Annual service

[Clan]

Originally Posted by gaby

Possibly, but it made me sleep better
I did it when the car was 8 years old. I didn't had it analysed, but the oil/fluid was quite dark.

It is a darkish colour when new . It is the very best synthetic oil and you will find many 25 year old 850's still running around with the original , and if drained is still as clean as when it went in . That's my experience ..

[gaby]

Originally Posted by Clan

It is a darkish colour when new . It is the very best synthetic oil and you will find many 25 year old 850's still running around with the original , and if drained is still as clean as when it went in . That's my experience ..

As seen in a slender/tall graduated measuring cylinder the fresh OEM transmission fluid
wasn't darkish, rather a bordeaux red and a bit transparent while in the cylinder.
The fluid that came out was clearly darker, brownish and not transparent.
I took some pictures showing the difference at the time, but I can't find them anymore
A friend of mine, a Volo technician, also felt it was a good (although somewhat expensive)
idea to replace the fluids. I have been employed about 40 years by a major oil company,
so I have some insight in oil quality. In my opinion, a lubricant fluid that doesn't degrade
over time doesn't exist, even the best suffer from mechanical and thermal stress.
I forgot to mention that also did the angle gear.

[Lexman8]

The auto gearbox on my Merc was sealed for life but after a higher than expected failure rate (mine included) MB amended it to a fluid change at 37,000 miles.

This is a pic of the steering and active-suspension fluid I drained from the car. When new it's bright green. The system runs at 200 bar so the oil does get stressed.
_

[MaDProFF]

If something is sealed for life, so hence no need to ever change the oil, I would assume that there would be no drain / level / fill Holes???? if there is, then why would they call it sealed for life and never need to replace oil?

[Haldex]

@gaby: I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding here- MT oil (which is super high viscosity - usually 80W or higher..), which is usually dark honey colored when new- and ATF (a low viscosity- 10W or lower- kind of a hydraulic fluid..), normally bordeaux red or sometimes green in color..

Literally all MTs are “sealed for life” - but there’s always plugs (@MaDProFF), for servicing (when tranny has to be removed and oil fully drained..) and for topping up. I’ve only replaced it once, on my project Mk1 GTI Cabriolet (in another life ) ATF however in most cases is serviced regularly- once a year or once every two years, from my experience- people towing heavy trailers usually do it annually. Same applies for transfer/diff case fluid.

This SPA is a first car I’ve owned that has a “sealed for life” AT and differential.. But from what many of you are saying- far from being an exception..

As I don’t tow- I think I should be fine for 4-5yrs, which is how long I’m planning on keeping this one

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Haldex

@gaby: I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding here- MT oil (which is super high viscosity - usually 80W or higher..), which is usually dark honey colored when new- and ATF (a low viscosity- 10W or lower- kind of a hydraulic fluid..), normally bordeaux red or sometimes green in color..

Literally all MTs are “sealed for life” - but there’s always plugs (@MaDProFF), for servicing (when tranny has to be removed and oil fully drained..) and for topping up. I’ve only replaced it once, on my project Mk1 GTI Cabriolet (in another life ) ATF however in most cases is serviced regularly- once a year or once every two years, from my experience- people towing heavy trailers usually do it annually. Same applies for transfer/diff case fluid.

This SPA is a first car I’ve owned that has a “sealed for life” AT and differential.. But from what many of you are saying- far from being an exception..

As I don’t tow- I think I should be fine for 4-5yrs, which is how long I’m planning on keeping this one

I'm not sure where everyone on here gets that info from, i'd like to know the source .. , it's never been true … In reality I would change it at the 54000 mile service , although volvo say in arduous or towing or taxi work change it at 36000 intervals ...

[gaby]

Originally Posted by MaDProFF

If something is sealed for life, so hence no need to ever change the oil, I would assume that there would be no drain / level / fill Holes???? if there is, then why would they call it sealed for life and never need to replace oil?

The XC70 had fill holes, but no drain plugs on the angle gear, AOC or rear differential.
The fluids were not meant to be replaced, but Vadis provided procedures how to fill them,
in case a device had been opened for repair or perhaps a new one was installed "dry".
There may have been a drain plug on the manual transmission, I don't remember.
I replace these fluids since I keep cars for a very long time.
Since a few years now, Volvo recommends that auto-transmission fluid is best changed
on vehicles used for towing. That confirms that these fluids do deteriorate.
ZF even provides a flushing service of their auto-transmissions.

[Haldex]

Originally Posted by Clan

I'm not sure where everyone on here gets that info from, i'd like to know the source .. , it's never been true … In reality I would change it at the 54000 mile service , although volvo say in arduous or towing or taxi work change it at 36000 intervals ...

As I said- that was the service rep’s reply when I asked.. I suppose then that should be by the “official” Volvo maintenance schedule.. But I have yet to see the schedule myself..

So Clan, you’re saying transfer case is a “no maintenance” item yet AT should have the fluid changed periodically, correct?

[Quacker]

AW, ZF and Mercedes auto transmissions were at one point filled for life. Life means a design life of an average of 150,000 miles. The long life ATF that they variously use is designed so as not to start going out of spec until an average of 100,000 miles. That it is out of spec for the next 50,000 wasn't thought important when the car would probably be scrapped due to accident cost or old age by then. The average car only covers 12,000 miles a year of course and probably far less as it approaches a decade old.

However, if one is to expect a vehicle to be intensively and hard worked to achieve a much higher milage than average over a long period and to last another 100,000 miles on top of the 150,000 miles, then the transmission oil certainly needs changing. Dropping the sump plug, if fitted, on any auto with a torque converter, only dumps about two thirds of the fluid, so to keep the chemistry up to spec the transmission should be drained much sooner than the 100k miles and henceforth every 40 to 50 thousand miles.

The reason for changing the fluid is not to dump dirty oil but to replenish the additives in the reservoir oil. For that reason there is generally no need to change any filter. If a filter is dirty, the transmission is well on the way out already with either friction material delaminating or metal swarf. A filter change will not help it.
I have had an AW in my Audi and there was a drain plug in that but no filler as such. The filler was actually a plug in the middle of the drain plug onto which was fitted a standpipe which acted as the fluid level drain. So fluid had to be pumped vertically up through the smaller centre of the drain plug, sealed, run until up to temperature and the smaller plug removed and fluid drained or added until it just dripped out.

My Ford had a six speed automatic which is a license built ZF 6HP unit. That has no drain plug at all, so the whole sump has to be removed to drain the fluid. However it does have a fill/level plug up its sidewall.

Neither these nor the AW in my Volvo have a dipstick or filler point under the bonnet.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by Haldex

As I said- that was the service rep’s reply when I asked.. I suppose then that should be by the “official” Volvo maintenance schedule.. But I have yet to see the schedule myself..

So Clan, you’re saying transfer case is a “no maintenance” item yet AT should have the fluid changed periodically, correct?

Isn't the transmission, final drive and transfer case one unit on the current Volvo?
The Haldex V unit at the back does not have a filter, so if very long term ownership is planned, perhaps it would be a good idea to change the fluid every 50,000 miles or so.
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