TF-80SC transmission fluid change?

[toma nova]

I've searched here and multiple other Volvo sites and can't find a definitive answer on flushing the fluid on a six-speed automatic transmission. [I used the Gibbons method on our '02 five-speed but that does not apply to these trannys.]

I see that it has a fill plug on the top accessible near the air filter housing, and references to a level plug on the side underneath the car; is there a drain plug also underneath? What about getting fluid out of the cooler?

Any guidance / links would be most appreciated as we just hit 30k miles.

Thanks,
Tom

[Cattrick]

I'm about have a 1-year service indication done on mine no later than oct 20th. Visited my mechanic and specifically asked about automatic fluid change. Got a very firmly "no it should not be done unless very specific driving conditions have been met" which means severe frequent heavy towing, severe city driving and/or severe short trips in severe hot/cold weather etc...

I stood my ground and then got served with "well it should hold out for at least 30k miles, and mostly the entire cars life time. If services are performed accordingly there is always Volvo to handle abnormalities". So the mechanic will do a fluid check according to service specs and do a road test before handing the car back to me.

Do I want to gamble on expensive parts like gearboxes just to have it totally RMA denied by Volvo in the end costing us tens of thousands in repairs?
No. And I have no means to do this by my own on top of that.

[toma nova]

I've not found any other information about doing this myself and no evidence that others have done it either (on a 2008+ six-speed). I did our 2002 myself but that was easy with a dipstick / filler tube and no temperature requirements. I'll check with my dealer to see if it's covered under Safe and Sound, or just try to forget about doing preventative maintenance on the transmission.

Tom

[bwik]

I've not found any other information about doing this myself and no evidence that others have done it either (on a 2008+ six-speed). I did our 2002 myself but that was easy with a dipstick / filler tube and no temperature requirements. I'll check with my dealer to see if it's covered under Safe and Sound, or just try to forget about doing preventative maintenance on the transmission.

Tom

In my opinion the notion that the ATF is permanent is a load of steaming excrement.

The fluid change interval is not a technical fact; it is an emotional, interpretive personal choice. You almost need a frigging Native American dreamcatcher.

If you google TF-80SC, you get the list of cars it was fitted to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWTF-80_SC

From that, you can cross-reference other car models that had this transmission. Then you can see what THEIR opinions on ATF interval are. It is a giant insult to suggest that ATF lasts forever. Volvo would tell you to never change the oil, if it served their purpose. They have no integrity and seem uninterested in improving their poor reliability reputation.

Full disclosure, my mom has 92k on her XC70 6 speed. Never changed the fluid but I'd like to see it done.

[Cattrick]

I did FUBAR the hell out of my first reply. I don't mean 30k miles, I meant 300 000km (~186 000 miles or something) according to Volvo certified super mechanic person guy .
Since Volvo apparently, according to what I've read, doesn't have any maintenance points for privately owned cars it will never be changed. Only utility vehicles such as Police, Ambulance and taxi get overhauls at specific intervals. And these types are, by qualified guess, as non-existent in US & Can as they can be.

Did however after some extensive googling find what seems to be VIDA reference material on how to change ATF. Check that out!
It's the same on XC70 so as far as document validity goes, it should suffice pretty well.
Not something I'd go about by my self anytime soon. Wouldn't skip on gear box specific ATF either.

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/en...uid_change.pdf

[KB3MMX]

Sealed for life is a steaming pile of.....

Anyway, just tell them to change it and you don't wish to argue about it.

50,000 miles is a good rule of thumb on any Automatic for max life.

.

[MartinK]

This is my experience and I've done it twice now.

This Post relates to changing the fluid on a GEN3 (2009) XC70. The Gearbox is a 6-Speed Automatic (TF-80SC).

Volvo apparently say the Gearbox is supposed to be sealed for life, but many owners report changing the fluid and finding a dark sludgy liquid in there after only 50,000 miles. My own car is on 58,000 miles, and the fluid was in reasonably good shape, still reddish, and looked OK.

Preliminary Information

• The Auto Box holds 7.0 litres of Transmission fluid JWS 3309 (according to my manual).
  
• JWS 3309 is relatively hard to find (I don't think Halfords stock it!), but I used Opie Oils http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-69402-mo...ion-fluid.aspx The Volvo part #'s are given below:
  
  
• Unlike most gearboxes I have changed, removing the drain plug does not allow all the oil to escape, only 3 litres. There are two main procedures for changing the oil:
  

1. The one "drain and fill" described here, where approx 3 litres of fluid is changed at a time.
2. The "gibbons method" of flushing where a drain and fill are included in the circuit, and the car's pump moves the oil around, drawing in fresh oil, and dumping old oil. On the Volvo, you remove the line to the transmission oil cooler, and put that to waste, and have another pipe to a container of new oil into the oil cooler, when the car is started the old oil is pumped to waste, and the new oil is drawn into the system.

