About a week ago I was driving my 04 xc70 about 60mph when it suddenly acted like it went into neutral. I pulled over and realized that I didn't even have park. Every single gear acts like neutral. If I start it and go into drive the tranny grinds when going back into park. I put the vehicle up on Jack stands and the front wheels turn with no tires on when you put it into drive. The drivers side turned at a normal rate whereas the passenger side seemed like it had a hitch in it. I noticed the rear drive shift turns but I didn't have the rear jacked up so the wheels didn't try to move.

I had replaced the passenger side cv axle about 8 months ago and I couldn't see anything wrong with it so I replaced the driver side cv axle(I already had one on the shelf) Still doing the same thing. I'm looking for a little insight before I start digging too deep into it. Is it possible that my passenger cv axle is bad and I can't tell? Or is it more likely to be something in the tranny? My linkage seems fine and I don't think it's in the TPS either. If anyone has any insight into this it'd be much appreciated.

. I wouldn't be opposed to putting a takeout tranny in but not sure I really want to go the rebuilt route because I don't really want to put 3 or 4k into a 18 year old car that's worth about 3k. Thanks for any help!

 

I'd be willing to bet you used a cheap/aftermarket right axle.

What happened is the center bearing on the axle "walked" down the shaft and the axle is pulled out of the splines in the transmissison. Tap the bearing back into place, use a punch to stake the bearing in place to prevent it moving again, and drive away happy.

The reason it won't move - the transmission is shifting into d or r - and everything is spinning - but the differential sends power to the wheel with the least traction - that is the axle that's not plugged in. It grinds because the transmission is still spinning when you put it back in park. Like trying to put it in park while still rolling.

The AWD haldex system will engage and push the car forward if a wheel sensor in the the front says it's spinning faster that the rear - but since no wheels are spinning the AWD system does not know there is a problem. (if that system still works)


"I noticed the rear drive shift turns but I didn't have the rear jacked up so the wheels didn't try to move". BE VERY CAREFUL doing that - if the haldex system turns on because the fronts are spinning faster than the rears (that's what it is supposed to do) - it could push the car off the (hopefully you are using) jack stands and hurt something/somebody.

 

Ok so I removed the passenger side cv axle and the bearing was right where it needs to be. With the vehicle on 4 Jack stands it still grinds when trying to go into park. Am I looking in the wrong spot for my problem? It doesn't seem to be the front cv axles but could it be something in the rear? I guess I'm not totally sure how the awd system works.

 

Is it possible that this is a sensor or something in the shift linkage? I'm just puzzled because this issue happened suddenly like something let go. Trying to put the vehicle from D into P sounds like trying to put a manual trans into gear without pushing the clutch in. I'm going to reinstall both front cv axles today and make 100 percent sure they're pushed all the way in etc. After that I'm not sure what direction to go

 

Not a sensor -
Put car back together and try -

Car in park, parking brake on (to keep car from rolling). Jack one front tire off the ground. Try to spin that tire with your hands. If the splines from both front axles are engaged in the differential spider gears and the spider gears are not broken - you will not be able to spin the tire that's off the ground. If you can - axle spines are not engaged or the differential is broken (have not seen a volvo do that, other cars yes) If the car still does not move and it grinds putting back in park with the engine running - the differential ring and pinion is broken (there again have not seen that in a Volvo FWD transmission)


"I'm not totally sure how the awd system works." You have a front wheel drive car that has a transfer case added to the transmission. The angle gear (transfer case) takes the spinning of the front differential, changes it's direction with the bevel gears in the angle drive (transfer case) and spins the driveshaft whenever the front wheels are turning. Between the drivershaft and the rear differential is the Haldex system. It is a clutch that only sends power to the rear wheels when the front wheels are turning faster than the rear wheels.

 

I did what you recommended and each front wheel spins easily in park while jacked up one at a time. Is this a surefire sign that I have a broken diff or ring and pinion? At that point would it be better to get a Reman or takeout tranny and swap that in? Thanks for your help, I really do appreciate it.

 

You are certain the axle spines are not stripped and engaged on both sides, and with one front tire on the ground with the transmission in park you can spin the off the ground tire with your hands? The gear position sensor is on top of the transmission under the lever that the cable is attached to. In that switch is the neutral starting switch and reverse light switch. So if it starts with the shifter in park and neutral, and the reverse lights work at the correct time - then the shift cable is connected and moving stuff inside the trans.

Does the driveshaft spin when in park, one front wheel on the ground, one up and spin by hand? If so the differential is spinning - the transfer case is connected directly to the ring gear housing.

If teeth break off the spider gears or the ring and pinion - there's not much room for those extra parts to float around - and things get real ugly when those loose teeth touch spining gears. I'm just having a hard time believing teeth are broken, not having seen than in a FWD volvo transmission. Certainly have seen that in Volvo RWD diffs, and manual transmissions.

 

Did you ever figure out what was happening or fixed it? My husbands car is doing the same exact thing and it’s an 05.