Hi,
I recently purchased a used 2004 S60 2.5T FWD, AT with 112K miles. I've driven European Trucks (LR) and this is my first Volvo.
When i purchased the vehicle (used car dealer), i was aware that a new CV joint, shocks/struts were needed but i did not know of the transmission issues until after i bought the car. Why?
Because the issue only happens after driving for more than 20 minutes or after the transmission fluid has reach a certain temperature.
That said, it is now my vehicle and i'm having to deal with the issue.
I've been reading about so many with this issue and i wish i had read about it sooner (mostly pre-2004 models), but mine does the exact same thing--- flares and jolts between 2nd and 3rd; no issue between 3rd, 4th and 5th and does the same when downshifting.
I have flushed twice with Toyota IV transmission fluid
Replaced the OEM servo cover with ipd updated version
updated TCM software
i'm so frustrated because the car runs and drives great and is very solid, but this transmission issue is frustrating.
Why is it that it flares up when the tranny is warm?
Could it be that the fluids are lighter as it warms and that is causing the problem.

Short of replacing or rebuilding, is there anything else i can do to fix this issue?

Thanks for your time.

 

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...hp?f=9&t=62022

I would recommend member name Precopster, he has dealt with this issue and I think he can give good answers on that matter

 

I am not a mechanic. Just try to do as much stuff on my 02 S60 as I can. My transmission had a slip years ago. You could tell going from like 2nd to 3rd gear if you have ever had a manual. That it would make a bad noise and take a while to shift. I ended up buying a salvaged transmission from a V70 online and shipped to a local shop. It wasn't cheap.

That was when the car had more value then it does now. Volvo's from the early 2000's really do have lots of electrical problems and the transmission problems seem to be steady. You are right though if you do regular maintenance these cars can go 300k+.

 

Thank you for the input.
I have a few junk yards in the are with many S60 transmissions-- (one has a '06 but i'm not sure if it will fit my '04).
I'm wondering if i should try to fix mine or go to the expense and gamble replacing it with a used one.
As i've said, i love the vehicle but when i'm driving and the transmission flares begin i just feel like getting out and running it off a cliff.
I'm very handy and have thus far replaced the front struts and rear shocks, serviced the transmission, fixed the rear door handle (did not open from inside), replaced the passenger side drive shaft (CV Joint), fixed the speed sensing power steering module, replaced power steering reservoir, changed engine oil and filter so as you can see i've already invested. My next investment is to send the DIM for service. (odometer and trip do not work)

Thanks again for any inputs

 

Haha, seems like the we all have the same issues. The DIM had done about 8 months ago on my 02 S60. Found a guy on eBay who I think did it for about $200.

Funny you talk about fixing the door handle on the inside well. Had that happen on the drivers side of my car two. A plastic clip that holds the cable in broke. Was able to use a couple screws and some plumbers tape to do a hillbilly fix.

Not sure how many miles you have on you car. But you might want to check the top mount on the engine for cracks in the rubber. Also the rubber in the control arms and ball joints begin to fail. There is also a harness with some rubber joints I think it is called a transmission harness, moist of the time those begin to wear out once you get in the upwards of 100k-150k range.

I meant to ask how difficult was it doing the Struts? The one thing that kept me from doing that job myself was I heard if you screw up that spring it can be very dangerous.

I do believe that Volvo used the same transmission for multiple years on the S60. I can remember exactly but I want to say the V70 or whatever the Station Wagon version is has the same transmission as well as the S80 I want to say.

My biggest gripes about these era Volvo's is the electrical issues and the transmission slipping.

 

I'm new here, I've come to these forums before to research and find problems, but I haven't posted before. I'm having this same problem now. It's been annoying / troubling for a while and I planned on getting it looked at ASAP.

On the way home yesterday the CHECK ENGINE light came on and it says TRANSMISSION SERVICE REQUIRED. I had about another 2 miles to drive home, and I made it but it was performing weirdly. It stopped showing me in gear for "Drive" and it seemed not to shift anymore, it seemed like it was stuck in a high gear.

Based on other posts I've found it sounds like I'll have to get a new "valve body" or a completely new transmission.

