Auto transmission cooler

[simon_5092402]

Hi,BOUGHT A VOLVO V70 2.4 PETROL X REG AUTOMATIC, THE CAR SALESMAN SAYS I DON`T NEED A COOLER FOR THE GEARBOX AS THE VOLVO IS ABLE TO TOW THE WEIGHT QUOTED IN THE HANDBOOK, ANYTHING OVER THAT AND A COOLER WOULD BE NEEDED.

As anyone any experience of towing without a cooler or will i need one fitting.

Thanks.

 

[BOING]

SIMON,HOPE YOU GOT A WARRANTY AS WITH NO COOLER ,JUST WAIT FOR IT TO OVER HEAT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Steve L]

Hi Simon.

Your Volvo should be fine towing what the manufacture says it iscapable of. If they thought it needed an oil cooler they would of specified one. Remember Volvo are one of the top truck manufacturers, so they are familiar with towing loads.

It might be worth talking to your local franchise dealer just to put your mind at rest. If they don't offer a cooler kit as a retro fit option then your ok without one.

I've towed with a Laguna 2 Litre Auto and it performed fine, in fact, it was smoother and better at hill starts than my manual gear box estate I now drive. But being a "petrol head", I prefer the stirring stick on the floor.

All I would do is be a little sympathetic to the car, and if for instance your touring the highlands and have done a lot of hill climbing, then stop for a brew and enjoy the view for 20 mins to give the old girl a rest. After all we get Knackered climbing a hill.

take things easy and all will be well. After all caravanning is about relaxing and de-stressing.

Steve.

 

[CliveV]

Simon - Certainly talk to the service guys at Volvo - (I would not bother with the sales guys - no disrespect to them but they could be more interested in keeping the sale simple rather than complicating it) and I would get them to change the transmission fluid and any filter in the auto box.

When you are buying an auto check the auto box oil - if it is opaque, dark brown, smells "burnt" - walk away. It is on borrowed time.

If it is clear, smooth between your fingers, and just has that pleasant oily smell - you should be ok.

Check the service intervals and make sure that the auto box services were carried out. The oil in the auto box is special stuff - and whilst it is not expensive for some reason a lot of people do not bother to change it but the whole gearbox depends on its ability to change its viscosity with heat.

Think of a saucepan with milk and custard powder in it, when cold you can stir the liquid no problem, when the heat gets to the custard powder and heats it up it thickens and if you continue to stir the liquid, in the end it will get so thick that the pot will start to turn on the hob. You now have drive!

Auto transmission fluid does the same but when it cools it reverts back to normal. However when it gets old and dirty it stops working properly and the box will wear out remarkably quickly

 

[Lutz]

Hi Simon.

Your Volvo should be fine towing what the manufacture says it iscapable of. If they thought it needed an oil cooler they would of specified one. Remember Volvo are one of the top truck manufacturers, so they are familiar with towing loads.

It might be worth talking to your local franchise dealer just to put your mind at rest. If they don't offer a cooler kit as a retro fit option then your ok without one.

I've towed with a Laguna 2 Litre Auto and it performed fine, in fact, it was smoother and better at hill starts than my manual gear box estate I now drive. But being a "petrol head", I prefer the stirring stick on the floor.

All I would do is be a little sympathetic to the car, and if for instance your touring the highlands and have done a lot of hill climbing, then stop for a brew and enjoy the view for 20 mins to give the old girl a rest. After all we get Knackered climbing a hill.

take things easy and all will be well. After all caravanning is about relaxing and de-stressing.

Steve.

Nothing wrong in principle with what you are saying, Steve, but Volvo trucks have nothing to do with Volvo cars. Since Ford took over Volvo Cars, only the name's the same.

 

[Val & Frank]

Just had a quick look at the CC web site. The V70 has a cooler fitted as standard. So I would check your handbook just to see if yours has one already.

Val & Frank

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Simon,

In your top posting you say 'you dont need a cooler for the weight quoted in the handbook, but you might for anything over that'

I assume the hand book is the one for your model, and if so the mass stated is the maximum you are allowed to tow. It is ilegal to tow a greater mass than that stipulated by the manufacturer.

If in doubt about the allowed MPTLM of any trailer check with your Volvo dealer or the manufacture.

 

[GeorgeB]

Simon,

it already has an auto transmission oil cooler, its part of the radiator & not a seperate oil cooler

 

[laurieW]

Hello Simon.Most cars with auto trnsmission have an oil cooler. Unfortunately these are built into the radiator. If I were you I would contact Kenlowe and consider fitting one of their coolers as well.These are fitted in Series with the original and mounted in front of the car radiator in the airsteam. For an outlay of approx

 

[MONKEY1]

Oh Simon,

Here we go yet more conflicting advice

Firstly Volvo's shouldn't need additional cooling. If the gear box needs additional help it clearly isn't working properly.

Most boxes are very fluid type dependent your Volvo is one of these types usually they start with a B (part no)

I partially agree with Clive about getting a change done but this really does need to be at a Volvo Dealership. To often independents just stick in stock ATF and not the OEM recommendation for that particular type.

However the point about Colouration is very dependent on the correct oil being in the correct box. A common ATF Fluid such Dexion II & Dexion III will behave differently in the same box. They are of a different chemical composition and have different wear characteristics. In some ATF; if the oil goes brown this is due to the rubber seals of the rams etc. The Burnt smell is often caused by a reaction between coatings in the box reacting with ATF over time.

Yes it should be nice and clean but if it does come out brown all is not always lost. Ford boxes are notorious for turning their oil brown and suffering no long term effects.

You gear box may also be fitted with a com port to enable the technician to check temperature amongst other things this enables that the amount of oil drained to be measured correctly and to achive the correct fill the next time. Another reason to get Volvo to do it

Never thought of ATF as Custard. (Put me right of my spotted dick)

 

[CliveV]

Hi MH

You obviously havn't sampled my wife cooking and as for the spots you swore you wouldn't tell!!

 

[Stephen1956]

You can use Dexron 3 in a box that recomends Dexron 2 it is just a later spec fluid what you must be careful not to do is use one of the other non dexron spec fluid as you will get box wear Dexron was developed to allow a small mount of slip whereas other types allow non at all.

The Custard anology is a bit way off a auto box uses the fact that you cannot compress a fluid to transmit the drive the engine drive is transmited by the stator changing the cetrifugaly driven direction of the fluid to push against vanes on the inner outside edge of the converter because of the pressure increse due to centrifugal force and the fact you cannot comress a flud drive is effected.