I was riding in my Dad’s 95 960 when I noticed that the shifting was a little rough. My Dad had mentioned that he also notice a pause at about 80mph when letting up off the accelerator-- It felt like the car coasted for a second or two before the gears kicked in…like putting the clutch in and letting it out on a car with a manual transmission. He had taken it to the dealer before about the problem while it was under warranty and suggested they change the transmission fluid. “Volvo says that transmission fluid is permanent…it doesn’t need to be changed” the dealer said. Well, anybody with a shred of common sense knows that no fluid is “permanent”…it breaks down and gets dirty over time. So I told my Dad we’d change the fluid this weekend…what a difference it made. Not only is the coasting problem above fixed, it also shifts so smooth, you can barely feel it. As we drained the tranny, we were both amazed and disgusted at Volvo for saying it wouldn’t ever have to be changed and at how dark the fluid was. For about 17 bucks we got the job done. Because the transmission cooler is a little different than other RWD Volvos, I’ve outlined changing the fluid below. Note: IPDs new transmission flush hose DOES NOT work on 960s as they advertise (“all RWD Volvos to 1998”)…the fittings on the 95- 960/90 are different. I called them after I received it and was told that they hadn’t actually tried it on a 960/90 series…it didn’t sound like it would work.

Materials:

12 Pack Case of Dexron III/Mercon ATF (Costco has Chevron brand ATF for $10.79/ case)

4’ Length of clear Vinyl tubing with a 1” Inside Diameter (available at Lowes or Home Depot for $2/ft.)

1” Hose Clamp

14mm wrench

17mm open end wrench

1” open end wrench

Metal Hangar

3 1-gallon jugs (or equivalent sized bucket) with quart markings—I used an old antifreeze bottle with the markings already on it and a sight line on the side.

Funnel with ½” outside diameter hose about 1½’ long—Used to fill transmission through dipstick hole.

Procedure:

Start by pulling the dipstick. On 960s, there isn’t a dipstick handle. It’s easiest to reach under the car from the driver’s side and follow the dipstick tube up OR if you have a long ½” extension bar, you can push it into the top of the dipstick and pull it out. Without a ½” bar, push up the dipstick until its all the way out (and either grab it or let it drop to the floor). Unwind and bend one end of the hanger so it will hook in one or more of the holes on the dipstick. Insert the tube from the funnel into the distick tube…you’ll probably have to push it in from underneath the car. Pull it up on ramps (if you have them)—the transmission pan is angled in the rear where the drain plug is so this drains more fluid (14mm drain plug). When finished draining, pour what you drained into a premarked bottle and pour that amount of fresh ATF into the tranny (approx. 2qts). Push the car down the ramps onto level ground. Unscrew the top cooler line at the radiator by using a 1” wrench as a counter hold so you don’t break the connection. Pull the cooler line out of the 1” brass screw and push it gently aside. With the hose clamp already over the 1” vinyl hose, push the hose over the 1” brass screw and tighten the hose clamp (real tight ‘til it begins to form to the sides of the brass nut). Put the end of the hose in the bottle/bucket. Have helper start the engine and let it idle (do not push the accelerator). Fluid will begin to fill the hose and bottle. If the hose is inserted into an antifreeze bottle with a tight fit, push the hose in slightly at the mouth to allow the bottle to vent (otherwise it may expand and explode). Allow 2qts to drain (Tell the helper to shut off the engine just shy of 2 qts as some in the hose will continue to drain when the engine stops). Add two qts of fresh fluid (+or- depending on how much you drained. Repeat until you’ve drained 8 qts and you see clean fluid. Tip: as you do this, drain each 2 qt run into gallon jugs so you can keep an accurate tally of how much you’ve taken out relative to the number of empty bottles of fresh ATF you put in. Carefully remove the hose and drain any fluid in it into the jug…note how much and add that amount in fresh fluid. Replace the cooler line and dipstick. Run the engine and shift through the gears. Take it for a short spin to heat up the fluid for measurement. While running the engine in Park, pull the dipstick, clean it off, reinsert it, and pull it again to measure…note the position on the HOT markings. If its low, add a little (keep in mind that if the HOT marking says you’re ½ qt low, it won’t take ½ to fill it because the ATF from the bottle will expand when heated. If it’s overfilled, open the drain plug slightly to get some out. That ought to do it…enjoy your revamped transmission!

Mike Hale