AW71 ATF options?
 

Hey peeps,

I know this has been asked to death before and I've searched the forums but I can't find what I'm looking for so here it is being asked again.

DEXRON III or DEXRON II ?

I seem to remember the last time I changed the ATF in one of these boxes I bought 20L and did a complete flush and it cost me about £45 but the prices seem to have inflated since then.

Anyway is there a prefered brand for these boxes or will something like the below do?

MANNOL AFT

Thanks in advance.

I'm sure that will be fine.
In mine I've been using Dexron 3 from Smith and Allen, which is much the same price.

Change it using your preferred method (flush or repeated drain and fills over a couple thousand miles) then for the price of it a drain and fill at the same time as every service will keep it clean and amount to pretty much the equivalent of a full flush every 40k anyway.

I actually used the JWS3309 fluid that is recommended for the later 5 speed AW55 boxes. Dexron III is supposed to be backwards compatible.

Now in hindsight I realise I probably should have checked it out more thoroughly. But I never had any issues with the gearbox thereafter.

I have used Amsoil and Valvoline fully synthetic products in the past and have been happy with both. Both now advertise that they comply with JWS3309, Dexron III and a range of Volvo standards. My favourite of the two is Amsoil, but only because it is a nice deep red colour!

Transmission fluid tends to be backwards compatible with earlier, similar specifications. I think some of the earlier GM Dexron specs have been withdrawn now so anything advertising itself as Dexron II is unlikely to have been actually accredited recently. By the way, prior to 1984 Volvo recommended Ford Type F fluid in the AW70/71. The dichotomy over standards may well be due to BorgWarner gradually reducing their stake in the collaboration.

I personally do a change in one hit using the cooler line method, but then I have never neglected changes. However, there is a lot of sage advice from others on here to tackle the change more gradually. This is likely to be a good idea if your existing fluid is black and burnt or has never previously been changed.

I used the Amsoil stuff in my last 850R, and that was fine - I used the cooler line method on that one too. As Forrest says, it is a lovely colour :D

I've been using Fuchs ATF4000 in my 940 and that has also been fine - I chose Fuchs this time as the Amsoil stuff is ridiculously expensive now !


https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-1052-am...eries-atf.aspx

One quart is just under 1 litre, and I typically run 10-12 litres through when doing a cooler line change...

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-965-fuc...ion-fluid.aspx

BTW, my 'take' on the drop'n'refill vs cooler line method is this:

If the fluid is black, that discolouring is likely due to debris from worn clutch plates as much as discolouring due to overheating. That debris is compensating for the clutch plates being worn - its passing between the clutch plates and assisting the friction between the plates, so if you then remove all the debris (using the cooler line method of fluid change), then all of a sudden that assistance is removed and the gearbox fails. This, I believe, is where all the doom n gloom reputation of gearboxes faling after using this methd comes from.

Using the drain and refill method still removes some of the debris, maybe about a third at each change, but as there is still a significant amount of debris in the system, the gearbox continues to work, albeit at a reduced efficiency I'd guess. The gearbox is still knackered, but its struggling along lol.

That is my very unscientific and totally unproven belief anyway :D

That was my thinking too. I've just replaced what was in the sump and I'll drive it for a while and see what happens. So far so good, Gear changes seem a bit smoother but that could just be a placebo effect.