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Volvo V70 Transmission Problems
I was unsure how to start a new topic and apologize ahead of time if I am posting out of place. I have a 2000 V70 with 103K miles. I bought this car used (that's another story!) only about 6 months ago. I started to notice a little slip when I would hit the gas after being stopped at a stop light or somthing. Now the "jerking" happens even when I am sitting still. It really only occurs when I am just accelerating. I took it to one mechanic who told me it needed a new transmission and to another who ran the diagnostic and could not find anything wrong with it. Not sure what to think. I guess you could say I don't want to believe mechanic #1!
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took it back to Volvo they said there was water in a switch, dried it and put on di electric grease
good luck
The Volvo dealer is telling me it could be a bad "sensor." It seems Volvo has extended the warranty on these sensors to 100,000 miles in lieu of issuing a recall. The dealer also says it could be a software upgrade issue. To me, it seems like a mechanical problem with the transmission. It is going into the shop tomorrow. I'll let you know how it turns out.
One thing to add to the symptom list: the sporadic "clunk" on downshifting from 2nd to 1st has a distinctive metallic ring to it and feels like hitting a pothole. Neither the delayed, free-spinning upshift from 2nd to 3rd when the car is really well warmed up or the low speed clunk on downshifting to 1st is present all the time.
I'm considering an ATF flush and fill and supplementing the fluid with Lubeguard ATF Protectant (http://www.lubegard.com/automotive/trans_atf.html). It may turn out to be snake oil, but there are those who swear by it.
So what was the result of your evaluation of the problem? Do I want to know?
a) Has anyone heard of this issue? can it be true?
b) Any suggestions for trouble shooting this problem?
Thanks,
Texas car nut (I have enjoyed my XC70 until now).
Last week I was entering the Interstate, going about 35mph, slightly downhill, and pressed the pedal about 3/4 down. The car momentarily accelerated, paused like the igniton was momentarily shutoff, downshifted momentarily, and then shifted back up and then continued to speed-up. This type of activity is more noticeable when I am driving up in the mountains.
Was wondering if anyone has experienced this? Maybe software?
Apart from improved mileage, it eliminates most of those transmission problems that some seem to be having.
It could be a motor mount.
If you put the tranny in low and accelerate, does the condition occur? etc. What happens if you are travelling 50 mph and then give full acceleration? Play around with it. Find the steepest hill you can, stop at the bottom, then accelerate up the hill with low accelerator pressure. What happens?
The problem has definitely gotten worse over the last month. I did take the car in and had the trans. fluid drained and refilled. History of the vehicle: purchased used just 6 months ago. Carfax report upon purchase showed no history of trouble. I thought about trading the car in, and when the dealer ran a carfax on the car, a wreck showed up. For some reason, the accident, which occured in 2001, was not reflected until May '06! The report said that it was a front end accident, so that could spell all kinds of trouble.
If I am travelling 50 and accelerate, the car is completely normal. Accelerating at the bottom of a hill does result in some jerking.
Apart from improved mileage, it eliminates most of those transmission problems that some seem to be having.
No manual for XC70.
Gas mileage between Volvo's w/ manuals and automatics is almost even. And, you don't have to replace a clutch or spill your latte when shifting!
No codes, no idiot lights. Limped about half a mile and parked, needing to shift to reverse to finish parking...no reverse, and then no forward, either. Shut off car, started it, and finally a "Service Transmission Urgent" message. Towed to dealer. Dealer says 'solenoid failure, but we can't reliably tell which one or ones are involved'. Options: 1) replace solenoids for $1,900.00 or 2) replace entire transmission for $3,400.
No warranty. Volvo Corporate says too bad, so sad, sucks to be you.
5 years, 52K. This car's rear shocks destroyed a set of tires (faithfully rotated), requiring new shocks and a new set of tires. The ignition key tumbler failed and had to be replaced, $450. Now a new transmission for $3,400.
No dealer will give me a decent trade in once they check the VIN# and see the service record. Volvo's corporate customer service won't step up to the plate or acknowledge the serious hazard this sort of failure creates. "Try merging onto an urban expressway or passing on a two lane only to have your car lose all power", I said to the Volvo Corporate Service rep in NJ via phone. "Yeah, that would be bad", he said, "But what do you expect us to do?"
