V70 P1 oil cooler
 

Hi all,

Apart from Volvo, does anyone know where I can get a gearbox oil cooler for a 1999 V70 tdi auto? I thought it would be cheaper with an aftermarket set up but I'm struggling to find anywhere that sells them.

We're going away in a 1250kg caravan later in the year, I was hoping to go in my manual C70 but it's just not practical so we will be in the V70 I think, but I'm a bit worried about the fluid overheating.

Thanks

If your C70 was an Auto T5 I have word it would have a transmission cooler already on it. They were fitted standard to some , not all. Lakes (Wyboston) have a breaker with a non-Volvo option model fitted as we speak (but it's a 2002 Estate but you could cobble it to fit with a bit of steel strip. The owner of that car clearly did. Same fittings. I nearly snaffled it but got a genuine C70 cooler instead. See below. With the auto box on these the killer of these cars, I reckon this mod is for all, irrespecitve of towing. Along with a shed load of JWS 3309 Toyota IV. Mannol 3309 stuff is cheapest. Your ATF MUST be JWS 3309 Toyota IV which is dear.

I added a Derale 15719 Fluid Control Thermostat Kit and a Magnafine (Magnefine??) Inline whilst I was on... my cooler was used so I had no idea the state of the box it came from, and a Magnefine won't do you harm. You want 3/8" for 1999. Put in after the cooler of course... especailly if from that 2002!

My theory being:
There is nothign actually wrong with these boxes, only they become fragile (if you are unlucky) because the fluid needs to be warmed (thus the stock warmer/ cooler) but these boxes run too hot because of under-cooling and then the fluid burns, and with it the box. But the extra cooler will stop it getting to temperature on cold days, so ideally you want a Fluid Control Transmission Thermostat as well. A bit OCD but Haydn and Mocal do Transmission Thermostats too. Any oil cooler stat will be fine as long as it opens at 75-85 degrees C. Trouble is on a hot day without towing you'll see 110-120 degs in your box. That along with the official Volvo line "Your fluid is not a service item Sir... ", slowly smokes the fluid, some 50,000 after most cars are out of warranty. If you read their TB on how to check fluid level, Volvo tacitly admit this.

Your box is by Toyota, I say follow Toyota's service advice, at 60K flush your box and whislt you're on, fit a cooler. Fit a (Magnefine??)


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...productDetails


Or spend on:

Complete Kit Volvo 9499131 £238.00




Oil line 1 8618360 or 8618761

Oil line 2 9485556 ; 8618400

XC90s have a transmission cooler, but the danger there is that going near anyhting as 'hairdresser' as an XC90 means if you get anything off one of those shopping-trolley come suburbia-prams... you'll turn.

So will be rendered incapable of fitting it;). Me? I'd ring Lakes, first thing...

I used to have a 2000 V70 XC Auto. When I queried with Volvo about and additional transmission oil cooler, given mass of the caravan and climatic use, they said no need for an additional cooler.

Dear me... that whistled way over your head. Have a star.

As the C70 is manual it will not need a Oil cooler, But as for the V70 Auto Tdi I towed with a Auto 850 Estate for years without an oil cooler my van weighted in at 1400Kg (95%) of the car. If you intend to navigate some of the mountain passes you may still wish to consider an oil cooler

My point entirely... of course you will get away with it for years, however Volvo DO recommend a cooler on these for towing and that is why the kit was made an option. Whoever says otherwise is misinformed.

And yes of course it only applies to auto boxes.

It also depends on which end of the telescope you look from...

You are far less likely to get away with it for miles even if you can do it for years.

Once you get to the kind of miles that have you way beyond the warranty period the overheating issue tiring yor ATF will usually kill your transmission for the reasons stated above. This issue has been done to death from Gibbons' flushes, which ATF, trans filters etc etc on this forum and many others. It is not opinion any more, but a fact and proven to be so, and definitely shows-up and rubbishes the Volvo dealer mantra.

Above I coined the word "theory". Wrongly...

Just Google thus ---- Volvo+(transmission+OR+gearbox)+(Aisin+Warner)+(33 09+OR+JWS+3309+OR+Toyota+T-IV)+(Gibbons+OR+atf+OR+flush+OR+cooler) ------

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Vo...h+OR+cooler%29

and it'll take you a weekend to read it all. And this for cars never going near a ball hitch. The fact is the transmission along with the PCV is almost alwasy what stops these cars being otherwise capable of galactic miles. Which if you are in teh business of selling new cars is not in any manufacturers' interests

It is unlikely you will get beyond 150,000 with 2001/02 car without a flush at 85/90K unless you are one of the lucky few.

Apart from the forum traffic on this issue, take a trip to Lakes (teh best Volvo breaker of all ) and you'll see piles of cars with trashed transmissions to prove the point.

So if you are talking about warranty period miles, and your fear is a warranty claim, you DO NOT need a cooler on these cars, and the ATF is not a service item either "Sir". So if you won't drive it far (tow on the odd weekend) you'll get away with it for years. Or you're one of the very lucky. If you are lucky, you luck will not hold, you should consider fitting that cooler and do a flush with JWS 3309 Toyota IV very soon. Regardless.

As for our freinds 2000 V70 XC Auto these have been heard to do 200,000+ but not often. Although there will always be exceptions, if there were candidates for my words this model along with the 2001/02 cars would fit square on.

Which is where I came in.

Just found this. A fella has fitted a cooler from an XC90. See it can be done...

http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic...ooler-install/

The guy's ^^^ probably turned by now ;) but clearly it works.

These transmissions are really good if maintained, fragile if not. Tis unfortunate so many people have never changed their fluid b/c of Volvo's recommendations. The ATF is the lifeblood of an auto box far more so than for a manual. Nothing happens in a manual box, heat and tired ATF is what kills autos and will kill yours.

A Toyota or a Saab (and many others) with the same box have no issues because in those the fluid is a recommended service item and/or they have better coolers. You can get away with the far cheaper Dexron ATF in the 4 speeders, but don't try this with the AW5 box,

http://howardsvolvos.webs.com/driveline.htm

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=53614

Well, my example is 850 20ltr Auto (94) had for 8 years, purchased with 50K sold end of 2013 with 220k without changing box oil and towing (without oil cooler) most weekends with it. As I work with the person that bought it, he used for a year and then re-sold it on.

So 170K in a 18-19 year old car, years, miles ??

Yes if you intend to tow in a hot climate and climb the Alps towing then yes I would say put a oil cooler on it, But UK driving I would say not to critical IMHO

[Methinks because it is likely possible, there will be another one on in a mo' this time regaling 250K on the same oil] only he'll kill it with how he gets 40mpg on a run.

Top stuff. Have an After Eight (at half past Seven).