Electrical or transmisson problem?
 

2003 S80 T6. 3 months ago I got the transmission service urgent message. I brought it to my mechanic and he did a rebuild because my old tranny was toast. I had it back for a day when my rpms spiked and the message came up again. I brought it back got some solenoids replaced, but again within a day RPMs spiked and transmisson service message. Bad Solenoids replaced again and this time it was good for a week, then going up a hill rpm spike tranny service message. After checking it my mechanic told me it was an electrical problem and to bring it to a volvo mechanic. The volvo mechanic got code TCM-0053 Lock-Up Pressure Switch Jammed. My original mechanic is telling me those parts are brand new and can't be bad, that there is an electrical problem somewhere. My vovlo guy says if its not the bad switch he doesn't know what it could be. Who should I believe? What should I do?

Could be a bad Valve body.

thats a horrible problem, sorry to hear it...

Ive repalced that same sensor on two XC90s ( which also use the gm4t65 trans ) and one came back and needed a trans , the other diddnt. Like tech said, could be in the valve body. They diddnt replace the valve body when they rebuilt the trans, so makes sense. The tech that replace the solenoids may have not replace that solenoid, there are a couple of differenet ones in the valve body.

Still Bad
 

I just had the valve body replaced and the car got about 10 miles before the transmission shifted a little slower than usual and the service urgent message came back on. I parked it for 5 minutes and when I started it again the transmission message was gone for another few miles before another bad shift and service message. The transmission and valve bodies have both been replaced, what could be doing this?

Well, having similar reoccurring problems after the replacement of solenoids, coils, fuses, and plugs, and knowing my transmission/valve body is good, I'd say you need a new ETM, which is what I am going for when I save enough money. Best of luck man, you may just wanna get a trade in and find another S80 if this is the car you want. It seems like a small handful of these cars just have reoccurring problems after a certain mileage no matter what you do.

The transmission itself might be bad. We are seeing a rash of the S80's that are throwing a solenoid code and the transmissions are bad.

Also I have yet to see many rebuilds go good on these transmissions.

Ammaco rebuilt my transmission in june 2008, so far its been good. Initially in the start I had problems - some leaks and the torque converter, but after that its been running solid.

Same problem
 

Hello, I am having the same issue. I bought a used S80 03 w/ T6 and when going up hills or after being on the highway for some time the Transmission Svc message would appear. The rpms spike and it shifts at odd times from 1-2, and 2-3.

I had the software upgraded, no luck. Volvo dealer recommended replacing the tranny after getting the 0053 pressure lock up code.

Is there a cheaper fix, because I've been driving on this weird tranny since last August, but now the dash module (gauges) turn on and off - mostly off. So I drive with no gauges and a funky tranny :/

What is the ETM?