AW 55-50 Transmission Glad to help!

[Youmitegetian]

The guy claims it is a very good gearbox, I have to believe him and take the gamble, or I rebuild my own...


I'd probably be the same if you believe the seller, not a huge job to change the box,

[VolvoWillem]

But, still remains the question.

Are those 2 gearboxes interchangable?

[VolvoWillem]

Today I used the computer to read the codes, this is the result:

P0735 Gear 5 Incorrect ratio
P0762 Shift Solenoid 'C' Stuck On

I stored and erased the codes, then tried to drive and got this code.

P1618 Our computer didn't know this code but found on the internet that is could have to do with faulthy wiring.

Been driving with the car to get it home, here's what happened.

Cold, things are going fairly well, except from some excessive slip.
When engine and box warm up, it feels like the box is in 2 gears at the same time. It also vibrates very much.
When I throttle very lightly, vibration is within comfort zone.

After a while(6 miles or so) the car had so much slip I could barely get going from standstill.
Manual shifting does not help a bit.

Who can tell me whether the box is shot, or if solenoids need replacing.

Also, my previous question remains, are box 9482025 and 9480902 interchangable??

[reesky]

The box is quite possibly shot as a result of failed solenoids. These cause slipping clutches etc which wear out VERY VERY quickly.

Can't help with those part numbers, I'm afraid.

[Nick44]

But, still remains the question.

Are those 2 gearboxes interchangable?

My Friend, before you start to pull it all apart, possibly save your self a great deal of trouble. Change the fluid!
As you may have issues with gummed up valves then do it the staged way, dump the sump, top up, and repeat 3 times.
These boxes are usually bullet proof in Toyota and GM, but they get unhappy if the fluid is not changed.
What have you got to lose? 10 litres of JW3309 and a couple of hours?

[VolvoWillem]

Box has been flushed half a year ago. Was ok for a month or so and then got back worse.

I allready bought another box with the same number as the one fitted to the car.

I will take the old box apart to see whether the box is really shot, just out of curiosity.

[VolvoWillem]

I swapped the box, car drives well, but as this is also a used box, it has some mileage.

I flushed the thing, I will install a magnetic filter as it seems to be logical.

But, one problem, it vibrates in 3th and 4th gear. Mildly, but you can feel it in the car.

And last sunday I was towing a 2 axle trailer with an PV544 on it.
Drove well, but at 100kph at a slight slope, the car didn't know what gear to select on cruise control.
It felt like it being in 2 gears again, I quickly switched off the cruise control.

Don't know what it really was, but this is the best to subscribe it.

Any help would be nice, at least the car drives :-)

[nickbw898]

Just for the sake of accuracy, a recent post by Oragex mentions "T4" servo, that is NOT right. It is called the B4 servo. It can be viewed on the back of the auto box pointing downward toward the front left (passenger) drive shaft -RHD car. It affects the changes between 2/3, 3/2 gears. The design of the cap, which is held in place with a "C" clip (inside the original design a washer was held in place by crimping) was changed to using another "C" clip internally. The cap bears against a piston which fits into the gearbox. It can easily be pulled out and has two 'O' rings which should be replaced before refitting. The replacement of this servo cover can be done without much loss of fluid - when I did it there was less than 50ml leakage.

I have found I needed to run my engine stationary for forty minutes to get the auto box fluid to raise temperature to 90 and above.
Here are some useful links: about B4 servo cover and Solenoids etc.
http://www.motor-talk.de/forum/aktion/Attachment.html?attachmentId=719353

http://www.sonnax.com/articles/209-AW-55-50-AF23-33-Diagnosis-and-Valve-Body-Information

[oragex]

Thanks Nick, for the correction.


I did flush my transmission by the past using both Mobil 3309 and Toyota IV oils. Yesterday I did flush it again, this time using Valvoline Maxlife. Anybody had experiences with this fluid? It seems to me the transmission is shifting now much smoother.

[nickbw898]

You are welcome! I think that almost any new fluid that conforms to JWS 3309 is going to improve auto shifting. I don't have any experience of that fluid. There is a lot of discussion on VolvoXC and Mathew's Volvo and Sweedspeed about Mobil 3309/ Toyota TypeIV and use or not of fully synthetic ATF. Mobil 3309 is NOT synthetic. Personally I always use Shell synthetic engine oil but would never use synthetic ATF in the 50/55 transmission. It is just a matter of personal preference: some are up for taking a gamble - me, I like to play safe!
I recently bought this JWS 3309 compliant fluid from Germany. My car is changing like silk!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251588324338?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[mutant0407]

Hi,
I have recently upgraded from a first gen V70 2.4T '97 to second gen V70 T5 geartronic '01 122,000 miles. The new T5 is currently driving me crackers - please help.
The car is in very good overall condition and drives beautifully most of the time. However, it has issues between 1400-1800 rpm. Basically if I am driving up even a fairly modest incline (we have many of these in my native Sheffield) at 30 - 40 mph, the car struggles to choose between fourth and third at around 1400 rpm, often settling on 4th at 1400 with some vibration and slow progress. At first I thought it was one of the classic auto transmission problems. I had the transmission fluid 'gibbonsed' and re-adapted the transmission using my recently acquired knock-off DiCE. This made little difference. The old fluid was very dark, biscuity with lots of dark particles, but no metal.

After further thinking however, I am not sure the tranny is completely to blame. By my reckoning, the car should not struggle to get up the inclines concerned at 1400 rpm in fourth. The transmission obviously think so too. If it was a manual I would suspect clutch slippage. Wondered about loss of power due to MAF problems.

Any thoughts please?

Thanks in advance.

[excalibur1]

There's always a loud BANG from full stop everytime I heard from somewhere down along the left side just once, it takes longer than usual to change gear from between 1-3 from cold start. As my driving progresses, everything is fine until I will be on full stop, foot on the brakes(especially traffic lights) and I can feel the gearbox doesn't fully disengaging, it suppose to be on neutral mode whilst foot on brake pedal/full stop, but I can feel a bit of transmission engagement, a very fine rattle.
I am totally innocent of what's gonna be these symptoms will lead to. I am a healtcare professional and my knowledge always contradicts with these mechanical things, I have tried researches , but just confuses me as more terms and codes being brought to the scene.
S60 2002 auto T5- 133k on the clock.

[Nick44]

Hi Excaliber,
1/ Change the transmission fluid. Make sure to use the correct type. JWS spec.
2/ Go to your dealer and have the neutral/stop patch installed, about £40.
3/ While at the dealer have the transmission fluid counter reset.
Should cure most of this.

[excalibur1]

Hello there Nick,
I have read from the top about about the possible TCM upgrade, do I need to do it as well? I meesaged the guy from this forum who sorted my DIM unit last year in North London(Lukaz) that he could upgrade my TCM for £60. More than happy to sort things out before they screw me up. The joy of running old car....but I love it.

[Georgeandkira]

Hello, I hope it's OK to chime in before Nick does.
When I had my TCM updated over 5 years ago the service writer (who was inappropriately perky..."you just have to replace your transmission") told me there were 2 upgrades for my car.
I read here that at least one update adjusts to the mileage (age) of the unit.
I've also read that each download is a part number which has to be bought from Volvo.
I don't know how many of these updates/downloads exist.

So, if your contact is connected to Volvo's library of downloads, he may be a good alternative to a dealer.

See if he's got the juice. Kira

[excalibur1]

Hi Kira, my contact just mentioned to me about the software, like what he'd done to my DIM and cleared all the faults, I will leave all these things to him.He's known to a number of members on this forum with good reputation.,but that's just one of those things needs to be done on my gearbox if it is needed.
Ron

[Nick44]

All the part numbers are here:-
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=172033

You may not need, indeed there may not be an upgrade available for your TCM, you just want the patches.
But, probably no point in installing the patches unless you change the fluid, even just changing the fluid can make a huge difference to the transmission performance.

Kira, it's not that the update adjusts the miles, it adjusts the brake bands the allow for wear caused by miles. :)

[Georgeandkira]

Hello, I went to the link you provided above and was heart-warmed to see the download's p/n 30677036 is the same as the one I got in Vermont 68 months ago.

