I need some advice. I bought my 2002 S40 about 15 months ago. 3 months after I bought it, the transmission slipped and went into it's emergency mode. It was recommended that I replace the transmission but I couldn't afford it. A service tech did the job for me on the side and charged me under $500 to repair it, with the understanding that it may not permanently fix the issue, and it was a chance I would be taking.

This past January it slipped again, and gave me the orange arrow, but it has been driving okay since. Today I had a diagnostic done at Volvo, and they gave me a list of problems that need to be tended to right away:

- Transmission - shift solenoid

- left front ball joint

- left/right coil spring broken

- cam/oil pump seals leaking

- timing belt (covered in oil)

- aux belt squeaks

- right rear side marker lens broken


I have 128,000 miles on the car and paid $5,000 just 15 months ago. I'm totally depressed over this because I cannot afford to do all this work. The timing belt had been changed only 20,000 miles ago, before I bought the car, but they said because it is covered with oil it needs to be replaced immediately.

I was told online about a warranty service called Route66 warranty. I'm still trying to find out more info on how it works and what is covered, but it seems this might be my only salvation here. I can't afford another car and with these issues I can't imagine I'd get very much if I sold it. They told me they cleared the codes, and right now it seems to be running okay. I don't know if maybe it was the cold back in January that caused the transmission to slip? They said if the check engine light stays off then okay, but if it comes back, they recommend replacing it.

Does anybody have any experience with the Route 66 warranty? I understand there are different levels of service. Would they cover all of these services, including replacing the transmission with a used one if the shift solenoid issue comes back? Would they cover it, even though I already know about these issues? So if I got the coverage this month, could I get all these services done next month and they would cover it? Or would it only cover new issues? I need some advice because I don't know what to do at this point.

 

After looking a bit more at their levels of service, it seems the only "package" I could use is the "First Street - drivetrain coverage:

"The First Street Plan is designed for vehicles that are older than 11 model years old or vehicles that have more than 140,000 odometer miles.

The First Street Plan provides named component coverage for the drive-train systems of your vehicle including the Engine, Transmission/Transfer Case, and Drive Axel. There is a $3,000 claims limit associated with this plan. See the sample certificate for
complete conditions of coverage, exclusions, and your duties during the term of the Plan. Following is a list of covered components:

Engine

Crankshaft & bearings, oil pump, pistons, rings, connecting rods & bearings, timing gears, chain/belt, camshaft, bearings, push rods, rocker arms/shaft, hydraulic lifters, intake and exhaust valves and springs. Engine blocks covered if mechanical failure was caused by the above-listed parts.

Automatic Transmission
Gears, input and output shafts, bearings, front pump, planetary assembly, sprags, governor assembly, valve body, torque converter.

Drive Axel
2 Wheel Drive - Drive shaft, ring/pinion bearings, side carrier bearings, carrier assembly, thrust washers, axle, axle bearings, universal joints, CV joints*, & drive axle housing."



I'm wondering if this would cover the timing belt and replace the transmission with a used one? Would these be excluded because the problems already exist and I know about it, or could I buy this warranty and get the work done even though it has already been diagnosed before I bought the warranty? Would it only cover transmission repair, not replacement? Because nobody I called even wants to repair the transmission - they all say it should just be replaced.


EDIT: I just found this exclusion in the fine print so I guess this won't help me much:

"THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT COVER (EXCLUSIONS):

11. ANY REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT TO A COVERED PART WHICH HAS NOT FAILED BUT WHICH A REPAIR FACILITY RECOMMENDS OR REQUIRES TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED."

My timing belt has not failed - it's just covered in oil. And my transmission has not failed - they test drove it this morning and said currently it seems to drive okay. So I guess this plan would not help me out of this predicament. The transmission has issues and they recommended it to be replaced twince now in 15 months, and the belt is covered in oil, but he car still drives, so they wouldn't cover anything from the sound of it.

 

Most don't cover pre-existing problems anyway.

 

How good are you with a wrench?

 

First of all, when you pay $5,000 for a 12 year old car you have to expect to pay a couple thousand more on deferred maintenance. What's more, if you're going to drive 12 year old cars you have to find an honest independent mechanic (difficult) or become your own mechanic.

Also, forget about the aftermarket warranty. Think about it. The warranty companies make money by taking your payment and then NOT paying for repairs. I'd say aftermarket warranties are the biggest rip-off in the car biz if there weren't so many others.

Where are you located? If you were close to me I'd help you out by walking you through the fixes to your problems. You may be close to another Good Samaritan on the forum.

Here is what's possible for that list.

- Transmission - shift solenoid. This I'd have to research but you may be able to postpone this issue with an AutoRx treatment and two fluid changes. DIY cost about $100.

- left front ball joint. May not be an emergency. In any case this is a relatively easy fix. DIY cost about $40 for the part (just a guess, did not look it up).

- left/right coil spring broken. I'm guessing rear coil springs as that is what broke on my 2000 V40. Not an emergency as the springs break at the end. You can drive it like this for a while.

- cam/oil pump seals leaking. This is a priority as a slipped timing belt will ruin your engine and write off your car. There is a low cost fix for this but it requires some wrenching skills.

- timing belt (covered in oil). Must be replaced soon.

- aux belt squeaks. Not a big deal but you need to determine exactly what is squeaking.

- right rear side marker lens broken. Easy fix with a $10 part.

 

What he said. (migbro)

On the shift solenoid issue, its my understanding you can pretty easily just replace the solenoids? I've replaced 2 on my Ford Focus whent its transmission started slipping out of 4th, and again when it wouldn't go into reverse. The ford was much easier as the 'pan' in on the bottom, not at that weird angle Volvo put it at.

