High Mileage with black & burnt transmission fluid Topic is solved

fgkinfusion0819 · Post by **fgkinfusion0819** » 18 Mar 2017, 01:40

So I have a 2004 Volvo C70 with 163K miles on it that I purchased about 2 months ago. After a few weeks of driving I noticed a few slightly rough shifts. It gets worse when I have multiple people in the car so I thought to get it checked out so I finally went to a shop today to see what was up.

Basically what they told me is that the transmission fluid smells burnt and is dark black. No codes popped up. I didn't have the car for long so there's no way I would have let it get to that point but I guess that's something the previous owner didn't really look into... I don't know when the last time it was changed but what I did hear from the shop is that the software has already been updated so that's that. Slippage from 2nd-3rd and flare shift & hunting in 3rd-4th. They recommend not a fluid flush but instead they recommend I do a fluid drain and refill. They told me they have no idea if it's going to make it better or worse and if it gets worse then my transmission might go bad and will be $2,225 to replace the valve body... what should I do? I am a 20yo with not a lot to spend to just replace the valve body if the fluid exchange fails to make it better. I really love this car as it is my first Volvo and I would hate for it to be crap. The car runs good, I drive it softly and I actually don't mind the transmission shifts but I would like to potentially preserve the life of the transmission as much as I can and possibly make it better.

Do I have other options like maybe buying a used transmission? It's literally a 50/50 decision for the exchange or not and I'm totally stuck.

Post by **abscate** » 18 Mar 2017, 04:42

Definitely try the drain and fill. You can do this yourself cheaper than the dealer assembling some cheap catch pans and milk jugs. You want to drain what you can, then replace the same amount. Drive carefully fir a week, then do it again.

Keep evaluating the fluid you get out, snap a pic and post here.

Good odds this will save your transmission.

Post by **tryingbe** » 18 Mar 2017, 07:15

Transmission issue on older cars will continue to surface since "lifetime fill" labels come out around 2000 across all make and model.

People were told by the manufacturers not to change transmission fluid unless you tow. They want the transmission to fail when it is out of warranty, and when the second/third owner have possession of the vehicle, it's a big scam.

http://volvo.custhelp.com/app/manuals/O ... /om_id/581

If the transmission fluid change ruined the transmission, it didn't have much life left on it anyways.

fgkinfusion0819 · Post by **fgkinfusion0819** » 18 Mar 2017, 10:58

Ok thanks guys, I will keep you updated.

fgkinfusion0819 · Post by **fgkinfusion0819** » 18 Mar 2017, 11:24

Also quick question. Will city driving or highway driving be easier on my transmission in the meantime after I get the fluid exchange? My commute to work is about 10 miles a day 4-5 days a week.

Post by **abscate** » 18 Mar 2017, 15:08

Heat and hills are your transmissions' enemies. Just drive it carefully during the drain and fill regimen - smooth and easy.

Post by **sleddriver** » 19 Mar 2017, 14:03

This will indeed be a painful & expensive lesson on buying a used car, particularly an older Volvo. Verifying fluid level, color and smell, on all fluids, is mandatory. Period. Perhaps at your age you didn't know better. Just don't ever make that mistake again. It's not wise to hand over any money for any used car, until you've done a complete visual inspection & had it looked over by a trusted shop, familiar with the model.

You'll save yourself much frustration and $$$ by following this simple rule.

fgkinfusion0819 · Post by **fgkinfusion0819** » 20 Mar 2017, 18:07

So I just got fluid exchange but unfortunately I wasn't able to take pictures of it. I've driven about 20 miles now and I haven't been driving enough to notice a difference yet. Am I in the clear or should I still expect transmission failure within the next few hundred miles?

Post by **abscate** » 20 Mar 2017, 18:41

Drive it sensibly , like you don't want to blow $2000 in a transmission. Do another drain and fill in a week or two of daily driving. YOu can drive a transmission that's got issues a long elect if you give it love

charleskennedy23 · Post by **charleskennedy23** » 20 Mar 2017, 19:35

You'll need to do at least three drain and fills. One per week for three weeks should be good. When you do a drain you only get about 50% of the old fluid out. So the point of the three drain and fills is to freshen up the fluid that is in the system. 1 drain and fill means that your fluid is 50% good and 50% bad. 2 drain and fills gets you 75% good and 25% bad. Three drain and fills gets you to 87.5% good and 12.5% bad. After the third drain and fill check the color of your transmission fluid (make sure you follow the procedure on how to check transmission fluid in your owner's manual... it's more complicated than simply pulling the stick out). If its a reddish color then you are good to go. If not do another drain and fill. You should definitely be there after 4 drain and fills.

after you get the fluid to be the right color, I'd recommend doing one drain and fill per year. That should keep the fluid fresh. You may need to do the drain and fill process again in a few years. Just pay attention to the color when you check it.

Full disclosure... I have a 98 V70 which is different than your car. So someone who has a car like yours may have different advice. Good luck! I hope this solves your transmission issues.