The TCM download helped a lot. It is a must do as are fluid refreshments.

My transmission, at 180K, isn't perfect but I'm 100% satisfied. Kira

[blueacid]

So I've a AW55-50 gearbox, a slightly odd question!

If I need to idle the engine for a long time while the vehicle is parked, where should I keep the shifter to keep the transmission cool? The other day I helped a friend change a flat tyre and used my car headlamps as a torch, but left the engine on so as to not drain the battery... but wondered what gear to be in.

I opted for Neutral, figuring that this would unlock the transmission (unlike in Park)... I didn't really want to overheat it!

Any suggestions?

Cheers!

[mutant0407]

Hi everyone,

I was on this thread earlier but no-one answered. Did I do something wrong?

Anyway in the meanwhile things have taken a turn for the drastic worse. My (new to me) '51 plate 124K T5's geartronic is now leaking ATF from the middle seam, enough to drop the level from the top of the stick to off the bottom in a matter of days. I have spoken to a local expert on automatic gearboxes and in his opinion, even though he might be able to rescue the box, the most likely faults would cost £900 to put right, and the greater likelihood is that when he starts to strip it down there will be enough wrong with it that it will require a replacement box at £2300+VAT.

Given that I paid £1150 + £750 in repairs and renewals for the car and I can't even afford the new tyres I've just had fitted, let alone £2300 for new box, I am looking at scrapping my second V70 in three months, which is not somewhere I want to be.

I really like this car. I have invested a lot of time, effort and money on it already. This is a decent, well made car and scrapping it ought to be a very last resort. It is, gearbox aside, in very good condition.

Does anyone have any possible less costly / heartbreaking avenues they can suggest? Has anyone had success swapping in a second-hand / reconned gearbox? Help!

Thanks in advance

[pillapow]

Thats silly money, If i was you, I would sell it as it is, and buy a manual. Either that or take your chance with a used 2nd hand gearbox, or pay the hefty sum for a recon - Theres always the option of converting it to manual ! :thumbs_up:

[silverback02]

Mutant,
I had to replace two autoboxs in my 99 S80 and 1 in my 00 S80. (Also 1 in my pals 01 V70 T5), each for about £300- £500.
Once done I had no further probs, (Although my pal did blow his engine later).
Just make sure the one you het is covered by some kind of warranty..
It was well worth it for our cars.
joe.

[mutant0407]

silverback: Thanks for the reply. Where did you source the T5 box? A regular scrap dealer?
P.S. I promise I won't blow mine up!

[silverback02]

Two of them from an Automatic G box repairer,
and from here,
A Volvo friend, and it is still running fine,

[Orca2]

You should be able to get your hands on a used box, or have the old one rebuilt, it just isnt worth a new box. Take a deep breath and get googling, there should be a cheaper solution. They are great cars , other than the dreaded g, box.

Good luck.

Edit .. The experts got in before me . Lol. i agree,

[mutant0407]

@silverback: Thanks once again. Could you please post or PM the details for the repairer?
@orca: that wasn't even for new new, that was a reconned one!!!

[2004 xc90]

So I've a AW55-50 gearbox, a slightly odd question!

If I need to idle the engine for a long time while the vehicle is parked, where should I keep the shifter to keep the transmission cool? The other day I helped a friend change a flat tyre and used my car headlamps as a torch, but left the engine on so as to not drain the battery... but wondered what gear to be in.

I opted for Neutral, figuring that this would unlock the transmission (unlike in Park)... I didn't really want to overheat it!

Any suggestions?

Cheers!

Having had my gearbox apart (completely) all I can say is that the oil pump is directly connected to the input from the engine whereas the parking pawl is on another axis. Therefore I would guess that Park or Neutral makes no difference but that the oil pump may need higher revs than idle to push the oil through
Having said that, I don't think it will get overly warm if idling as it is the friction of moving the car that heats the oil up.

May be completely wrong - or not.

[Nick44]

@silverback: Thanks once again. Could you please post or PM the details for the repairer?
@orca: that wasn't even for new new, that was a reconned one!!!

I have a member who has an 850 T5 that is very low miles and otherwise immaculate except that someone parked a VW Passat into the back of it.
It still driveable and he is looking for £400 for the entire car.
Any Use?

[Nick44]

Having had my gearbox apart (completely) all I can say is that the oil pump is directly connected to the input from the engine whereas the parking pawl is on another axis. Therefore I would guess that Park or Neutral makes no difference but that the oil pump may need higher revs than idle to push the oil through
Having said that, I don't think it will get overly warm if idling as it is the friction of moving the car that heats the oil up.

May be completely wrong - or not.

No, you are quite correct.
You may be surprised at how fast the oil circulates through the radiator at idle.
If you have ever done a fluid change by powerflush method you will see just how fast it pumps. :)

[silverback02]

I,ve just read your pm there,
and if it is just the casing your after, I still have my mates old box from his T5 in my garage.
joe.

Although, Now i,ve just read further and found out your in Sheffield, a bit far to send a duff box, surely there must be a scrappers around you that might flog you one cheep.

Or if Nick44s 850 uses the same box, it might be worth chatting to the guy about it.

[jim9fisher]

OK, I apologize up front for being a noob, but I am afraid I have killed this 2000 S70 N/A.
I KNOW that I have a AW 55-50SN. I started with a P0740 code and the associated blinking arrow. I did a flush with the correct fluid, and it was better, but needed to reset the counter. I have rebuilt the linear solenoids and all was well, but still had a P 0740. Bought a DICE and VIDA and that is when all went to hell. I was waiting for the DICE to arrive from china and got impatient. I went to a junkyard and pulled a valve body out of another S70 N/A. Installed it and was able to back out of the garage, and then nothing. No forward or reverse at all. I put the original valve body back in and the same thing. I have checked the seals behind the valve body, I have rebuilt the valve body with new gaskets, cleaned and flushed again, and still the same symptom.
When I first start, it goes into reverse, and drive, no problem, no slipping works great for about 60 seconds. Then it will not go into gear at all. I now have the DICE and can see the solenoids operating and the current thru each of the linear solenoids......just nothing after 30 seconds. Any ideas? I hate to just start changing transmissions.

[nickbw898]

As far as I can see your problem due to your admitted impatience is that you did not put the gearbox into adaptive mode and drive the adaptions immediately after changing the valve body. Navigate to the link below on VolvoXC.com Forum "How to" page and read through the PDF by Astro-14. Yes I know its an XC but it is the same gearbox.

http://www.volvoxc.com/0/resources/how-to/pdf/2002-V70-XC-Valve-Body-Replacement-Notes.pdf
Having done that I would explain your current problem on that forum in the 2001-2007 xc section and appeal to Astro-14 for advice.

[Nick44]

Many Thanks for that excellent linky.

[kevinwalter]

Hi Guys,

I'm a proud owner of a 2000 V70n 2.4T 5-speed manual. It's number 2695 of the "new" type V70. :)

My dad and I just bought an 2001 V70 2.4 140PK with an AW55/50 gearbox. It drives perfect when it's cold. After the warm-up period it's giving me a shift-flare when shifting up. I guess it's flaring between second and third gear. But when shifting back it's doing almost the same thing. Other gears are shifting perfect!

Also when go from Neutral to Drive it looks like it's going hard in gear.

I've just ordered the B4 servo cover update at Volvo. After that I'll flush the thing and reset the TCM and fluid counter.

Does anyone now if this fixes all problems?

It's a start to do these low-cost fixes.

Kevin

[jgjones095]

check engine mounts.
Is they are fine I would go straight to change solenoids or valve body.
Also flush and change fluid at the same time.

I did all you suggest and solenoid change and while shifting is better but still clunks across p r n d
I should re-adapt the gears

[mutant0407]

@Nick44
@silverback

Thanks guys for your kind offers and advice. I am still in the game. I have had a series of comic errors, all due to my own stoopids:

The 'missing' fluid I think was due to my trying to take the level in twilight, under pressure and just plain missing the hole (come on, we've all been in too much of a hurry and ended up accidentally putting our dipsticks in the wrong hole now and then haven't we?). I was also misjudging the level because I'd not realised you are supposed to keep the engine ON when you check. The engine in my case was at 85 degrees, but turned off; Duh!. I was going by the Swedelish on the Vida pages, which are not clear on this point. I have noticed that Vida uses perfect English, but completely inaccurate/misleading translations of the technical content!

