Question as to Drain and Fill method, AT

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GearheadTool

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Ok. I suspect the ATF fluid level may be a half quart to a quart overfull. So, as to the "drain and fill" method I am using.. I believe the Volvo is one of those cars that does NOT have a trans filter? So.. I drain/filled the fresh gallon of ATF about 100 miles ago (yes, 100 not 1000.) Should I drain/fill another gallon, like, the day after Christmas.. ? Or, wait another 900 miles? WWYD?

It came out looks like nasty grey/black motor oil, pretty bad. Shifts a little better with the new stuff, maybe a little smoother. I think there is more to improve.. It shifted fine to start with, but that is why we change the fluid BEFORE there is a problem with it, right?

I bought Valvoline Dex/Merc and have two more gallons of it. Used one.. making it a half quart or quart overfull...
 
WWYD?

I would have checked the fluid level using the procedure specified in the owner's manual BEFORE draining any out. I would have measured the exact amount I drained out and put exactly that amount back in, thus preventing an overfill situation. Then, I would have checked the fluid level again just to be sure.
 
Given that what came out was so dark and you have the fluid anyway, I'd drain/fill again twice more. You don't need to drive it far; around the block is fine as long as it shifts through the gears, including reverse.

Some will suggest using the ATF cooler line to flush it all, but there's still benefit to doing the 3x drain/fill. Honda recommends it for their units. In many cases, just doing the drain/fill once gains a bunch. However, if you're not comfortable with the cooler line approach, it's still a lot better than staying with 100% bad fluid.

This time watch the fill ups. Use the quantity the owner's manual or online source for that make/model says. If you were a bit overfilled the second time planning to do a third, fine. But the final fill needs to be accurate.

Keep in mind that the hash marks, at least in my experience, are in pints, not quarts like they are for engine oil.

BTW I would add a bottle of Lubegard to it the last fill; I've had great results as have others here. But that's me; some like to use ATF only.

Keep in mind it adds 10oz to your refill if you use LG, so adjust the refill math accordingly.
 
When you says its overfilled is that measuring it the way its suggested in the owners manual?

I would do another gallon the day after Christmas. Then one more several days latter.

While you are doing partial exchanges, the new ATF is surely going to do some cleanup when added and running it a little while will do some cleaning and you will get rid of the cleaned up crud when you do additional ATF exchanges.

When adding ATF via the dipstick tube you need to wait a bit to measure as the ATF in the dipstick tube needs to drain around the usual bends.
 
Does this vehicle have a dipstick, or are you just guessing that it's overfull? I suggest checking the manual or the Internet to find the drain/fill capacity and whether it has a filter. The pan drop/filter change capacity will be more than a simple pan drain.

With fluid looking as bad as you say, it wouldn't hurt to change again soon. Then add "almost" the drain/fill amount, run it and check the dipstick (if it has one), and top up as needed, a few ounces at a time. Like eagle23 said, the ATF dipstick reads in smaller measurements than engine oil. I would then run it for a few weeks and change again, or finish with a filter change and refill.

If this is one of those trannies with no dipstick, maybe someone who knows the particular model can help.
 
You say "suspect? No dipstick? Do at least a couple of more drain & fills, until you get a nice red color of your fluid. I have a 13.4 qt trans.- did [3] 5qt drain & fills, the first time i changed mine.
 
You were already told how to do this, months ago, when I answered your transmission fluid questions...why should I bother repeating myself?
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
You were already told how to do this, months ago, when I answered your transmission fluid questions...why should I bother repeating myself?


Because I just now got the ramps and the fluid, found the bolt, and got the tool. Takes some time with me, man!
 
Originally Posted By: eagle23
You don't need to drive it far; around the block is fine as long as it shifts through the gears, including reverse.
^^^This.

I don't know why so many folks advise going weeks or hundreds of miles between drains. I would think that just shifting through all the gears a couple of times and letting it idle for a few minutes would thoroughly mix the fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
Originally Posted By: Astro14
You were already told how to do this, months ago, when I answered your transmission fluid questions...why should I bother repeating myself?


