Hi Guys - new here.

I got a great deal on a 2.4i v50 auto trans and I'm fixing a few issues so my daughter can use it as a first car. It has done 234,000 km and has been used very regularly by a family so filthy but is straight and solid. I'm replaing control arms front and rear and tie rods but other than that it's good...except maybe the auto trans.

The seller says it clunked on shifts - especially on the downshift when coasting to a stop. I didn't really notice it when i tested it or drove it home, and it went up on my hoist immediately when i got it home, so I can't say if it's a real problem, but reading up on the complaint it sounds like it's a reasonably common thing.

I am well preppared to replace the shift solenoids and but before I go there can someone tell me:

1) If I change the solenoids and replace the fluid with the same volume of fluid I removed - then do I need to re-train the transmission?

2) If I have to retrain the trans - can I do that without having Volvo specific hardware or software?

3) Before I change these solenoids - what's the chances a simple drain and fill only will improve the clunky shifting ?

Thanks folks

 

1. The TCM continuously self adapts - trying to produce the smoothest shifts, it should smooth out (if possible) on it's own.

2. Don't know if any anftermarket scan tools can put a Volvo tcm into adaptation mode

3. A drain and fill is always a good first step - be sure to use ONLY the correct fluid. That trans was used by many other car makers - and the same as Volvo fluid is available at more reasonable prices sometimes. Look for ATF type t-iv or Jws2009.

You might want to consider a complete valve body with new/rebuilt solenoids for the best outcome if you determine it to be a valve body/solenoid problem.

 

I also bought a V50 2.4i with clunky downshifts (for chump change as a result). New fluid did help, and is no doubt a good thing to do, regardless - though in my case it didn't clear up the issue. The fluid I used in my two (previous) Volvos was the Mobile 3309 (synthetic). I suppose I'd trust Aisin fluid (since they made the transmission), as long as it's JWS 3309 rated, of course. Figure doing a drain-and-fill is a good idea, even if you DO end up doing other work (requiring another drain), since two sequential drain-and-fills will leave you with much cleaner fluid than only one.

And based on the (mild, specific) symptoms, I decided to swap ONLY the linear (shift) solenoids, and chose quality solenoids (as opposed to the flood of no-name knock-off parts of dubious quality) from Rostra (IIRC). The job isn't difficult at all, though I couldn't find a video for it, so I made one...

 

Thanks for the feedback gents. Will do a fluid swap and see where that leaves me. I haven't really driven the car at all since I bought it so my first drive will be after that swap. Maybe it's a total no-issue.

I did remember one more question though...

It doesn' shift manually - it only works in drive. I saw a video somwhere that suggested this was a cheap and easy fix...any thoughts on that ?

Thanks

 

You might well get lucky and "fix" the problem with only a drain-and-fill. I should add that I've had good luck with LubeGard Platinum (an additive), though I don't remember it doing me any good with my Volvo(s). In other trannies (Honda and Subaru specifically), it really did improve issues that were most likely related to gunked up throttle body or shift solenoid operation.

Most time, the problem with manual shifting is the shift gate - the segmented plastic cover that goes around your gearshift lever and keeps things from falling into your shift mechanism. People love to spill syrupy drinks on these things, and then they come apart when the shifter is forced into position. The reason this affects manual shifting is because it's controlled by little magnets on the shift gate "talking" to sensors on a PC board that lives right below the shift gate. The new shift cover is cheap and easy to swap, BTW. There should be plenty of DIYs out there.

 

Thanks again... I will report back once I'm on the road.

 

OK guys - follow up.

1) I drained 4.1 litres of fluid out of the trans and refilled with Mobil1 ATF 3309.

a) Took me a while to figure out that the most efficient way to fill it back was through the dipstick. There's no other easy way. I put a length of fuel line I had into the filler neck (nice tight fit) and ran that up to waist level. I then put a funnel in the other end and that worked a treat. The dipstick is hidden under the airbox toward the right side of centre line for those of you wondering in the future.
b) I selected Mobil1 3309 after asking my parts counter guy if he had any JWS spec fluid because that was the only spec given in the manual (and was referenced above). He asked what car it was for and his computer came up with the 3309. I looked on the back of the bottle and it referenced Toyota Type T-IV and that was good enough for me. Nowhere on the bottle does it mention JWS.

