My 2002 S60 exhibits all the usual shifting problems as already extensively reported . I'm handy with a wrench and there is a garage nearby that rents space with a lift with a 450 piece tool chest and 2 free nitrile gloves with every rental - very nice!

Why do folks replace the Valve Body (with solenoids) instead of just the solenoids? Are the solenoids factory adjusted on a valve body and therefore you're replacing parts instead of measuring solenoid pressure and adjusting?

When should the transmission be replaced instead of the valve body?

I guess this is roundabout way of me asking how much to spend on the repair. $200 Solenoids, $600 Valve Body Rebuild, and/or $3,000 Transmission

P.S. I've also read that I should make dang sure the throttle body is working correctly before replacing the transmission. Any other words of wisdom?

 

I've been compulsively reading about these issues. I'm planning on following this excellent write-up. Change the B4 cover, flush system and wait. Then replace the valve body as needed. I'd still like to know what the pros and cons of replacing solenoid versus the valve body.

http://www.volvoxc.com/0/resources/h...ment-Notes.pdf

 

Just a quick update. I replaced the B4 Servo Cover (from IPDUSA) over the weekend. The shifting improved a lot! Or maybe I was driving it like an old lady. But... I still had bad shift flares between 2 and 3.

My old B4 Servo cover has crimped in 4 places - so it wasn't an early version (as I've read on other posts) and may not have really been the culprit. Still, for $30, what the heck. It was a huge pain to remove the cover's large snap ring. If you have large 90 degree snap ring pliers (that can open more than 1 inch wide) you'll be good.

I ended up using a really small screwdriver and large hook tool from Harbor Freight 9" and 15-3/4" Hook Set.

Since I still had the flare, I did a full transmission flush and replaced with Valvoline ATF Max Life (yes, it's 3309 compliant - you have to look in the FAQ's since it doesn't say it on the bottle). The old ATF was a year old and black .

The new fluid is FANTASTIC. The shifting is very very good. At 118K miles it's not perfect - but definitely much improved. I still get a little shift flare (coasting from 25 mph to go over a speed hump then accelerating on the other side). That's where the shift flare occurs - like it doesn't know when to downshift. The speed bump is on my way home so it's a reliable test place. But, I can definitely live with it for now.

We'll see how it goes for another 6 months or so. I might have to incorporate ATF fluid changes at the same time as oil changes. I figure If I did less than 30 ATF flushes - it'd be cheaper than a new transmission .

If the shift flares come back more frequent - then I'll look into a rebuilt valve body.

 

I wish you lots of luck with your endeavor. If the fluid was black and burnt you ARE just prolonging the inevitable. One thing I would change in your process though. I wouldn't flush the system, just drain and refill.

 

Just to close out the thread. I decided to sell the car. Amazingly I sold it for $1,200 with a toasted transmission.

A thumbs up to VolvoTech65, a transmission shop that I visited said the same thing. Whatever grime is in your transmission is probably helping it at this point.