C70 Mk ll 2.4D geartronic gearbox fluid
Discussion
Just find one with a volvo standard - the standard you need to look for is dextron III, Volvo 97340. Euro Crap Parts do a triple QX dextron III to the volvo standard and this will do the job just fine.
If you're changing it yourself, my advice is flush it fully with cheaper dextron 2 (you will need a few gallons of this to flush it properly) and then re-fill with the correct Volvo 97340,
Fresh Dextron 2 is still better than the old oil that has done thousands and thousands of miles currently in the box - I've flushed my Asin Warner box in my P1 C70 with dextron 2 and refilled as above and its been fine.
My final piece of advice is to go and have the gearbox ECU software updated to increase your shift pressures to account for the wear in the gearbox - you'll notice a big difference
If you're changing it yourself, my advice is flush it fully with cheaper dextron 2 (you will need a few gallons of this to flush it properly) and then re-fill with the correct Volvo 97340,
Fresh Dextron 2 is still better than the old oil that has done thousands and thousands of miles currently in the box - I've flushed my Asin Warner box in my P1 C70 with dextron 2 and refilled as above and its been fine.
My final piece of advice is to go and have the gearbox ECU software updated to increase your shift pressures to account for the wear in the gearbox - you'll notice a big difference
Fill that AW55 gearbox with Dex 3 and it'll be dead within 20k miles. It does indeed need oil that complies to the 3309 standard. There is a mobil product branded 3309, and a few other 3rd parties that claim to meet the 3309 standard. Toyota sell fluid that does, as does Vauxhall as they both used the AW55 box.
You can drain the sump and refill a couple of times to get all the fluid out, it'll take maybe 3 goes and 12 litres.
Flush it with Dex 2 first and I dread to think what you'll do to it. Experience on the ancient 4 speed box fitted to early Mk1 C70s is absolutely not relevant, and the use of Dex III in later Mk1 C70s that have the same 5 speed AW55 box as yours has murdered loads of them.
If you change the fluid every 60k miles or so the box should last a good while, otherwise they seem to expire at about 120k ish.
The software update referred to seems to be the process in VIDA to reset the gearbox calibrations, although a dealer will be able to actually update software versions in the car if any are available. This *should* be done as part of a standard service at a Volvo dealer, and is a separate process to resetting the gearbox adaptations. You don't have to reset the adaptations with new fluid but it can help make things smoother.
ETA - I believe even that car handbook specifies 3309 compliant fluid. Also be very suspicious of "specialists" who suggest using Dex III and an additive of some sort. I had a Jaguar specialist actually suggest that this additive made the thick, sludgy, 1980s standard Dex III a complete replacement for the water thin ZF LifeGuard 6 fluid that the 6 speed autobox needed. It seems to be close to impossible to find people in the UK who actually have a clue when it comes to automatic gearboxes.
You can drain the sump and refill a couple of times to get all the fluid out, it'll take maybe 3 goes and 12 litres.
Flush it with Dex 2 first and I dread to think what you'll do to it. Experience on the ancient 4 speed box fitted to early Mk1 C70s is absolutely not relevant, and the use of Dex III in later Mk1 C70s that have the same 5 speed AW55 box as yours has murdered loads of them.
If you change the fluid every 60k miles or so the box should last a good while, otherwise they seem to expire at about 120k ish.
The software update referred to seems to be the process in VIDA to reset the gearbox calibrations, although a dealer will be able to actually update software versions in the car if any are available. This *should* be done as part of a standard service at a Volvo dealer, and is a separate process to resetting the gearbox adaptations. You don't have to reset the adaptations with new fluid but it can help make things smoother.
ETA - I believe even that car handbook specifies 3309 compliant fluid. Also be very suspicious of "specialists" who suggest using Dex III and an additive of some sort. I had a Jaguar specialist actually suggest that this additive made the thick, sludgy, 1980s standard Dex III a complete replacement for the water thin ZF LifeGuard 6 fluid that the 6 speed autobox needed. It seems to be close to impossible to find people in the UK who actually have a clue when it comes to automatic gearboxes.
Edited by dme123 on Thursday 26th May 13:59
dme123 said:
Fill that AW55 gearbox with Dex 3 and it'll be dead within 20k miles. It does indeed need oil that complies to the 3309 standard. There is a mobil product branded 3309, and a few other 3rd parties that claim to meet the 3309 standard. Toyota sell fluid that does, as does Vauxhall as they both used the AW55 box.
You can drain the sump and refill a couple of times to get all the fluid out, it'll take maybe 3 goes and 12 litres.
Flush it with Dex 2 first and I dread to think what you'll do to it. Experience on the ancient 4 speed box fitted to early Mk1 C70s is absolutely not relevant, and the use of Dex III in later Mk1 C70s that have the same 5 speed AW55 box as yours has murdered loads of them.
