Hi everyone. I have searched this forum for about an hour and I see bits and pieces of info on this subject but hope we can get a complete answer to these questions for a 2001 S80 T6 Tranny Fuild Flush / Change

1) What milage do we need to do it?
2) What type of fluid is best?
3) How much fluid do we need to buy
4) Where is a good place to buy a kit to replace all the seals etc. if we are dropping the pan?
5) I assume there is NO filter is this correct?

Thanks I have 76000 on mine and feel I should at least drop the pan and drain it...

Gregg

 

1) Volvo doesn't disclose a recommended mileage, but I got one of their tech's to give me "about every 100,000 miles." In general that's a good rule of thumb. I had the dealership do mine at 62,000 for the hell of it. A $150.00 transmission flush islot cheaper than repairing or replacing a transmission.

2) I know that they have a recommended type. Since you have the turbo they run synthetic tranny oil straight out of the factory. Be sure to use synthetic if you choose to do this on your own. I would just call up the dealership and ask them for the brand and type they use.

5) If my memory serves me right they did change a filter when they did this, but I may be remembering wrong. One of the mechanics on the forums will be able to tell you.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

I change my trans fluid (flush) by the dealer every two years irrespective of the mileage. On my 02 c70 I have but 50,000 miles. The same holds true for the coolant..............every two years. I flush the brake fluid (ATE super blue) every year. I do not feel that theses changes are excessive as the cost is minimal when contrasted to "replacement". Admittedly, I have kept this auto longer than any other I have owned as the style of the c70, to me, is extroardinary and I hope to keep it for many years to come. Lastly, I changed the timing and accessory belt this year which is earlier than what Volvo calls for.

r.

 

If changing it that often works for you than more power to ya! It certainly won't hurt your vehicle that's for sure. The timing belt is something I have coming up at some point, I get the car inspected about every 6 months to a year and let them tell me what needs to be done.

 

I was on the phone with the Volvo delearship, a local Volvo independant shop, e-mails from Redline, Amsoil, Purple, etc. and I get no common answer as to what type of fluid is in my tranny. Volvo and the local shop are saying NON-Synthetic but I have also heard from some on this board that it is SYNTHETIC. Very confusing and I am a little frustrated as I don't want to go wrong with a simple task like this.

Can anyone help me with a Volvo reference to what type of tranny fluid is in my T6?

Sorry to be a bother but I am an aircraft mechanic and also seem to have OCD,,,

Thanks Gregg

 

If you can figure out what you have in your car right now for tranny oil, stick with that. If you don't know than I would go with synthetic just to make sure that you've got all your bases covered. If you go from synthetic oil to standard, it can cause issues. I would just run synthetic and be done with it.

 

I agree but also can not understand why this is so hard to figure out. Thanks Gregg

 

Hi Gregg,

I distantly remember there was once a heated debate whether the factory transmission fluid was synthetic or non-synthetic, and the answer was non-synthetic. Even the dealer techniciansseem to have beenmisinformed by the manufacturer. I personally do not know what kind of benefits you can get by using synthetic fluid (less gunk forming,wider temp range limits, more stable operations?). In the case of engine oil, however, synthetic does perform better as compared to regular oil, especially for turboed engines. Using regular engine oil does not harm anything though, as long as the oil & filter get changed on a regular basis. Synthetic oil is most effective under extreme pressure & temperature conditions, which is suitable for turbochargers (turbine (jet) engine oils are all full-synthetic as we both know; MIL-L-23699).

Check in the owner's manual to see what type of transmission fluid is recommended. Or, wait till the top-dog of the forum, named Moderator Tech replies to you.

Good luck,


JPN

 

Hi, JPN I would surely agree that there must be mis-information out there from the info I am getting. I have determined this however:

1)I should have a GM 4T65EV GT tranny...
2) It should take Dexron III and has a total capacity of 7.9 Quarts...
3) Redline, Valvoline, and various web links confirm this. Volvo dealership told me various things over the phone...
4) I have heard there IS a filter in the tranny I have also heard there is not. But I am leaning toward there being one as the Illustraded Parts Cat. shows one.
5) I have haerd that Volvo puts in Synthetic and I have heard that it is not. This is the main point of contention as I would think that the software and tuning of the tranny would need to be set with the fluid type in mind. I am thinking if I get this part of the job wrong I might end up with issues...