The fluid was actually still in the box. I did at one point (because of a misread) siphon a load of ATF off; this made the box very much worse (well duh! again) but was back to where I started when I replaced the fluid.

The leak is still there, but very slow. I am going to try some external sealer on it I think. I am currently brassic so anything more is unlikely to be possible.

I'd very much like to start again with diagnostics please everyone.
Here are my symptoms. Any contribution gratefully received:

1. Intermittent 'soggy' set off.
2. Intermittent refusal to accelerate when gas applied.
3. Very high fuel consumption (down to 14 mpg at points)
4. Lots of black particulate matter in ATF within 400 miles after full Gibbons.
5. Often hunts between 3rd and 4th (?) even after full adaptation.
6 Occasionally changes up prematurely.
7. Intermittent moaning / whining from under bonnet at 40 - 45 and especially when decelerating. Seems to be going away now though.

I am guessing that at least my clutch packs are shot. It may also be that I've got valve body problems. I also suspect the mounting blocks are shot too.

Questions:
Does my diagnosis seem reasonable?
When checking solenoids and valves (S1-5, SLU, SLS etc) as per Vida, where is best place to put stethoscope?
Typical cost of mounting block replacement (part and hours)?
Typical cost / feasibility of having new clutch packs fitted?
Could B4 servo issue be cause of hunting?

Many Thanks everyone.

[mutant0407]

I have a member who has an 850 T5 that is very low miles and otherwise immaculate except that someone parked a VW Passat into the back of it.
It still driveable and he is looking for £400 for the entire car.
Any Use?

Thanks for the offer Nick. Mine does still drive currently - just drinks loads of petrol and when I put my foot down either goes like a rocket (as it should) or like a shrivelled balloon! If I spend £400 on yet another car, She-who-is-boss-in-all-things will leave me, minus my proverbials!

[mutant0407]

I,ve just read your pm there,
and if it is just the casing your after, I still have my mates old box from his T5 in my garage.
joe.

Although, Now i,ve just read further and found out your in Sheffield, a bit far to send a duff box, surely there must be a scrappers around you that might flog you one cheep.

Or if Nick44s 850 uses the same box, it might be worth chatting to the guy about it.

What is working / broken on that box? What state is the valve body in? I feel a Frankenstein moment approaching....

[nickbw898]

I don't think you mentioned what mileage its at. My own experience with one of similar age is that if fluid has not previously been changed then the B4 servo is unlikely to fix evything and you have several things going on first of which is wear in the solenoids causing incorrect line pressure resulting in hard shifts and flares. The particulate matter my well indicate your clutch packs are severely worn but it may also be the scouring action of new fluid clearing out age old detritus. You do not say that you have performed the fluid counter reset or put the gearbox into adaptive mode and driven the various cycles to perform the adaptions in each gear. This is absolutely essential. You cannot do these things without access to somene who has Vida/Dice (or get the local dealer to do it) and the temp you state is outside the parameter Volvo requires the fluid to be. Some try using an infra red thermometer to get this reading but you can really only get it accurate via Vida/DiCE. You can monitor the temperature real time and even do it graphically. Without being at 95 degrees or above the adaption will not complete successfully and the triangle warning light in the middle of the dash will not flash amber to signal. While on the subject, I do not believe your high consumption figures are all gearbox related. You need to use the diagnotics to pull all codes and trouble shoot these first.
The other thin NOT to overlook is the TCM firmware update. Only your dealership can do this and only they know what your current version is and what the latest version applicable is…but the update in 2005 fo 01 T5 made for exceptionally smoother gear transitions allround, the XC update not so much: obviously this should be applied before readjusting the adaptions.
I recommend you read the following:
http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/driveline.htm

[kevinwalter]

Unfortunately, the flush and the replace of the B4 servo did not work.
Next step is by replacing the body. Bought one for 100 euro's at an automatic refurbish shop.

[mutant0407]

I don't think you mentioned what mileage its at. My own experience with one of similar age is that if fluid has not previously been changed then the B4 servo is unlikely to fix evything and you have several things going on first of which is wear in the solenoids causing incorrect line pressure resulting in hard shifts and flares. The particulate matter my well indicate your clutch packs are severely worn but it may also be the scouring action of new fluid clearing out age old detritus. You do not say that you have performed the fluid counter reset or put the gearbox into adaptive mode and driven the various cycles to perform the adaptions in each gear. This is absolutely essential. You cannot do these things without access to somene who has Vida/Dice (or get the local dealer to do it) and the temp you state is outside the parameter Volvo requires the fluid to be. Some try using an infra red thermometer to get this reading but you can really only get it accurate via Vida/DiCE. You can monitor the temperature real time and even do it graphically. Without being at 95 degrees or above the adaption will not complete successfully and the triangle warning light in the middle of the dash will not flash amber to signal. While on the subject, I do not believe your high consumption figures are all gearbox related. You need to use the diagnotics to pull all codes and trouble shoot these first.
The other thin NOT to overlook is the TCM firmware update. Only your dealership can do this and only they know what your current version is and what the latest version applicable is…but the update in 2005 fo 01 T5 made for exceptionally smoother gear transitions allround, the XC update not so much: obviously this should be applied before readjusting the adaptions.
I recommend you read the following:
http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/driveline.htm

I think the details were in a much earlier post:
Mileage is 123K
I've a DiCE and VIDA
I've reset fluid counters.
I've had the TCM upgrade. (We have an Inde tech in Chesterfield who has a live VIDA subscription and charges about 2/3 dealer price).
I've readapted after each major change using the same VIDA plus drive cycles procedure at high gearbox temp as you have mentioned. Not sure if it was 95 tho - but did get to over the temperature recommended in VIDA (85?).
The engine is throwing no codes at all apart from an intermittent bank 1 lean mixture from the cat but that has not reappeared since clearing a while ago. The gear transitions are smooth just sometimes at the wrong time (too early or to late or hunting). No misfires codes, but compared to the old first gen 2.4T you have to push much harder (more revs, more juice, lower gear) to get up the same hills and the gear it chooses sometimes needs the geatronic because it is still trying to go up in too high a gear.
During adaptation it tales an age at 1400 to get to 30mph / 4th gear. 1800 4th to 5th change is nigh on impossible to get accepted as 'ideal'

I cannot work out whether this is all lack engine power (myriad possibles) or clutch slippage.

side question: according to VIDA, when you activate the numbered gear display, the warning lamp is supposed to show the lock-up status (SLA and SLS are on my list of key suspects) but mine shows nothing. Is it possibly only applicable to later gearboxes? All the soleniod tests show correct current changes but I can't test the actuation because I don't know where to put the stethescope to listen for the clicks.

[nickbw898]

Ok yes I probably missed the earliest post, about the adaptive mode, this is what the linky from VolvoXC.com pdf says about adaption and it accords with my experience.

Adapt mode. In adapt mode, the "transmission temp/trans oil hot" message is displayed in the information window the entire time it's in that mode...even though the trans is at normal temp...that's how the latest version of VIDA displays the mode apparently. Further, the actual gear will be displayed in the dashboard while in drive (instead of the usual D) so that you can track what shifts are taking place. Adapt mode will not work if the winter mode or the manual gear mode is selected. The transmission fluid temp must be between 65o C and 110o C or the TCM will not remain in adapt mode.
The flash of the orange triangle indicates that adapt is complete for that particular gear change. Note: do not switch off the engine or adapt mode ends.

I must say however when driving the adaptions, with traffic to keep eyes skimmed for, a laptop sitting on the passenger seat, I found I forgot to look at either the gear display or message window most of the time! I have never looked for lockup status so I cannot help and I have no direct experience of geartonic box. Have you tried joining Volvoxc.com and posting there? Some of those guys in America are truly amazing. They are also very willing to help usually.

[mutant0407]

Yeah adaptation can be really tricky. most times I did mine on a quiet country road in the middle of the night. For me swine is always 4th to 5th. Could I get the stuffing lamp to light??? Took about a dozen attempts. Thanks for the advice - I'll try volvoxc too.

