1993 240 wagon - no maint history; apparent major neglect of all; bought 1 1/2 yrs ago on ebay. Have since drained and filled auto trans 2x (each time it was drained and filled twice) - obviously still not red color w/ lots of old fluid left in car. Trying to makeup for poor car care in past & want to ensure trans safety/lifespan. NO trans problems at present except for occasional stick at low speeds - prob the trans cable.

1. Can "bleed"/refill trans fluid 1 qt at a time - told after capacity or 1 qt more that fluid should be red. Recommended for 3-4K miles, then repeat, then all ok. (per Volvo enthusiast - use metal drain by radiator)
2. Any harm from this old car running 100% new fluid vs. mixed new/old it's been used to (don't know if ever flushed - just know the drain/fills I did)? Local $$$ Volvo-only repair said new trans problems (NONE at present) can occur or be revealed.
3. If I go ahead w/ the "bleed"/refill, manual says Dextron II D - now there's a III made by Valvoline - ANY recomm to keep costs down, maintain quality and do with mindset that after 4K miles it will be done again?

Thanks!

Hello,

Check out Dave Shannon's website, used by many (and I am one) with excellent results,

http://volvo2.homestead.com/aw70.html

Was very impressed by the results. Takes about 20 min, faster with a couple of extra sets of hands. I had the wife womaning the key, my buddy watching the tub, and I was the pour guy. After the first four or five cans we got the timing down and were able to keep rolling along without stopping the engine. Took 12 to 15 quarts before it ran bright red. Started out a brownish tan and looked pretty bad. The real trick was making sure the level was right after the flush. Had to get the transmission nice and warm before the level made sense.

Good Luck,

Paul

I would recommend doing a full flush using the upper cooling line method. Some mechanics will tell you not to do a flush on a neglected tranny as it can dislodge more gunk. The transmissions on these cars are pretty forgiving so I would so go for it and get all the old burnt stuff flushed out.

Read the FAQ on trans flushing and just do it that way and be done with it.

Mark