Took my wife's 2001 V70 2.4T into my mechanic yesterday and asked him to change the transmission fluid. Upon closer inspection, he found that the transmission is a sealed unit and a fluid change is not possible.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Hi there,
I just flushed the transmission on my 2001 v70 T5 this past weekend. The procedure is relatively simple, so I'll encourage you to take this on if you're comfortable under the hood.
It's a little different process on the 2001-on v70's so here's what I did: Remove the top hydraulic hose, on driver's side, from the radiator. The plastic green retainer should be pinched to release, and then pull with quite a bit of force to remove the line. Place a 5 ft. length of clear plastic hose of 1" inner diameter over the nipple on the radiator and tighten with a screw clamp.
Place the other end of the hose into a milk jug that has volumetric markings on the side for 2 quarts and 4 quarts. It is important to punch a hole at the neck of the jug to allow air to escape - otherwise the jug will split from air displacement or it will fly off the hose and make a nasty mess.
Start the engine and the torque converter will begin to pump out the old fluid. It comes out rather fast so keep an eye on the jug. Pump out only 2 quarts at a time and turn off engine BEFORE the level reaches 2 quarts! Several ounces will continue to drain.
You will need a funnel with a long piece of flexible hose to reach the dipstick tube. I fashioned my own with spare bits of fuel line laying around. Make sure hose is fitted securely in the dipstick tube and patiently pour in 2 quarts of 3309 fluid. This takes time.
Continue the process until you've gone through the case of fluid. Then drive the car for 15 minutes to heat up the fluid and check the level. Since there is no drain plug, it is better to underfill than overfill.
The Mobil 3309 fluid was not easy for me to find locally. I ordered it from AV Lubricants in Columbus, OH. HOWEVER, as best I can tell, the Toyota T-IV fluid is the same thing - same bottle, black instead of Mobil blue. So a trip to the local Toyota dealership may be the best way to find it.
Best wishes,
John

Time to find a new mechanic! There is no such thing as a sealed auto tranny. If you want to save a LOT of money, check the color of the fluid first - just wipe the dipstick on a clean paper towel and check the color. Red is good, brown is not so good, and dark brown/black is almost time to buy a new car.
Just save up 3 gallon milk jugs and buy a case of Mobile 3309 synthetic fluid at your auto parts store. Then, unclip the upper cooling hose and flush it yourself. It only takes about 30 minutes. Procedures are available at Volvospeed and mathews volvo site.

Klaus
--
1975 164 w/174,800mi (Sold) 1995 850T w/91,000mi, 1998 V70R w/129,000mi

Sounds like the mechanic was trying a spill and fill. Remove the top tranny hose from the cooler....and flush all 8 qts out with about 12 qts of new stuff. This does not speak well for your mechanics knowledge of volvos.....unless there has been a drastic change in these cars from 2000.

Unlikely, probably works like the 98 - 2000 V70's, you empty from the line going to the cooler and fill up through the dipstick.

Wow, your mechanic is BRAIN DEAD. Time to find a new one VERY fast.

The procedure described by the other posters has been standard procedure for changing ATF in Volvos for many years. And logically, it is by far the best way to change ATF.

Your mechanic's response is a clear indication of a lack of familiarity with the cars.

I wouldn't be surprised if 3309 and the Toyota fluid referenced above are the same. The transmissions are built by Aisin-Warner, which I believe is owned by Toyota. GM is now using the Aisin-Warner five-speed automatic in the Chevy Equinox, so there will be a GM cross-reference as well. ATF specification has become a complicated subject in recent years.