I have just purchased a 2003 C70 for my son with 99k miles on it and I am planning on doing a transmission fluid change. I own a VW Eurovan, VW Tiguan and Audi A6 and have done the changes on these vehicles. I understand that the procedure for changing the fluid is completely different but it leads me to wonder if some of the precautions done on the VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) cars might not be considered for the Volvo.

It seems that Volvo does not have a transmission filter and that the transmission drain plug has a magnetic end on it to collect any metal fragments. When a transmission service is done on the VAG cars one needs to drop the trans. pan in order to replace the filter and clean the magnets that collect the debris ( 5 to 6 or one large one depending on the model). It is recommended not to flush the system due to the fact that any debris would be pushed through the valve body and possibly clog it up.

I have watched a few videos on the Volvo transmission fluid change (flush method) and noticed that the drain plug was not removed and cleaned during this process. I am wondering if this would not be wise to do prior to doing the flush since there should be some debris collected after nearly 100k mi. ? To take it even a step further, would removing and cleaning the pan be a good idea as well ? If so, does anyone have an idea of how much fluid would drain if one removed the pan ? I know with the VAG cars usually 2-3 liters will drain out. Maybe the VAG transmissions as more sensitive although some are made by the same manufacturer.

Thanks, Jeff

 

My independent Volvo tech shop owner says no need to replace trans filter. You can remove the trans plug and clean and remove trans pan and drain fluid. , my 98 coupe, 2.3 turbo, auto has 55k miles on it. I had trans fluid replace @ 50k. Follow youtube video on replacing ATF fluid.

 

Dropping the pan is not necessary

 

there are two ways to swap out the fluid - you can do a complete flush by opening the transmission cooler lines and let the transmission pump out one line and pull in the other (should be some Youtube vids on this and you can probably find a "kit" (ie two buckets and a hose?) online. The second option is the drain and fill via the plug. I had my dealer do the flush at 100K miles on my 95 850T and I'm 200K+ without a worry. One suggestion is to look at the color of the fluid - but the decision is counter intuitive - if the fluid is still reddish brown, you are not likely to have any sediment so do the full flush. If its darker brown go for the drain and fill which gets about 40% of the volume and see how it behaves then do another round. If its black, you probably already have some damage from the clutches and valves (not likely at 100K miles) but this is where the stories about fluid changes "ruining my transmission" come from. My only word of advise is to check your owners manual and use the exact spec for your model (ie if it says Dextron/Mercon III use that, if it says 3309 then that's the product. I'd avoid cheap or non-exact matches as the transmission is designed for the specific weight and viscosity of a given fluid type.