyway just like your oil. Just make sure not to flush it; that's dangerous if the car has never been flushed. Take a look at this thread: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=26386

There is a link in their describing how to do a drain and fill aswell. Have you gotten the software update?

dmcentire · Post by **dmcentire** » 22 Jan 2010, 14:37

Well I made an appointment to take the Volvo in to a local independent shop that works on Volvos and Saabs. It's called Nordic Motors and they have a really good rating on Yelp. The guy there actually looked at my car previously and got me a quote for replacing the tranny. He had the best price, but it was still around $4500.

The appointment is to change out the tranny fluid, but he said he would look at it first and ensure that it just needs a change and not a flush. I'll mention the comments in the other thread about how flushing is bad for older transmissions, and take his advice on what to do.

The software is up to date, when I took it in to the Volvo Dealer they checked that and also inspected the tranny. They said it has "black and burned" fluid in it. I'll post the results of the work and how, and if, it affected the problem.

ALL 2001 trannies eventually go bad, they're junk?

Re: ALL 2001 trannies eventually go bad, they're junk?