2001 V70XC - 128K miles. I have a definite clunking from the front left, and also from somewhere in the middle/rear of the car.

I've read all about the bushing failures.

I'm also having delayed shifts, in auto or manual mode, if I'm accelerating after a firm braking, or under brisk acceleration. Other than the typical transmission issues these have, I've read this could be a transmission mount bushing problem.

How difficult a job is it to replace the lower transmission bushing? Any good guides out there on it? I only have basic tools, some mechanical experience (overhauled a small-block Chevy V-8 about 20 years ago), but don't want to jump into anything over my head.

It sounds like the tie rod ends could also be the cause of the front-end clunking - and that seems like a pretty straight forward procedure.

Thanks all

 

Also ran across this, which every reviewer seems to say fixed their delayed shifting and flaring:

B4 Servo Cover Update

 

check your lower control arm bushings. I had a weird clunk on my 850 that I couldn't find, thought it was tie rod ends, but it's those damn bushings... they're something you don't think about

 

Thanks - I'll do that this weekend probably. The clunking is more evident on a rough street, than with actual bumps. It almost becomes a rattling than a clunk.

Also, I did some tests, and my shift flare is definitely going into 3rd gear, which sounds like the servo cover replacement might help. Wondering if anyone has done that.

 

I just bought a 2001 V70 in VERY nice shape (interior is an easy 9.5, paint and condition of the exterior probably 8.5) for peanuts (you don't want to know...) because it had very bald tires ($170 for a set of slightly used Goodyear Eagles mounted and balanced fixed that) and the infamous 2-3rd gear flare. Strangely, I had just sold a Jetta wagon (1.8 turbo, Tiptronic) that had the same issue when I bought it. In the case of the VW, it was a simple $20 sensor, though one that you had to remove the transmission to get to (fun, fun, fun).

So I had some trepidation about this purchase, even at the price. But I'd done my due diligence and thought that it could well be the servo cover issue, or worst case, fixable by replacing a few shift solenoids.

Well, this morning I replaced the servo cover, which cost all of about $25 and took about 45 minutes, mainly because I couldn't find my pin spanners to remove the C-clip, and to work out a better way to compress the cover and piston to reassemble it. I settled on using a hydraulic bottle jack to push a crowbar (yes, a crowbar) up into the cover, forcing it into place deep enough to get the new C-clip in.

I took off to start the suggested adaptation (shifting from 2-3 under various steady throttle positions, and to downshift from 4-3 repeatedly as well). I was disappointed that the flare seemed as bad as ever. Then it seemed to get a little better. And better. After 5 or 6 miles of neighborhood driving, it was shifting perfectly in manual mode. I put it in auto mode, and it was flaring between 2 and 3, but not quite as bad. I did a few more miles in manual shifting mode, after which auto shifting seems to be working great again.

All in all, I'm thrilled to get this one working so easily, especially after my last silver, European turbo tiptronic wagon was such a pain to fix. I guess it all averages out.