taking the plunge into ATF

[fazool]

The partial drain and fill was so easy I did it to my older 2001 S60. This one is a FWD and the fill tube was a little less accessible but just a tiny bit.

I also lifted just the front. When I did my other car I lifted the whole car evenly (I like easy access). For this one I just lifted the front a little. Maybe it was the tilt or something but this one drained 5Qt instead of 3.5

The 2007 plug was not magnetic, nor was the new OEM replacement. The 2001 plug WAS magnetic and was holding a little fuzz on it. The fluid was silky smooth and smelled unburnt. It was very brown, though. Then again the car has 144K on it so it wasnt bad.

[regent]

Good job!
Did you notice some improvement in performance with the fresh fluid?

At 144K it is a nice idea to reset the fluid counter. As for the 1/4 turn rule of thumb - yes it works to a certain extent. VIDA calls for 40Nm torque on the plug, just enough to crush the Aluminum washer. (I do not have the 'feel' and that's why I always use torque wrenches.)

I do the drain with the front wheels on ramps only, and mine drains about 3.25 to 3.5 quarts. As far as the drain and refill quantity - I have a small postal scale and I can refill exactly as many ounces as I have drained.

[fazool]

Actually, the 2007 exhibited a noticeably improved shifting performance. The 2001 made a little difference but not as much of an improvement as the newer car.

BTW how do you reset the fluid counter?

[Checksix]

I use the pump 2 quarts and fill 2 quarts method. I found a transmission return line at the pick and pull, and cut it so it had about 6" of the rubber tubing. A trip to Home Depot found a clear vinyl tube that fit over this perfectly. Pop out your return line by squeezing the 2 tabs on the upper line exiting the radiator, and insert the salvaged line with vinyl extension into a 1 gallon milk jug. I had previously measured 2 quarts of water and drew a line with a sharpie on this jug. Start the car and let it pump out 2 quarts (have enough of tubing so the jub can be seen while in the car). Use a funnel to replace 2 quarts through the dip stick. I did this for 12 quarts, and by the end my fluid was bright red and transparent. There is no need to pull the funnel between drain and fills, no need to jack up the car, and no worry bout stripping the drain bolt threads! Doesn't get any easier than this! BTW I use the Toyota type IV fluid as it is very easy to get.

Jerry

[regent]

Fluid Counter Reset is done with VIDA DiCE.
Sorry for the long response time.

[Checksix]

"At 144K it is a nice idea to reset the fluid counter." What is a fluid counter, how does it count, and what is it counting, what does it do when it reaches a certain number?

Jerry

[regent]

The 'fluid counter' is a piece of code that monitors the amount of 'wear' on the fluid. It basically integrates the number of events multiplied by their duration (for how long) a certain temperature threshold has been exceeded, and will declare a fault when the accumulated value reaches the target value. The DIM will then display the “Transmission Service Required’ message.

The purpose of resetting the counter is to tell the computer ‘Hey, there is fresh fluid in there, so start counting again from zero’, or else it would continue ‘counting’ and would ‘decide’ that the fluid has deteriorated sooner than it actually has. The resulting 'TSR' message on DIM will then be a ‘false positive’.

[igel513]

Thanks for that info, regent. Now there's another maintenance item we have to do on our cars.
So the fluid counter is just for the ATF right?

[regent]

Yes, and yes, one more thing on the 'to do list', but it just adds to the fun of owning and maintaining this beauty.
After all, everyone would agree that Volvo is not just one of the makes out there, but primarily it is a way of thinking, yes?

[Checksix]

I 2nd the thanks to regent for the great informative post on the transmission fluid counter.

Jerry