[nickbw898]

Well I have come indoors from sunbathing in the garden to fire up this site because I just had an email alert to an earlier (much earlier post) and I have read through from the early part. There seem to be a lot of additional posters all chiming in with questions specific to their own vehicle. The auto box in the 2001 cars is a known week point.The neutral stop feature was removed early in 2002 because it exacerbated that situation. A prolific poster in USA on www.VolvoXC.com/ was a guineapig for that model. Volvo had his vehicle wired up as a test bed to debug the gearbox and firmware - he goes by the moniker of JRL. He has a business in North America buying and selling V70 XC models. He will tell you stay away from 2001 models and if you are experiencing banging into and out of gear and between forward and reverse gear shifts then your box is shot or just about to be: walk away. If you have high miles on the car and the fluid in the gearbox has never been changed then it is also toast. Anyone telling you it can be fixed is selling snake oil! There was a design change in the valve body of 2002 and onward gearboxes which made it much stronger. They are not interchangeable with the earlier faulty part.

[mutant0407]

That's especially sickening with mine as it is registered 2002 but built December 2001.

Uneconomical though it would be, I wonder if you can swap the valve body + gearbox as a pair for a later version...

Primary concern for me though is just trying to decide if it's the box or the lump that is the problem. I could spend a fortune sorting out the gearbox, only to find that the engine was the culprit after all. You would think that, with 15 or so computers under the bonnet, one of them could tell me where the fault was!

Anybody know somebody who is really good at reading Vida traces? Perhaps if I did a few test drives and posted the graphs?

[nickbw898]

I feel for you but I was trying to point out that this is a really difficult area to work on and once problems develop all too often the damage has already been done. Sort of be careful, when in a hole, stop digging. But having said that there are many threads on the Volvoxc site dealing with this box and the geartronics and it would be worth your time reading through them before you go further. You need to login as a member to use the search facility (it is free) which is very helpful and don't neglect to look at the "resources" section where the site admin has posted much useful repeatedly asked for stuf.
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?26937-A-couple-of-tips-on-valvebody-job
This thread in particular might be a stating place as it is current.

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?27095-2002-XC70-Transmission-Service-Urgent-Cannot-Drive-when-Hot

and Astro14, howardc64 and JRL are experts. Take a look at the site quoted by howard www.reamman.com I don't know of anything like it in the UK but for North Americans this looks an obvious choice.

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?27095-2002-XC70-Transmission-Service-Urgent-Cannot-Drive-when-Hot/page4

[nickbw898]

Hi,
This is a software item in the TCM.
It counts (I believe) the number of times the fluid exceeded certain parameters.
Has to be done by a Volvo main dealer.

The parameters are spelt out in Vida as being temperature (of transmission fluid) being exceeded incedents, which leads to degredation of fluid. The counter can be and should always be reset by anyone with Vida and the counterfeit Chinese DiCE, when fluid has been sump dumped and filled or flushed using Gibbons method. This procedure can usefully be done when the engine oil and filter are changed so that the Service Interval parameters (Time/Miles) are changed saved and the Service Light turned off too.

[nickbw898]

Final linky on this topic (at least for me) don't all cheer at once!
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?27231-Transmission-question-about-adaption

[kevinwalter]

There was a design change in the valve body of 2002 and onward gearboxes which made it much stronger. They are not interchangeable with the earlier faulty part.

I've heard it is possible. Just extend one of the slt/sls/... cable. Then it would fit.

I've just changed my valvebody to one from the same year. The shifting is much better. It still has a weird behavior from 2 to 3. It looks like it's going into 5th gear and then immediately goes to 3th gear. The TCM activates solenoid 5.

I've reset the whole car! Even adaption of the TCM because it still had the same behavior as the old body. (Shiftflare between 2 and 3)

What is the proper way to adapt the shifting?

[nickbw898]

Why are you asking after you have played around and why have you not researched the subject first? If you do not have Vida/Dice you will not be able to do any of it unless you pay a dealer or Indy with the right equipment to put the box into adaptive mode. This has to be done when the gearbox fluid is at a minimum temperature 85 degrees C and the car may not be switched off until the process is complete. The process is long and complicated to explain in detail and anyway it is all covered exhaustivly in Vida. I suggest you use a search engine to find accounts of it. You may also look at Howard's Volvo site; Volvoxc.com and Sweedspeed.com. search AW 50 - 51 and adaption.

[kevinwalter]

Why are you asking after you have played around and why have you not researched the subject first? If you do not have Vida/Dice you will not be able to do any of it unless you pay a dealer or Indy with the right equipment to put the box into adaptive mode. This has to be done when the gearbox fluid is at a minimum temperature 85 degrees C and the car may not be switched off until the process is complete. The process is long and complicated to explain in detail and anyway it is all covered exhaustivly in Vida. I suggest you use a search engine to find accounts of it. You may also look at Howard's Volvo site; Volvoxc.com and Sweedspeed.com. search AW 50 - 51 and adaption.


Please, be a bit more friendlier... I've got an DiCE and read everything on the net. I just want a confirmation.
I've put the TCM in adaptive mode then drove for 1,5 hour. It's much better now but it has a weird behavior when going from 2 to 3. It looks like you are driving over a road with a lot of bumps. It vibrates short and then goes in lock-up. It's much better then before.

[SuffolkV70]

I hope someone can help...

My 53 plate (09/03) V70 D5 auto has been having problems with the gearbox. I described them as follows to an independent gearbox specialist like this:

I have a 2003 Volvo V70 diesel automatic and it has been slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear for a little while when fully warm. All other gears are fine.
Last night I drove 20 miles and the transmission warning light came on. At that point I had to manually change gears. After being left for a few hours, the gearbox was working fine.

This was their reply:
"This is a common fault on your Transmission AW55.50 SN Transmission will require a full rebuild with new Valvebody and new Torqueconverter. We can supply and fit for £1795.00 plus vat."

I have managed to source a second hand box from a reputable breaker with a 2 month warranty for £180.

Firstly, does anyone think that the specialist's diagnosis is correct and secondly, am I stupid to only pay £180? I am planning to sell the car when I move abroad in a few months anyway.

Thank you in advance.

[nickbw898]

I think you would be foolish to lay out money for a new box if you are selling it very soon. Declare the problem sell it for what you can and be done with it. Life is too short and there are too many cars out there not just Volvos with problematic AW boxes, chiefly through inadequate maintenance. In the UK the majority have the view one should spend a little as possible on routine maintenance. They want a new car so sell on quickly. They are a big part of why dealerships and warantee departments are in clover.

[SuffolkV70]

Ok thanks for your thoughts. My car has full volvo service history and has done 182k miles. Plenty out there for £1500 so I would still make money on it even if I had the repair done.

[jenkinskg]

I have a us model 82000 just bought it, drove 100 miles or so, auto trans started to really shift badly all gears down and up.

Read up, did not drive it, then changed fluid asap
Added filter also, then shifting to all gears up is perfect and downshifts good when cold.

Then the only problem left is downshift just before stopping when it is hot.

Added trans cooler and it is better.

Just added some trans additive liquid to resolve hard shifting, seems better.

Any advice will be appreciated

[jenkinskg]

Does leaving battery disconnected to reset memory put gearbox in adaptive mode?

[Tannaton]

Does leaving battery disconnected to reset memory put gearbox in adaptive mode?

No it doesn't, you need to use VIDA for that. Remember there are two things you can do - you can either clear the gearbox memory so it re-learns from scratch as you drive, or you can put it into TCM adaption mode - after this you need a quiet flat road so you can exercise the gearbox by accelerating and decelerating at different rates - this always makes a big difference.

When you say you have changed the fluid - did you just drain it or use the gibbons method to flush it?

[jenkinskg]

My 04 c70 after much research needs valve body replaced.

No trans shop will do the work
I found a rebuilder in Long Island NY nearby

$645 for unit and need to return core

Anyone know the entire procedure to remove side cover and get it all done?

Will be doing it next weekend, weather permitting.

