I've got a 2007 Volvo XC90 with the 3.2L engine and just over 100K miles. I've bought and sold a few of these and can't seem to figure out a peculiar issue I am having with this one. It has a weird little "flutter" right around 2000 RPMs. You feel it most when up shifting, but it also does it occasionally when down shifting. When this happens if you give it just a little more throttle it pushes right thru it no problem, no flashing CEL or anything. First thought was misfire (even though non were evident with scanner hooked up). Easy try, so I replaced the plugs and coils. Made zero difference. Then I hopped online and read all the pages and pages of data on the torque converter. Kind of made sense, so we changed that. Made zero difference. New fuel filter and air filter. Tried a used MAF sensor (from a vehicle with no issues) and that made no difference. Changed the VVT sensors on top of the engine and that made no difference. I'm lucky, my local dealer is a friend but he doesn't even know what to tell me. He says change the fuel pressure sensor, which I am happy to do (at only $103), but fuel pressure is perfect going down the road DURING an episode, so I don't really think that is going to help. Aside from the flutter when going thru the gears at 2000 RPMs, I can also see, feel and hear the engine hunting ever so slightly at 2000 RPMs at cruising speeds (for instance on the interstate when vehicle is not shifting up or down.) I've had the vehicle for a few months now driving it myself hoping to get a CEL or code. Nothing. No CEL ever, no codes stored. I've studied the live data until I am cross eyed. Nothing jumps out at me. The ONLY thing that comes up that seems "off" is that after driving it and experiencing an episode, there will be a "misfire counter catalytic damage 1" and "misfire counter emission related 1" message in the live data. (I do not have VIDA, I am on an Autel scanner) No misfires related to any of the 6 cylinders. I REALLY thought the torque converter was going to take care of it, but now that I've driven it more it seems like it isn't really shift related and sometimes happens after the shift, to be honest. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Just thinking aloud here, but my gut sense is there's a very slight fuel trim issue where the O2 sensors are able to compensate after a few duty cycles. Could be one of many things - do you run premium fuel? If not, use a name brand 93 octane for the next few tankfuls or consider a can of Techron injector cleaner. Could be the throttle body contacts or a position sensor, or could be a very small air leak (say in the exhaust) just enough to mess with the lamda... Anything else to note - compression's consistent across all cylinders, no oil consumption issues etc?

 

I do not always run premium fuel but I did fill up with premium last tank full. I have tried some Marvel Mystery Oil and that didn't make any difference. I will add some Techron right away. I mentioned the TB to my dealer and he said he has never replaced one on an XC90. I've cleaned/replaced quite a few on the 2.5T engines. Certainly not ruling that out at this point. The TB or TPS makes sense, right, if it always happens at the exact same time (2000 RPMs)?

I have not done a compression test. There is no oil consumption. Car runs and drives perfect except for this one issue. There are a couple other things that may (or may not) be worth mentioning. When it goes into an episode I see negative fuel trims, both LTFT and STFT. Also, say I'm starting up a long gradual hill and I keep my foot steady on the pedal, not pressing down whatsoever.....I see the throttle position % go from 15 or 20 to 90% or more.

I can look at this live data all day, but without knowing what the values are supposed to be I am just poking and hoping. I will run the premium fuel and add injector cleaner going forward. Any other suggestions you could give me are greatly appreciated!

 

so the negative fuel trim is saying your car was running rich at that point in time and the ECU was working to lean it out. there's a few things that can cause this - MAF issue, O2 sensors, ECT (temp) sensors, exhaust leaks ahead of the o2 sensors (like at the flex pipes) and other related emission components.

 

Thank you very much for these suggestions. I will explore each of them and report back when I have solved the issue.

 

Were you able to resolve? i\I am having the same issue.

