Hi there, I am just about 1k miles into the Volvo crew with my 04 V70 base and I am really enjoying the car. I think I'll be riding wagons until I die.
I am by no means an expert in caring for vehicles, but I do like to take care of things myself and I am fascinated by how things work.

All that said, I got the v70 for 2200 off marketplace with 156k on it, and it had some body issues (I have replaced both fenders and the hood from a junkyard), but other than that it is riding sturdy. The previous owner had the transmission flushed 3k miles ago.

A few weeks into driving the car every day to and from work (about 6 miles each way), I took the car out for a longer drive through the city with my wife. After about 25 minutes in the car, it first started having a clunk coming down into first gear when breaking into a stop, and then a few minutes later it started delaying the shift into 3rd and lurching when it would catch, but with no real aggressive noises.
After letting the car rest that evening, the issue went away, but I do notice still if I get the car hot or drive it more than 30 minutes or so in a day, I will get that clunking downshift. There is some very slight hesitation every now and again when accelerating, but never as bad as the one time.

A separate issue (I think) is that when coasting sometimes around 40-45mph the rpms will jump slightly (from 1850 - 2k and back down) every couple seconds until I accelerate hard or take my foot off the gas. I looked at the throttle body and it seems a bit dirty so I plan to clean that anyway as it is cheap maintenance, but I'd appreciate some insight into my problems.

I hope to have this car a long while, and will do what I can within reason to keep it on the road. Thanks all.

 

Yep - that's what they do when valve bodies or solenoids have problems. (can be more internal with clutch problems) Common in that transmission. MIGHT be fixed with a "rebuilt" valve body or "rebuilt" solenoids - or a replacement transmission. Google Volvo slam shifts for more info. Unfortunately you have found out why the car was for sale. Sorry for your troubles.

 

Yeah thanks, I kinda figured and that is where my research has led me. I was hoping to try to nip it in the bud and it did not seem like the transmission was at the bitter end (I have had some transmission problems in the past) so was hoping for the solenoid or valve body fix. Would a seasoned volvo shop be able to make the proper recommendation on this? And if I am at the point where my normal commute has no issues with the car, as it is a very short drive, will that exacerbate the probable issues or do I have a bit of time to figure out the course of action I'd like to take.

Thanks again