98 V70 non-turbo automatic trans fluid change

[98v70dad]

My car has about 124,000 miles and I doubt it has ever had a transmission fluid change. I've recently done all of my asian cars by either draining what will drain, refilling, driving for far enough to shift through all the gears and the repeat the whole thing two more times. This usually takes about a case of ATF.

Sometimes I've used a vacuum removal tool intended for use on boats to remove the fluid. You basically just suck the fluid out through the dipstick tube. Its quick, easy and mess free but you miss out on cleaning the metal flakes off the drain plug if it happens to have a magnet on it.

Other times I've drained the fluid the first time and sucked it out the next two times with the thought being that the flow from draining would help remove any crud lingering in the pan. Draining happens at a fairly slow velocity so I personally doubt that it helps that much.

The vacuum tool is much easier. What do you guys think, would draining possibly make any substantial difference?

Also, recommendations on what ATF is an economical but excellent choice would really help. ATF can really make a difference in how a car shifts.

[Thunderbox]

I just drain and fill through the plug. I measure what comes out and put that amount back. Do it when you do every other oil change to get a flush after 3 or 4 times. Toyota make a 3309 Type IV fluid which works. I go into my local Toyota service department and pick up a case at a time. Seem to get good pricing and I have noticed a big difference on the feel of the shifts. I do this on my S60 and S70 with great results.

[Ozark Lee]

The drain plug on the Volvo transmission is very easy to get to so I just drain them rather than vacuuming them out. I typically do 3 or 4 drain and fills with a couple of hundred miles in between changes, whatever it takes to get the fluid looking respectable. The Toyota 3309 fluid that Thunderbox suggested is great for the later model transmissions but for your '98 Dexron is appropriate.

Originally the car would have had Dex III but that is getting scarce since GM quit licensing it. Dex IV will work just fine.

...Lee

[Thunderbox]

Well now you are scaring me Lee. I have done several drain and fills on my 98 V70 over the last 3 years. She shifts great. Should I be concerned about long term damage or is the 3309 ok for my 98? TIA

[erikv11]

Cheap Wal-Mart brand Dex IV, once you get it changed over to nice and pink do a complete drain and fill (see the posts about pulling the top line to the trans cooler) every 30k.

[Ozark Lee]

Well now you are scaring me Lee. I have done several drain and fills on my 98 V70 over the last 3 years. She shifts great. Should I be concerned about long term damage or is the 3309 ok for my 98? TIA

I don't know. I do know that using Dexron in a newer Volvo automatic is bad but I don't know if the opposite is true. It is tough on the wallet but I don't honestly know if it is tough on the transmission.

...Lee

[98v70dad]

The drain plug on the Volvo transmission is very easy to get to so I just drain them rather than vacuuming them out. I typically do 3 or 4 drain and fills with a couple of hundred miles in between changes, whatever it takes to get the fluid looking respectable. The Toyota 3309 fluid that Thunderbox suggested is great for the later model transmissions but for your '98 Dexron is appropriate.

Originally the car would have had Dex III but that is getting scarce since GM quit licensing it. Dex IV will work just fine.

...Lee

I can do and have done the drain and fill but prefer the vacuum and fill. I have a brand new driveway and I don't want to spill all over it. One benefit to the vacuum is that it seems to get quite a bit more fluid out. I use it for every other oil change and the first time I used it I decided to drain as much oil as I could and then see if I could vacuum out any additional oil. The vacuum got and additional 0.5 to 0.75 quarts of oil out. I had the same experience when changing the ATF in My 04 Honda Odyssey. Drained as much as possible and then got another half quart with the vacuum.

The fact that you can get out more with the vaccum is a little irrelavent with an ATF change since it takes about three times to get get the fluid looking right, but you can save a few quarts of ATF that way since you're leaving less of the dirty stuff in each time.

So I know I don't need to use the vacuum, but I already have one and I like doing that way. My question was more along the lines of does anyone think it does an inferior job compared to draining? My opinion is that it does as good a job as draining but wanted any feedback others may have. I don't have too many car guy friends to talk this stuff over with ... except all of you fine gentlemen.

Thanks to all for the ATF recommendations. My shifting has begun to get just a little clunky so its time do do the change... probably this weekend if it isn't raining. I buy my oil at walmart its nearly $5 cheaper in Atlanta for the same thing at Advance Auto. The purolator oil filters I use on most of my cars are almost half price at walmart as compared to the auto stores.

[mecheng]

Drain and fill is better for the simple important reason you clean the magnetic drain plug so that it can continue to collect more metal fillings and you remove what is captured which can be significant.

[98v70dad]

Drain and fill is better for the simple important reason you clean the magnetic drain plug so that it can continue to collect more metal fillings and you remove what is captured which can be significant.

True. My limited experience is two cars. 2004 Honda Odyssey and 2009 Hyundai Sonata. Prior to that I didn't worry about the ATF because I only kept cars for 5 years or 100,000 miles.

The 10 year old honda odyssey had 130,000 miles on it with no previous ATF changes and it had almost nothing on the magnet. The volvo might be different. I don't know since I've never drained a volvo

[abscate]

I changed my 2005 BMW slusher earlier this year at 125000 miles, original ATF.
Not too much grunge in pan or on magnet.
I do feel good about doing it as one of the twins will take this one to college in Fall.

BMW dealer refused to change it for me.