Because I just now got the ramps and the fluid, found the bolt, and got the tool. Takes some time with me, man!


Then why should I bother responding at all? You have wasted my time by not reading my previous posts...when I explained how to do this job, what kind of fluid, posted links to the owner's manual, posted links to a Volvo XC owner's forum that explains 99% of your questions in great detail, a forum that has "how to" guides for nearly every maintenance operation on this particular car. And you don't remember any of it? Or you didn't bother to check out those links?

I have clearly been wasting my time trying to help you with this car.

A mistake I won't repeat.
 
If your Volvo is anything like my Audi, the factory original trans fluid may not be a red color to start with so saying that it is a dark motor oil color may not be an indication of anything bad.

When I did the first drain on mine, the oil was the color of watered down iced tea. The important thing is that the fluid is clear when held up to the light. If you cannot see some light through it, it is contaminated and should be replaced.
 
Id check level four or five times, get the level perfect, and go on saving for that timing belt.
 
There sure seems to be a whole lot of OCD on this site related to ATF. All I have EVER done is drain and fills. My first car was a 72 Pontiac Catalina with the THM 400 transmission. When it was passed down to me by my parents the ATF had not been changed for over 70,000 miles. It was sticking in 2nd gear on the highway. After a modulator change and two drain and fills it was fine. After that, I did a drain and fill every year, regardless of mileage. Transmission had 212,000 miles on it when I sold the car and it still shifted firmly. My 89 Accord went 300,000 miles on the original transmission with 30,000 mile drain and fills using M1 ATF. The first one was done using Dexron II as that was spec and it predated my switch to synthetic ATF.

The whole ATF "flush" and multiple drain and fill advice gets to be somewhat tired, IMO. I am not sure why people think that they have to have virgin, pink ATF at all times.

So, if it were me, I would simply drain enough fluid out to reach the proper level and sleep soundly at night. I drove on slightly overfilled transmissions (1/4" on the dipstick) for hundreds of thousands of miles. That is what you could call "anecdotal" evidence. A Honda or a Pontiac are not what you are driving, so YMMV. And, I am, known as the guy who can drive a car forever. Never had to get rid of one due to mechanical failure.
 
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
All I have EVER done is drain and fills.
...

The whole ATF "flush" and multiple drain and fill advice gets to be somewhat tired, IMO. I am not sure why people think that they have to have virgin, pink ATF at all times.


Id agree, though I see no harm in a simplified exchange of a quart every oil change.

On cars with dipsticks, its no big deal.

They are making it harder and harder though!
 
With ATF costing what it does these days - upwards of $8-10/qt for the stuff I buy - I don't even see a need to drain anything except at normal service intervals. The most common interval seems to be about 30,000 miles. Some are much longer than that. I tend to look at total cost. That includes time and trouble for waste disposal, for those of us that even care. Otherwise, the majority probably ends up in landfills or dumped on the ground or down a storm drain - not good.

It is kind of a big deal to do a drain and fill if your AT has no drain plug. I've done plenty of them, but without a plug it's very messy.

My current vehicle uses a Mazda specific ATF (Mazda ATF-FZ). The owner's manual specifies no maintenance interval. I have read on a few Mazda forums it is supposed to be "lifetime" fluid. Yet, the dealership says they do drain and fills at 30,000 miles. It's a brand new transmission for Mazda US and they are already trying to drum up business doing excessive maintenance. I'll check the fluid - using the bolted in dipstick way down the front of the transaxle case - but will probably do the change at 50,000 miles or so. We'll have to see if the factory changes its recommendations in the interim. There are several different AT's used in the 2012 Mazda 3. All but the Skyactiv indicate fluid change intervals.
 
Thanks, everyone! (Astro14, I really do appreciate your advice.)

I decided to video how the ATF looks coming out, on its third drain-and-fill. I presently have 3 quarts Redline D4 in there, along with the first three approximately one gallon each drain/fills of Maxlife Dex/Merc. How is this looking?



Am I due for a fourth drain/fill soon? Mileage is 135,727

(And yes, I missed the pan a lil bit. LOL)
 
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