We bought the Volvo for its reputation as a safe, reliable car.
That's why our next Volvo will be a Subaru.
Apparently, we're not the only XC70 owners who have been endangered and then screwed over by Volvo Coporate and Volvo Dealers. Wonder what they'll do when it gets a family with kids killed?
Mechanic called today... Asked if I had had trouble getting the car started - NO. He had difficulty getting the car started, but it did finally start. Put the car in Reverse and after 1 solid minute the car finally did a hard shift and would move. Then shifted to Drive to get into a bay another solid minute to shift into drive. No lights on indicating any issues with anything. He also asked if I or anyone else had added transmission fluid recently because the level seemed to be high. He was the last person to service my car and at that time all fluid levels were perfect. He hooked up to the computer (non Volvo) no codes of any sort and says the transmission is fine, but obviously something is wrong with the car.
2 months ago the ABS Module went out on the car. The brake and ABS lights would come on intermittently. Finally, driving on the freeway the car suddenly shifted into low while driving 70mph and all the lights on the dash light up. Took it into my friends shop and he could not find anything. Took the car to an independent Volvo shop and they found that the ABS Module was failing. I asked why this ABS Module would cause the car to shift into low and was told that this module could affect different systems on the car. Had the module replace (still under warranty) and had the entire car checked out as my extended warranty would expire on 7/3/06. They said the car was in great shape including the transmission.
A few weeks after having the ABS Module replaced, I received a letter from Volvo on the recall for the Electronic Throttle Module. I have not had that fixed yet, but am wondering if that could be part of the issue that occurred yesterday. Called Volvo today and they said to have the car towed to them and they would take care of the ETM and check the car out to see what the issue is.
I am taking it back to the independent Volvo shop first so the dealership does not try to lie to me about what the real issues are with the car.
I have not called Volvo NA yet with this issue as I want to confirm what the real issue is, but is there a way to find out how many Volvo's have had this same issue and if it might in fact be a defect in the transmission or some other part that should be recalled?? This car has only 62k miles and Volvos are supposed to run forever. That is why I have bought Volvo's in the past.
Have you had the ETM taken care of on your car yet?
Sorry to be on a rant, but I am really not looking forward to car payments again or a large bill for a transmission.
Unhappy XC owner
Price for replacement is $3852.00 ouch.
One thing I found surprising is that there is nothing internally to repair that the only choice is replacement. Is this actually the case?
The 'new' reconditioned transmission downshifts into lowest gear when slowing to a stop
with a very, very noticeable 'clunk'.
I'd make sure your problems were entirely transmission related and not also tied to the Electronic Throttle problems that are the subject of a class action filing.
Also, make sure you keep very accurate records of everything done...and make Volvo Dealers put everything they tell you in writing. Do not let them give you verbal information diagnosing your problem..or upon which you're expected to make a decision regarding repair or replacement...make them put it in writing and keep a record. File a complaint with NHTSA and with Volvo N.A., it's the only way anything will get done on Volvo's dime.
Repairs take 2 weeks. Goodwin's Volvo in Topsham, Maine claims 'parts lost in shipment' is what caused 'unusual delay'. Volvo N.A. finds this 'curious' and responds with disbelief that any 'parts were lost in shipment.'
Drive 1,200 miles over 3.5 days. Arrive home in early evening. Next morning,
drive way is awash with pinkish transmission fluid. No idiot light. Drive car to local mechanic with 35 years of Volvo experience. He says, "Tow to nearest Authorized Volvo Service Center. Do not drive this vehicle. It's leaking transmission fluid too quickly and won't make the drive."
Nearest dealer is 60 miles. Tow will cost $200. We pay tow because 'warranty' on 'reconditioned transmission' does not cover tow.
In less than 2 weeks, 2 transmission failures. And no one, I and mean, NO ONE at any level of Volvo Customer Service is willing to do ANYTHING.
Poorly designed, poorly serviced. I think the reason no one at Volvo is willing to 'stand behind' their work or their products is that they have the well-founded fear that said product will slip out of gear and roll back over them.
:lemon: :mad: :sick:
Had some assistance in pushing the vehicle into a nearby convenience store; called AAA, and had the car towed to my local Volvo dealership (Noble Mercedes/Volvo in Fredericksburg, VA).