Going to try and video it, but may not, hard to get dirty and video a first time attempt, maybe just highlights

[jenkinskg]

when I flushed I used cooling line and gibbons method I think, 2 qts at a time

highway drive, all good, only warm downshift issue
Talked to trans ppl and this is the linear solenoids with crap in them, caused by bad materials in original box
Rebuild valve body has replaced bushings in linear solenoids

afterwards I will be good for many miles of fun

[Nick44]

attached PDF doc.

Sorry, file upload failed. PM me with your e-mail addy and I'll send it over.

[PNuT]

Evening, My mum owns a 2005 V70D5 with one of these AW55/50SN boxes & it has started giving her a few problems...

mainly seems to be a bit clunky dropping down from 2nd to 1st when approaching a junction & sometimes hanging in gear without changing almost to the point it feels like it is going to stall!

firstly I assume the best plan of action is to flush the fluid through completely & see how that improves things?

Any thing else it might be with those symptoms?

Many thanks

:)

[roksajet]

Hi. I have v70 2003 automatic d5. I have an issue that it is all starting that first my cruise control is disabled and few second later on my gear handle lights that shows PRND went blank. At that time transmission goes from 5th to 4th gear. Some miles later it all resets and works normal again. Of course few minutes later here we go again some problems. Any ideas?

[wkeith]

Hi I have a S60 T5 Auto and the trans has self destructed. The car has only done 70,000 Kilometres and is to good to scrap. The box has 50-55SN 9480902 on the plate. I have to find another box and wondered if it is possible to fit a later box ? Many Thanks in advance Keith

[mihkel]

I'm having a bit of a strange problem with my AW55-50SN. The car is a 2001 V70 Bifuel.

The problem is quite simple - no lock up of the converter clutch what so ever. No codes in the TCM (that's the weirdest part). Before the problem started I updated the software to remove neutral control. Drove it for a while, a few weeks later on the motorway I noticed the problem (revs were 2500 as opposed to 2100 before at cruising)

The TCM is telling the box to engage the TCC but nothing happens. Shouldn't it throw a code in that case?

The only thing I could grab onto is that it throws a catalytic converter code on the ECU every once in a while, about every 1000km maybe. And that was before the box problem aswell.

Changed the fluid, even changed the converter, still the problem persists.

[Simon Jones]

What are you using to read the codes? I'd be surprised if VIDA won't give you detailed codes with the symptoms you describe.

[mihkel]

Yep, I'm using VIDA.

The only thing I can grab onto at the moment is the catalytic converter fault code ECM-4201 (three way catalytic converter efficiency). Had an exhaust gas test taken and the results were superb. Haven't looked into that anymore.

But why I am talking about the cat is this little procedure in the TCM
"Catalytic Converter Start – This function helps the engine to reach operating temperature by
preventing converter lockup and delaying the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts when the engine is cold.
This is a normal function."

Maybe it senses that the cat isn't yet working properly and prevents lockup to heat it up? It's a longshot but it's the only thing I can manage to think of... Oooooor there's a problem with the new TCM software.

Oh, and I even tried the TEST mode for the box which should throw codes more easily. Still nothing.

[c_lee]

In VIDA there is an option to independently operate the transmission solenoids with just the ignition switched on and the engine stopped.

Someone listening close to the front of the transmission should clearly hear them click on testing.
The lock up solenoid can be tested in this manner.

The TCM also checks for both high or low solenoid current to see whether the solenoid is short or open circuit ( or high resistance ) and the TCM has fault codes it will display for these two conditions.

If those fault codes are not showing then I would expect the electrical solenoid circuits to be intact.

There may be a lazy solenoid which is neither open nor short circuit.

I presume you have already checked the ATF level.

Has the transmission had appropriate ATF changes and when was it last changed?

Are you using the correct JWS ATF for the transmission?

Colin

EDIT: Sorry - just noticed you've changed the ATF.

[mihkel]

In VIDA there is an option to independently operate the transmission solenoids with just the ignition switched on and the engine stopped.

Someone listening close to the front of the transmission should clearly hear them click on testing.
The lock up solenoid can be tested in this manner.

The TCM also checks for both high or low solenoid current to see whether the solenoid is short or open circuit ( or high resistance ) and the TCM has fault codes it will display for these two conditions.

If those fault codes are not showing then I would expect the electrical solenoid circuits to be intact.

There may be a lazy solenoid which is neither open nor short circuit.

I presume you have already checked the ATF level.

Has the transmission had appropriate ATF changes and when was it last changed?

Are you using the correct JWS ATF for the transmission?

Colin

EDIT: Sorry - just noticed you've changed the ATF.

The oil is per spec, JWS 3309, and it's nice and red, no sign of slippage from the oil. The box acts superb during the gear changes, no problems there.

I don't have any info on the previous life of the box as I recently swapped it. The previous box had a terrible 3-2 change delay. The new (used) box was working great for about 2-3000km. Changed oil and reset the TCM adaptations as soon as I noticed the converter problem.

ATF level is correct.

https://s23.postimg.org/bbaguf9rv/TCM.jpg

Checked the SLU solenoid yesterday with VIDA, current seems to be correct. Holds a steady current when the DIM displays full lockup of the converter. If the solenoid is stuck, wouldn't it affect 1-2-3 gear changes as well?

Going to listen the solenoids in the evening, see if they click.

[mihkel]

Well, tried to activate the solenoids. Shift solenoids all clicked. Linear solenoids SLS and SLU didn't make any audible sounds... Only SLT did. Could this mean that the SLU is stuck?

I cleaned the solenoids on the old box by taking them apart, so this wouldn't be a problem.

Wouldn't a stuck solenoid trigger a fault code if the converter won't lock?

[Supraweld]

I have one of these gearboxes, it changes gear up and down perfectly. No flare, No bump, nothing.
The problem is at speed (90ish mph) on a steady run, the gearbox seems to slip on acceleration. It only does this with weight in the car (3 or 4 people) and when it is hot, after half hour driving at least. It only does it in 4th / 5th gear and only at speed. No other symptoms whatsoever.

Any ideas what this could be?

Volvo in Mansfield suggested I have overheated the gearbox, so buy a new one.

I have done a proper flush with 3309, and had updates and reset done. No change.

On the verge of sending yet another volvo to the scrap man.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[c_lee]

Well, tried to activate the solenoids. Shift solenoids all clicked. Linear solenoids SLS and SLU didn't make any audible sounds... Only SLT did. Could this mean that the SLU is stuck?

I cleaned the solenoids on the old box by taking them apart, so this wouldn't be a problem.

Wouldn't a stuck solenoid trigger a fault code if the converter won't lock?

I would have thought a solenoid failing to operate mechanically would have triggered a code being that, then, the input and output shafts will be out of range for the expected ratio but I don't KNOW whether it would.

If the solenoid electrical tests that you have done from within VIDA are to be relied upon then the TCM knows the solenoids are good electrically and neither open nor short circuit.

Maybe the TCM then assumes that mechanical operation has occurred, I don't know.

I if I were you I'd look through the list of possible fault codes for the TCM to see if there is an 'out of ratio' type code there that could be triggered if that condition existed.
That is what I did during my repair so that I had an idea what would, and would not, be indicated if the relevant fault condition existed.
It was quite a while ago now though and I don't remember all of it.

When I did my autobox repair each solenoid could be heard clicking clearly during testing.
( I'm just getting the inkling of a memory about a linear solenoid where that might not apply though. ISTR VIDA guiding me on that but not sure ).

That was on the AW 50-42LE and I would have thought the same would apply for the 5 speed box.

Maybe it is a lazy solenoid that needs a clean.

Colin

EDIT: Maybe after all that cat convertor lock up prevention procedure has got something to do with it.

[KBB]

Conducting a stall test would give an indication of any clutch pack slippage.

[mihkel]

Thanks for the replys!

Going to dig into VIDA for DTCs and all the parameters it will tell me and start from there. There's quite a lot information hidden in there if you look for it :thumbs_up:

And I tried the stall test, seems to be bang on, in about 2650 rpm. No sign of any slippage anywhere else aparts the TCC.

Oh, and as I read driving in W mode should deactivate the cat start function. Going to try that tomorrow, will sleep better then!

[mihkel]

Nope, winter mode does not help... so this is out of the question.

