Volvo XC70 1999/ TRANS OIL COOLER

I am looking to install a trans oil cooler in my volvo xc 70 station wagon. Having read the owners manual it states that there is one in most if not all of the models. First thing is can you send me map of some sort where I can locate it. Secondly I have been reading a lot of negatives about the trans cooler in this model. So, if there is one, where is it and if it is there should I consider changing it with a more reliable on. PS. I am going across the country with a 2000lb pop up tent trailer in tow in January and I want to do whatever is wise before I leave. Thanks for any advise you have to offer even for advise which I haven’t asked for. I love your show and I hope that I will be able to tune in on my trip.

Many cars with automatic transmissions have a transmission cooler built into the radiator. I’d imagine your Volvo is the same. If you look under the hood you should be able to see to cooler lines going to and from the radiator.

I would not advise adding an additional transmission cooler to this vehicle.

If the trailer you intend to tow is within the towing capacity of the vehicle (check the owner’s manual) then the Volvo engineers have already designed and built in enough transmission cooling capacity to handle it, and no additional cooing is required.

If, on the other hand, the trailer is outside the rated towing capacity of the vehicle, nothing you do will matter, and towing a heavy trailer across the country will destroy your car’s transmission.

I don’t know what the towing capacity of a 1999 Volvo XC70 is, but I have to wonder how an extra ton affects the braking system. You might be able to tow it, but can you stop it? I’d worry more about stopping than towing.

Is the 2000 pound weight you mentioned the empty trailer weight, or does that include your camping supplies and equipment?

One more question: How many miles on the vehicle now?

Thanks for the reply. The trailer has it’s own braking system.I’m not sure what it’s called or how it works exactly , that’s my next piece of research to do. The wEight will probably be closer to 2400-500 lb when I’m done. The motor and transmission are newly rebuilt 50,000 miles ago.It has a turbo booster which , from what I understand, will assist greatly up hills and it has AWD.

So, what’s the towing capacity of your XC70, according to the owner’s manual?

What’s the total mileage on your car?

“Newly rebuilt” and “50,000 miles ago” are not the same thing.

“Turbo booster?” Oh, my. Yeah, that will probably help going up hills.

Never mind. Good luck on your trip. Please let us know how it works out. Send photos.

Towing capacity is 4300Lbs and the odometer reads 170,000

You’re trailer is obviously well within the towing limits of your car.

Nothing to worry about. You don’t need an aftermarket transmission cooler.

Have a nice trip.

Just be careful going down those mountain roads.

I’ll do my best. Any tips on that subject regarding gears etc?

I owned a '98 XC70 and good luck! The transmission just isn’t that robust, but an additional oil cooler won’t help. You should have the trans fluid changed before the trip and I’d consider changing it again after the trip.

As for driving, keep the speeds down. Lower speeds means less wind resistance and less stress on the tow vehicle, 55 to 60 mph is fine. Don’t use cruise control which allows you to use the terrain. Let the speed go up above 60 mph downhill so you have some momentum when you start an uphill climb. Your trans should have a “sport” mode and select that. This will make the trans downshift earlier and upshift later which keeps the engine rpm’s a better “power” range for the motor. If you feel the car laboring on a long uphill downshift manually and keep the motor at about 4,000 rpm until you reach to peak. Your speed may drop off and you can join the trucks in the far right “truck lane”.

A cell phone, AAA membership, and a high credit limit on a credit card are all advised. If the Volvo breaks down, it will be a heafty repair bill. It was the huge and frequent repair bills that ended my Volvo ownership. Great seats and you’ll have a comfy trip if all goes well. Wish you the best.

Thanks for all that ,I just wasn’t aware that the transmission was so undependable. So let’s say I had bought a different vehicle to do the same job and was around the same as far as gas consumption. What would that car be if it was you, just hypothetically? Oh and by the way would this sport mode be called something else .I just purchased the car.

Mine had a button on the base of the shifter (where the indicator shows you are in N, or D, or R). There were 3 buttons on my '98 all in a row, E is for economy, S is for sport, w is for winter. In E the trans shifts into higher gears sooner and stays in higher gears longer for better mpg. S is for more aggressive sport driving, faster downshifts for more power and later up shifts. This makes the car feel zippier on the road. W for winter puts the trans in 3rd gear from the start and is supposed to reduce wheel spin when driving in ice and snow.

The good news is the car is a great comfortable cruising car. The bad part is the car has lots of complicated systems and unique parts that are now old and subject to breakdown. I sold mine at 210K miles. It looked great, but a new fuel pump is over $1,000 (for the part only available from Volvo) and complicated to replace because the car actually has 2 fuel tanks linked together. The drive shaft started to make clunking noises and needed to be replaced and again only a Volvo part, $800 plus a couple of hours of labor. Unfortunately I could go on, which is why I finally gave up and sold the car. Hope you have a better experience.

Don’t go to a Volvo dealer for service, $2,000 to 3,000 bills will result. Locate a good independant mechanic who specializes in Volvo’s and you’ll still have big bills, but about 1/3 less than at Volvo dealer.

To preserve the turbo I suggest oil changes every 3K miles with conventional oil, or every 5 to 6K miles with full synthetic. Full synthetic is much better at handling the higher heat temps that are inherent with a turbo. If you don’t pay attention to oil changes your turbo can burn itself out, the bearing gives out. You don’t want to hear what a new turbo will cost you.

I see the W but the S and E are not on this model.Looks like I have some more researching ahead of me. Anyway thanks for all the info ,I don’t want to bother you any more but feel free to educate me further . Sincerely ,John

Hopefully you have the owner’s manual. Perhaps your transmission has D1 or D2, perhaps D4 and D5. Volvo did go to a 5 speed automatic but I’m not sure what year?