VOLVO XC 60 8 SPEED AUTO FLUID CHANGE if caravan towing

[richard willetts]

Could any one advise me about weather the fluid needs to be changed in the gearbox when towing a caravan of 1500kg.

I have asked at my Volvo dealer and they say it is sealed for life, I have a couple of friends who have faced bills of £4k plus just because the fluid has never been changed however this was the gear tronic box.

One car has always been serviced at a main dealer but they never said that the fluid needed changing until the repair, an indepenfdant garage said if the fluid had been changed he would not have had a problem.

Another friends car went into limp mode several times when overtaking due to overheating again he has been faced with a big bill
.
I believe prevention is better than cure and a few pounds spent saves the box.

Please any thoughts or experiences

[kenny]

I have not owned an XC 60 but I have had an S60 5 speed geartronic. an S80 5 speed geartronic and a V70 6 speed geartronic. The manual for all said box was sealed for life unless used for towing or a taxi then you should change the oil ever 50,000.

[richard willetts]

Thanks for that I am on a similar thought process any thoughts on how complex this would be or is it a dealer task?

[kenny]

It's a piece of cake if you can turn a spanner. I would do two or three sump dumps 500 miles apart rather than a flush. Here's a guide to doing the 6 speed box on a V70 should be the same on the XC60.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=160569

[Clan]

Originally Posted by richard willetts

Could any one advise me about weather the fluid needs to be changed in the gearbox when towing a caravan of 1500kg.

I have asked at my Volvo dealer and they say it is sealed for life, I have a couple of friends who have faced bills of £4k plus just because the fluid has never been changed however this was the gear tronic box.

One car has always been serviced at a main dealer but they never said that the fluid needed changing until the repair, an indepenfdant garage said if the fluid had been changed he would not have had a problem.

Another friends car went into limp mode several times when overtaking due to overheating again he has been faced with a big bill
.
I believe prevention is better than cure and a few pounds spent saves the box.

Please any thoughts or experiences

I would find a different garage, Volvo have never said it is sealed for life, It is down to be changed at 36000 mile intervals from the 6 speed box / 2008 and cars used in arduous conditions and taxi or towing work for earlier cars .

Pre-Printed Service sheets are not used now since last year , they are printed for the particular car at the time of booking..

If it were mine i would change fluid at 36000 - 54000 miles , and get the software updated if you do not have genuine services with the free software updates .

[c_lee]

It is so simple to do ( at least ) a periodical successive sump dump on an auto box ATF that it's a no brainer really.
Especially if towing.

DO IT.

Ok, your box might need the JWS fluid which tends to be more expensive depending on fluid vendor.

But having had a previous autobox failure ( P1 V70 ) and repaired it, I would never, now, neglect fluid maintenance.

I tow a caravan too so am particularly aware of the maintenance requirement.

My fluid requirement is DEX3 ATF though and I do a 3.5 litre ATF sump dump on every other engine oil change.

And my service interval reminder is set to 6,000 miles being that most of my mileage is towing.

It just aint worth the risk to neglect ATF oil changes when towing.

Colin

[Ern]

I have a partial replacement of the transmission oil every other year. As I'm only doing about 8,000 miles a year, that's what I have guessed is adequate. I tow my caravan 2 -3,000 miles per year. Simply drain out precisely the volume you put in.

[mordred1973]

definitely get the fluid changed, I have the older 6 speed and the dealer initially told me the fluid never needed changing twice, after reading on here I pointed out the towing part (it has has had a towbar since new!) and they suddenly backtracked saying oh yes it should have been done at 36000 miles, at which point I had done 62000 miles. luckily I didn't start towing with it until 30,000 the tow bar was on because the dealer had it as a demo with a bike rack on.

I am hoping that since it didn't tow for the first 30,000 my gearbox will be ok, only time will tell but it's done 10,000 since the fluid change.