My question to you guys is if I get told this is going to cost between $2000-$6000 to repair, is it worth doing or should I start looking for a new car? I was driving the car home from replacing all 4 tires yesterday as that was my bigger concern, this is just devastating to me.

 

Sorry to hear about this. Unfortunately these transmission issues are quite common. When mine went out I got the same Transmission Message my dashboard cluster. However, mine was not so terrible it wasn't drive able. Having driver a manual for years I could tell there was a slip between 2nd and 3rd gear so things like getting on the Freeway on a short run up could become problematic.

This was about 2009 when the car had maybe 110k on it I want to say. I ended up finding a used Transmission from a V70 with 55k on it. I believe it cost me about $850 to buy and have shipped. Called around to a couple of local shops to do the swap. It ended up being about $1100 with them. So basically $2k like you are talking about. I have roughly 173,000 miles on the car now. Knock on wood but haven't had any transmission problems.

I know S60 and XC90 are the Volvo's I have read with these problems the most common. The one I got out of a V70 the Wagon style. Not sure if somehow it was less common there or I have just been lucky so far. Might check the V70 threads if you think about going that route. For the most part that has been the one major expense on this car. The rest of it has for the most part and knock on wood again been just regular maintenance.

It really does suck. These s60's where part of Volvo's first era of changing from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive. Part of the reason the transmission are jacked. Not to mention Ford still owned the company back then and we know the **** products they put out back then.

Also if you do end up buying a salvage transmission by chance. Make sure when you work out your deal it includes rewiring the transmission harness. Lots of shops will quote you then call you saying once the thing is there it didn't come with the harness and you basically have to bend over for another $200 or so dollars. I would try to work out a deal before hand if you do decide to go that route.

 

OK.. a little vehicle history before i get into this weekend events.
When i purchased the car, the yellow exclamation warning triangle was lit, text panel was dark (could barely read the "brake failure" stop message) the odometer, trip computer and cruise control were not functional, but speedometer, tachometer, clock, gas and temp gauge, and some warnings signals.

Later on i discovered that these Clusters were prone to act up ($199 fix). Having a background in electronics, i decided to remove the cluster and check the board at which time i discovered that all led's behind the text display were disconnected. (reason it was dark) and the brake, check engine, ABS and park brake led's were also disconnected.

This meant the seller was aware of these issues and covered them up by clipping the led's. (buyer beware).
The cluster lighting on the 2004 are smd type led's and i manage to solder them back to the board and re-installed the cluster at which point it lit up like a Christmas tree (warning lights galore).
I did some more reading and found that the ABS module and CEM module are responsible for many of the cars operation and display messages and instead of looking at the cluster, i began to suspect the ABS module.

So, this weekend i called a local junk yard and ask if they had a 2004 or newer S60 and was told that a 2004 had been on the lot for about 10 days. Armed with some tools i headed to the lot and found that the ABS module had not been removed and that it was identical to the one in my car (part# 8671224). Ten minutes later i was on my way home with the new module.
I first disconnect the battery and removed the old ABS module (had a hard time disconnecting the harness), but once i got that off the rest was easy.
Reconnected battery (with key in position II) and to may surprise the text window message had changed from Brake failure to drivers door open, ABS and brake lights were out and the trip computer had digits (prior to this only dashes were displayed).
Took the car for a spin and was able to use the cruise control for the first time. The display and everything else has been working great ever since at a cost of $27.63
The transmission flares are still present but not as severe.. will keep an eye on this and update later on.
BTW the car has 112K but because the odometer was not working it should should be around 113k.

As for the struts and shocks:
I was going to buy the factory shocks but because of the other issues i decided to go with 4 Staggs for $149.63.
For this job you will need a coil compressor which i rented from advance auto parts.
19mm, 21mm, 10mm sockets, adjustable wrench, torx for upper strutt
Jack up the car
remove the front wheels
remove sway bar upper nut
disconnect ABS sensor from strut
remove the (2) bolts securing strut to steering knuckle (hub)
remove the (3) upper strut mount lock nuts
remove the strut.
compress the spring
remove top nut with torx and 16 or 19mm wrench or adjustable wrench
remove star nut (i used a crescent wrench)--- but there is a special tool for it
and with that you can now remove all the hardware (spring seat etc)
then remove the strut from the string-- install in reverse order.
A few notes:
i purchased new bellows, bump stops and coil spring isolators (mine were worn)

Rear shocks are a bit easier:
Jack up the car
lift up the carpet or side panels above strut mounts
remove foam pad
remove shock tower nut (using wrench and torx)
go under car and remove the shock bolt
shock is now free and should fall out (make sure car is high enough for shock to clear)
reverse steps for install.
It was not hard to do, it took me about 4 hours and i worked alone but If you have a partner it should be a breeze.
The front struts were bad but the rear shock were horrible and after replacing them the ride is firm.
For some reason the car now pulls to the right, so i will be getting a 4 wheel alignment.

