Someone called Steven posted on October 31 2001 about a Volvo TSB that stated that the AT oil needed to be changed every 15 k miles from 50K miles. Does anyone know if this is a Volvo TSB and where I could uregntly get my hands on it

Many Thanks

There is NO such TSB, period. Volvo has nothing in print on ATF change intervals but most people who see these cars daily have different opinions on that. Even VCNA people say that ATF should be changed on occasion.
Now...there IS a TSB (or TNN) about doing a trans flush using Volvos synthetic ATF in the event that the customer has minor shift related problems with the trans. The #1 thing that I've also experienced is that at about 60mph, the trans can do some wierd shifting or shuttering (like a vibration) and doing the flush with Volvos costly synthetic cures the problem.
If out of warranty, the stuff costs about $16 US per liter and the TSB says to use 16 liters to flush out all the old fluid, including the last 3 liters needed for the final fill. If it were my car and you prefered staying with the generic Dex III, then I'd flush mine every 20-30K miles depending on the fluids color and it turns dark from heat, not impurities. As mentioned in another thread here about adding an IPD filter, one guy suggests adding a good trans cooler instead and with an XC, that's probably a good idea too. You shouldn't have dark brown ATF in your trans because the stuff has broken down and isn't lubricating as best as it should be.

Thanks Lenny, but a TSB does exist for the flushing of tranny's. It is TSB 4430029, dated May 2000 and it regards hard lockup and engagement ...may be due to worn .. overheated tranny fluid. A factory owned dealer/service centre here in Melbourne Australia sold this and a number of other cars to me. Thye have services the vehicle and they have not serviced the btranny properly. I suspect that they never looked at the fluid, as they needed 30 litres to get it right. These are my personal views only

Doug G summed it up exactly. As we both pointed out, there is no mileage interval and unless a customer has a shift related complaint, no one will just do a flush. There are times too when not every tech will be equally savvy enough to ask others or check for possible written TSBs. Usually only a more experienced tech would do that so there's times when if you know about a specific TSB, it's then not a bad idea to remind your service adviser.

There is no TSB specifying ROUTINE flushing of the tranny. Only if the customer complains that the shifting is hard or such will the dealer flush the tranny per the TSB you mention. Have you had shifting issues? If so, and you haven't mentioned them to the dealer, then there was no obligation to change your fluid.

I don't know about the TSB, but in my experience with FWD Volvo's, conventional Dexron III ATF starts to turn brown after about 15 to 20k miles. In my opinion, heat is the chief culprit. You should do a complete ATF flush no later than every 20k miles or so. If you use synthetic ATF, you can maybe add another 10k or so. It is so easy to do, I do it every two years on both my FWD and RWD Volvos. I also add a small can of the BG ATF conditioner to the Mobil 1 ATF I generally use.