Check Transmission Fluid 2004 Volvo XC90

I primarily build and repair houses, but I am a little bit of a shade tree mechanic. My wife's car is a wonderful Volvo XC90 that was made in Sweden in 2004. Do you want to know how to check the transmission fluid level on your XC90? Read on.

The other day, I noticed a piece of cardboard I had put under her car had some sort of fluid on it. It looked like it was oil, maybe transmission fluid or some other fluid.

I switched out the cardboard and put a few clean paper towels on top of a new fresh piece of cardboard. I let the car sit for two days and there were no drips at all. The car is usually only driven twice a week. It's now eleven years old, and just a month ago turned 70,000 miles. Can you believe that? It's just getting broken in for a Volvo!

Yesterday, she went to the grocery store, and when she came back I had her park over the new test material.

I let the car sit for two hours and rolled it out a few feet without starting the engine to see what was there.

I saw a tiny spot of lightish yellow oil on the paper towel. It was the size of a dime, so it was probably one drop and had spread in the towel by capillary attraction.

Checking the Owners Manual I came up empty handed. There was nothing about how to check the transmission fluid level. I went to YouTube. Nothing there either.

Moments ago, I called my local repair shop, they're GREAT - Eurasian Autoworks in Franklin, NH, and found out you CAN'T CHECK the transmission fluid in a 2004 Volvo XC90. It's got a lifetime SEALED transmission!

As soon as it warms up, it's damn cold here now in NH, I'm going to climb under the car to see if I can spot where the leak might be. It could just be engine oil as it was just changed a month ago and on the dipstick, it looks BRAND NEW and is not black.