I want to swap my tranny with a used or rebuilt one. Does the replacement unit have to be coded in for it to work, or is it plug & play?

Im thinking of getting a VIDA system but I want to be prepared.

 

A replacement transmission is plug and play - but it will "play" using the stored values in the TCM (trans control unit). The TCM constantly adapts trying to make the trans shift as smoothly as possible. If is has adapted to a really bad transmission (it must be bad enough for you to want to replace it) the replacement may shift just as badly if you don't do a TCM reload. But by simply driving the car, the TCM may eventually cure any shift problems to the best of it's ability.

"Thinking of getting a VIDA system" - the only way to download software (A TCM reload) is with a VIDA subscription purchased at Volvotechinfo.com Allegedly you will need a genuine DICE unit also. (not the ~$180 clones) I have read that the program VDASH is able to make a clone DICE able to do a download by "changing the number?"