I have always been around the volvo crowd and always heard of all the troubles with the transmissions. well it finally got me. I need some help , here's the story.

Im the owner of a 2001 s60 T5. the car has never been abused , dealer always performed the required maintenance. It has the tiptronic gearbox in wich it was hardly used that way. after high shcool , i went to college out of state and left my car in my parents garage for years. due to staying in Fla and buying another car , well i decide to get my T5 out last month , everything was good for a week , then i start getting the computer codes for a trans issue , and the trans was slipping , and then it completly failed. so due to my current living situation , im pretty much in the middle of nowhere , and the closest dealer is 100 miles away. So i take it to a guy who is a specialist in foreign car repair. he replaced the trans. (im sure with a re-built one) anyway after this repair its doing the same exact thing. slipping and trans light , then goes completly out. Im sure with this new trans it prob has new fluid and filter. the tech working on it does not have the software to run diagnostics on this car. are there any common problems out there , that this might be? Im in need of some help , any idea's out there? sorry for the long read , im trying to supply all the info i can. I need some help , what i could check , or maybe look for? anything , help , please. I hope this makes sense im hungover big time.

EDIT: im thinking if the trans was replaced , and its still doing the same thing , maybe its a sensor? or computer?

 

Are you sure the garage changed the transmission for real? Can they show you the old one? If they did replace it for real, ask them what fluid they did use.

Other possibility is they got one from a junk yard, without checking, while all 2001-2002 were plagued with this issue.

You are out of luck anyway, most 2001-2002 S60 cars joined the junk yard because blown transmissions.

 

You appear to have finished up paying this foreign vehicle specialist ??? for absolutely no gain and nothing in the way of improvements.
If he was any sort of Volvo specialist (independant) he would have the diagnostic software equipment to find the cause of your problems or ready access to it.
Out of curiousity, check the color of your transmission fluid. if its had a tranny rebuild fitted it will be super clean and bright red, not dirty brownish or black.

 

yes difflock54 im well educated in the color of new trans fluid. however i did ask for all help , so i will give you a A for effort. His shop usually only works on the high end exotic cars. porsche and so on , thus the no education or software on the volvo (nobody else in this small town would touch it). No money has exchanched hands yet. The trans fluid was clean , however i did not ask what brand was used. Would that be a big deal
?

as for oragex your making the most sense , me thinks your prob right. The guy hates working on this car , i hope he will try again. i bet he did get one from the junk yard , and it was prob shot already. I was hoping there was something else out there that it could be? but i dunno oragex just made me see the light.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 98% Of the time this problem is software. That is the first thin a Volvo tech will ck. First you check oil level/smell/software and the last is to replace the transmission.

 

Frankly, from your statement above, 'probably' does not indicate to readers that you are at all sure of exactly what the fluid is like or type fitted.

You have also referred to both rebuilt and junkyard salvaged transmissions.

That was why I commented about fresh fluid.
A rebuilt and serviced unit would definately have that, a salvaged one simply swapped over may not?
Surely you have verified evidence of what your tech was offering you and actually did fit and that a swap did occur?

The software upgrade download might now be the solution to your problems with luck.

 

My apologies difflock54 , myself trying to explain this situation made no sense. The story i got from one of his workers was - the trans came from a junkyard and the they went ahead and did the trans service on this junkyard trans. I said prob cause this worker of his seemed to be sort of a dumb ***. anyway i strolled by there yesterday, and was able to speak to the main guy, he said it was a junk yard trans , that was looked over by volvo and the trans service was done by volvo. and it still has the same problem. once he stuck it back in the car. So since its back in the car now , maybe it just some software
?

 

if that was my car i will install the old transmission back and do the software and check for any other software. most of the times when you upgrade the T/SW you also need to upgrade the car computer. is very important to used the correct trans fluid.

 

I broke down and paid the $200 and had it towed the 80 miles to the volvo dealership , so we will soon see what the prob was. i will update. and sadly i will also update on the bill. maybe it will be a cheap fix? i just never heard of one of those.

 

these era s60's and XC90s are so common slipping in the transmission. I replaced mine with a salvaged one back in 2009 when the car had about 100k miles. Was slipping/grinding between 2nd and third gear I pretty sure. Got a salvaged one online for $850 and had it shipped to a local transmission guy. About $1100 to install. I wasn't very handy back then so I just ate it. I think the Volvo dealer wanted over $3000 for a new transmission. The one I purchased was out of a V70 Wagon. Not sure if that makes a difference and knocking hard on wood. But I was told the car had like 60k on it. I have put about another 65k on it myself. Knocking very hard on wood but I haven't had any problems.

Either way it sucks these transmission problems are a nightmare.

 

^ yea it sucks , such a sweet car , with a crappy transmission. I wonder where the fabrication went wrong on the design and build of this transmission? even when i get the car back and every thing is running smooth , i will baby it , due to being scared of the trans breaking again. The worst part of this whole ordeal is , I have been borrowing my g/f's old Honda she drove in her teens. I think its a 88? (those things just dont die) anyway its been sitting for a few years , all i did was put a new batt in it and used some carb cleaner to get that thing running , and now its back fron the dead. i dont know how many 16 year old kids asked me if they could buy it from me. all prob cause that movie "The Fast and the Furious" now that Honda will get me from point A to point B but its not in the least bit fast. But it does get 25mpg its a 88 accord. could be wrong on the year? I hate that car.

 

Most of the threads I have read on here seem to indicate the Transmission slipping issue with the P2 Chasis (S60,S80, V70) is most common and the 01 & 02 models. Part of the problem with these cars it is was still early on for Volvo going to front Wheel Drive.

The Salvage transmission I got was from an 03 V70. It had 55k on it. I would say I have put on about another 60k and knock on wood but yet to have any issues. I may have been lucky getting a transmission from an 03 P2 Car.