http://www.amaliestore.com/proddetai...d=160-72866-56

spec sheet shows it meets 3309 spec, as well as many others. If you use volvo's version or amsoil universal ATF or mobil 3309 (the only others that i know of that are acceptable), then this is a way better deal. you gotta buy 12 qts (right amt for a flush) but it ends up being $4.79 a quart.

amsoil universal atf is like 8-9 bucks a quart, i think mobil 3309 is too. this is definitely a better deal. personally i would not hesitate to use this ATF either.

 

umm ok i missed something, at the bottom of the spec sheet the company basically states they don't stand behind their product. maybe this is too good to be true, or maybe not i don't know anymore...

 

Mobil 3309 ATF definitely meets Volvo spec.......you can get it very cheaply AV Lube on sale right now for $55.02 for 12 QT case ($4.58/QT) http://www.avlube.com/mobilatf3309.html

 

Too bad it's almost $30 to ship it! Looks like I'll just go by the Toyota Dealer and save the shipping.

Jerry

 

I haven't ordered anything from them yet so didn't realize the shipping costs were so high...........using the Toyota Dealer brand sounds like the best approach compared to the prices at the local Volvo Dealer Parts Dept even with the "high mileage Volvo" 15% discount they give me.

 

the shipping on the stuff i listed is supposedly free, however as i stated above i cannot verify its compatibility. maybe someone else can?

ok, and what's the toyota ATF you speak of? is it meant for aisin-warner transmissions? cause if it just passes the type T/IV spec and works, there are tons of options other than these.

 

Seems the quest for compatible transmission fluid never ends. I've read on several other forums that the Toyota brand type IV is the same as the Mobile 3309, which is supposedly EXACTLY the same as the Volvo dealer sells. Tonight I was at Wal-Mart, and noticed a Castrol product labeled something like All Import Transmission Fluid. It stated it was compliant with Toyota Type IV, but NOT for Volvo 5 speeds! I've read that the Toyota transmissions were the same manufacture as the Volvo. I am now so confused I think I'll only use Mobil 3309, which I have been using for the last 50K miles. I apologize to all if all I've done is confuse the issue, which I'm sure I've done.

Jerry

 

I have seen that, too. I've also seen other ATF bottles that mention Type T/IV compatibility, and they don't say not to use it in a Volvo 5-speed AT. I believe one example was Castrol Universal ATF or maybe it was Mobil 1. I think it's not just price, it's availability that makes this difficult. My trans has Amsoil Universal ATF in it now which works great (it specifies 3309 compatibility), however it's not that easy to find either. There must be a widely-marketed fluid out there that is AW55 compatible.

 

Halcyon419, I ended up taking the offer mcleantmw posted (AV Lube). I've bought from them prior, and the price is still reasonable (especially when compared to the dealer). I currently have 96K miles, but plan to change at 100K, and then 33K miles there after. Probably a bit too much, but even this looks cheap if I neve have tranny problems. Still I consider myself "low mile", but sure don't want to pay for a new transmission!

Jerry

 

I don't blame you at all. I change my ATF about every 30k, doing a flush every other time. These transmissions are really good if maintained. Its unfortunate so many people never changed their fluid b/c of Volvo's recommendations. Got 138k miles on mine and it still shifts great. I guess since I no longer have an Amsoil rep in town, I'll probably go for that same offer you did. ***bookmarks website***

 

How do you "flush" your transmission.......take it to a Volvo repair shop?

 

nah my father has a shop and a flush machine.

you can also change the 4 quarts that will come out by draining it/fill with new, and drive it several miles. do that 2-3 times and the fluid looks brand new also.

 

Okay, I now recall reading doing that type process on another posting some weeks ago......probably the lengthy thread on transmission fluids.
Thanks

 

halcyon419,

I think the universal ATF you saw was a Mobile product. I 1st noted this at our local Air Base BX, about a month ago and figured I had found a reasonably priced (about $6.00) and readily available source. I posted the info on a different web sight and was questioning how a single fluid could meet so many different specifications? A member then replied that the manufacture then has to pay for each test, and most don't pay for that many as they are usually targeting a specific buyer. Another member there then replied that the viscosity for the Universal ATF was significantly lower than the Mobile 3309. I'm not sure where he got the info, but I think off the Mobile sight. However the can did state it met the JS3309 specification.

Jerry

 

glad you mentioned that because i found something else out about this...

Amsoil Universal ATF IS compatible, as may be the one originally listed in the first post of this thread, and likely several others also. The reason? Well, that's what I have been researching.