Hoping to get some time in the weekend to dismantle the solenoid.

If all else fails then the next culprit will be the new software.

[tonyalive]

Hi
I have an s60 2.4t with a 55-50sn box which i think has a flare
Not too sure what its called but drives like crap,
First seems fine most of the time 2nd to 3rd and 4th is going into nutral, revs go up then bang into gear 4-5 seems no issues at all
Also going into reverse seems clunky too
Seems not do it as much when cold, but as soon as its up to a bit of temperature it starts acting up
Ive read a lot of this thread and it seems like a common issue
Question is , is there much use in spending trying to repair bits and fluids or should i get a recon box
Also is it safe driving this box ? Can they keep going like this for a while obviously if i keep check and dont let it rev too much or is it a ticking clock ?
Thanks in advance if anyone is listening
Tony
Anyone in the cheshire / manchester area you could recomend

[savabill]

How many miles has the car done, what year is it and is there any evidence that the auto box has had the ATF changed?

[tonyalive]

sorry totally forgot, 2002 , 74k miles and no history so no idea on fluids

[tonyalive]

sorry totally forgot, 2002 , 74k miles and no history so no idea on fluids
also fluid is light brown not pink so i guess never changed
i have had 4 volvos , d5, 2.4l, and 2 t5s all autos all never had fluid changes, and this one too, must be luck of the draw

[Nick44]

Has it got/had a towbar fitted?

[savabill]

A genuine 74k, isn't a lot of miles unless the car has been used for towing. I think my 1st port of call would be to do a couple of drain and fills, 500 miles apart, also I wonder if yours has still got the stop / neutral active. See link below.
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=172033

[tonyalive]

as genuine as the mot history says, seems legit but it could have been clocked between mots, either way everything else on the car is sweet as a nut just this blasted gearbox issue, think i'll go for a fluid change cheers for the advice and yeah i think the neutral stop is most likely still programmed in,
no towbar

[savabill]

Make sure whoever does the ATF change, uses the correct fluid, JWS3309 Spec. If that improves the changes, have the stop/ neutral programmed out. It'll make the box last longer.

[Nick44]

Have the transmission fluid counter reset after the fluid change too.

[tonyalive]

So had a fluid counter reset and transmission flush and new fluid all volvo spec
Still same issues
Was better at first but it's now gone back to the same when it's warm it gets really bad
Shame, thats £200+ down the drain
Think its a refurb next or drive it into a wall
Can anyone recommend a cheap gearbox mechanic in the cheshire / south Manchester area ?
And what price am i looking at for a dropout, refurb and refit ?

S602.5t aw55-50sn 2002

[VivaLaVolvo]

So had a fluid counter reset and transmission flush and new fluid all volvo spec
Still same issues
Was better at first but it's now gone back to the same when it's warm it gets really bad
Shame, thats £200+ down the drain
Think its a refurb next or drive it into a wall
Can anyone recommend a cheap gearbox mechanic in the cheshire / south Manchester area ?
And what price am i looking at for a dropout, refurb and refit ?

S602.5t aw55-50sn 2002

Give Deeside Motor Centre a call and see if they can make any recommendations.

I'd say it's worth travelling for the right recommendation though. Didn't someone on here recommend a specialist in the Midlands?

I wasn't having any issues with my gearbox as such. It just wasn't as smooth as it used to be and the change from 2nd to 3rd was quite hard. Had fluid changed and it improved but still changed hard from 2nd to 3rd. TCM software was updated yesterday and 2nd to 3rd is so much smoother. No idea how that works!

[c_lee]

So had a fluid counter reset and transmission flush and new fluid all volvo spec
Still same issues
Was better at first but it's now gone back to the same when it's warm it gets really bad
Shame, thats £200+ down the drain
Think its a refurb next or drive it into a wall
Can anyone recommend a cheap gearbox mechanic in the cheshire / south Manchester area ?
And what price am i looking at for a dropout, refurb and refit ?

S602.5t aw55-50sn 2002

An auto gearbox ' specialist ' not far from me wanted £800 just for a removal and re fit - the refurb would be several hundred pounds on top of that, can't remember the exact amount now.

This was about 2 1/2 yrs ago.

When I visited in the car the mechanic at that same ' specialist ' inspected and told me that my 1999 P1 V70 was definitely a 5 speed auto and not 4 speed despite my surety of 4 speed.

He said I was wrong and he'd done many before - ' they're all 5 speed '.

Mine is a 4 speed as are many early V70's.

The total cost would have been more than I paid for the car in 2011/12 so I researched it and eventually completed a repair myself.
It would have been scrap otherwise with ~ 187K on it.

His certainty in his error didn't fill me with confidence either.

Be careful which ' specialist ' you chose.

It's good to do some deep research yourself first so that you can feign ignorance and quiz, and hopefully, avoid being bu11sh1tted.

Colin

[Simon Jones]

Some people might consider a 4 speed gearbox with top gear lockup (1:1 drive) as being 5 speed. On a P2 its very easy to check the actual number by moving the selector to manual mode and you'll see the number of the currently selected gear on the instrument panel.

[kekec01]

Hi all. I have ph1 1999 V70 2.4 170hp my2000 with AW55-50SN AT 5 speed gearbox and 245kkm. I have it for 15 months, bought it with 225kkm and it is my second car with AT. As I know/presume the gearbox fluid was never changed. I had the stop/neutral function, I felt a bump when going in a lower speed on a hill so a Volvo specialist from another Volvo forum in my country did the complete flush with Gibbons method, I presume that because he said he spend about 10 litres of fluid and he said that the fluid in the gearbox was mugg-ish. However, this did not solve my problems. Then I went a few months later to another shop for gearbox adaptation, but I did not see any improvements. Then some months later after web researching I found out about stop/neutral function and went to a Volvo shop for TCM upgrade. After the upgrade the stop/neutral function was gone, and I think the mentioned kicking as well and the drive was smoother. But as time is passing I have some new problems. When driving in heavy traffic, stop at red light and put from D in N for a minute, the engaing back in D is hursh and operate after a few seconds, no bumping, no kicking, just hursh. And not always but often, I also notice when speed up normaly the upspeed is just fine/normal, the downspeed as well, but when I accelerate slowish then there is a little delay from 2-3 and maybe from 3-4 I am not sure, there is not sliping from gear or anything, I just have feeling that the gearbox hesitate for a moment to change in upper speed. Meanwhile I bought myself Vida and Dice, So, after reding this thread and some others I was thinking about get the adaptation done by myself. Then if that don´t help, I will repeat Gibbons flush, put the oil filter and adapt again. If that don´t help I will by new solenoids, put it in and adapt again. I don´t think there is something major issue with my gearbox, just need some maintenance and love :-) What do you think, am I going in right dirrection?? Thanks.
I am from Croatia so please excuse my english. I spoke to one shop reletively near me which I think know the job and they told me that the cause is the valve body but it also can be oil pump or torque converter but they can test it all and see what is the main problem. I forgot to mention that I dont have faults in Vida.

[Georgeandkira]

The "Stop-Neutral" function caused wear in your transmission. There's no doubt about it.
The heavier it was driven, the more damage was done.
The lighter the car was driven, less damage was done.

Dealers began removing the Stop Neutral function very early on. It was a stupid idea Ford came up with. The AW 55-50 series is used without problem in many cars.

245,000 km driven without TCM revision likely means the car wasn't ever serviced at a dealer. Do your 225kkm purchase come with any records?

Do you do any work yourself? If so, do a drain and fill. If the 4 litres of fluid comes out nice and clean and red you can skip doing another Gibbons.
I do doubt the fluid will come out clean because 225-245kkm is a long time and dirt accumulates in the torque converter.

If it's dirty, do another Gibbons. Get a bottle of LubeGard (red bottle).
You use 1 oz. per quart of system fluid ONCE YOU GET THE FLUID CLEAN.
Professionals use this stuff. It lubes the valve body perfectly.
I swear it smoothed my transmission.
I had the same symptoms of low speed choppiness. It was as if the transmission couldn't make up its mind.
I DO NOT believe in "mechanics in a can" but this stuff is different. It's just a specific lubricant.
LubeGard makes fluids with which transmission builders tailor rebuilds. They know what they're doing.

