01Volvo V70 XC Transmission fluid fluctuates

Penny0322 · Post by **Penny0322** » 29 Jun 2014, 12:13

I have a 01 Volvo V70 XC...I have slowly changed the transmission fluid with Mobil 3309. But, when I drive the car for 20-30 minutes, shift into each gear for 3 seconds, what 3 minutes and check the transmission fluid. I checked it many times and each reading was so different? Sometimes in the cold and sometimes over the hot and sometimes it reads perfect? Why??? I am afraid that I have either over filled or under filled, but I can't tell?
Also, My volvo shifts perfect until it heats up? I was wondering if an after market transmission cooler would help? Like most of these cars it shifts badly from 2nd to third.

benrk · Post by **benrk** » 30 Jun 2014, 09:16

I'm not sure I understand what you're doing, are you checking with the car in P or in a manually selected gear? If it was in gear, there could be different amounts of oil in different gears still somewhere in the transmission, if it's in P it should read the same. Nevertheless, if it was gunked up with old fluid, it will take some time & driving until the deposits are loosened & flushed out, keep doing drain & fills once in a while to remove the old dirt.
I did some drain & fills last fall & only noticed a little bit of an initial improvement & no changes throughout the winter, now that it's warmer & I'm not going to work through town but run highway around the bypass, I feel the transmission slowly improves & the fluid is getting dirtier again.

Have you checked if your car falls in the range of serial #'s for the B4 servo cover update?

Post by **JDS60R** » 30 Jun 2014, 09:51

In the past, others who have reported a similar issue were not checking the same side of the diptsick each time it was removed, or checked it within 10 minutes of adding fluid. Check it with the car off and settled for at least 30 minutes. You will know that it will not be higher than that for sure.

Once started the physical properties of the fluid allow it to expand and the fluid will take up more room in a heated state vs its cold state. Thus the cold range and the hot range ( same amount of fluid to start but larger in a heated state). You want to read the top side of the dipstick. It curves into the trans and sits somewhat angled downward. The level on the bottom (surface facing bottom of trans) will read higher than the top. If those were mixed up it could be confusing.

Noobyitis. Dipsticks once removed should be held with the fluid reading end pointed down. Some noobies will hold it up to see it better and the fluid will drip up the stick showing a higher reading.

I am not saying any of this is your issue but it has happened to others.

Penny0322 · Post by **Penny0322** » 11 Oct 2014, 07:00

I drive it for 30 minutes and then sift through the gears for 3 seconds each. Put in park and wait 3 minutes and always get a different reading. I will let it sit for 30 minutes and see the reading that I get?
I will also keep draining the trans fluid and replacing it. But, I still wonder why I only have sift issues from 2nd to 3rd and only when it heats up?
And, I wonder if the trans cooler that came on my 01, needs to be cleaned and the radiator flushed? Can the trans cooler on these be cleaned?
I just bought the car a few months ago and it looks like the transmission as been rebuilt and the servo cover looks new.
I am finding many posts about my car, but nothing about an after market trans cooler or replacing, or cleaning the one on the side of the radiator? Do you know?
Thank you!

Post by **oragex** » 11 Oct 2014, 17:18

Measuring the fluid is quite fiddling. Make sure the transmission is fully warmed. Than can vary. I would measure it better in hot summer days after a good hour of city driving. That way you are sure the fluid is at 80C. There's not need to shift the transmission before the reading, just let it on P with the engine idling, the car on perfect horizontal surface.

When you look at the oil on the dipstick be sure to look for an area with 'thick' fluid on it, not just smearing.

As for the 2nd-3rd shifting, if the servo cover is good, it must be the solenoids, especially if it happens when the transmission is warm (the solenoids are covered with deposits and as the metal dilates with heat, they get more and more stuck). Before going to replace them, refresh the transmission oil - you can use the Valvoline max life transmission oil, some users say it might get better results as it is 'fully' synthetic - and have the transmission software reset to new fluid.

Penny0322 · Post by **Penny0322** » 13 Oct 2014, 12:50

Thanks guys for your kind and patient responses!
I just ordered another case of Mobile 3309 yesterday, darn, because I would rather use synthetic!
I have researched this 2nd to 3rd shifting problem on-line, until I want to cry! Is the servo cover good? I don't know? Is there an easy way to find out or do I need to just replace it? If so, can you recommend a web site on how to do this? I am a woman, not a mechanic and have a complete distrust of mechanics, especially dealerships! But, I put an engine mount and a transmission mount on this XC, and I am determined to fix it myself or die trying...

Penny0322 · Post by **Penny0322** » 13 Oct 2014, 12:54

Oh and one more question? Do I have to take my XC to a mechanic to up date the software, after I re-do the trans fluid a couple of more times and replace the new servo cover?
Again, thank you all!!!

Penny0322 · Post by **Penny0322** » 13 Oct 2014, 13:14

Gosh, another question?
Should I add seafoam between trans fluid changes? Thank you!

nickbw898 · Post by **nickbw898** » 14 Oct 2014, 09:21

You need to reset the fluid counter via Vida after changing/adding to fluid. So either contact a nearby member who has Dice/Vida or visit a dealer who will probably charge and not be very helpful. Have you got an additional trans fluid cooler (as well as the in-radiator cooler)if so check it is fitted after the factory cooler-output from internal is input to external and output from that returns to the auto box. Several of us have this setup and it is very good. FWIW I find if I leave the car to cool right down on level ground and then (some hours later) check the auto dip stick cold side, engine off, then the fluid level is dead on cold minimum mark. If I run the engine until Vida/Dice shows gearbox temp is correct for taking a fluid level reading (engine running and gears having been moved through P,D,4,3,2,1> P, pausing for two seconds in each position,then the fluid reads dead on the hot reading for the cold side of dipstick.

Post by **regent** » 14 Oct 2014, 09:39

Penny0322 wrote:Gosh, another question?
Should I add seafoam between trans fluid changes? Thank you!

Negative.
I would refrain from using seafoam in this application. On a teenage car, you would want to change the trans. fluid by the 'drain and fill method' only, so a portion of the old fluid (with some seafoam) will still be left inside.

As for VIDA: yes, you need to have the car read to verify if the TCM has the latest firmware version, and if it does not, then the upgrade can be done by and independent shop that has a subscription