If you change the fluid every 60k miles or so the box should last a good while, otherwise they seem to expire at about 120k ish.
The software update referred to seems to be the process in VIDA to reset the gearbox calibrations, although a dealer will be able to actually update software versions in the car if any are available. This *should* be done as part of a standard service at a Volvo dealer, and is a separate process to resetting the gearbox adaptations. You don't have to reset the adaptations with new fluid but it can help make things smoother.
ETA - I believe even that car handbook specifies 3309 compliant fluid. Also be very suspicious of "specialists" who suggest using Dex III and an additive of some sort. I had a Jaguar specialist actually suggest that this additive made the thick, sludgy, 1980s standard Dex III a complete replacement for the water thin ZF LifeGuard 6 fluid that the 6 speed autobox needed. It seems to be close to impossible to find people in the UK who actually have a clue when it comes to automatic gearboxes.
So, what is he answer? you speculate greatly without supplying a solution to the issueYou can drain the sump and refill a couple of times to get all the fluid out, it'll take maybe 3 goes and 12 litres.
Flush it with Dex 2 first and I dread to think what you'll do to it. Experience on the ancient 4 speed box fitted to early Mk1 C70s is absolutely not relevant, and the use of Dex III in later Mk1 C70s that have the same 5 speed AW55 box as yours has murdered loads of them.
If you change the fluid every 60k miles or so the box should last a good while, otherwise they seem to expire at about 120k ish.
The software update referred to seems to be the process in VIDA to reset the gearbox calibrations, although a dealer will be able to actually update software versions in the car if any are available. This *should* be done as part of a standard service at a Volvo dealer, and is a separate process to resetting the gearbox adaptations. You don't have to reset the adaptations with new fluid but it can help make things smoother.
ETA - I believe even that car handbook specifies 3309 compliant fluid. Also be very suspicious of "specialists" who suggest using Dex III and an additive of some sort. I had a Jaguar specialist actually suggest that this additive made the thick, sludgy, 1980s standard Dex III a complete replacement for the water thin ZF LifeGuard 6 fluid that the 6 speed autobox needed. It seems to be close to impossible to find people in the UK who actually have a clue when it comes to automatic gearboxes.
Edited by dme123 on Thursday 26th May 13:59
morgrp said:
So, what is he answer? you speculate greatly without supplying a solution to the issue
Re-read the first paragraph, it makes it abundantly clear what spec oil you need and suggests several that work. The key thing he needs to look for is "meets 3309 standard". The one from Mobil called 3309 is probably the safest bet if you don't get the fluid from Volvo.confused_buyer said:
If this is a 2006 I would have thought it would have a TF80 not a AW55.
D5 always came with the AW55 until it went out of production a year after the facelift, the later D4 and D3 had the TF80. T5 and 2.4i were "blessed" with the AW55 right until the end of production. Either way you'd do as well to fill it with sheep piss as Dex III.Edited by dme123 on Saturday 28th May 19:59
dme123 said:
D5 always came with the AW55 until it went out of production a year after the facelift, the later D4 and D3 had the TF80. T5 and 2.4i were "blessed" with the AW55 right until the end of production. Either way you'd do as well to fill it with sheep piss as Dex III.
OK, must be the S40/V50/C70 only as the S60/V70 got the TF80 on the D5 and 2.4D in late 2005. And it is rubbish as well - the valve bodies have a known fault so you're better off with a Aw55!Edited by dme123 on Saturday 28th May 19:59
confused_buyer said:
OK, must be the S40/V50/C70 only as the S60/V70 got the TF80 on the D5 and 2.4D in late 2005. And it is rubbish as well - the valve bodies have a known fault so you're better off with a Aw55!
I think every automatic gearbox Volvo have ever used in an FWD car ranges from "not very good and a bit fragile" to "utter crap and unlikely to last more than 50k". I've just bought an XC60 D5 AWD and actually opted for the manual gearbox, as the TF80 is so dim witted and short lived. I drove a D4 VEA FWD XC60 with the latest 8 speed AW gearbox and that was pretty mediocre too. Only time will tell if it maintains the time honoured Volvo tradition of dying at a relatively low mileage and writing off a car that would otherwise have another couple of hundred thousand miles in it. My recently departed 2004 V70 T5 had early signs of the box going a bit iffy at 140k, despite regular fluid changes.
Edited by dme123 on Sunday 29th May 00:32
I thought I'd check how accessible the ATF dipstick/filler hole is. My car is a 2006 C70 Mk 2 5 Speed D5 geartronic. I know where it's supposed to be, but even with the air filer & air inlet duct removed there is no sign of the yellow (or any other colour) dipstick tucked away. Can anyone confirm there definitely is one & where it'll be
Thanks
Thanks
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