 

I checked my alldata subscription and the shift solenoid is quite easily replaceable on this transmission. Could also just be a problem with a connector.

OP seems to have his own plan at this point though.

It's just unrealistic to buy a $5,000 car and expect it to be trouble free.

 

While you were at the dealer, did you ask if you could go out and inspect the vehicle with the technitians assistance? I took mine to a dealer and they said that my seals were leaking and my timing belt needed to be replaced immediately because it was covered in oil also. Being a tad handy, and having already changed the timing belt a week prior, I wanted to look at it. They exaggerated quite a bit by saying that they were leaking and that it was "covered". Seals ended up being fine and the oil was from my hands when I changed the belt (I kept my gloves on after my oil change while changing the belts).

 

Bad. I'm good with electronics and computers, but I don't seem to have any mechanical aptitude with cars.

I used to have a very good and honest independent mechanic but he disappeared about 2 years ago. Since then I've been lost.

 

They didn't say if the left/right coil springs were front or rear. I checked the printout and it didn't say either. I thought it was very dangerous to drive with the springs broken? I hears there are risks that it could puncture a tire or other bad things?

For the ball joint - it says it has "play" and should be replaced - I read that's dangerous to drive with a bad ball joint as it could cause loss of control in the vehicle? Again, I'm not too knowledgeable about cars. I'm just going by what I've picked up by reading about this.

They put the ball joint and timing belt at the top of the priority, followed by the springs.

 

Thank you for those that have given some advice. sadly I'm bad with tools and I really don't know what I'm doing around a car. I've given up on the warranty idea - it just won't work out.

I called a local mechanic who is on Volvo's list of mechanics, and a friend put in a good work for him also. I read him the diagnostic and he said he wouldn't even touch the transmission. So I'm having a hard time even trying to find somebody who would even want to work on the transmission.

What's this about an AutoRx treatment? If it's no big deal to replace the solenoids, why is sit so hard to find somebody who is willing to do it?

 

Because this is an unfamiliar job that requires reading the factory manual and maintaining a high standard of cleanliness with a reasonable probability the problem won't be fixed by the repair. In other words, everything mechanics hate.

What mechanics want to do is familiar and easy jobs with no thinking required and high book time where they can cut every possible corner.

After doing some research I'd forget about the AutoRx. Your car very likely has a problem with a solenoid or with a harness connector.

 

It seems to me it's a bad idea for you to be buying old used cars.

I'll tell you what you should do. Sell your Volvo on Craig's list as-is. There are people out there who can blow through your problem list in a day or two, they're just not going to do it for you.

Then take the $2,000 you get for your Volvo and go buy a new 2013 Hyundai Elantra on clearance. Your payments will be low and you will have a reliable car for the next five years. Lease it and your payments will be even lower.

 

Geez.

You are 1/3 right. The fact that there is a good chance it won't fix it is why no one wants to touch it. If I replace some solenoids for a few hundred bucks and it still has the problem, odds are the customer isn't going to be too happy.

If you want someone to try to fix the trans, find a trans shop. Though, I have seen many, many customers come back to me after a trans shop "fixed" their car and made things worse.

Otherise, I would agree with migbro. If you aren't able to fix it yourself and don't want to pay to have it fixed, sell it and get a new car with a warranty.

 

No offense but I'm pretty sure lots of people buy used cars that don't know how to fix them themselves. People buy used cars when they can't afford new cars. I bought a used car because there's no way I can possible afford any new car, nor can I afford to take on a monthly payment for a car. I bought a used car because that's where I'm at financially, and I bought a Volvo because I've been told repeatedly how reliable they are, and I like the safety features of the S40. After a girl on a cell phone totalled my last car with my girlfriend and I in it, I wanted to make sure I picked out the safest car we could afford with the insurance check we received from the accident.

 

Yes, people who cannot fix their own cars buy used cars all the time, and there is nothing wrong with that. But when something needs repair, they have to pay to have it fixed.

 

I realize that. This isn't my first used car. But that doesn't mean I can't be upset about these repairs, considering what I was told by the saleman. I've already had the transmission repaired once last year, and then it spits up another solenoid code in January. Plus I was told by the dealer before I bought it that the timing belt was just changed so I shouldn't have to worry about that for quite a while - he didn't mention that the car was leaking oil all over the new timing belt.

And since I know little about cars, I paid Pep Boys to check out my car before I bought it. They were supposed to give it a good look over but from what I can see they didn't do anything, because they said everything was just fine with the car. Even the climate control system is messed up, right off the lot. It needs to be replaced. They told me everything was in good working order, and that was a lie.

 

A used car salesman lied to you? Golly, I can hardly believe it.

You didn't have the transmission repaired, btw. You don't even know what that mechanic did. My guess is not much.

You can't fix it yourself so you're going to have to pay someone to fix it. I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve here at this point.

 

I know you do the best job you can for your customers. But not all mechanics are like you. In fact I'd say most aren't like you. My guess is 2/3 to 3/4 of shops are rip-off operations to a greater or lesser degree.

 

Salesmen typically don't know **** about the technical side of the car. Of course they will tell you it was looked at by their guys and reconditioned or whatever. The truth is, they probably have no idea as to the condition of the car beyond cosmetics and maybe tire tread.

Having Pep Boys inspect it is also pretty worthless. They are likely not familiar with the common problems with that car. They certainly don't have the same diagnostic equipment we have at the dealer to check for all fault codes more in depth, like climate codes.

migbro- I know what you mean. Unfortunately, you might be right. Personally, I don't trust anyone much when it comes to doing a job the right way.