best place to get gearbox fluid these days
 

thinking of doing a sump dump on my 2005 v70

where is the best/cheapest place to get fluid?
how much should I order?
is it best to dump the fluid out of the sump at the bottom or suck it out of the dip stick with a pump?
thanks

I got mine from ebay IIRC about 40-50 quid for 10ltrs?

Should be about 3 ltrs per drain, some get a little more some get less

Bottom plug removal is surely best for letting the bits of crap come out

thanks - do you remember what the spec number is for the fluid ?

there are lots of different brands of JWS3309 fluid on eBay - are they all ok or are some better than others?

this is the one I used:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303081766587

i think the price has gone up a bit (typical lately I suppose) and currently zero available at this point im afraid..

I can only see 20L at the moment which is a bit much but actually the price is decent per litre https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303081772419

maybe you can find someone near you who wants to do the same job and split the cost of it or something

thanks mate - probably only want to get 5 litres this time though
this brand is a good price for 6 litres but is it worth getting a cheaper brand?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304431580...3ABFBM_vr7xLNg

I'll have to leave that for others to comment I'm afraid, I went with the one I linked on a recommendation from someone who sounded knowledgeable but I can't remember who that was now

it does look like it's the right type? but I'm no expert on that sorry

No expert here either but since 3309 is the spec, you'll be OK using either.
One overlooked source of transmission fluid is the Toyota T-IV.
The "T" stands for 'Type'. Toyota/Lexus used the same transmission so the fluid is "mother's milk".

If you raise the left side a bit higher than the right during your drain, you'll get closer to 4l.
One economical thing you can do is buy 4l at the Toyota dealership and do your drain. If by some miracle the drained fluid is clear, red and lovely, you can be done until next time (30,000 miles down the road).

However, if the drained fluid is black and foul, you can complete the one drain & fill with the 4l and buy a 10l or 20l keg or case of 12 for subsequent drain & fills.
Who knows, the parts man at the Toyota dealership might give you a discount on a case sale.

I've used a variety of substitute 3309 fluids with success. The names wouldn't help you as products are relabeled in different countries.

For example, Valvoline markets a 3309 fluid here called MaxLife Dex/Merc LV (a confusing additional name as Valvoline uses the term "MaxLife" for various products).
The LV means "low viscosity". The product is not to be confused with common Dex/Merc which is an older recipe said to damage our transmissions.
This is why it's good you're doing this yourself. Many bad shops will do a drain & fill with whatever is in their drum.

thanks - so just to clarify - as long as the spec says 3309 all should be good regardless of the brand?

Yes.
Also be aware that the original 3309 formulation is a mineral oil transmission fluid.
Synthetic 3309's are available too. This is no matter of concern. They're completely compatible.

In fact, that the majority of synthetic oil products are derived from mineral oils makes it a non-issue.

When you do this easy job, please remember to report on how foul / black / smelly your old fluid was.