[ChitownV]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you use original volvo fluid?
People were complaining about the thread and it disappeared.
There was quite a lot of info there including very extensive data on fluids.
I remember this fluid which caught my attention.

ATF Type TLS-LV | Idemitsu Lubricants

Engineered for and meets requirements of Toyota/Lexus/Scion Automatic Transmission with WS specifications.

www.idemitsulubricants.com

Excelent specs and very decent price in walmart.

Many people use this site:

Volvo Automatic Transmission Fluid - Genuine Volvo 31256775

Volvo Automatic Transmission Fluid - Genuine Volvo 31256775

www.fcpeuro.com

Also very decent prices and also good videos. I think these guys recommend changing the fluid every 30k.

Experts here on the forum are recommending Ravenol atf ws and original volvo aw 1.

This site is about the 6-speed gearbox, but also very informative. I think he also has 30k recommendation for fluid change.

Aisin AW TF-81SC: A vigorous veteran - The AKPPro Magazine

Устройство, ремонт, типичные неисправности автоматической трансмиссии Aisin AW TF-81SC

akppro.ru

Yup, I recommended using Synthetic Ravenol (German) since the data shows it's of higher quality, Germany has stricter standards for oil labeling & manufacturing, and I currently run Synthetic Ravenol's T-IV fluid with great results. Actually, everyone who does run Ravenol synthetic fluids says it performs better in all aspects, though the subset of owners is smaller. I also had a very extensive chart of all the publically available data on the different WS fluid brands and it showed how Idemitsu was a good fluid. People complained because someone kept on asking how WS fluid would perform in the 8-Speed, but kept on posting this in the 1st Gen XC90 forum with the 6-Speed transmission.

Those from both the 1st and 2nd Gen XC90s have used different brands of WS fluids without issue. The most important thing to remember is to change the old fluid. Also, sometimes a fluid may start out thicker when new, but if the fluid is of a lower quality, then it gets thinner faster; oil shears down. Synthetic fluids are more consistent, offer both better cold flow & maintaining higher temp viscosity protection, and they last longer. Same principles of using a 5W-30 conventional vs a 0W-30 Full Synthetic engine oil.

Without overthinking, the most important action is to actually change the old fluid with one of the quality brand WS fluids (Toyota, Volvo, Aisin, Idemitsu, Mobil, Ravenol). If you are in doubt about other fluids, then stay with the Volvo fluid, even if that means you spend $100 extra. The fluid is in there for a long time and a lot of miles. Changing the fluid is the only maintenance that you can do to these transmissions.

 

[ChitownV]

My experience with this original fluid is that when it is really cold outside and in the first few minutes of driving I notice for example shift from 2nd and 3rd much rougher than after it is warmed up. It might be that this original fluid does not have the best cold flow.
I'm not sure if original fluid is sythetic. It's not written anywhere that it is synthetic.

I have one questions if there are people here that understand torque converters in detail.

P or N for automatic cars at traffic light? We explain for AMT, DCT, CVT &Torque converter

What should you choose on the gear selector while waiting at the traffic lights? Well, find the answers below.

www.cartoq.com

If you look at the part covering torque converter AT it says it causes damage to transmission if you don't shift do neutral when you stand still for a long time.
So my question is does neutral completely stop the torque converter spinning? If you have it in drive without any throttle you you can feel the engine pulling a bit, then auto break kicks in when you stop, but I think the engine is still pulling in drive because torque still converter spins. That might be a bit difficult for the transmission if you stop for a long time, probably gets hot?? But then again, I don't know the transmission in detail, which clutch engages and when, so this might be completely wrong thinking??

When the link you provided talks about the “Torque Converter” it also says “You have to really keep the brakes engaged for say about 20-25 minutes to heat the transmission fluid.” Holding brakes at stop lights, even extended ones, is not hurting the transmission as that’s the engineering & design job of the torque converter.

Since it appears you acquired your S60 used, anything could have happened to your car before your ownership, including if anyone drove into flooded water, or someone decided to pull vehicles out of ditches, or decided to race it….anything is possible. Remember that engines can affect shift quality too, like if the turbo boost stays up not allowing the rpm’s to drop, same if it lugs and drops rpm too much, or someone performance tunes the engine and the software tune is too aggressive for in-between gears & load.

With any used vehicle newly acquired where you don’t know the history, it’s always advisable to change all the fluids, including the transmission fluid. Anything could have happened.

I would first see if there are any transmission software updates for your engine/trans combo which addresses harsh shifting. Then I would replace the fluid with Volvo AW-1 to observe if the issue is the fluid, or hardware issue, or software issue. Adding another variable with a different brand fluid makes identifying the real problem more difficult.

If you simply want to go with the lower cost fluid with Toyota WS, then you have to do what you have to do.

Btw, Synthetic Ravenol has the best cold flow temp (that’s comparing all the main WS brands) and very high flash point, maintaining hot temp protection. Ravenol is PAO synthetic, meaning it is more consistent through the temp spreads, from below freezing to very hot driving through summer traffic.

 

[ChitownV]

I've owned the vehicle for 3 years 😀 and it's got only 45k km. I know all the history. Nothing wrong with the transmission but works better at working temp than 10 below zero after cold start.
They advise anything longer than 30 sec, you should put it in neutral

-Was your issue like this from the beginning?
-Did it get progressively worse?
-Have you mentioned this to, and asked, the dealership for transmission software updates?
-Have you seen this to be a widespread issue with other 8-speeds in any vehicle, including the heavier XC90? If so, have you taken action to reach out to those who have alleviated it?
-What action have you taken so far?

Just like an engine, the transmission needs to warm up. Always has been like that. Even manual transmission fluid will shift better when warmed up compared to cold.

You said more than once you will use the Toyota WS fluid since it’s cheaper. Waiting to hear your results after you do that.

Good luck 👍

 

[ChitownV]

I was a professionally trained automotive tech and I expanded beyond producer work into racing. 25+yrs experience working on cars. From Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Ferrari, MG, Land Rovers, Fords, GM, Mopar, etc. etc., I’ve owned, built, or worked on them. 3-speed to 9-speed automatic transmissions. Carbureted, old complicated Jectronic fuel injection, to today’s direct injection. I have battle wounds where a vehicle severed one of my tendons requiring multiple surgeries. Plus I have two Master’s degrees.

Real-world results are always what matters, no matter what is on paper. Desktop racing, over analyzing paper info has been happening for decades. Nothing is learned or fixed unless action is taken and getting feedback from real-world use.
⭐ Trust but verify.

Good luck with your decision. I’ll wait for the results in the action you take with your transmission…

 

[ChitownV]

While I wait with my popcorn 🍿 for you to take action, I’ll repeat, I see you are new at this.

About Volvo transmission fluid, including WS. Read rules 1-100

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