This morning, the Volvo repair representative told me that the car needs a new (Volvo rebuilt) transmission, at a cost of $3569.00. Volvo (upon my request) offered to pay for 75% of the part, and the dealer offered a 10% discount on labor -- but the total is still around $1900.
This car has been dealer-maintained (same dealer as above) on a regular basis since we purchased it. We had just had the Electronic Throttle software download (recall) done 2 weeks ago (after having to have it towed that time, as well).
A car that has been regularly maintained with mostly highway miles should not have its transmission fail after 5 years -- especially in light of the fact that others are having the same problem.
While the incident did not result in an accident, it very well could have, as we were traveling through a very busy intersection.
I just wanted to share this with you all -- I am grateful that I am getting some assistance with this repair, but my gut tells me that Volvo should pay for all of it.
I would be especially interested in hearing from others who have filed reports with NHTSA, Volvo NA, or both.
Volvo N.A. refused to acknowledge culpability. They could not ship replacement parts in a timely manner. Our 'second' transmission failed and was deemed to have been defective at the time of installation. That was two weeks ago. The dealership contacted Volvo N.A. immediately that a warranteed part was defective and needed to be replaced. Our car was towed to the dealer. Only today was the replacement part 'cleared' by Volvo N.A. to be shipped to the dealership. This means it will take nearly 3 weeks for us to have the repair, under warrantee this time, completed. In the meantime, our out-of-pocket expenses have risen to $7,000. Today, August 30th, was the first time anyone at Volvo N.A. actually returned a call...some 6 weeks and dozens of calls into the entire process.
I think the special tool your Service Rep is referring to here is called a 'Magic Wand'.
Seems from transmission shops, the turbo model is known to
have problems with torque. Volvo offered very little assistance to a very expensive problem.
The transmission designated the AW55-50 by volvo is essentially the same as the trans used in the 02 and newer Saturn Vue. GM designates this transmission as a AG23/33-5
I have contacted both Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association and Automatic Transmission Service Group and neither one has seen this problem but they confirmed that the Valve bodies are wearing out. I sent the customer to the dealership to have the latest software installed into the TCM which fixed nothing. I obtained a scan tool(launch X-431) which was able to communicate with the TCM. I was able to watch all the parameters of the solenoids and inputs. I graphed the TCC solenoid current and it was constantly changing from 200 milliamps to 600 milliamps at the 35-40 mph range where I am having trouble. I graphed all the inputs to the TCM to see if there was a glitch in the APPS or one of the speed sensors and they all seemed ok.
I drove a 2001 XC70 with the same transmission and watched the torque converter solenoid at the same speed. The TCM Sent a constant 600 milliamps to the solenoid until you accelerate quite heavy. This torque converter slips a little at slow speeds similar to GM cars. It is a designed slip so you don't feel the converter apply. After watching the 2001 I know how the system is supposed to work but know I want to isolate the cause and I don't think I can go any further without removing the valve body first to inspect the solenoids and Valve body bores for wear. Any one else having this trouble with their XC70? This vehicle has about 96,000 miles.
I'm fairly convinced the problem is in either the valve body or the torque converter lining
Over the next several weeks, I noticed what I thought was transmission slippage when going about 35-40 downhill. As that patch of road was rough, I tried to convince myself that's all it was.
Last week, while going up a steep hill, the car would barely accelerate and both the "Check Engine" light and the "Up Arrow" light (indicating "a fault in the automatic gearbox. Contact your Volvo retailer" according to the manual). I brought it to the dealer, they cleared the light, "checked it out", road tested it and couldn't find anything wrong. They said if it happened again, I'd have to spend between "$4,000 - $6,000 for a new transmission".
I didn't drive it again until today. On my way into work, slippage became noticeable after about 15 min of both highway and stop-and-go traffic. The 2 lights came on again. I made it into work where I'm posting this.
After reading some of the above posts, it seems there may be something amiss with that "software upgrade". Does anyone have any advice on what to do now? (Needless to say, I don't have "$4,000-$6,000" sitting around).
I am very, very interested in your diagnosis, and I think your work method is brilliant, thanks for posting your information, it's extremely helpful. Let me know if I can help in any way.
