2001 XC Transmission: Flush or Not Flush

**msir1995** · 10-19-2007, 07:49 PM

I know this has been discussed to some extent here on this site. I just purchased a 2001 XC from the dealer here in town and it has 115K miles on it. I am experiencing some of the issues that the neutral switch seems to cause, so I am getting the latest TSB 43-38 dated 2/9/06 software update. Here is the issue, the car has been serviced at this dealership frequently. However, there is no record of a transmission flush at this dealership. It may have been serviced somewhere else. The servie maanger is advising strongly against flushing it since he has seen flushes with high miealge cars destroy the transmission. He indicates that the flush will move sediment and any sluge around in the tranmssion and really mess up the transmission. I have heard from others it should be flushed anyways. Should I have it flushed or let it go and hope like heck the thing holds up and the software update is sucessfull. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

**JRL** · 10-20-2007, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by msir1995

Should I have it flushed or let it go and hope like heck the thing holds up and the software update is sucessfull. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

There are pros and cons to this.
You could split the difference and drain and fill it twice, that would get rid of most of the crud.
Unfortunately this transmission should take 3309 fluid but it wasn't invented/used in 2001 (which is one of the problems).
Ths only way would be to do a complete flush to get it all in.
Don't know what to tell ya

**PierreC** · 10-20-2007, 09:10 AM

I have a 2002 XC with just short of 70k miles (110k kms) and after discovering these forums about two months ago, I decided to do a tranny flush using the Gibbons method described in detail in other threads of this forum - prevention is better than cure, especially if the prevention is around $120 and the cure will set me back about $6000 ...

So I did the flush this morning, puming through 16.1 litres of Toyota T-IV fluid, which according to all specs is 3309 compliant [I could not get Mobil 3309 in South Africa, and the Volvo branded ATF is more than three times more expensive than the Toyota T-IV AFT -- by the way, Toyota uses the same tranny in a Lexus model, and the ONLY ATF used for the Lexus is the T-IV]. If I look at the dark chocolate coloured fluid that came out, and the dreges that settled in the bottom of the measuring cup, I am really really glad that I did it and just sorry that I had not discovered this forum before!

ANd what a difference it made - the shifts are much smoother - in fact, they are back to being imperceptable!

**bwik** · 10-20-2007, 03:06 PM

I had mine drained and filled at 106k for the first time, then flushed with synthetic at about 118k, since the fluid was "still dirty." The results have been excellent. The car shifts very well now at 126k.

**MoeB** · 10-21-2007, 11:27 AM

I thought TNN 40-02 dated 9-25-06 was the latest TCM software upgrade for the '01. Or maybe it's the same software? Anyway, since the trans is displaying shift quality issues now, I would wait until after the software is upgraded before changing the ATF. I say this not so much because the ATF change might cause the unit to fail (although it might) but because you may be throwing good money down a hole. The TCM's adaptive strategy may be masking some (or a lot) of the wear, and once the adaptation is reset, you should get a better feel for how well--or poorly--the unit is really working. If it works well, then consider a drain-fill like JRL described. I'd stay away from flushing machines regardless, unless the shop gives you a guarantee. I've read that shops offering BG flushing services have a guarantee but I've never checked the details. They also use their own "universal" ATF and not 3309, fwiw.

**msir1995** · 10-23-2007, 07:38 PM

MoeB:

You have a 2001 xc like me, did you change the fluid? If so, what did you use?

**MoeB** · 10-24-2007, 03:07 AM

Local Volvo dealer did the change for me at 46,000 miles. They used Mobil 3309. I subsequently bought a case of 3309 from AV Lube for just under $60 or so delivered in order to flush it myself at 66k. Never got to use it. http://avlube.com/mobilatf3309.html
You might be able to get it cheaper from a local Mobil distributor.