Transmission changes over the years 2003-2006 XC 90

[mecheng]

My friend is looking at XC90s first gen, I told him stick with the 2.5L 2003-2006 but I was wondering if there were transmission updates from 2003-2006? I know they had issues in the 2001-2002 S60s.
Also, while on the same topic, was there engine improvements on the 2.5L from 2003-2006?

I told him to stay away from the T6 turbo due to the failure prone transmission and mentioned the 3.2L from 2007 onward is fairly reliable but I wasn't sure about the transmission. Does anybody know.

He got caught up with what he read in CR, but I told him, the 2.9L issues are skewing the results.

thanks in advance...

[oragex]

I believe the solenoids in the AW55-50 were upgraded somewhere in the mid-2006. They were prone to getting stuck in 2001-mid2006 when the fluid wasn't changed. After mid 2006 the solenoids work better when the fluid is never changed.

About the same moment the AWD bevel gear was also upgraded and should not fail as in the 2001-mid2006 models.

[mecheng]

I believe the solenoids in the AW55-50 were upgraded somewhere in the mid-2006. They were prone to getting stuck in 2001-mid2006 when the fluid wasn't changed. After mid 2006 the solenoids work better when the fluid is never changed.

About the same moment the AWD bevel gear was also upgraded and should not fail as in the 2001-mid2006 models.

Wasn't the AW55-50 only used with the 2.5L T and that engine was phased out in 2006 so you are saying that only 1/2 of 2006 2.5L T models will have trouble free transmissions?

What trans was used in the 3.2L? Was it reliable?

[jimmy57]

2003-2006 5 cyl XC90 have few trans issues. ALL AW 5 and 6 speeds and any other brand transmissions with linear solenoids, which is almost all of them, will have some issues with solenoids if fluid service is needed and not done. "needed" means it is driven in city a lot with lots of shifts and driving at 35-45 mph. AT those speeds the slipping controlled torque converter clutch business is tough on fluid.

[mrbrian200]

What trans was used in the 3.2L? Was it reliable?

TF80-SC, made by Aisin AW. Same manufacturer of the AW 55-50SN transmission used on the earlier 5 cyl Volvos. It is a different animal than the AW55-50SN, however.

For example, I think it's generally accepted the trans fluid be changed on the 55-50SN roughly every 80-100k miles. On the TF80-SC the fluid change interval is every 30k miles.
I think the TF80 is considered a very good transmission if -and only if- you keep the fluid changed on schedule. You'll want to ask questions and be prepared to walk away from vehicles without service records.
This would apply to any vehicle that uses the TF8 series transmissions. It's a long list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWTF-80_SC
An aunt of mine owned a Ford Five Hundred that had a TF80-SC. She bought the car 3 years old around 2008 with around 30k miles on it and never changed the trans fluid that I'm aware of. The trans failed catastrophic at right around 100,000 miles. She had a new trans put in it at the Ford dealer to the tune of around $6k.

[mecheng]

What trans was used in the 3.2L? Was it reliable?

TF80-SC, made by Aisin AW. Same manufacturer of the AW 55-50SN transmission used on the earlier 5 cyl Volvos. It is a different animal than the AW55-50SN, however.

For example, I think it's generally accepted the trans fluid be changed on the 55-50SN roughly every 80-100k miles. On the TF80-SC the fluid change interval is every 30k miles.
I think the TF80 is considered a very good transmission if -and only if- you keep the fluid changed on schedule. You'll want to ask questions and be prepared to walk away from vehicles without service records.
This would apply to any vehicle that uses the TF8 series transmissions. It's a long list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWTF-80_SC
An aunt of mine owned a Ford Five Hundred that had a TF80-SC. She bought the car 3 years old around 2008 with around 30k miles on it and never changed the trans fluid that I'm aware of. The trans failed catastrophic at right around 100,000 miles. She had a new trans put in it at the Ford dealer to the tune of around $6k.

Wow, I didn't know there was issues with the 3.2L trans as well. I don't know many people that would change the transmission fluid within the first 100,000km. I got my 98 S70 T5 with 220,000km and it had the original trans fluid; it shifts excellent.

So the 2.5L engine didn't see improvements from 2003-2006 correct?

Thanks for all the responses!

[ggleavitt]

The TF-80SC with serial number under 06J has had reported valve body issues (see http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread ... umber-Info for details). I'm personally not aware of many AW5x issues and nothing specific to serial number or year range. I have both transmissions in my cars, the TF-80SC being a 07x serial number so "should" not be any "latent" valve body issues.

I change the transmission fluid in both my cars at around 70k (60-80, whenever I can remember it) and use either Toyota T-IV or Mobil 3309, both very reasonable in price and something that has been used by many people over many years in the Aisin-Warner transmissions instead of the higher cost Volvo fluid.

Not aware of any significant 2.5T engine changes from 2003 to 2007 when the engine was offered with the XC90 in the US (2.5T remained an option for the International market until production stopped, may still be offered in the Chinese-only XC90 classic). I "think" there was a change in engine module codes at some point in 2004, at least that’s what it looks like in VIDA, so maybe there was a change of sorts to the engine but not much that I could ever find (oil trap port on block, PCV hose that was plastic then rubber, etc.).

[mrbrian200]

My aunts car was shifting hard for some time and she kept driving it. This is what my cousins told me. I only drove the vehicle once or twice not too long after she bought it and it was fine at the time. When shift quality begins to degrade most of us would look in to it, possibly catch on that other OEs (SAAB, specifically) recommended every 30,000 miles on these boxes and change it before any real damage occurs. Aunt wasn't the proactive type when it came to her cars.
Ford says every 150k. Volvo says never unless you're towing (or the DIM displays an ominous 'service trans' message).
Interesting.
According to the SAAB crowd the TF80-SC is a good long lasting trans if you change the fluid once in awhile: more often than you might expect.
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showt ... p?t=270945
If you want the trans to last virtually forever, you change the fluid every 30,000. Like the VW sealed transmissions with their 'lifetime' fluid, no the fluid doesn't last forever. I'm not sure OEs consider the lifetime of a vehicle to be much past 2 or 3x the new vehicle powertrain warranty.

This is different from the GM made trans that was in the T6s which are known to croak around 100,000 miles no matter what you do, fluid changed or not.

[precopster]

I almost got the hiccups out of our 2006 XC90 2.5T with a fluid change of approximately 12 litres. It has 175,000kms now and was purchased at 170,000kms.

I've never heard or read about a mid 2006 improvement as solenoids were already upgraded in 2003 for all the AW55-50SNs.

Only jerks a bit now when hot so there is obviously a little damage from not having a fluid change all its life. I'm going to drop another 3.5 litres soon and see if it smooths out when hot.

The TF-80SC is used in the 2007 D5, all V8s and the 3.2L probably with varying final drive ratios depending on the engine.

[sfkd90]

I have my XC90 2007 with 213k miles. I bought the car new. No issues. Never changed the transmission oil.