I went to get my 89 740gle Wagons transmission flushed and the service guy told me that they would not do the job because after 75K miles the transmission could slip if the fluid is changed. Then I called the dealer and he told me the same thing. He said dont do anything if its not performing poorly. I dont get this. The fluid is way gone and I cant understand how the tranny is giong to last if the fluid is broken down. I was under the impression that if the fluid is shot the transmition can fail. What should I do? I dont want to change the fluid and then have to get a rebuild or a new tranny. HELP!!!!!!!!!

Erik N

Erik-

Go ahead and do it. I've had the fluid changed on my 245 three times in the last two years for good measure, and I have 170K on it now. It now shifts better than ever!! Now, I just have to replace those pesky motor mounts to keep things running smooth!

I had mine changed about four months ago and WOW what a difference that made. If you want to save some cash get the mounts on ebay I saved at least 50% here is on I found this morning.........

cut and paste.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=591851370&r=0&t=0

Based on old GM/Fraud trannies. NOT based on your AW-70/71 with that few miles. Do it now. Do it yourself for really cheap. Use a case of on sale petroleum ATF (Dexron II/III). After a month or two repeat with synthetic ATF and drive 100,000 miles without worry.

I have changed over Volvos to synthetic ATF that had 150,000-200,000 miles on what looked like the original ATF. Aside from the existing (before change) typical leaky rear seal or pesky rear bushing (easy jobs too) these trannies carry on as we speak. Nothing fell apart, broke loose, etc. As pointed out if a fluid change cause the death....then it was pretty near death already, and at 85K I highly doubt it's near death.

I too think it's probably some BS lawsuit thing/make work/kill car early thing. If you plan on keeping your car flush and fill, flush and fill you worries away!!

Actually I've seen quite a few transmission failures on higher mileage cars when the fluid is changed. I work at a BMW dealership and we've had a few over the years that won't go after a fluid change. We also warn the customer of the potential for a problem if they decide to change. It has something to do with the front pump loosing it's prime so I'm told. This happens on the BMW ZF auto's and I believe the same trans is used in some Volvo's.

Yes, there is a possibility that your transmission will quit soon after a fluid change, particularly if the fluid is really nasty. On the other hand, if the fluid is that bad there is a high percentage of possibility that the transmission is already dead and will be showing you that in the near future.

I agree with Steve--change the fluid, and the odds are very high that your transmission will last for a long time.

If you don't feel comfortable spending the extra money for synthetic at first, go ahead and change with non-synthetic. Drive it for a month or so, and if everything is fine, then do it again with synthetic ATF. Maintenance for the next 50K miles (or longer with the better synthetic)should be to periodically pull the dipstick to make sure there are no leaks.

On reflection, these guys are telling you that enough sleezy customers with nearly dead trannies have asked for fluid changes at high mileages and then blamed the subsequent tranny failure on the change. "See you in court" heard a couple of times probably forces you to say "no" to some jobs.

Thats it!!! This was a Jiffy Lube in San Diego and they wanted to send me to a Transmission shop to do the job. They didnt want the liability. This wagon runs great. I cant throw away the tranny. It has only 81K. And its a 89! The dealer pissed me off with the leave it alone theory. He said its a 740 problem. The fluid needs to be replaced.

Erik N

(This is just my theory, but ...)

> I cant understand how the tranny is giong to last if the

> fluid is broken down ...

That's why they say that ... they need something make sure they've got work!

In an article in the LA Times last year, the average Volvo on the road is 17 years old. Which other current car company can make such a claim? At this point, they *want* to kill the old ones, so they can sell you something new. Or at least charge you a lot for something that otherwise wouldn't have been necessary ...

I've been doing ATF drain/refill service every other oil change ... like the oil, frequent changes means there is much less buildup.

-- Kane ... especially when ATF isn't significantly more expensive than good motor oil.

That's insane. Their theory must be that the transmission is held together by crud, which will be loosened by new fluid. So let it go until you have a total failure. Ridiculous.

See the 700/900 FAQ for complete instructions on how to do this total fluid flush yourself. It's easy and takes about half an hour, with no tools needed other than a wrench, a vinyl tube, and two milk bottles. I like a high quality synthetic such as Mobil 1 ATF, even though it's more expensive. The fluid is much more resistant to high temperatures and does not oxidize.