I love my Volvo a lot but am very frustrated by this lack of definitaive information.

I appreciate my forum friends helping!

Thanks Gregg

 

I think this confirms there is a Filter in there...

http://volvospeed.com/Repair/s80_transmission.html

 

Hi Gregg,

Great research, I believe you're a top-notch A&P; I'm an entry-level ramp monkey.

I personally like Valvoline's products, no definite reasons, just the colour of their package I believe[8D].

I'm sure you know, but as a reminder, be sure not to get even the tiniest piece of FOD into the system to avoid clogged hydro passages.

I wish you the best of luck in reconditioning the fluid system on your S80!

Regards,


JPN

 

JPN, Yes I am a 24 year A&P that also has a slight case or OCD so its generally a good combination. The only FOD thats getting into that Tranny might be a can of beer but I don't think its gonna fit thru the fill tube... )

 

Jeez............the controversy continues.............
I have the dealer flush my transmission in a 02 c70. He uses GM synthetic fluid..........same as what he uses for his G.M. autos. He DOES NOT use Volvo fluid. This dealer sells Volvos, Mazdas, and a multitude of G.M. vehicles. Once again...........the dealer does not use Volvo fluid and the c70 has operated nicely for five years! The secret to transmission longivity is: FLUSH THE FLUID on a scheduled basis. The dealer does not charge much for this service and you do not need to worry about ridding yourself of many quarts of 'used' fluid.

r.

 

i called one dealer today and they said they do not offer a tranny fluid flush nor a drain and fill for my 99 s80 T6 because it does not need one, he saif the car originally comes with synthetic and there is not even a drain plug on the tranny pan

i guess the only way to do this is it to do a t-tech flush which i will definitely NOT do due to bad experience with it

any recommendations besides pulling the pan ?

 

I know this is an old thread, but as for changing the trans fluid without doing a power flush and with out dropping the pan you may be able to detach the trans cooler lines and use 2- 5 gal buckets to change out the old fluid. You would need to fill one with new fluid and put the intake cooler line that returns fluid to the trans in it and the cooler line that enters the cooler into the empty bucket, so the old fluid can be evacuated. Let the car run until the trans fluid going into the bucket of old fluid starts to look like new and then turn the car off, and hook the lines back up. Top off the fluid and you’re done. You will need to buy extra fluid to make sure you have enough, you don’t want the intake bucket to run dry in the process. I’m not sure how well this would work on a Volvo, but this is the way I did it on my Acura and it went pretty smooth. Hope this helps.

 

I actually ran across this product that I think I am going to order and give it a shot. Its basically the same as my previous post. There is a good set of instructions you can look at on the webpage even if you don't buy the product:

http://www.ipdusa.com/version.asp?st...=822&V_ID=2047

 

I read reviews on it and am considering purchasing as well. That way, I can use whatever fluid I want, and do the ATF change myself. Only thing I was wondering was, should I also consider doing a change of the transmission filter while I am at it? I read instructions on how to do it, but some people still tell me that there is no filter, and if there is it should not be changed. To the best of my knowledge, all filters need to be changed eventually if they are doing their job.
Anyway, I have the 4 spd GM transmission and I was wondering which ATF I should use, and what would be the benefits/harm of paying the extra $$ and using synthetic fluid (amsoil probably)

 

There is a filter and it should be changed. I can only see benefits from running synthetic - lasts longer and preforms better than regular fluid. Only down fall is the additional cost. I am planning on only using syn in my car, the etra cost of syn is worth the benefits, its about the only thing you can do to prolong the life of your transmission (changing the fluid and filter regularily that is.)

 

Also, I have been told that if the flush hasnt been done before then now is a bad time to start (110,000 miles) but I was thinking about it.. If it was never done before, then wouldnt my ATF be as black as night and not the reddish brown that it still manages to be? Someone had to have done it because there is no way that the ATF would have lasted that long in hot Florida..
Even more of a reason for me to do it..