Hope this helps and forgive me if i left out a step of two.

Oh and before i forget i also tackled the sagging glove box issue (had a large seam on the left side).
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...oor-sag-29346/
So here is what i did to fix mine:
Open glovebox
remove the two #15 torx screws from the U-shape latch bracket
pry the latch bracket up until it comes off
take the u-shape latch in your hand (with u-shape latch facing forward) and bend the bracket by pulling the ends with the screw holes towards you (about 5 degrees)
re-install latch bracket and torx screws
close glovebox
if you bent too much you will have to slam it close or it may not latch at all in that case remove and bend back a little.
i had to slam it close a few times and in doing so the bracket slowly bent back enough to where it would latch.
If you frequently open/close glovebox, you may have to adjust as needed.
Wish i had taken some pictures, but this worked for me.

 

Had seen your thread earlier and then stumbled on this thread https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...uestion-77119/ about a V70 2.4T with a trans issue. Thinking that an '01 V70 2.4T would likely have the same AW 5 spd trans and with the reference to an inexpensive part at IPD I went there using my '02 S60 2.4T to shop I discovered this part Automatic Transmission B4 Servo Cover Update AW55-50/51 that has the caveat of of '04+ models "usually" not having the problem, but at $28 compared to a new trans I would give it a shot given the problem described as typically fixed by this B4 Servo Cover Update, but that is just me. Good luck!

 

yes, i went ahead and changed the servo cover (that is mentioned in my post).
The transmission has been working much smoother since the ABS module was installed. I can't determine if the previous repairs (oil flush, Servo cover, software) took this long to come together, but the fact that it is no longer jerking is a plus. On occasion i will get a small jerk between 2nd and 3rd gear but its nothing like before.
Will continue to monitor this.

 

Sorry, missed that in your first post. My '02 has a slight flared 2-3 shift when cold, but pretty much goes away when warm. Switched up the trans fluid this last time so now I have 3 qts of Valvoline Maxlife in with the 3309 (yes, it is compatible) and it is definitely improved, so I will do another drain/fill at the next oil change and see if that trend continues.

 

Are we talking about this thing here?
MAXLIFE® HIGH MILEAGE DEX/MERC ATF MULTI-VEHICLE | Walmart.ca

 

Correct. It lists several Volvo specs it is compatible with and spec 1161540, which is what is listed in my owners manual, is one of them. I am speculating that it would be compatible with all of the AW 5 speeds, but always recommend checking the owners manual for your particular car. There were several factors that lead me to using it. One was reading through all 30 pages of the stickied tans fluid thread in the S60 section and seeing a mod by the name of tech who said they had been using for 5 year (2006 post) where he works and it works great. Second was some favorable reviews on it amongst the Honda Odyssey crowd. Third was the fact the it listed the very spec as my owners manual. And fourth was the fact that it is so readily available at Walmart at a great price. $4.97 for a qt bottle and $16.97 for the 4 qt bottle. A downright steal compared to $20/qt at the dealer and about a buck cheaper than ordering 3309 from Amazon and waiting for it. The argument about whether or not the Volvo fluid or 3309 is synthetic or syn blend can be pretty heated on this board with some very convinced posters falling on both sides of that argument, but if I can meet the spec and get a full syn fluid (and now for the most important part) and it works well in the trans giving smooth shifts I am all over it. I bought my car with 141K on and got all the service records. The trans had been dealer serviced one time at 90K with a single drain/fill and the fluid was very brown, but at least it was not black. The only issue was a flared shift when cold from 2-3. A complete "flush" IPD cooler line style with 3309 at 145K improved it some and gave the fluid nice color, but not as much as I would have liked and the more miles the fluid got on it the more noticeable it became again and the fluid was once again really brown. Warm it was barely if at all noticeable. A single drain/fill at 160K with Maxlife improved it to slightly better then the full flush with 3309. I will be doing another single drain/fill every 5K for the foreseeable future and see what happens. For 163K the car is in incredible condition and I think with the right care 300K should not be a problem barring anything unforeseen.

