2003 V70 XC. Runs and shifts more or less as it should for about 15-20 minutes of driving,....maybe a bit more,...then it starts having false neutrals between gears,....or slow, delayed shifts and various issues.

I've done the IPD updated servo Cap, and using the IPD flush kit,.....I flushed the trans letting the engine pump the fluid out (and new fluid through) 2 quarts at a time. total of 12 quarts removed and 12 back in. Fluid is close to the correct color now. I also took the car to my local dealer and had all the transmission updates downloaded.

All this doesnt seem to have done anything. It still works as it should when cold, but after about 10-20 miles of driving,,,,,,usually the first indication of the problem will happen when I am slowing down for a turn or red light, but, before I come to a complete stop, my light turns green, or I begin to lightly accelerate to make a turn, and suddenly, I am NOT in a gear, and the engine is over-revving, followed by a "BANG" when it finally decides to put it into the next gear. Things begin to deteriorate quickly after that. I generally get a warning light and a message saying someting like "Transmission service required". from that moment on, I experience lots of erratic shifts and false neutrals and have to drive the car VERY carefully and slowly,....lifting my foot off the gas as soon as I sense it is going into a false neutral/over-rev/slam into gear cycle again.

If I let the car completely cool off. It's all good again. Shifts fine until it warms up,....then the erratic shifts begin again.

My sense is that all the clutch plates/packs are still engaging solidly, since I am getting extremely harsh gear engagements after the false neutral thing. No gradual next gear engagement, or slipping into the next gear.

I don't know much about automatics, but seems like it is more of a shift CONTROL problem as the shifts themselves are so harsh.

Any suggestions on what it might be?

By the way, when it's wet, my front wheels spin up,...indicating to me that the rear/all wheel drive is not working properly (at the rear wheels) either,....thinking this is a different issue, but thought I should mention it, just in case they could be related.

Brian in Austin

 

I had a fluid leak on my tranny on a recent 9,000 mile trip (with around 3,000 miles pulling a 12x6x6 trailer). I found that when the fluid got a little low, I'd get the "transmission service required" and all sorts of things would go wrong. The problem I've had is accurately determining the fluid level in the transmission... the dipstick location is rough, but even worse, once you pull the dipstick, it smears fluid up the dipstick tube, making the next reading suspect at best.

FWIW, I had a bad 2-3 flare (false neutral) until I did the servo cover update, which fixed it. But the problem is back now along with an occasional slip between 3-4, and a significant "clunk" when engaging reverse. I've been toying with the idea of pulling the servo cover again, just to see if removing and replacing it might help (last time, after replacing the servo cover the slippage was still there initially, but the suggested "training drive" around the neighborhood fixed it).

Otherwise, I believe my problem is probably a shift solenoid or two, though I haven't researched it enough to guess which one(s). I'll bet your problem is, too. I just came across this thread (https://volvoforums.com/forum/2001-2...t-parts-70481/) which has access to loads of good info.

Also, FWIW, I did the fluid flush with the IPD kit, and even now after 10,000 hard (!) miles, the fluid looks like new. Part of that is due to the 3 quarts of new fluid I had to replace by the time I got home and could fix that bad axle seal, but it's clear that the fluid didn't get too badly cooked by some pretty serious towing (most of which was at nearly full throttle trying to maintain 65mph at 2,200 rpm, a pretty good trick for a 2.3 liter motor).

 

Could be the valve body.

Here's a post about it.


I have a Volvo P0700 code , P0740 code. when the transmission is cold it works ok, when it gets hot it shifts hard and will lock in a gear/
OK allot of people don't under stand transmission because they think a transmission is complicated. When the fluid is cold it is thick and can't move as fast and can't build pressure as fast as hot transmission fluid. There are small 1/16 holes in the Valve Body that the fluid has to pass through and Valve that get ***** out from allot of use. When a valve ware and fluid can go through the space that it couldn't before when it was new and the differences of hot and cold fluid makes a big differences. The fluid can move passed the valve and into the accumulators that operate the shift mechanism. So that why it shifts good when it's cold and hard when it's hot. Might be a sticky valve or shift solenoid or just need rebuilt. In the past if i had trouble like this and had to rebuild the transmission before i did that i would put a can of thick STP motor oil Treatment in the transmission because it thickens up the transmission fluid and make my car shift like new. Its not going to hurt nothing it mixes well with the transmission oil.

 

So what is the best, most accurate way of checking tranny fluid levels? I've noticed when pulling the dipstick with the car running that once it's pulled, the arch in the dipstick collects fluid on exit. I agree that this does not seem that reliable.

 

Fluid temperature and car level are the two main factors. Fluid level is very sensitive to those.

You can check the level both cold and warm. Check the two readings and make sure both are at max at their indicator.

I have found that if the level is low, at cold measure the reading is flawed due to fluid smearing inside the dipstick tube.

Still at cold read, if the level is at max, you shouldn't have this issue any long, you will clearly see a thick amount of fluid on one side of the stick.

Cold reading is when the fluid temperature is at 70F. The measure is very sensitive to this value, at 80 or 60F the measure will already be off by a good amount.

Same for warm temperature: at 176F the level should be at max on the warm indicator. It is best plugging a computer to get the real transmission temperature. You may try to drive the car for a good moment - especially in the summer, then check the level without having an exact measure of the temperature, but keep in mind that the reading vary greatly when the fluid is below or above 176F.

Finally, I have found my transmission works better with about 10oz on top of the max level, but I do that on my own risk.

 

Sondering if anyone has tried either of the above suggestions (Adding STP motor oil additive, or intntionally adding a bit too much fluid to the trans)

Brian in Austin.

 

How is the engine temperature when looking at it on the cluster after 15-20 min when you get the issues?

 

I wonder if the bluetooth OBD2 readers with the Torque app will allow the transmission temperature to be read. If so, that would be a HUGE help in determining optimal temperature to check and top off.

 

shoeboxOH, apparently the Volvo computers don't report on the transmission fluid temperatures. That's really a shame, because I had set up my Torque app to monitor that while I was towing (and it would have given me lots of really good info). As it was, I monitored my vacuum/boost, throttle position (which was at 90% plus most of the time towing!), timing advance, etc. Still a VERY worthwhile investment - $20 for a full-featured, wireless OBD reader / monitor.

 

Interesting. I was told by the dealer that they have a special machine (perhps not vida) that monitors transmission temperature when they do a fluid chance.

I see several of the bluetooth readers on amazon etc for around $15-20. Seems like it would have some useful data. Can you clear a CEL?

 

Yes, you can read and clear codes with Torque and a bluetooth OBD device. I think the Torque app is $5, though there is a freebie version, but the real one is so cheap that it doesn't make sense to use the freebie, IMHO.

I just got a Vida/Dice reader (clone) and hope it will let me read tranny temps, though I'm not holding my breath since it didn't show up using the Torque app.