1998 V70- Should I change Transmission fluid?

jbarnett76 · Post by **jbarnett76** » 01 Jun 2010, 13:01

I've got a 1998 V70 with 144k that I bought 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure if the Trans has ever been serviced so I'm trying to be a proactive as possible. I've called the dealer and other shops around town and was quoted anywhere from $150-$350. I called another local shop and was advised NOT to change the fluid since the owners manual indicated to never change the fluid.

Has anyone heard of this? The Trans shifts a little hard out of Park and shifts hard from 1st to 2nd gear. Any thoughts?

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 01 Jun 2010, 13:12

Hi there, welcome to the forums!

"Flushing" your transmission at this point is a bad idea, the worst being with the "power flush" that many shops tend to do. You can, however, do some drain and fills to slowly replace fluid, with the goal of having a gentle transition to the new fluid.

Remove the drain plug and let it all drain out (you'll probably get about 3.5 quarts). Then fill up the same amount through the dipstick tube. Any good quality Dex III compatible fluid will do. For conventional, I'd recommend Castrol's Dex/Merc, and if you want to go synthetic, go with Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF, very good stuff. Doing one of these "drain and fills" replaces about 1/3 of the fluid. So do 3 or 4 of them, with some driving in between to get all the old stuff out.

There are also write-ups here on how to do a flush, but by using the power on the transmission and therefore reducing the risk of damage that power flushes can do.

Feels free to ask any questions you may have, many people here have a wealth of information concerning these topics!

Post by **cn90** » 01 Jun 2010, 14:25

Do NOT use the power flush.

What I did was:
- I use Mobil ATF (Synthetic). You will need about 10 qts.
- Disconnect Upper Cooler Hose, run engine and drain through it (run engine until bubbles come out).

1- Add 3qts through dipstick. Repeat draining through upper cooler line.
2- Add 3qts through dipstick. Repeat draining through upper cooler line.
3- Add 3qts through dipstick. Repeat draining through upper cooler line.

1. See this DIY by IPD-USA:
http://www.ipdusa.com/uploads/sku_files/7945_INST.PDF

2. After completed, place a screw-type clamp around the factory clip holding the cooler line. This clip has a tendency to come out with time. NOTE the smaller end of the clip faces the radiator.

JFR · Post by **JFR** » 01 Jun 2010, 14:47

Ok I have 2 Volvos 1 has 160 Thousand Miles & the other 304,000 Miles.
I did change regularly the trans fluid on both every 50-60 k I just flushed out old and put in new. About 10 Quarts. I had to use a garage with special almost Dialysis machine.
If you dont feel comfortable, have your local garage, just drain as much as he can out of front end of trans box cooler and replace the drained portion. may only be a few qts but it will help Happy Motoring!!

adjulius · Post by **adjulius** » 01 Jun 2010, 15:38

Definitely agree with the drain-and-fill procedure as opposed to a shop power-flush. I have no data to prove those machines cause evil, but I don't trust them blasting fluid at unknown pressures along with tiny bits of shredded metal into my transmission.

I will say that a fluid change (i.e. multiple partial fluid changes) at a somewhat regular interval is very important, as Volvo chose not to include a transmission filter on our cars... I change mine every 25k miles. Just to deny the dealership the pleasure of charging me multiple thousands of dollars for a new transmission, I installed a remote filter in the transmission oil cooler return line (mounted below the battery tray). It's a remote mount with a spin on filter (it has a bypass valve in case it clogs). I tested the return line pressure before and after installing the filter (both in front and behind filter) and saw no significant change in pressures. Although the fluid was fresh at the time (~2k miles on it), I noticed a gradual improvement in shift quality over about 500 miles. Slightly sharper and faster shifts between gears and marginally better fuel economy on the highway (roughly 1mpg). Haven't experienced any adverse effects to date. I can try to upload a pic of the filter later if anyone is curious to see.

One last tip that I think helps when changing fluid - drive the car around so the transmission fluid gets nice and hot before you drain it. Stirs up the grime from the pan to help get it out. Let us know if you run into any trouble.

Post by **matthew1** » 01 Jun 2010, 15:50

Here's a transmission filter installation tutorial for a Volvo S60. Should be somewhat similar to any Volvo inline-5 car.

adjulius · Post by **adjulius** » 01 Jun 2010, 17:13

Ah the Magnefine! Amazing invention. I almost spliced this into my transmission line but decided to go with the spin-on filter instead (simply for ease of replacement and additional fluid capacity). I did however put a Magnefine in the power steering return line just before the reservoir (after changing the fluid, which was a lovely shade of molasses). But I imagine the Magnefine would be perfectly fine in the transmission line. It does have a bypass valve in case it gets clogged. Below are a few pics of the filters in my car.

: Transmission filter; trans filter.jpg (178.04 KiB) Viewed 16798 times

: Power steering filter; PS filter.jpg (162.28 KiB) Viewed 16798 times

You definitely don't have to worry about filters. The gradual changing of transmission fluid is the key. Personally I always go with Castrol DexIII and am very happy with the results. The filter is simply if you are obsessive like me.

jbarnett76 · Post by **jbarnett76** » 01 Jun 2010, 17:48

Thanks for all the advice, I am thinking of going with the ATF hose kit IPD has
http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S70V70-1998 ... -813-1051/

Has anyone had any luck with this Or would it be better to utilize the drain plug? I just don't want to get into a situation where I'm replacing the tranny. The fluid is still red and doesn't smell burnt but as I said earlier, just trying to be proactive.

Post by **j_cd** » 01 Jun 2010, 19:40

I've done a couple drain and fills with the Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF. It actually says Volvo on the back of the bottle and is a Dexron III fluid as specified for 1998 S/V70. Just get 4 quarts and a 24 mm 1/2" socket with 5-6" extension OR a 15/16" wrench or box wrench. The transmission drain plug is an aluminum bolt and it's easily chewed up. Drain the pan, refill with same amount through dipstick tube, drive for 500 miles or so, do it again, etc...

WIth that many miles I wouldn't bother with the IPD kit at this time. If after at least 2-3 drain and fills there is no problem, then maybe you could flush it. I'm thinking that if it already has slight problems though, flushing may only make it worse.

Post by **jblackburn** » 01 Jun 2010, 20:49

WIth that many miles I wouldn't bother with the IPD kit at this time. If after at least 2-3 drain and fills there is no problem, then maybe you could flush it. I'm thinking that if it already has slight problems though, flushing may only make it worse.

I agree. And when it is time for that, just buy some transmission line at the auto parts store; no need for the kit.