 

I'll do a flush somewhere this spring, I'll go with Valvoline and see how it goes then, tkx for the tip.

 

Not 100% sure but I believe the 'flare' and the 'jerk' are from two separate issues on this transmissions. The 'flare' is more related to the servo cover and the software update. While the 2 to 3 jerk is there because the body valve gets clogged with floating wear debris (and that was why not having the fluid changed every 40k miles or so was causing the transmissions to ultimately fail). Finally the 2 to 1 knock (while slowing down on a recline) could also be caused by clogged body valve or by low transmission fluid.

 

+1
my transmission slowly began to improve shift when hot after changing the oil (which was dark and was likely not changed). I have flushed twice and will flush again in a few months.

 

I just got a 2004 S60 with about 81,000 miles on it and although I didn't notice anything during the test drive, now that I've had it for a bit, I can tell that it's shifting roughly more often than I'd like, especially from 2nd to 3rd gear.

From what I can tell, it's not "flaring" - the engine does not rev between gears - but the car just jerks into 3rd gear sometimes.

Just had the 75,000 mile maintenance done. No codes, the transmission software is up to date, and the transmission fluid is not dirty. From what I can tell it was last changed at 48,000 miles by the dealer, though that was several years ago.

From what I've read, my next options would be to:

flush the transmission fluid (even though it looks clean on the dipstick)

Check the B4 servo cover - anyone know how to check if I've got the right version?

Anything else I might try?

I have to say,in looking at these forums, it doesn't seem like there is an easy fix. Any guesses on how long I might go with a rough shifting transmission before it craps out? It's not so bad that I can't live with it, I just don't want to end up stranded.

All input is appreciated!

 

I have the same jerk that appeared after I replaced some of the fluid. based on this, I would suggest first checking the fluid level, then having a software reset to 'new fluid'.

I did read about the servo cover, and it seem related both to flares and to hard shifting. since I have no flares at all, I don't suspect the cover to be the issue. ultimately, if the software reset does nothing, I would look for the solenoids AW55 50 AW55 51 AF33 5 Transmission Linear Solenoid Set Kit SLS SLT SLU Maxima | eBay .

 

Well, my transmission issues are back. When cold, shifting is pretty smooth, but once hot there is hard shift + flare between 2nd and 3rd, then smooth the rest of the way. Also a hard downshift between 3rd and 2nd.
I now have VOLVO DICE/VIDA on laptop and found code TCM-002F stored on Transmission module.
I cleared the code, reset the oil counter but that did not resolve the issue.

I'm not sure what to do next because i've exhausted all "cheap" fixes (i.e. oil change, B4 servo, software)

 

The weather has warmed up and with it my S60 transmission issues. If you have been following this thread you know that i've tried every possible fix short of replacing solenoids, valve body or the transmission.
I've been experiencing many transmission faults and limp mode (4th gear only) so i took the car to the dealer for an evaluation and was told to replace the transmission with a rebuilt unit at a prohibitive cost. I sat down and thought about it and concluded that there is nothing wrong with this transmission outside up/down shift between 2nd and 3rd. Every other gear shift is perfect regardless of oil temperature.
So i purchased and installed Volvo Transmission Linear Solenoid Kit $199 . I have driven 300+ miles in city/highway traffic and thus far the car shift like new. Its now fun driving not having to worry about the transmission.
This job requires:
1. an engine lift or something to support engine while you drop the support rail.
2. A gal. Volvo Engine Coolant (or save old fluid and refill)
3. transmission oil (at least 4 quarts)
4. Oil cool hose O-ring (part number 9171649, 988840, 33013)
5. RTV oil gasket maker
6. Assortment of tools including 22mm (7/8) wrench, Torx 40, 7,8,10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 24 mm sockets
7. crow bar, ramps, jack, jack stand.
pictures below. Note position of blue and green solenoids after update.