 

Unfortunately, I was not able to resolve this issue. I have done everything you can imagine to this vehicle and nothing has worked. I even took it to the local dealer and left it for over a month. The technician (who is actually a friend of mine) drove it back and forth to work. They pretty much came up empty handed. Their conclusion: it's randomly misfiring around 2000 rpm's and it's never the same cylinder. I already knew that. They said change the coils, again. I took a set of coils out of another 3.2L vehicle that I have here that runs like a bear and there was no change. The dealer opened a case with Volvo and they were no help. The dealer says they DO NOT think it's the tranny/torque converter issue that is well documented on the internet.

The only thing I know for sure is that it is misfiring at 2000 rpm's and the cylinder changes, according to the live data with the scanner hooked up and driving the vehicle. This tells me that it's whatever cylinder is firing at that particular time….but the question remains, why is this happening? I wish I knew. I've worked on hundreds of Volvos over the years and never seen anything like this. I'm hoping it will eventually throw a check engine light and store a fault code. So far, that has not happened.

Is your vehicle the same year and model? By all means, if you ever figure it out, please let everyone know on the thread.

 

Mines started to shudder in 3rd gear after i had the rear differential rebuilt. I have a feeling that is what caused the shudder. But im no mechanic. This does sound like a possible fix. ??




Hi. I have ready many, many threads on XC90 transmissions and valve body issues (moreso with the V8, but I have a 6 cyl). I do have an appointment in 2 weeks to get my car checked, and beforehand I want to educate myself as much as possible.

UPDATE: The shudder for the symptoms below turned out to be the rear drive shaft (propeller shaft) that connects the bevel gear (aka angle) gear to the read differential and haldex unit. I eventually purchased a cheap wired listening device and connected the device's clamp to various point under the car and the noise and vibration came from the center of the propeller shaft. My theory is that while accelerating through the gears and rpms describe below, the control modules must have engaged the haldex resulting in the shaft shuddering. Or perhaps it is just some odd harmonic, because the propeller shaft does not shudder under other conditions, for example driving up a snowy hill. We had lots of snow last winter and I never got the shudder when the AWD system was engaged. But anyhow, after removing the propeller shaft and taking the car for a test drive, the shudder is gone. I am going to install a new propeller shaft (rebuilt?). However, I think my angle gear might also be on its way out. While the AWD system did work last winter in the snow, it show quite a bit of play.

I have a 2007 XC90 3.2L 6-cyl with 120K miles. I haven't checked the serial number on the trans. yet to see if I have model that has the valve body that tends to fail, but I bought the car in Jan. 2007, so I probably have an early model for that year that does have the "bad" valve body.

My primary symptoms are as follows

(everything below started subtly about 2 months ago but just became obviously noticeable about 3 weeks ago)

- moderate to heavy shudder in 2nd gear between 2200-2500 RPMs
- slight to moderate shudder in 3rd gear between 1600-1900 RPMs
- these shudders occur regardless of low or high acceleration, or load on the car (e.g. going uphill), although when I very first noticed an issue, it was more noticeable going up a slight incline
- these shudders seem independent of the warmth of the engine for the most part; perhaps they are a bit more pronounced on warm days when the engine is fully warmed up
- a slight modulation (wa-wa-wa-wa-wa-wa) feeling in 5th gear at 2200 RPMs when going up a slight incline
- the 2nd gear 2400 rpm "overlaps" with the 1600 rpm of 3rd gear, so it feels like the shudder occurs as part of the shift, but I think that the shudder is independent of the actual shifting, as I can replicate the shudder in manual shift mode without actually shifting, and manual mode shifting is smooth.
- I don't notice shuddering in 1, 4 and 6 gears, but perhaps that is simply because it is not as strong (yet?)
- the 2nd gear and 3rd gear shuddering seems to be getting worse over time
- all up shifts seem smooth
- all downshifts seem smooth
- i haven't noticed the transmission actually going out of gear at any time
- if in Neutral, no shudder or weird vibration as I rev the engine
- no RPM flare or hesitation when shifting
- while I don't think any gear is slipping, i also have been driving the car very gently and not pushed it, except for once when I accelerated up a steep hill in 3rd and perhaps the acceleration seemed less than I would have expected (or maybe I just wasn't really pressing on the gas all that hard for fear of hurting the transmission more)
- I would say the overall, there are a few clicks and clacks underneath the car when driving around on city roads, but nothing pronounced

I don't think I've ever had the transmission fluid changed; at least not any time recently. If it was changed in the past, that would have been part of the Volvo servicing plan.