An open question, having seen posts from others having this problem, is it worth buying the extended warranty on the powertrain for this car? They are asking around $2500. Seems like a bit of a gamble either way...
dcd
Does anyone have any insight on whether this is a AWD or XC only problem?
I have 90,000 miles on my 99GLT with no problems - but if I was faced with this bill it would likely be retirement. I am willing to put in $500 here and $500 there as the car is like new but major repairs would not be justifiable.
But it could be about a 100 other things as well. These filters should never ever get plugged even if you ran it for 500,000 miles, so if it is plugged it indicates the trans is coming apart. Don't worry this is speculation. please find out the codes so we can diagnose further.
Really love the OLD VOLVO's. Have been a faithful owner for the safety and reliability of these cars, but I have now concluded that this is just a Volvo Body with FORD under the hood. I will miss the safety of the Volvo, but have to wonder if the reliability has changed and if Ford is in financial trouble now, then will they continue with the safety of this line of cars or is it just a FORD all around.
Cleaned out the car today and will be trading in for a Honda Accord next week. Just can't dump any more dimes into this car
Has the solution to your problem with the "kicks when moving to higher gear" ever been found?
Looks like I've got same problem. Suddenly.
I have 2001 XC70 2.4 with AW5 at 99k. The car has been perfect until last week: when moving from 2nd to 3rd gear it "gives a kick" - pulls badly. This never happened before, shifts used to be very smooth. This started last Saturday without any apparent reason. And this is only on the 3rd gear. Otherwise car performs as usual.
I had maintenance work done on my car two weeks ago though, INCLUDING transmission flush.
Can anyone help?
Shall I blame the guys who did the oil flush on my tranny?
Any info is greately appreciated.
1. Occasionally after driving at freeway speeds and then slow at a stoplight, the engine looses its idle. The engine speed will drop below 500 rpm like it is going to stall, then rev back up to 1000, and then back to 500, and so on. As soon as I accelerate, the issue goes away. Occasionally it stalls completely at a stop. A few times the car has stalled at speed (20 to 50 mph).
2. Downshifts can be rough: when pulling up to a stoplight or other, very occasionally, there is a noticeable vibration as the car downshifts.
Neither of these issues are regular enough to warrant a trip to the mechanic, but I am wondering if this is just a sign of worse things to come...Any help would be great!
I've moved posts concerning XC70 transmission problems to the new Volvo XC70 Transmission Issues discussion, and you may continue the discussion in that new location.
Please continue your discussion of the XC70 in that new group. This group and dicussion will now deal solely with the V70.
I bought a 2003 XC70 2 months ago and have been experiencing shifting problems that are associated with 1 to 2 gear during heavy acceleration. I just took it in and the dealer told me about the SW download... My thing is the warranty is 5,000 miles from running out and I am afraid this sw download will fix the problem temporarily but then I will be SOL after the warranty runs out.
The Throttle Recall hasn't solved it... Anyone with any success stories?
Software re-installed? New modules? Transmission replacement?
New owner of 2001 XC70 w/ 58,000 miles - same symptoms - no one seems to know what to do - my independent mechanic thinks I should have the transmission software re-installed... Then perhaps have the Throttle and or Transmission modules (if I'm not mistaken here) replaced.
Thanks for any stories in advance.
A computer program was run to fix it, but the fix didn't last more than a week.
Transmission fluid was replaced, but that didn't fix it.
Was told to "watch it."
At 75K, transmission was replaced for about $3200. Still some problems after driving for 2K miles more, both in town and on highways. Supposedly, problems would "smooth out" after about 2k-3k miles of driving. Intermittent hard shifting from 2nd to 1st when deaccelerating. Never had this with brand-new car, so very suspicious that it would happen with a "new" transmission.
After reading Consumer Reports info about Volvo 2001 XC transmission info, I steeled myself and complained to my local service shop and Volvo of North America.
Went to "main" service shop of three-dealer business and left car for head of service to drive to duplicate the problem for himself. They still would not acknowldge that problem wouldn't go away over time, but they are replacing my transmission as I type. Sounds like an acknowldegment of a problem to me. :lemon:
I am going to pass on new Volvo ownership for the forseeable future, even though our first Volvo did what it was supposed to do -- i.e., saved our lives!!! Maybe I'll reconsider when Volvo comes out with a hybrid and has ironed out the kinks of that kind of a car.