Take Dexron III for example. It is a NON friction-modified ATF. That means it provides less slippage. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a 3309 or Toyota Type T/IV-spec'd ATF, which is a HIGHLY friction-modified ATF. My question was "how can a Universal ATF be compatible with both of these?" Well, the reason is that the Universal ATF does contain the required friction-modifiers, and a transmission requiring Dexron III is not picky about this. As you may know, Dexron III is one of the most widely-acceptable ATF types. That is why the Universal ATF's are backwards-compatible with Dexron III, but Dexron III is NOT forward-compatible with a transmission requiring a highly friction-modified ATF. Mobil 3309 is simply a Dexron III with added friction-modifiers.

Also, I have found that Toyota Type T/IV ATF, available at any Toyota dealership, is EXACTLY the same thing as Volvo's AW55 ATF and Mobil 3309. And the Toyota-branded bottle is $4-5 a quart and there are Toyota dealerships just about everywhere. BTW Toyota uses Aisin-Warner transmissions in many of their vehicles, and this ATF is for that application.

So in retrospect, there is no reason to order any of these. Just go to a Toyota dealer and spend a fraction of the cost on the same thing. That's what I'm gonna do...

 

Wonder how Toyota can sell the 3309-spec'd ATF so cheaply compared to Volvo's brand (maybe a no brainer....everything with a Volvo name on it is 4 times more costly) but even Mobil's 3309? I thought Mobil made the ATF for these auto brands? Something seems amiss, maybe quality, especially when I think of the adage "you get what you pay for"? Or are we just getting ripped off?

 

well, on that website that sells Mobil 3309 it comes out to $4.59/qt if you buy 12 quarts. I think the Toyota fluid may be slightly more, but a negligible amount (50 cents to a dollar). So yeah, I'd say Volvo is overcharging. Nothing new, though...

 

FYI.....here's a copy of my posting this morning on the S60 Vehicle section responding to a question about the Transmission Fluid.......the 2001 V70 and newer models and S60 have the same engines and auto trannys:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nataku
I read through the whole discussion and have one question:

How do I tell if I have the Aisin Warner transmission? I have a '01 S60 T5 with the geartronic.

I have a Toyota dealership right down the road so if the T-IV is the way to go for mine, I'll go grab a case of 12 qts and drain/fill this weekend.

Also, I had a Saab prior to this and for Saabs a flush was not recommended as there was no trans. filter to catch any loosened grime. Are flushes alright for my car?

Someone else can confirm this, but I've read that all the S60 auto transmissions are the Aisin-Warner manufacture and those require the JWS 3309 spec'd fluid, either the Volvo brand stuff (very expensive) or the Mobil 3309 (not the Mobil Synthetic). Below is a copy of a 2005 Volvo Technet Note 40-04 about fluids for transmissions which I copied from a posting on the SwedeSpeed Volvo Forum about these Volvo trannys. Also mentioned on that thread on SwedeSpeed is that the Castrol Transmax J is spec'd JWS3309 for the Aisin-Warner trans but I haven't confirmed that claim. I had my 2001 V70 trans, which is the same Aisin-Warner, recently and I bought the Volvo stuff before I found out about the Mobil 3309 product. I wouldn't have anyone do a "flush" with special equipment like at the Dealer or Trans Shop if the vehicle has lots of miles on it like mine (115,000) and you haven't done frequent drains/flushes in the past.......safest approach without overstressing the internal trans system is to just drain and refill 2-3 times as others have outlined on this Forum. Bottomline: You must only use a trans fluid that meets the JSW 3309 Spec for the Aisin-Warner tranny.
NO: 40-04
DATE: 10-13-2005
MODEL/YEAR: All Models
SUBJECT: Transmission and AWD Lubricants
REFERENCE: Owners Manual and VIDA
Application Note Part Number
• 5 and 6 Speed Automatic Transmissions
-AW55
-TF80-SC
This fluid is also recommended to address two
complaints on the AW 50-42:
•Harsh Lock-Up engagement/disengagement
(SB 43-0029)
•Squeaking noise during low speed turns
(TNN 43-11)
JWS 3309
The only oil approved for the 5 and 6
speed automatic transmissions is JWS
3309. None of the other fluids available
on the market have been evaluated by
Volvo to meet the requirements of
these specific transmissions regarding:
• Shift quality
• Slipping lock-up functionality
• Transmission durability
1161540 (1 liter)
1161640 (4 liter)