Just got the car, 2004 S60 with 87k on it, should I do drain and fill on the tranny? Not sure when the first drain is recommended.
And if so can you guys recommend a transmission fluid?

 

I would if I were you. If you do a drain and fill, know that you are only replacing a portion of the fluid. So its best to either do a drain and fill and repeat every so often or do a flush and be done with it.

Most people start having issues when it has never been replaced or when they wait too long before doing the first one. People that have stayed on top of it haven't had problems.

There is a thread pinned near the top of the S60 Forum dedicated to the topic of transmission fluid. The consensus is that Mobil 3309 is the fluid to use if you do it yourself.

 

Replace the trans fluid and use the volvo trans fluid. Drain and fill should take about 2.75qrts, iirc

 

Mobil 3309, thanks. Just saw the thread too, should've looked first I guess!

 

Read through the entire tranny fluid thread and have 1 question. Is it okay for me to just flush it gradually instead of doin the drain and fill 3 times at once?
On a tight budget right now and had to order the mobil 3309 online so don't want to just use it all up at once. Am I wasting it by doin 1 drain/fill every oil change or should I just eat the $$ and do the flush procedure?
Also, seems like they're out of stock on the 20 buck flush kit from idp....can someone verify this?

 

Either method is better than nothing at all.

You can skip the flush kit and save your money if you plan on doing the drain and fill. It's much easier to do a d&f vs a flush IMO because you only need to remove the drain plug and let it drain.

The one thing you might need is a funnel with a narrow tube, since you need to use the dipstick tube to add fluid.

 

I'd do the flush all at once. I didn’t buy a flush kit, and would just get some 1/2 clear plastic tubing at Home Depot. Long enough to connect to the upper driver side (US model) of the radiator where the coolant line comes from the radiator to return to the radiator, to a gallon jug you can see from the driver's seat.

Remove the return hose at the radiator by squeezing the clip and pulling, insert the clear hose. I had to wrap a little duct tape to get a sung fit. Have the gallon container marked with a line at the 2 quart level. I used a clear milk container that I had carefully measured previously. Start the car, and drain until 2 quarts comes out. Stop and add 2 new quarts through the dipstick tube for the tranny. Repeat until the fluid is pink. Took mine exactly the 12 quart case, but I've done mine on a regular schedule.

If you try to drag this out the fresh you add gets more and more diluted over time, and thus you'll never accomplish what you are trying to accomplish.

Jerry

 

Got the vehicle history from Volvo and it has never had the tranny fluid changed....obviously since Volvo says to never change it which is weird. But anyways, it has had all the normal servicing done there and had one software update for the transmission.
Now I'm scared to do the flush procedure since I don't wanna shock the transmission after 87k of the same fluid.....unless the previous owner did a change on the side which I don't know about. The fluid is brown but not black. Maybe the simple drain and fill is my best route to work in the new fluid slowly. I really want to do the flush but I can't afford any mishaps.....I'm a fulltime college student so I'm broke. What are the chances of the flush having a negative effect? I read in the other tranny fluid thread that sometimes old trans oil and grime will actually benefit the transmission and doing a flush can be more harm than good.