TF80SC Transmission - Recommended fluid

kwahodi

Hey,

Which is the recommended transmission fluid for a 2009 XC90 D5 with the TF80SC gearbox? Car has done 170,000kms. After much searching in the interwebs, I'm a little confused as I've seen some articles recommending certain fluid standards depending on the VIN of the car? I'm intending to do a drop and fill change this weekend just for maintenance purposes as I recently acquired the car. Gears seems to be changing fine with no obvious problems but there is no history of fluid change. Just wanted to know which one to use for this model. Cheers!

Steve.

arebee

I used

https://penriteoil.com.au/products/atf-lv-full-syn

in the other half's 2013 XC90. Did the full Gibbons style oil flush. Key thing to remember is to to a Vida transmission counter reset, and set the oil after it gets to 60 C (if I recall correctly). Good that you are doing it, essential maintenance. Good luck with it.

Ex850R

Replace exactly what you take out and you are good. Sometimes the rest isn’t needed, it doesn’t show a dash warning.

Adaptations are talked about but it’s not needed either really, many shops don’t do it just test it.

The guaranteed fluid replacement is at a good automatic transmission shop, they use their machine which gets the fluid out of the torque converter which doesn’t happen when you dump and fill ( it takes two or more consecutive dumps and fills to get fluid clean. That uses way more fluid so the shop method is worth it.

If in Melbourne, Jim Walton Transmission does the service , does rebuilds and also upgrades.

kwahodi

Thanks @arebee - however, this fluid has the JWS 3324 specification. Just managed to get my hands on a VIDA and it says my car uses JWS 3309 specified fluid? Could it be that the specification changed noting that there is a 4 year difference between my car and yours? Cheers!

arebee

kwahodi

I suspect that the earlier type of XC90 may have had the Gen 1 TF-80SC transmission? This may account for the difference in the specification (JWS 3309 versus JWS 3324), our 2013 XC90 is used for towing a caravan, and also a car trailer (with rally car) so the car is also fitted with a large transmission oil cooler as well, the standard setup not being up to it. No problems with the current setup now.

Not sure is the use of the later specification oil will cause a problem, but I strongly suggest that if your car specifically states, JWS 3309, then definitely stick with that.

Ex850R

Valvoline, Yoyota and Penrith all make it. Any is fine, it’s more to the point to do it properly and regularly

nh2868

My 2007 XC90 (V8) with the TF80SC transmission has had flushes with Mobil 3309 fluid since I bought it. I assume other fluids would work, but as far as I can research the Toyota and JWS3309 fluids are rebranded Mobil 3309 anyway. I source from ebay, gllubricants. If you have time, it just gets delivered to the door in 1L bottles. (The reansmission is an Aisin Warner - owned by Toyota…)

My transmission was rebuilt just before I bought the car at 180,000km, now at 430,000km after flushes every 60,000km and all good.

I recall that there was a fluid spec change, but I thought that was around 2010 with the minor model update…

Major Ledfoot

There's the Shell stuff which is the same spec as the Volvo stuff. I'll post the spec next week if asked.

Major Ledfoot

Major Ledfoot There's the Shell stuff which is the same spec as the Volvo stuff. I'll post the spec next week if asked.

So... okay, no one asked, but as part of the Pictures From The Shed Program -

Matt's mate, Pat, got me a 20 litre barrel of this Shell ATF a few years ago, which Stu Olfield used to flush the S80 V8's transmission. The car hasn't skipped a beat since then.

We've only put about 15,000 kays on the V8 since then (105K changed, 120K now) so it will get flushed again at 140K.

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Ex850R

Major Ledfoot jws3309? Bit blurry…

That’s good for early iirc, the upgrade box is a5b5 ?

Major Ledfoot

JWS 3309 - it's Shell S5 ATF X.

kwahodi

Thanks all.

I have done a few drop-and-fills and reset the counter. I used JWS 3309 which is the recommended spec . I dont do much towing apart from a small 6x4 trailer once in a while getting firewood, tip run etc. . I dont believe that the fluid had been changed by previous owner as the drain plug was on tight! I even managed to round the T40 inner drain plug 🙁. Lucky BMG had one in stock and Mark sent me a complete set - including washer and o-ring. Had to use a pipe wrench to loosen it 🙁.

