V70 , 2000 Automatic transmission fluid change

blg · Post by **blg** » 04 Dec 2006, 13:25

A Volvo dealership told me that I did not have to change the fluid, that they had serviced it sometime ago with a synthetic fluid ( no name given). I now have 55K miles and was wondering what to do. Secondly, is the flush procedure so complicated that I cannot do it at home?

Thanks

BLG

Post by **matthew1** » 04 Dec 2006, 13:42

Here's one writeup:
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/chat/p ... php?t=8767

There's a ton of other transmission talk/procedures in the Volvo Repair Database.

dasapir · Post by **dasapir** » 04 Dec 2006, 14:14

Just make sure you use the correct transmission fluid on your car.

Check that your fluid type is not the newer 3309 type before proceeding with the flush. I am sure someone on this forum will know for certain. If it is an automatic 5-speed I am certain it takes the newer 3309 fluid. The Volvo 3309 is synthetic. I believe the 3309 Mobil-1 is not.

Again it is important that you check whether your car takes the newer 3309 - or the regular Dextron II/III.

The flush is easy and most here recommend doing it.

Post by **mom** » 04 Dec 2006, 14:44

(edited:not Matt but Disapir)
I did flush my tranny fluid this summer with 3309 from mobil-1. Volvo says it's not necessary but my car had 70k on it and the fluid was brownish.We had a discussion here and there about the fluid being synthetic or dino. On Volvospeed people say it's not synth,Disapir pretend it is synth, lots of people say Mobil-1=Volvo 3309. Some say it is not necessary to put in 3309 if it's not a 5-speed but Volvo don't agree aaaaaaarghhhhh.....

Anyway my car has now 5k with new fluid and no burnt smell, runs great, no hard shift or downshift

Good luck !

Post by **JRL** » 04 Dec 2006, 15:48

OH GOD PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the millionth time (not here)
3309 is 3309 NO MATTER WHAT BOTTLE IT COMES IN, Volvo, Mobil, back yard (Joe's bottle), whatever!
kidding here, but 3309 can come in a Volvo bottle, Mobil bottle. Toyota, Lexus, etc.
You get the drift?
It is NOT synthetic but IS the recommened fluid for your 5 speed auto.
If you have no records change it again and be sure 3309 (from someone) goes in.
Volvo has made a horrible mistake saying you should not change it. Trannies have failed and the major #1 reason has been dorty fluid.
(Wonder why Lexus and Toyota have a drain and fill scheduled at 30K)?

You think they may know something more than Volvo about keeping their Aisin Warner transmissions going for 200K miles?

(...and MOM, your dealer was 100% WRONG, at 70K that transmission needed flushing)
EVERYONE should change a Volvo transmission's fluid every 30 to 50K, 4 speed, 5 speed ALL automatic transmissions.
If you don't want to pay for a flush, don't, just drain and fill. For most of you that will be just fine.
If your transmission is acting a bit funny, shifting weird, etc. then do a proper flush, if it's preventive maintenance or it just has a funny shift every so often, a drain and fill will suffice!

Oh, for everyone else 99 and earlier with 4 speeds, Dextron 3 is the correct fluid. You can go with syn or not, your choice

dasapir · Post by **dasapir** » 04 Dec 2006, 19:00

Okay, JRL, I surrender. My mistake. If I say 3309 is synthetic again you can take the hub-caps off my volvo (or try, my volvo doesn't have hub-caps).

Truly sorry to have caused you such anxiety.

But in the end what is important is to flush/drain the transmission and with the correct fluid.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 04 Dec 2006, 20:16

dasapir wrote:But in the end what is important is to flush/drain the transmission and with the correct fluid.

+1
And I'll add...do this at 30K miles if possible, but no later than 50K miles on a first owner car. If I were to buy a used car, that's what I'd do first before anything...no telling how the P.O. treated the tranny.

Post by **JRL** » 04 Dec 2006, 20:21

dasapir wrote:
Truly sorry to have caused you such anxiety.

.

No anxiety whatsoever, but I have to CAP here to hit you guys over the head as you (all) continue to say the same (incorrect) things over and over and over.....

Rocket99 · Post by **Rocket99** » 07 Jul 2020, 11:42

do you guys n girls realize how the truly kookoo mixed up information universally and always conflicting from one person to another on Trans fluids for Volvos.

I'm selling mine as fast as I possibly can

Post by **scot850** » 07 Jul 2020, 15:07

?? You are talking about a 14 year old thread. Today a lot more is known about these transmissions, and even Volvo has agreed you should change the fluid ever 50,000 miles but on an 'optional' basis by the customer. Some dealers just stopped offering it as customers just complained it was a service up sell when their handbook said sealed for life.

Volvo like other manufacturers do not make their own transmissions. Ford for example also use Aisin transmissions and also have a 'sealed for life' statement for the same transmission Volvo used. That is what caused so much head ache for us owners but now with the advantage of many years of experience we know better how to deal with and maintain the transmissions.

What also doesn't help is that Volvo used pretty much the same transmission for all P80's in automatic 4 speed form from 1993 -2000 in North America until the 2000 model year (last year of P80's) when they decided to start fitting the 5 speed auto to some models of P80's for the hell of it (I'm sure there would be a good technical reason like running trials for the up coming P2 cars in 2001 that they fitted it to). This mostly affected the base models (non-turbos, and 'R' models although I have heard claim some V70 XC's may have got them too but have not seen any definitive proof).

So the confusion came is the 4 speed auto and 5 speed auto used different oils. The 4 speed used Dex III oil and 5 speed auto 3309 oil.

Remember the early days of swapping engine oils from regular to synthetic caused heartache in the belief that this would cause seal failure? Again this has since seemed to have disappeared as an issue with many trading over to synthetic for longer life and hopefully less wear.

The method of changing the oil has not really changed much either. There are 2 options that owners have preferences for:

1) Drain the trans and refill regularly maybe every other engine oil change on an on-going process
or
2) Drain, fill and then flush until oil comes out clean and filling in-between. There is a version of that listed above but it is also listed in the repair database.

One of the big issue was taking the car to your local lube shop where they used pressure flushers which dislodges all the old oil lacquer which promptly plugged the solenoids and damaging the trans. That is why the above 2 methods are used.

The only major pain is that you have to re-fill the oil through the dipstick tube and on the 5 speed (particularly the 'R') the dipstick tube is hidden down low behind the main wiring harness and turbo to intercooler pipe.

Hope this helps.

Neil.