So my 08 xc90 is occasionally shifting hard onto 3rd gear. It has nearly 90k on it. I have always changed the fluid in my vehicles with an AT about every 50k. Here is the problem. Took it to the dealer to have it changed. He strongly recommended I not do it, said he has been there for 6 years and never seen a 3.2 tyranny in need of service. I said I wanted it done anyway and asked if they use Volvo ATF. He said they used Castrol. I have read on here to stay away from anything other than Volvo ATF, so I declined.
I would feel much more confident in my xc90if I knew it had new fluid measured to the correct amount. Does any have any advice to offer? Other than that its been great.

 

Wow! A dealer that does not insist on Volvo fluid! He better make sure his factory rep doesn't get wind of that, but the idea that it MUST be Volvo fluid is total bs. It needs to be compatible with the particular spec your car calls for and that is all.

Now for the idea of never changing the fluid. That comes from 2 schools of thought by the manufacturer and Volvo is not alone as GM and others have even eliminated the trans dipstick in an effort to perpetuate the idea of "forever filled". One issue that caused this concept is that chemically flushing, waiting too long, and/or using the wrong fluid for the re-fill can cause nearly immediate failure of a just serviced trans. The other concept is as long as it makes it past the original owner who cares? And given that most new car buyers own the car for 4 years or less the failure rate for the original owner will be pretty low and if it does lack of fluid change will not be the issue. Now go read your maintenance manual and you will see that Volvo does recommend changing the fluid @ 52,500 miles if you are towing or a message displays on the DIM. In reality there are many things that the car may get used for that are just as hard on the fluid. Very hot weather, loaded heavy for road trips, etc. Another factor I would consider is how much life you are looking to squeeze out of it yet. Another year or two probably just leave it, but if you are looking to go 150K+ on this car I would change it as long as the fluid does not look black and have a tar like consistency. If it just looks like used motor oil, dark brown, then a change is in order. Either do 4 drain and fills or get the IPD flush kit where you disconnect a cooler line and start the engine to pump out fluid 2 quarts at a time replacing it as you go. You owners manual calls for spec JWS3309 (Mobil) which you can buy on Amazon, but is hard to find on the shelf, or you can use Valvoline MaxLife (red bottle) which can usually be found at Walmart for ~$5 a quart and is full synthetic, which is quite a bargain. Either method uses roughly 12 quarts.

P.S. find a good local mechanic if you don't want to DIY it. In most cities there is a shop that specializes in European cars or maybe even does just Volvo's.

 

Thanks for the help. I will do a drain and fill next week. This might sound like a dumb question, but do you know if the car needs to be running when I open the check valve? I know that is the standard way of doing it when the transmission has a dipstick, engine heated up and running when you check the fluid. From what I've read the car needs to be warmed up on level ground, open the check valve and if a stream of fluid comes out, there is too much, if nothing comes out too little and if it drips, just right. I've never heard if the vehicle needs to be running though.

 

I'm pretty sure you don't have it running for the check valve, as you don't check other non-dipstick fluids that way such as manual trans fluid, rear diff, etc. BTW, not all cars with a trans dipstick are supposed to be checked with the engine running. My Honda Odyssey is checked with the engine off. You have all the other stuff right. Level ground, at operating temp...

PS...on multiple drain/fills you need to drive the car between each one or have the car on jack stands and start/run it making sure the trans shifts through all the gears otherwise the fluid in the torque converter, valve body, etc., stays in place and all you will do is drain the brand new fluid you just put in. After 1 drain/fill you have approx. 40% new fluid, and after 4 you are pretty close to 90% new fluid.

 

I haven't done any trans work on that transmission in the 3.2, but I have on the V8 and I am almost positive the engine had to be running and the fluid had to be hot. I can check Monday though.

 

I'd like to see them give a "forever warranty". As you mentioned, their bet is that the tranny will last past the warranty and original's owners possession. After that, it's not their problem.

When I got my car with 188,000 on the clock the tranny was toast. I had it replaced with a used one and immediately started doing fluid changes. Box changed at 192,000, I changed the fluid at 193,000 then again at 198,000, and again at 225,000 (I think, memory is not a priority in our home-lol). My plan is to replace it every 50,000 but I'm struggling with every 25,000.