• Using "drain and fill", you only change 3 litres of fluid at a time, but it is easy to do. If my maths is correct, on the first drain/fill, 43% of the oil is replaced, and on the 2nd drain/fill, 60% of the oil will have been replaced, on the 3rd drain/fill, 76% of the oil will have been replaced, and on we go...

Tools Needed

4 litres of JWS 3309 Fluid (I managed to only use 3, but see below).
Torx 55 bit for filler plug
Torx 40 bit for level check plug
17mm hex sump plug tool (like this http://www.moatdirect.co.uk/drain-pl...tool-614-p.asp )
Funnel for Refilling (see my pic below)
Torx bit (T30 I think) for Sump Guard
Bricks.

Procedure

I went for a short drive first to warm things up.
My drive is on a slight slope, so when I run the front of the car up on some bricks, the car is level, and it gives me slightly more access underneath.

First I removed the sump cover (large plastic cover underneath with 8 x TORX fasteners).

Then the Air Filter box. It's mounted on 2 rubber holders. I removed the pipe at the front (inlet) first. Then loosened the jubilee clip where the airbox goes into the large pipe along the front of the engine (and sealed both ends with cling film to make sure I didn't drop enything in there).

Now loosen the TORX 55 plug (shown here with funnel unserted for refilling):



Go under the car, and you'll see a large fastener at the bottom of the gearbox. It's a concentric drain/level plug shown here - the upper picture shows the level-plug (torx 40) and the lower picture shows the 17mm sump drain plug:



^^^ Note the sump drain plug has a "pipe" to the top of it, which sets the level.

Have a container (which will hold a minimum of 3 litres) under the drain/level plug now, and catch all the escaping oil so you can measure it later... I removed the level plug first (you have to do this anyway, to allow the 17mm tool to be inserted). When I removed my level plug, around a cupful of oil escaped (engine off, lukewarm, level ground).

Now take out the 17mm plug, and catch the escaping oil.

Measure the drained oil (mine was exactly 3 litres).

Install the drain plug (I didn't use a new washer, but I will next time) and level plug (I didn't install the level plug, and a small amount of new oil escaped when the 2nd litre was filled, before I quickly re-insetred the level plug). Both the level screw and the filler plug have re-useable rubber washers. If you are happy to measure the new oil, and confident you have added the same amount as drained, you may wish to just refill the oil with the same amount as drained, and the level should be correct (see below for the info from VADIS on oil level checking).

Using the funnel (as shown in the first image), I refilled exactly the same amount of oil as had drained (3 litres).

Torque setings for plugs:
Drain Plug 45nm
Level Plug 8nm
Filler Plug 30nm

Once refilled, re-install the filler plug, air filter box, sump guard, job done.

Future

I'll change the gearbox fluid with a fresh 3 litres every 20k miles I think - from what I have seen that will keep the fluid relatively fresh...

Next time, I'll add slightly more than the 3 litres (probably 3.2 litres, so 200ml overfilled), put the vehicle back together (except the sump cover), and perform this level check (from VADIS apparently):

Checking the oil level
Start the engine.
Note! Leave the engine running during the entire check.
Note! The following measure must be carried out quickly to avoid overheating the fluid.
Run through all the positions between P and D on the gear selector. Stop at each position for at least 2 seconds. Perform this process twice.
Allow the transmission fluid to heat up to 50 ºC.
Place a lower drip shield on the floor under the vehicle.
While the engine is running, remove the integrated level plug (Torx 40).
Allow the excess fluid to run out.
When the fluid is between 50 ºC and 60 ºC, check that the transmission fluid has stopped running out and is only dropping from the level plug hole.
Caution! It is essential the temperature not exceed 60 ºC, as this can result in the transmission fluid level being too low.
Fit the integrated level plug (Torx 40).

I should expect that following this procedure, (obviously without a workshop diagnostic tool, we can't check oil temperature, but realistically, "lukewarm" should be fine) that around 200ml (i.e the amount I purposely overfilled by) of fluid will run out of the level plug, and the level will be set correctly.

The car does drive better since the fluid was changed, the gearchange does seem smoother

I've done mine using this method twice now, on the 2nd occasion, I put slightly more oil back in (3.1L) - I've still not done the Volvo "level check" as above, but it's all going just fine.

[bwik]

Thank you for the post, MartinK. It is important to start having these resources online... the fleet of 3G XC70s is getting older! This info is very helpful.

[PierreC]

JWS 3309 is relatively hard to find

Both the Aw55-50/51 and TF80-SC gearboxes are manufactured by Aisin-Warner, a company owned by Toyota, and are used in a number of Toyota / Lexus models as well as a great many other brands - Volvo being one of them.

So the best - and by far the cheapest - source of JWS3309 ATF for these gearboxes is Toyota T-IV ATF ...

By the way, it is exactly the same stuff as the (very expensive) Volvo branded fluid!

Pierre

[phlfly]

MartinK

Do you know if tranny shares fluid and case with front AWD differential? I was looking to replace all fluids at same time so one thing I can't find anywhere if front diff has drain plug and what oil to use there?
I had Lexus 330 before and tranny was share fluid with front diff.