Sigh, my fourth Volvo, newest and most expensive, and also the worst.
My 2000 (new design) T5 transmission seems to be stuffed, but I'd love your opinions on if it's dead or if I should put any money into some potential cheaper fixes.

Basically the day I bought it the DSTC Service Required light was on, and then within half an hour the 'Transmission Service Required' message popped up and the car would seem to slip into neutral when on the road. I'd have to pull over, turn the ignition off then on again and it seemed to work again. Then it was fine for 2 weeks until it happened again, incidentally on my way to the dealer to have a service. The dealer read the codes and said the transmission is on its way out/failing. Now on occasions it won't shift into reverse (lever shifts but just spins as if in neutral) and has trouble in Drive sometimes.

However reading a number of forums people recommended changing or flushing the fluid, but the local mechanic said the fluid looks almost as good as the fresh stuff so he didn't bother doing the job.

Should I bother investigating other options or is it time to sell the car on to someone that wants to fix it, or fix it myself?

Thanks all, can't wait to go back to a 940 or better yet a 240, this thing has been a disaster from day 1!

 

Sounds like you have had it check by a good mechanic. I'd say it's on it's way out. Slipping and not going in gear sounds like internal damage. I think someone has already replaced the fluid, otherwise it would have been dark or burnt, mine was black.

I was able to get my tranny replaced with a used one for $525. I hope you are blessed to get a simular deal.

 

Thanks for the quick reply, I guess it's good to have it confirmed that I need to find take the big step instead of fiddling around.

The dealer threw numbers like $3500 around (I'm in Australia) for a reconditioning, so I'd love to find a used one! Don't fancy my chances, where does one look, a wrecker's yard?

 

I got purchased 2 of them for $100 and a Volvo mechanic put it in for $400. A wrecker yard would be the best place to check. Try to find a wrecked car or one that has a broken timing belt. Also, you may want to stay clear of ones with super clean fluid.

 

Wow, 2 of them for $100 that's amazing!
I guess they just don't have as many Volvos in Australia, I called a transmission place and they had a search around for me and could only find 4 of them in the whole country, the cheapest being $2500 with labour costs on top of that (not to mention towing!).

Oh well, bummer, thanks for the advice anyway.

 

UPDATE:

I just checked the fluid level myself, and it is a good inch above the hot mark when cold (so at least 2-3 inches above the cold mark).
The colour is fine, and no bad smells, but could it be that having so much fluid in there is causing the problem?

Strangely enough the first three separate occasions it started happening was in the rain...

(Oh and from other reading, I've got a P2 V70 T5, which is 2001 in the US, although they were released in late 2000 here)

 

Never... Never, never never never never check your transmission fluid when cold. Matter of fact, Volvo considers cold as a car that has been driven less than 20 minutes.

From what I have heard, those early P2 trannies were normal - 150,000 miles service (bad compared to Volvo trannies - 400,000 when serviced properly ).

 

Almost at that 150,000 mile mark, and I do feel like she's dead, but nothing wrong with clutching at straws right!

Is it worth me warming her up then checking the hot level, or does it sound like there's no hope?

 

UPDATE:
Just ran her for about 25 mins and checked the fluid. Colour seemed to be ok, but pretty awful smell coming off, a bit like burnt rubber. Also fluid was close to an inch above the 'hot' mark.

Is it worth doing a drain and fill, or a flush? There's a pretty ordinary sound coming from the transmission, a kind of whirring noise a bit like a radiator fan might make, so it doesn't sound great

Thanks for your help so far RSPI, we feel a bit at a loss.

 

Get calling a junk yard and replace the transmission. These are not that hard to find nor are they that expensive. I don't know in-depth about the electricals on this model of car, but I imagine it should be a simple plug and play as jaguars of the same early 2000 era were.

If your mechanic said the fluid looked too good to change, likely he's honest otherwise he would have just done it. If the fluid really isn't nasty looking i'd say 95% it's not the problem, as what you have listed is very severe.

I see now you're in australia and the astronomical expense. Try a north american ebay store maybe? See if you can secure slow freight shipping, I've had complete cars sent 3800miles for $1700 CAD.

 

Hmm good idea, I might try some overseas places. The cheapest used transmission I can find here is $2500 with 88,000km on it. Plus $1000 to freight and ship it and well yeh.

I just wonder why the mechanic didn't notice the fluid level was too high, or is that insignificant?

 

Well, I milked my bad tranny for about 2,500 miles. I could have kept driving it but just wanted the torque of a good tranny.

It sounds like the people that had it before you overfilled it. I would drain it and put fresh fluid in 3 times. If it's the same as my tranny, draining it left it 3.3 litres low. So add a little more than 3 liters back in. Drive it about 100 km then do it again. It has the same drian plug washer as the oil pan. However, I would only put the new washer on after the last / 3rd drain.

There is a good chance that the mechanic was afraid to drain any fluid out of it or change it. These trannies are know to totally fail when flushed. If you drove to my garage and asked me to service your transmission and I did, then your car would not move or drive, I would expect you to blame me for the failure and try to force me to replace your transmission on me. So, my guess it that he was trying to avoid a problem like that.

When you check the fluid make sure you shift through all the gears like the manual directs, then leave the car running and wait the 3 minutes after you put it in park before you pull the stick, wipe it off, dip it for a check.

 

I can see what you mean about the point of view of the mechanic, makes sense.
I'll follow your advice, just need to find the new washer somewhere.

 

Like I said, you don't need it until after your last drain.

 

Wish I could be posting results here, but I can't even get the car to drive far enough to get to the auto store to get some fluid!

I've had a telephone diagnosis with a transmission specialist, and they say that I've got a clogged filter, based on my symptoms which are drives fine for up to 2km or so, then flares and loses drive. I pull over turn off ignition for 30 seconds and off I go again for another 1-2km then starts again, getting progressively shorter drive time. They said the stuff is getting circulated and blocking the filter, then settling when I pull over.

Question is: does this mean I need a full flush, or even a 3 x drain and fill, or is it too far gone? They seemed to think it miiight help for a little while but in the end wouldn't solve anything.

I'd just get it looked at professionally but I'm in the middle of nowhere and a tow is at least $200! Stupid regional Australia...

 

Well, I said I'd report back. Wish I could remember the actual diagnosis!
Sadly no luck for me with the fluid. Something was badly wrong inside apparently, throttle something or torque something gone. Can't remember but some awful sounds and smells coming from the transmission.

In the end, all I could afford was a used transmission, which didn't have a matching part number but seems to work (after the first one that got ordered by the shop turned out not to fit), I think it's from an S80.

Replacement tranny works fine (for now I guess), but getting some weird instantaneous fuel consumption numbers.

Anything below about 30km/h is hitting super high figures, 99.9L/100km from idle! Anyone experienced anything like that with changes in transmission?

Feels like a bit of power has gone from the car too, not sure what it's all about but avg fuel figures seem ok so I can't complain too much, and car goes forward and backwards... what a saga though.