At 250,000 I started noticing hard shifts under a load. Started a 3 cycle drain and fill and after the first drain and fill the shifts smoothed right out. No slipping or leaks, even with JB Wield plugging the hole in the casing.

 

Oh, forgot to mention that I try to drive between 50 and 100 miles between drain and fills.

 

There is a good reason behind the "forever fluid".

Lets say there is a factory service interval for a transmission fluid flush sometime prior to the warranty expiration. Not all people drive the same. So lets say that Joe Schmo brings his car in to have the fluid flushed, per the factory manual. He tows a lot or otherwise drives the car pretty hard. They do the flush, removing all of the clutch debris in the fluid and replacing it with brand new fluid. Now, the transmission starts to slip. Who pays for the transmission repair now? Joe Schmo or Volvo?

In the vast majority of cases, the cars never need a transmission service. Not for the original owner under warranty and not for the next owner. If the car gets up to 150,000 miles and starts to slip, guess what? Getting 150k out of a trans with no issues is pretty good. The automatic transmission is the weak point in any driveline, inherently. It works on slippage. It adds up and takes its toll.

 

So here is an update on my experiences. I still am not sure whether to check the tranny fluid level when the car is running or not, BUT I had great success in changing the fluid. This Sunday I disconnected the tranny coolant line on the bottom of the radiator and pumped and replaced 2 quarts at a time. I eventually took out 12 and put 12 new in. I then drove the car around the block twice and parked it on a level surface. I then opened the level plug on the bottom of the tranny and drained it until the flow slowed considerably. I was not initially convinced that it did any good, but after a few days of driving it, the transmission now shifts perfectly from 2nd to 3rd. I used Valvoline Maxlife, which I thought I would end up replacing with Mobile 3309 after the first day or so. Now I think I'll leave it in for a 15k or so then flush it with Mobile. Thank you guys so much for your help, hopefully this thread will be helpful to others in the future.

 

Thanks for reporting in. My experience with the Valvoline MaxLife has been very good as well, and since the price is right, it is full syn, and easily available at Walmart it's all good.

 

Oh, I clearly understand the reasoning, that's my point.

 

So what was the proper way to check the level? During idle or motor off?
I just did the drain & refill on my 2007 S80 3.2 tonight. I had read somewhere it was during idle. But....It frickin sprays all over during idle so I wouldn't think that was normal!

 

That was my experience as well, I checked it once when the motor was running and it sprayed all over the place. There is no way that that is the correct method.

 

The engine should be running. Are you using the right plug? There isn't any pressure there so it shouldn't be spraying all over.

 

Is the central small plug solid so that one removes it entirely to get the excess fluid drain out? Or is it hollow and one just loosens it and the excess fluid flows out with the plug in the hole but loose?

 

You remove the central plug

 

First, I am a big 3309. I used it on my previous v70 and s60 for a combined total of over 350k miles with the slightest trans issue. I am hesitant with anything other than factory fill with these very complex units. My xc90 in a bit more challenging though...

My '09 3.2 has 80k on the clock now. I still do not understand where to check the level or refill.

Would someone be kind enough to describe or include pictures of which lines to remove from the radiator?

 

It's been a long time since I have serviced any transmission, and I have read several of the posts here, but I have some questions.
2006 XC90 2.5T AWD L5 AW55-51 155,000 mi, no previous fluid change. Fluid is brown or tan. (By the way, what color is new volvo fluid, smell, and flavor?)
I am planning on doing the 4 x fluid change.

BUT WHAT ABOUT DROPPING THE PAN, CLEANING IT AND CHANGING THE FILTER? That is what I did in the old days.

thank you everyone for your help.

 

I can't see anything saying you need to have the engine running to check trans fluid on the 2008 and newer xc70. Here is the Volvo procedure for changing fluid.

https://ww2-secure.justanswer.com/up...uid_change.pdf

 

The original poster mentions a 2008 XC90 with the 3.2. That vehicle has the 6-speed TF80-SC transmission. I just serviced one of these and it has a drain plug with a tube up inside the transmission. You have to be running at the right temperature to get the right fluid level. For model year 2008, Volvo has specified the 3309 fluid. For newer models, the AW-1 fluid is required.