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Lubegard-60902-Automatic-Transmission-Protectant/dp/B0007ZAJRM/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1489506149&sr=1-1&keywords=lubegard+red

I sold that car with 198,600 miles (318kkm) and the buyer felt nothing wrong.
Obviously my valve body wasn't chewed up. Maybe yours is OK too.
This is why I recommend getting the fluid clean and then lubing it with LubeGard.

Then you can address the valve body-or pump-or TC if necessary. Kira

[kekec01]

I am 5th owner of the car. I was told that the first owner was Australian ambassador in my country so I presume that car was serviced at the dealer from the benining but I don´t know for how long. However I have no records of AT maintenaning. I don´t have much time for being around the car but I am DIY guy, I do everything I can by myself, I got Vida/Dice as well. When I am doing Gibbons how much fluid I can drain from the AT system before refill without damage?? And when to put Lubeguard?? I suppose when the clean fluid start to came out then calculate how many Lubeguard is needeed, and drain out that amount and refill with Lubeguard?? I also have engine space problem because I have LPG and pipes and hoses are just above the AT I can´t even see AT dipstick. First of all I will check fluid level and colour and do the adaptation, then I will see the result and proceed with Gibbons if necessary or You think otherwise??

[savabill]

What car do you have, year, petrol, diesel, engine size, etc?

[BillDD5]

Hi,
I've recently done a flush of the auto transmission on my XC70 and did some research before hand. There are various videos on the web showing the procedure.
This one was one of the better ones although he spends time replacing a filter that he'd installed in the cooler return line, which is non-standard.
American 'quarts' are referred to and they are just less than one litre volume.
Hope this helps.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7WfY8MQc1B8

[savabill]

That's a good video but, if your car has the 6 speed box, then its wrong.

[BillDD5]

That's a good video but, if your car has the 6 speed box, then its wrong.

The OP of the question I replied to states his car details in post #338

It's an AW 5-speed.

[kekec01]

What car do you have, year, petrol, diesel, engine size, etc?

One more time, I have 1999 petrol V70 2.4 20V 170HP, with 5 speed AW55-50SN AT. It is 1999 but model year 2000. Thanks for all replies.

[savabill]

The OP of the question I replied to states his car details in post #338

It's an AW 5-speed.

Sorry, I got my posts mixed up.

[kekec01]

Hi,
I've recently done a flush of the auto transmission on my XC70 and did some research before hand. There are various videos on the web showing the procedure.
This one was one of the better ones although he spends time replacing a filter that he'd installed in the cooler return line, which is non-standard.
American 'quarts' are referred to and they are just less than one litre volume.
Hope this helps.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7WfY8MQc1B8

That is really a good video. I must order fluid, filter, clamp, o-rings, flush the gearbox, got the adaptation and I hope it will drive like new. Fingers crossed :-)

[L707YWD]

Any help would be great!

My 2000 v70 t5 auto feels like a heavy slip on pull away and but seems good on all other changes but will not rev past 3000rpm. Also I get a clunk on selection orphans reverse either hot or cold.

Any ideas are greatly appricated!

I have just got the car on the cheap so I am expecting to spend a few pennies to get it right but who knows

I have plugged a code reader in and got codes

P0605 (I think this relates to a etc fault)

P1618 (gearbox)

Thanks in advance!

[R1mitch]

Hi. I hoping for a bit of help and advice. A recently bought XC90 has been 'clunking' when downshifting or when stationary and shifting from D to R.
It doesn't happen when cold but once warm it tends to be more noticeable from 2 gear to 1st. I've had the gearbox oil replaced and also have checked the level after driving (ok). Is it a common issue and how serious is it ?

Mileage is at 84k

Thanks in advance

just realised on wrong thread

[ginius]

I have a 2005 xc90 with the aw55-50 tranny, the car will drive fine in all gears and shift well for about 15 minutes then no engagement in any gear at all like I went in to neutral, just reaves up. did a flush few months ago. just changed the linier solenoids still doing the same thing. 3 codes popped up but I believe there not the issue but a symptom of the problem. the tranny makes a churning noise like a low power steering fluid sound but then goes away code p0501, p0735, p0811, abs-0125. was thing to change the valve body, but didn't want to misspend money. could it be torque converter failure? pump failure? pretty sure its not clutches since when it works it works well. thinking its an electrical failure somewhere maybe the tranny control modal? any ideas?

[Curro]

Hi,

Can you send me the pdf?

Cheers,

C.

[ginius]

just found out what's wrong with my transmission, I was given the wrong fluid to put in it. I used pentosin lv1 and it takes Idemitsu tls did a flush it works fine now.

[VictorTheV50]

TRANSMISSION SERVICE REQUIRED......
Intermittently. Randomly. No set timescale between error codes, CEL's and limp modes....
Heres how i discovered my issue...
Took the TCM off. removed the plug from the box, whilst doing so dropping the horse shoe clip into the sump not realising it was in the inside.
Sump had to come off the gearbox...
In order to get the sump off i had to move couple of pipes from the oil cooler and a loom....
Loom in question was cable tide to the metal frame below the radiator (the one the belly pan screws to). Wires had been rubbing. Got the meter out and belled between pin C1 and the rubbed wire and there it was... a dead short for shift solenoid 1.....

Oil change done in the process.
128K one my D5 v50.
hopefully good for another 128K.

[imy]

Some great info on this thread.
Im based in Manchester (willing to travel) im in need of a gearbox adaption reset.

Thank you.

Imy

[Simmy]

Some great info on this thread.
Im based in Manchester (willing to travel) im in need of a gearbox adaption reset.

Thank you.

Imy

try trevor burgess hyde 5 mls from mcr Volvo independent has Volvo subscription :car:

[imy]

Excellent will get on to him tomorrow.

[traebbe]

Hi,

bought a V70 2.5AWD with GearTronic faulty five Years ago. Mileage about 170 000 km
Harsh shifting from 3-2 and 4-3, and delayed shifting from 2-3 and 3-4 in auto-mode.
Did a flush with JS3309 (not that difficult), i needed about 16 Liters till the oil was sooth reed.
After the flush the tranny shifts much smoother, then i gave it half a can of Seafoam TransTune, now the GT shifts nearly as smooth as new.
It's worth a try

[Ray1962]

Same symptoms as me (on XC90). Cured with new/repaired linear solenoids in the gearbox.

I did the repair last weekend - see this post for details:
http://volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=156948

I have the same symptoms on my 2004 xc90,would a solenoid issue not show on a fault code scan ? I've scanned mine with VIDA and no TCM faults are detected ? Apart from a clunk when slowing or stopping at a junction the box seems to be performing quite well,this clunk only happen when the engine is hot,any advice would be much appreciated ?

[luggsey]

I have the same symptoms on my 2004 xc90,would a solenoid issue not show on a fault code scan ? I've scanned mine with VIDA and no TCM faults are detected ? Apart from a clunk when slowing or stopping at a junction the box seems to be performing quite well,this clunk only happen when the engine is hot,any advice would be much appreciated ?

Some solenoid faults are not electrical but are caused by hard deposit build up in the solenoid valve. When the valve heats up and expands slightly this can cause the valve to drag slightly which delays the change and generates a clunk.
Clean oil can help, it did on mine but to make it perfect it's a set of solenoids and/or a valve body.
A valve body is not a huge job on a xc90.

[middleman]

Time this was bumped again...

Was looking to do a gearbox sump dump on my 06 V70 with the AW55-50. My local main stealers, both of them are giving very little discount on the 12 litres of fluid I wished to order (even though I know their mark up) so I asked them the spec. I am being told Dexron 3 by one of the dealers but have read on here JWS-3309 is the spec.

I obviously want to ensure I get the correct stuff and can’t find a definitive answer. Some say Volvo stuff only, some say Toyota JWS-3309. Didn’t think JWS-3309 is the same as Dexron 3. So confused now...

Also is there a filter to change when changing the fluid?

[Georgeandkira]

Why people are so often confusing is something I don't know.
There are people who swear one way or another (Genuine Volvo fluid vs other).
Get the Toyota T-IV (Type-IV) or the 20l keg from Germany.