I just thought my symptoms seem slightly different than others, given I don't have the hard downshifts or the flares or hesitations.

The check engine light is not on. To read possible transmission error codes, do I use the regular connection that I would use to read engine codes? I do have one of those code reading devices.

I haven't replaced anything on the this car, just done the regular service.

So I'm also trying to figure out whether to keep the car or move on. Apparently, with a good transmission, its only worth about $5K. But right now, everything else works on the car so it would be a shame to junk it or to get nothing out of it. But I'm waiting for my appt with an independent Volvo mechanic. I don't want to have this diagnosed by the dealer since I'm trying to avoid getting a completely new transmission.

So, does this sound like:
- the valve body problem
- the torque converter problem
- perhaps axels or drive shafts
- engine motor mounts
- some other tranny problem
- fluid contamination
?

 

The symptom I have is not a shudder, it's more of a flutter, which sounds weird I know. When it first came in, after reading TONS of data on the internet about the transmission issues, I was convinced that was it. That turned out not to be the problem. It's obviously a misfire issue because when driving and it happens I can actually see the misfire flash briefly on the screen of the scanner. If yours started after the rebuild, at least you have a theory as to what IS causing it. Who did the rebuild? Volvo or indy? How is the fluid level in the rear diff? Does it have the correct fluid in it?

 

I am new to this forum so I may not get it right.
I have a 2007 XC90 3.2l engine with the same problem. Between 1500 and 200 I get the 'flutter' at a slight load. I have checked most everything I can think of less the transmission and have not got anywhere yet. I think the 'flutter is the fuel going lean, wrong fuel mix. That is what it feels like to me. I checked the MAF and it appears to react normal when this occurs. No vacuum leaks I can fins and the TP appears to react as it should. I am thinking it may be an O2 sensor but have not checked anything for that yet.

 

I have the same issue...

And the first thing I did was regular maintenance things...

I put it in manual, and then looked to see if it was happening when I manually shift (it still does--but seemingly not as often) and it also appears-less frequently-on downshifts.

I don't want to *throw* parts at it-particularly with the co$t$ involved with Volvo part$...

But I am curious if there is a way to check exhaust leaks? I don't hear any notable noise, but I am not the first owner-so I don't know what it sounded like off the lot...

My first thought was a throttle sensor-or perhaps an o2 sensor... but I am just curious if someone else had this issue--and definitively resolved it--in a: "...definitely check this NEXT..." scenario.

 

i have bee shifting manually when in this range which I find less annoying yhan the flutter. Some time well after all this started I got a 420 error. I did notice it does not do it when cold until it is really worm that said I am going to try the bank 1 O2 sensor as i have spent a lot of time with this common problem that no one has posted a fix yet. Does feel like fuel mix problem.

 

*******************************************
After reading some of the above information, particularly David's message, I noted that my flutter happens from 1700-2000 rpm-in 2nd, 3rd and 5th gears... If push the revs higher before I shift into the next gear, there is no flutter. I'm suspecting I have the same problem as he did... I am due for a haldex service, and I will do that myself, then see if anything changes.. after that, I will take it to my trusted mechanic, and see what he/she says about the prop shaft.

***If David still haunts this thread--just curious: did you replace the prop shaft end? And was it front or rear?

 

As a follow-up... I just performed a fluid change on the haldex unit. It was time for that maintenance, so I did so...

It seems--to have diminished the severity of the shudder/flutter... but I don't want to let any mechanic-bias in there...

But I am wondering if anybody else has had this problem-which was fixed by replacing the haldex pump?

Also, I looked around at other locations on the internet... many of them suggest a full torque converter replacement...

Which seems like 10 pounds of assumption, and one ounce of thinking...

But has anybody had a shudder--that was resolved by a torque converter replacement?

I have had an auto transmission go out before. It didn't behave like this...