I got this car's tranny flushed at 65k by the dealer - that was about 6 years ago, and cost about $400.

I got a quote recently to do it again at 140k. The local Volvo specialty shop wanted $350.

I, being the moron that I am, I thought I could save a few bucks and do it myself.

The 12 quarts of Mobil 3303 costs about $8 a quart from IPD - about $90 for a case. I could have gotten it cheaper, but it would have cost $30 shipping. I was buying stuff from IPD anyway, so the higher cost was offset by the reduced shipping costs.

The trans flush kit from IPD includes the 5' hose, replacement o-rings and couplers for the upper trans-cooler - about $25.

By now, I'm into this project for about $120.

To drain the trans, you uncouple the upper trans-cooler line from the trans-radiator, and press the IPD hose over the end of the upper trans-cooler hose. This give you just enough hose to reach the ground off next to the drivers side front wheel.

Up to here is the easy part. From here on it gets messy and much harder.

First, before I started, I needed to find the trans dip-stick. On the '00 V70R-AWD - it is buried so far under hoses and electrical harnesses, it is like an archeological dig getting to the it. I was convinced my car didn't have one. I checked my wife's '02 S60 T5 - and it is right out in the open. Not a '00 V70R-AWD. I had to take off the upper turbo hose that leads to the intercooler, then push the lower radiator hose aside (fun to do if the engine is up to temp - 2nd degree burns), then move an electrical Y-harness to the side BEFORE you can even think about removing the dip-stick.

Once I get the dip-stick removed, I have to put something into the hole to refill the trans as I flush. A funnel would work - except I can't get a flexible funnel that will stay in the dip-stick hole. So I bought a little "trans fluid" pump that fits on top of the trans fluid container and has a 3' hose with a "****** end" that I jammed into the trans dip-stick hole. Not perfect, but good enough.

Now, I carefully rearrange the harness and replace the turbo hose and check to make sure the little pump is still stuck into the trans dip-stick hole.

I get my Home Depot 5gal bucket and put a 2-Liter 7Up bottle in it, then place the bucket next to my front wheel. Spread a few newspaper under the bucket and stick the IPD flush hose into the 2L 7Up bottle.

I am ready to start.

I start the car, and put it into D and watch the oil flow through the IPD flush hose into the 7Up bottle. It's working!!

About 4" from the top of the bottle, I put it in park.

Did you know that the trans still pumps oil even in P? Yep, as long as the engine is running, the trans is pumping.

The 7Up bottle overflows, and I get a mini geyser out the top (around the IPD flush hose) - sprays all over the side of the fender.

Quickly shut off the car.

Now, its time to refill the trans with fresh fluid. I attach my little pump to the 3303 quart container and start to pump fluid into the trans.

Too fast - it over flows the dip-stick hole and fresh (expensive) 3303 is spilling like a red elixir onto the driveway. Slow down. I get two quarts transferred into the trans (1Q is "about" 1L and it was a 2L 7Up bottle).

Next time, I'm ready - I put start the car, and place it into D, and about 4" from the top, I turn off the car. Pretty smart - right? Except there is 3' of hose hanging over the fender, and it's full of old trans fluid. It overflows the 7up bottle again - but no geyser.

Slowly add 2 more quarts of 3303.

Empty the 2L 7Up bottle into my oil catch can and get ready to do it again.

Start the car, and wait for the 7Up bottle to fill - and the hose blows out of the top of the bottle. Before I can turn off the car, the old trans fluid has sprayed the fender, the wheel, the front bumper. Wonderful. Quick, run get the Kitty-Litter and spread it around the spill.

This, is getting old.

I add two more quarts - by this time, I'm at 8 quarts replaced.

I figure, I've got two more cycles like this. Is that fluid really that dark? I did have it changed at 60k, so it SHOULDN'T be TOO bad (right?).

Lets do it one more time, and see how it looks.

This time, no geyser and no overflow - but I am getting foam in the IPD flush line. This can't be good. There is lots of foam. It is foaming up inside the 7Up bottle. Not good at all. Between the foam and the excess oil in the IPD flush hose, the 7Up bottle over flows again.

I stop the car, and figure, 10 quarts is good enough.

It turns out I didn't need the extra o-rings or clips from IPD - the original o-rings and clips were just fine.

Now, it is clean up time. The 5gal bucket has 3" of oil in the bottom and the 2L bottle needs to be emptied again. The car needs to be washed around the fender, wheel, tire and front bumper. The oil has to be moped up off the ground around the front of the car and the kitty-litter needs to be swept. The old trans oil needs to be transferred to a container, and taken to the recycling center.

Wow - all this, and I saved about $150.

Never again. I will let the shop do it at 200k or 225k. I theory, this is real simple. I practice - not so much.

 

Hello, A helper is all you needed. A friend told me one of the evils of television is that they only show you people trying to do something once. Think of all you learned: 1) Plastic hose is cheaper at the hardware store. 2) The transmission pumps when it's being turned. 3) The margin by which Toyota Type-lV fluid is cheaper. 4) The biggest bother in the transmission world IS filling slowly through the dipstick hole. 5) Once again, set up (measuring and extending a funnel to fit, clipping or even taping a tube so it doesn't fly about, laying out an old packing blanket) is the better part of any job. No kidding, don't get angry. Don't give up. Kira

 

Not mad, just not informed.

I'd say the TV analogy is pretty good: Most forums that focus on single topics (like this one) focus on the positives, sometimes not so much on the realities. Looking through the half-dozen or so "flushing the tranny" posts - they don't really tell you how messy it can get or how hard it is to find the dip-stick on a '00 V70R-AWD. They tend to focus on how easy and clean it is. While I am sure that is the case for some models (my wife's S60 T5 looks like it would be one of those), it isn't the case for all. So, if my post helps educate the next guy, then I'll have accomplished a lot.
And, notice I focus a lot on clearly stating I am working on my "2000 V70R-AWD". It my be a completely different kettle of fish for any other combination of performance and options on another V70.

And, I agree 100% about the "learning" aspect of this adventure: I've learned life is too short to flush the tranny on my V70 ever again.

As for "giving up": Well, I've been owning & working on Volvos since '83. While they are getting more complicated, I still try to do as much as I can. There are a lot of tasks on a Volvo I won't ever try to do again - because there is a "cost:benefit" ratio to everything I do on a car. Flushing the tranny on a '00 V70R-AWG exceeds the cost:benefit ratio I've set for this task.

BTW: I noticed this web site software censored the word ****** (see, it did it again - that is supposed to be "b a r b e d"). Not sure why. I noted the end of the pump I was using had a "****** end" and it was replaced by "****** end". Just in case it gets censored again, that was " b a r b e d end". Sometimes software is **** (haha - that was really ****, not c r a p)