Anyway, I used the same fluid (Nulon Synthetic) I used on my previous 2.5T which used the same spec and the car is going pretty good maybe even a bit more responsive. Is adaptation necessary after fluid change or does the TCM learn with time?

Please see the fluid during the drop-and-fill's and fluid used. I forgot to save the last sample after setting the level when temp was between 50-60 degrees.

Cheers!

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nh2868

That little bastard of a screw made of swiss chesse and sealed with a ring of licorice ? I don't know why it even has a torx head fitted to it. You can do them up finger tight and still strip the head out after a week or two. I bought half a dozen last time I ordered from FCP. Now I don't even bother trying to undo the inner screw - just replace the lot every time and undo them with vice grips.

You probably don't need to reset the adaptation - the transmission should self learn / adjust to the new behaviour. More critical would be resetting the transmission oil life counter - the transmission is supposed to adjust for different friction properties over the life of the oil, and resetting this lets the computer allow for new oil instead of adjusting for wasted oil.

Major Ledfoot

nh2868 That little bastard of a screw made of swiss chesse and sealed with a ring of licorice ? I don't know why it even has a torx head fitted to it.

That piece of stupid was introduced as part of the Sealed For Life stupid.

arebee

Sealed for life, is missing a few words, I'm sure they meant to have originally said….Sealed for an inconvenient and very expensive short life.

Major Ledfoot

The lesson learned from Sealed For Life is that companies should never let sales and marketing dickheads dictate the engineering and service policy. But I digress.

I did a bit of reading up on JWS 3309 and JWS 3324 - it appears 3324 is a completely synthetic brew introduced when they brought in Euro5 emission standards. It appears to be backwards-compatible with 3309 (which apparently is part mineral) so it may be possible to replace 3309 with 3324.... but not the other way 'round. Please correct me if I'm wrong about any of this.

@arebee can you please tell us some more details about your transmission oil cooler setup on your XC90? The S80 V8 is about to take over car trailer towing duties from the VT SS Commodore and I don't want to risk breaking the Volvo's rubber band.

Ex850R

Major Ledfoot

Iceton just put the genuine Volvo cooler on his V8, not cheap though.

I’ve got a Derale cooler on my power steering and a larger one I’m going to plumb in to the lines going to the radiator. Because I want a bigger unit I’m remote mounting it up under a bum cheek with a Spal fan on permanently. I’ll fabricate a housing in Ally. Might do engine oil nearby as well.

Ask Iceton what the Volvo kit looked like.

arebee

Major Ledfoot

Here's how I installed a transmission cooler into the XC90. Firstly, I used a PWR brand oil cooler, part number PWO 0528Z, which is 280 mm x 255 mm with 3/8 barb type hose fittings. You can get these with all sorts of AN size fittings as well.

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From this picture you can sort of see approximately where I fitted it, I made up some brackets that positioned the cooler away from the back of the aluminium part of the bumper , and away from the front of the normal aircon radiator setup. I have tried to get a picture of the brackets..

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The brackets are bolted (using M8 all thread) through a hole that I drilled through the alloy part of the bumper. I used washers and nyloc type nuts top and bottom.

As for the hose connection, I cut the hoses and used brass barbed connectors and hose clamps to tie it all together.

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To facilitate easy separation of one of the hoses (for Gibbons style flushing of the transmission fluid) I incorporated an additional joint so that I separate at that point using a pair of hose separation pliers, and not from the softer aluminium barb from the radiator. Probably better to use AN fittings, since you could more easily separate that way… I also like to use non perforated style hose clamps, the perforated ones are inclined to dig into the surface of the hose, compromising the integrity of the setup.

Driving the car up and down hills etc., and also in summer (high thirties last weekend) with the caravan has not once lead to a high oil temperature problem for the transmission, and its subsequent PITA limp mode where the gear selection and restricted speed etc, not to mention rapid oil degradation / destruction. We also drive it in 'manual mode' once we are above about 60 k's per hour.

Hope that this helps.