Gear box oil change.
 

Hi chaps, looking to change the oil in my xc90 very soon.

It is a 2011 d5 r design 6 speed auto.

Is there a guide and a best method for this?

I have no issues with the box but looking towards a pre maintenance.

Do I have to do any VIDA work as well?

Any recommendations on oil and qty?

This is the guide I followed - see attached file.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F302044203216

This is what oil I used.

My box had done >170000 miles without a change as far as I know.

Be careful if you have done as many miles as this as after wards the shifting went awry, lots of flaring and it needed a valve body replacement. Presumably dirt particles got into the solenoid system when I flushed it.

Maybe if I had used the alternative method to drop the oil and changed it slowly it may have avoided this?

Who knows...

My understanding is that you need Vida to reset the gearbox adaptations. My indie did mine via the 'gibbons' method and reset the aforesaid. You will find details on the method on this forum.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=160569

So would you guys say it's better to not carry out the Gibbons flush and just drop oil, refill then repeat till clean?

I suggest depends on the mileage - did full flush on mine at 92k; OMG the oil was very black but worked fine.

To the OP.

Changing the Gearbox fluid is very worthwhile and easy to do but make absolutely certain that you choose the correct fluids for your vehicle.

The oil that Zchas13 links to in post 2 is supplied by a very reputable company and being JWS 3309 spec is the correct oil for my 2007 XC90.

Later cars ( not sure of date ) had altogether different gearbox oil requirements to this so make sure that you thoroughly check to see what specification oil is required .

It could be a very costly mistake if you get it wrong.

You need Vida to set the oil level correctly, reset the oil degradation counter, then you should perform the ‘control module adaption’. Do not reset the adaptions - this function is only to be used if you have replaced an internal component, such as the valve body.

Depending on mileage and oil condition before a change, the adaptions will need tweaked for optimal shifting and to avoid shift flares, banging into D/R etc. If you have 170k on a gearbox, then completely change the oil but don’t perform an adaption, then you will likely have issues. This is because the TCM has shifting parameters, ie solenoid activation currents, stored in memory which it has acquired and optimised with time to meet the changing physics of the oil present in the gearbox. These parameters will not be valid for fresh oil, hence you will likely encounter shifting problems, particularly at high temperatures.

That's definitely my preferred method.:regular_smile:

I've changed mine twice using the so called "Gibbons Method" (which is actually the Volvo method with a small tweak), at 100k and 160k with no ill-effects and much smoother operation afterwards.

Personally Greg, so long as it gets changed is the big factor.

Chosen route is down to preference. :teeth_smile: