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The biggest unknown, or source of error, in determining the proper fluid level using the dipstick involves the dependency of the fluid volume on its temperature -- the dipstick's scale uses two arbitrary temperatures as reference points, but often the actual temperature is somewhere in between.
Step 1, get a RayTek IR (infra-red) thermometer -- about $89 from IPD and many other mail-order venders (e.g., Griot's Garage, etc.) This is a very useful shop tool for the automotive do-it-yourselfer, not to mention home-owners, powerboat owners, trailer-towers (I check my boat trailers' bearings' temperature with it while I'm on the road), etc.
Anyway, set your RayTek for Celsius (or Centigrade) -- it's switchable with Fahrenheit, but you want Celsius here.
[unless you've got a later model with the dipstick marked both in C and F]
Then, after driving around a while, and you think your transmission is warmed up to the temperature suitable for the 'higher' scale on one side of dipstick -- take my word for it, it won't be -- reach under your car with the RayTek and put it up against the underside of the transmission sump's pan. There, you'll get the most accurate temperature reading possible.
Then look at both sides of your dipstick for the indicated temperatures -- i.e., one side is "cold", 40 C (105 F), and the other side is "hot", 90 C (190 F) -- and knowing what your fluid's temperature actually is from your RayTek, just mentally interpolate between the two scales to see where the upper and lower limits should be for that known temperature in relation to your indicated fluid level.
Assuming Volvo designed the dipstick properly (i.e., the proper length) in relation to the indicated temperatures (and you can't argue otherwise), this is the most accurate method possible. It eliminates the main source of error such as the variable of not knowing what the temperature is -- other than not being on level ground, the only remaining source of error that we can possibly consider and deal with is your own technique for withdrawing the dipstick carefully.
Good luck.
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