Volvo 850 2.0 Automatic ATF transmission oil recommendation?
 

Hi guys,
I have just purchased my first Volvo recently.
A 1996 Volvo 850 2.0 automatic.
(I have never owned a Volvo before)

I intend to change all the fluids on the car. However I'm a bit stuck in choosing the correct transmission oil.
The manual mentions to use Dexron IIE and Ford Mecron specification.

After doing some brief reading on this forum, some people had mentioned they used Comma ATF which met the spec but ruined their gearbox.

May I kindly you guys which oil you guys have used or recommend using?
Which brand? Spec? And whether to use mineral or synthetic oil etc?

May I also ask if it is necessary to flush the transmission several times?
Thank you for your assistance

Use Dexron 111 for mine...
From memory, if you are just doing a drain & refil you will need about 3litres of fluid, this is all I did and then again after a couple of months
The other method requires removing the return hose and running the engine to pump new fluid through...plenty of advice on line how to do it

May I ask which brand/model of oil you used?
Thank you

Just get the correct oil from the volvo dealer :

Dextron II E ( Ford Mercon)
1 litre PN 1381166
4 litre PN 1381167

Dexron 3 is an improved version of Dexron 2. = greater resistance to degradation, oxidation, and thermal stability. In addition in my experience it performs slightly better on cold start up. Its completely backwards compatible/ mixable with the earlier Dexron 2 There should not be much difference in price so go for the better stuff.

Although Dexron 1V is now available but have not used it so can't really comment...

The most important thing to remember is to use the correct grade of ATF. Use ONLY Dexron II or III in your gearbox (it'll be an Aisin Warner 50-42 of some variant - you'll see the serial number and type on a plate on the top of the gearbox)

I've had the pleasure of changing ATF on a few 850/x70s with this gearbox. As mentioned ^^^, one method is to remove the top transmission line from the gearbox to the radiator. You attach a length of hose to the end of the rigid line and put the other end in a receptor of some kind (I used a 2 litre coke bottle). You start the engine and the ATF fluid comes out of the hose into the bottle. By marking 1.5 litres on the bottle beforehand, you know when to stop the engine and how much new ATF to add (down the ATF dipstick). You need to move the gear lever through each position (holding the footbrake down of course!) to ensure that the fluid is flushed through all the gearbox galleries. The fluid coming out is under low pressure - its like a running tap, so don't be afraid that it'll squirt out everywhere like an artery :D The last car I did a fluid change in this way, I used almost 20 litres (!) But I did keep going for a while after it appeared clean, 'just to be safe'.

I changed the ATF in my current car, a '96 850R with the same gearbox using the 'drain sump and refill' method a few weeks ago. This is supposed to be 'kinder' to the gearbox, as the old fluid is slowly diluted in fresh ATF with each sump drain/refill. I'll expand on this a bit later...

So what you do with the drain sump method is warm the ATF by going on a 10-15 minute drive. This will also ensure that the debris in the ATF is floating in the fluid and not stuck in the bottom of the sump. You then drain the gearbox sump (24mm sump plug) using a 5 litre or so container to catch what you drain. Let it all come out - there will be between 3.0 - 3.5 litres of ATF released. Refit the sump plug using a new washer (washer is the same as the engine sump washer). Pour the dispensed fluid into a jug and measure how much has come out - put *exactly* the same amount of fresh ATF into the gearbox via the gearbox dipstick tube (note - you'll need a suitable funnel that is narrow enough to fit into the dipstick tube, and long enough to reach it!). You then drive a few days to make sure the new fluid is fully mixed in with the remaining old fluid and repeat the process again. You then to do a final drain/refill one more time (ie 3x times overall) which in theory will have replaced 87% of the old ATF.

Which do I prefer?

The hose removal method means that you need to buy a new retaining clip and new o-rings. These are surprisingly expensive - they might cost £20 or so IIRC? The advantage is that its all done in an hour, and you can see how much better your fluid is looking.

The drain/refill method takes several cycles of drain, measure, refill, drive...etc but its an easier task overall. But it takes a while as you have to do it over and over.

Personally I prefer the drain/refill method, but thats just my preference.

Which takes me back to that contentious argument that the hose removal method can kill your transmission! :D I think this is a bit of a red herring to be honest - this is my view and is not supported by any scientific research whatsoever!

It is normal for the clutch plates to wear in an auto gearbox - they are very similar to the clutch plate in a manual gearbox. When you check the auto gearbox sump plug, you'll see that it has a magnetised internal end which will have a surprising amount of black debris stuck to it - this is worn particles of the clutch plates that were suspended in the old ATF before being caught by the magnet. With this old fluid being forced between the clutch plates, these particles are actually giving a bit of added friction between the plates. Once you remove all those particles through replacing the dirty ATF with nice fresh clean ATF, that added friction is no longer there, so the clutch plates no longer have that assistance. If they're badly worn, that difference could be enough for the drive to fail - hence many people have stated that a fluid change has killed their gearbox. IMHO that is not the case - it was already badly worn and needed new clutch plates before the fluid change anyway. It would have failed once the debris could no longer give enough friction assistance to allow the drive to be transmitted - but would be behaving badly long before then.

So, again IMHO, there is no difference in risk between either method. Just use the correct fluid, new washers and be utterly clean in everything you do - you definitely don't want to be pushing dirt down the dipstick tube :)

Hope this has helped.

NB The ATF I used was -

https://www.duckfieldengineering.com...FuchsTitan.jpg

Yes, I'll be running 12-15 litres through...

Thanks for a very informative write up Rolling Thunder...

"Once you remove all those particles through replacing the dirty ATF with nice fresh clean ATF, that added friction is no longer there, so the clutch plates no longer have that assistance. If they're badly worn, that difference could be enough for the drive to fail - hence many people have stated that a fluid change has killed their gearbox"

Maybe this is why Volvo suggest their gearboxes are 'sealed for life'

Potentially stupid question, but why change the oil in the gearbox at all? Are there symptoms of wear or imminent failure or is it purely preventative?

At no time have Volvo ever suggested their auto gearboxes are " sealed for life " you wont find that documented anywhere . except as hearsay on poorly informed forums ..
There has always been a service option in the service schedule as an optional item individually selected to suit the driver's and car's usage .

there are dozens of fibre clutch plates in an auto gearbox which shed friction material in their long lives .. the clutch plates run in the oil .