850 FWD Tranny service issues

I bought a '96 850 used with 100k on it. I *knew* Volvo did not recommend
service to the tranny, to them it is a 'sealed' part.
But my mechanic, a Master Technician with 20 years of Volvo experience said
bunk to that, lets change the fluid in graduating intervals. So we did,
first oil change we changed out 5 quarts of t-fliud.... subsequent to that
we changed out 5 quarts every 10k miles.....
and it's worked out perfect, we didn't 'shock' the transmission with a great
quaff of new fluid we did it gradual and kept that fluid up to spec..

The transmision shifts like butter. Now, 40k miles later, it's all good.
Word to the wise... it's needs service but don't shock it with a complete
transfusion all at once.. do it a little at a time.

FYI

 

That's good advice. Volvos are notorious for dying right after tranny fluid
changes.

I've hit 175K miles with no changes and never gotten past 125K with a tranny
fluid chnge.

 

Actually, our Volvo dealer garage does a transmission fluid service on our
93' 960 every so many KMs (when we bring it in for service or repair and it
is at the right amount of KMs, give or take), and as you have experienced
with yours, our transmission is very smooth as well. I am not sure if the
960 has a sealed transmission tho, I think it does, but as it is derived
from an older model, so it may not.

The main reason why we get it done is because we use our car for towing, and
we want to be able to keep using it for towing. That and my father knows
that no oil is good for the life of a device.