Shifting is good - maybe a little harsh..maybe...but if the seller had not mentioned it I would not have noticed.
Also really important - the right side motor mount was completely destroyed. Once that brand new motor mount was installed the whole car smoothed out so much it was like a different car entirely.
Calling this issue resolved.

2) No manual shift was of course the shifter blind, which was completely destroyed. A new one was only $25 CAD and my console/waterfall came apart with minimal effort. Four screws, some clips. The videos on line cover it - except mine was even easier I guess because it's an early model or low options ? Anyway - solved.

Thanks for all the help guys. Car is working really well so far.

 

If the fluid you drained was really dark and nasty, I'd suggest doing another drain-and-fill so you get rid of more of the debris from the old fluid. And yes, I also filled mine through the dipstick port, using a small funnel and length of tubing (much easier and safer than trying to remove the fill plug on top of the transmission housing, IMHO). With more new fluid, it's quite likely that the shifting will improve again - and of course, if you had the VIDA system you could do a fluid counter reset and adaptation reset and training drive, which might expedite the process of getting to perfect shifting.

 

The fluid didn't look bad at all - which was a little surprising but not overly since I didn't think the shifting was all that bad when I drove it home. I might have another go - it's easy enough and the 3309 was half the cost of the other fluids on the shelf so not all that painful.

I wish I had a VIDA system - no idea even how I would even find one without hitting the dealer.

Great car from the short bit of driving I've done. My daughter is driving it though, so I don't even get to enjoy it.

 

Hello habbyguy - I just watched your video. Nice work - people like you deserve more paraise than you get. Biut ok...

I'm reviving this thread because I changed the fluid last year and the daughter has been driving the car for a while. All was well until she/we warped the head by driving it after a coolant pipe broke - I blame the stupid dumb temperature gauge...but whatever.

I fixed all that and I'm driving the car now to make sure it's good. Runs great, but the hard downshifts persist and today it wouldn't even drop into gear after I took a right hand turn.

Question for you please:

1) What were your symptoms and did replacing the linear solenoids fix them ?

Thank you sir .

 

Thanks for the kind words.

Actually, my symptom was harsh downshifts (and of course, no manual shifting due to a munched shift gate). Replacing the solenoids did fix the downshift issue. I did use VIDA to reset the transmission adaptation and fluid counter.

Of course, there's no way to guarantee that solenoids will fix YOUR problem, but they really aren't all that spendy and (as per the video) swapping them isn't a huge job at all - certainly in the DIY category for those who are comfortable with a little contortion. ;-)

 

Thanks Habby

It's harsh downshifts for me as well. 2-1 is really bad and 3-2 is kinda bad. I guess if I'm honest the 1-2 upshift is not exactly rolls royce smooth either.

So - some more qestions if you can bear with me:

1) There are six solenoids - the three you replaced are the "linear" solenoids - what is their function and what is the function of the other three ? In other words how did you choose to replace the three linear solendoids ?

2) How does a guy like me get VIDA so I can also do the resets, if and when I do this job ?

Thanks for your patience.

 

Your symptoms are pretty much identical to mine, FWIW (again, that doesn't guarantee you have the same root cause).

It's been a while (!) since I did that repair, and I recall that those three linear solenoids are the ones that would have any effect on the downshift quality (and most other shifting problems, FWIW).

Getting VIDA installed and operational on a laptop is a fiddly process. I had to get a not-cheap cable / box, and use an old (XP, IIRC) laptop to load the software. The cable / box came with the software, but it's available many other places. I do remember struggling to get it working right, but it's honestly been long enough that I don't recall much of any value for you. There are a host of threads here on just that subject (or look on the S40 or other forum, as they tend to have more traffic).

And finally, what I've done for the last few cars I've owned is to buy the Autophix two-way scanner. They tend to be about half the price of most of the other options (though a LOT less than the most advanced ones) and seem to do everything 90% of wrench-twisters need. Here's the one for Volvos, and it does claim to do fluid counter resets as well as tranny adaptation reset, and if it's as good as the ones I bought for my BMW and Mercedes, it's a solid value (less than $100). Here's a link - but only the first I found (not saying it's the best price or vendor):