oil changing of the awd system

[jgjones095]

hi all,

got an MY00 v70xc P2 and having got the local garage to check the awd is working by putting it on their 2 poster to see if all 4 wheels go round - good start.

now, the transfer box (or what ever you call them) when should the oil in them be changed?
what grade to use?
where and how is it done?

is it something that can be done with ramps on the drive?

my guess is volvo say sealed for life - but like their auto boxes which are sealed for life they don't say how long life is!

so id rather change the oil now than wait and have to repair / rebuilt them!

ta

Jon

[TiredGeek]

Good luck with that
It's called the bevel gear on our cars, yanks call it something else but they're thick so don't count

There's no oil drain hole in the unit, you need to get an oil vac in there and I never managed it. I found the casing very tight to the gears and so couldn't get any pipe in to reach the oil.
There is a mod to drill through one of the mounting studs into the case to create a drain, but I'm not gonna try it on a cast alloy case that'll cost over a grand to replace if it goes wrong....

AFAIK the only way to drain it is to remove it from the car and tip it upside down to drain out of the level/filling hole.
Same with the rear diff.

I do agree that it should be changed, the thought of oil not being changed for 100k+ miles is horrifying to me

[jgjones095]

thanks for your reply tiredgeek.

good old volvo engineering, sealing it for life, as usual.

i do agree at 100k miles it be good to change it, just done my autobox oil and that was horrible and black.

I shall have a chat to our local garage and see what they advice.

how easy are they to remove, out of interest?

[TiredGeek]

Originally Posted by jgjones095

how easy are they to remove, out of interest?

Short answer: not.
I'm gonna have my splined coupling and bevel gear oil replaced when the clutch is done. It'll add to the cost, but as the clutch bill comes to around £1600 it's not that much different, mainly labour charges.

[Paffel]

Depends how handy you are with spanners I suppose - its just nuts and bolts at the end of the day.

Jack up drivers side of car (front and rear) so that you can remove prop shaft.
Guide for that here
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=176925

Then you'll need to undo the front offside hub nut. Probably best to get a 3/4 breaker bar with the 36mm socket to help shift it as it will be tight.

Once thats undone, raise/support the front of the car, axle stands are certainly needed, take off the front wheels. You'll need to remove the drivers side driveshaft, then you should be able to disconnect the bevel gear, 5 bolts I think.

If you need to do any turbo work, now would be your chance to get to it!

I'll be taking my bevel gear off over the next few weeks - i'll keep the camera handy and take some snaps of it.

[jgjones095]

paffel any guides on the bevel gear removal would be great!

[coughlanc]

I work for a JCB dealership and often see large excavators and telehandlers that have not had oil changes in there axles or slew gearboxes for many years. When they are eventually drained the oil is always spotlessly clean. This only applies to gearboxes where a straight forward reduction or bevel gear system is fitted. I can understand Volvo's sealed for life policy on these units. I do understand the importance of oil changes, especially when wet clutch/brake and viscous systems are involved but if it is "just" a gearbox then personally i'd leave it.
I know it's a different application but these gearboxes also see large amounts of stress and heat with no reliablity issues.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by jgjones095

hi all,

got an MY00 v70xc P2 and having got the local garage to check the awd is working by putting it on their 2 poster to see if all 4 wheels go round - good start.

now, the transfer box (or what ever you call them) when should the oil in them be changed?
what grade to use?
where and how is it done?

is it something that can be done with ramps on the drive?

my guess is volvo say sealed for life - but like their auto boxes which are sealed for life they don't say how long life is!

so id rather change the oil now than wait and have to repair / rebuilt them!

ta

Jon

In my practical experience seeing lots of these cars since AWD was launched volvo are correct ( of course ) in calling these sealed for life , They use the very best SYNTHETIC oil , a lot of people do not realise what Synthetic oil is , but it doesnt deteriorate and does last for decades , you will find it is a nice brown colour which it was when new . You could spend a lot of money and time changing oil to a cheaper grade for no reason at all .
Check the level and cleanliness of course , but as long as it is clean , brown with no grey colouring it will be fine . If you have a bearing go it will contaminate the oil with metal particles of course .

And relating to auto boxes , volvo dont say they are sealed for life , they actauly have been recommending for nearly 2 decades that the oil is changed if the car is used for towing or arduous work , every 36000-48000 miles or so . I would do this anyway as it will keep your gearbox going for a long time .