Go back and read post #339 of this thread. 'Twas written by a thoughtful and caring person.

[middleman]

Why people are so often confusing is something I don't know.
There are people who swear one way or another (Genuine Volvo fluid vs other).
Get the Toyota T-IV (Type-IV) or the 20l keg from Germany.

Go back and read post #339 of this thread. 'Twas written by a thoughtful and caring person.

I would have been putting genuine Volvo in myself if my main stealer hadn’t been trying to ‘get the arm in’ with their pricing. I only have a choice of 2 dealers due to it being fluid and shipping being an issue from reasonable dealers who use this site but I know they can sell me it at a reasonable price which is more than the Toyota stuff and still make money.

Read my post too, I appreciate you say that the Toyota stuff is the same, the Volvo stealer states Dexron 3 is the correct lube for my car. Still can’t see any mention of a filter, some say adaptations are required using VIDA, some say not. A lot of variables.

[middleman]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F 370282353380

Or

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F 302044203216

The link to the German stuff says No Longer Available. I’m going to call the Toyota dealer now. Shipping to me will cost extra for both.
Toyota dealer wants £135 for 15 litres.

[Mr steptoe]

I used JWS 3309 back in 2015 £41.71 for 20 litres delivered from germany
Jws3309 fluid can be used in a unit which uses dextron 3. But not the other way round.

Used 17 litres to flush and fill the gearbox, it's all working perfectly two and half years later.


https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=235991&highlight=gearbox

[Georgeandkira]

Is the PetroCanada synthetic available over there?
Your T-IV comes to US$12 per litre.

My scheme of smuggling transmission fluid to the UK has just been revived.

[Willow place]

Ebay uk has Smith & Allan 3309 (20L) about 89 pound !

[S60D5-185]

Ebay uk has Smith & Allan 3309 (20L) about 89 pound !

I have just used this very item in my 2007 XC90.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATF-JWS-3309-Toyota-ATF-T-IV-T1V-Aisin-Warner-Automatic-Transmission-Fluid-20L/302044203216?hash=item46533cc8d0:g:IfkAAOSw9NdXsxH 9

They are a well established company with excellent customer service.:thumbs_up:

[Christerart]

You can still get it.

About £58 delivered:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-1x20-Liter-MANNOL-ATF-Multivehicle-Ol-Automatik-Getriebeol-/252228894931?clk_rvr_id=1503935902376&rmvSB=true




https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F 370282353380

Or

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F 302044203216

The link to the German stuff says No Longer Available. I’m going to call the Toyota dealer now. Shipping to me will cost extra for both.
Toyota dealer wants £135 for 15 litres.

[Christerart]

Bet you it is the same stuff - just a different container..:)

Maybe they buy it from the German guy and just transfer it to a different container - still a decent profit margin:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-1x20-Liter-MANNOL-ATF-Multivehicle-Ol-Automatik-Getriebeol-/252228894931?clk_rvr_id=1503935902376&rmvSB=true



I have just used this very item in my 2007 XC90.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATF-JWS-3309-Toyota-ATF-T-IV-T1V-Aisin-Warner-Automatic-Transmission-Fluid-20L/302044203216?hash=item46533cc8d0:g:IfkAAOSw9NdXsxH 9

They are a well established company with excellent customer service.:thumbs_up:

[jasmith44]

You can still get it.

About £58 delivered:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-1x20-Liter-MANNOL-ATF-Multivehicle-Ol-Automatik-Getriebeol-/252228894931?clk_rvr_id=1503935902376&rmvSB=true

Looks like it's sold out already.

[Tetleysmooth]

I have a 2003 C70 2.0 auto gt convertible.

Where is the gearbox dipstick situated on this, please?

[silverback02]

I have a 2003 C70 2.0 auto gt convertible.

Where is the gearbox dipstick situated on this, please?

Hi pal,
hope you have long arms with asbestos skin.

I suggest doing this when the engine is cold to start off with. Then when proficient enough go for hot...lol

1) open bonnet and stand at the front of car looking at the engine.
2) Directly in front of your right arm attached to the front panel and going back towards the engine / gearbox is a black plastic Air intake duct taking cold air from outside to your air filter. REMOVE THAT.
3) Below that air intake is a mass of pipes, Hot water / oil and cables, These require you to get between them and push them apart. (Thats where you need the asbestos skin when engine is hot.)
4) Below said (Scalding hot pipes) is a small YELLOW button like thingy (lol), That is the top of your Gearbox Dipstick.
5) Beware, it is held in place by a spring clip, so sometimes can be an extra to overcome.
6) Remember when checking your oil. the dipstick Must be pressed FULLY HOME passed that dammed spring clip every time. And all this must be done when the Engine / gearbox is F**King HOT.
7) I Only Have SHORT NON HEAT BEARING SKIN ARMS and it Bloody hurts checking the oil when hot.
8) PS To top up the said gearbox, you have to fill it through the little tube you have just found. DON'T OVERFILL.

Have fun,
Joe.

[Tetleysmooth]

Thanks for that. Sounds like fun.

What is the correct ATF for this?
My gear selector has PRD4321. it also has the shiftlock override if that help.

[silverback02]

Thanks for that. Sounds like fun.

What is the correct ATF for this?
My gear selector has PRD4321. it also has the shift lock override if that help.

The G/box you have will be the SN50 / 51 or something similar and it takes the JWS 3309 oil NOTHING ELSE.
Joe

[Tetleysmooth]

I just checked the atf level cold, and it was right up the stick. To me it seems very overfilled.
Am I right?

[V70Zig]

I just checked the atf level cold, and it was right up the stick. To me it seems very overfilled.
Am I right?

NO.....The oil level has to be checked when HOT......I'm sure.....
There is also a sequence of gear shifts to do whilst stationary before checking it. Sorry, I can't remember the sequence, but I'm sure someone on here will chip in with it......

[Tetleysmooth]

There is a mark on the dipstick which says 'cold'. It's right at the bottom of the stick. The actual level was way, way up.

[cheshired5]

There is a mark on the dipstick which says 'cold'. It's right at the bottom of the stick. The actual level was way, way up.
It doesn't really matter where the level is as you need to check the level when hot as suggested.

You don't check the coolant level when hot and conversely you don't check ATF when cold.

[Tetleysmooth]

Righto, point taken.

How much atf is needed for a drain and refill on these boxes?

[cheshired5]

A sump drain yields around 3-3.5 litres.

[b1mcp]

The critical point in checking the level is that the engine must be running.

If it isn't then all the fluid that is normally being pumped around the transmission is just sitting in the sump. That's probably why you are seeing a very high level on the dip stick.

[hicky70]

I bought my XC70 55 plate euro3 in April and had a full service and autobox oil changed by Duke st in Oldham.
I've one problem, when slowing if I glide to a gentle halt there's no noise nothing. If I'm slightly harsh with the braking then I get a strong clunk as I stop. Should I be worried?

Thanks
Carl

[Simmy]

check with the garage that changed your g box fluid . only jws3309 can be used . anything else can cause problems and will eventualy wreck your gearbox.

[hicky70]

Its a Volvo Indy so I'd assume they'd know their stuff.:thinking:

[Simmy]

have you checked the level and colour yourself? dont forget it needs to be running to check .its the small yellow dipstick on the front of the engine

[FranV70]

I am amazed to see that all over the world through the different volvo forums ive come across this transmission has been the bane of so many! well I have had my love affair with this transmission for quite some time now, in fact it has been an obsession. all I can say is....... there is always a solution. fire away il be glad to help out as best i can and save you a lot of trouble.:lightbulb:


Good Day All,
I need help with my AW55-50SN Transmission. It started to slip gears 1 and 2 and when I checked the oil level was very low. i am not even sure how the oil got lost. I tried to top up oil and the amount I put in was about 2 litres. I need to know the best way to get my Vehicle driving.

Thank you in advance

[barrybritcher]

Anybody got a uk link for the shift solenoid kit? Aw55

[Anubisxc70]

2004 XC70 D5 awd 217k

Hello...
My problem is when on traffic everytime i stop its like some body hits you on the back, not strong but you feel it and you can hear a low clunk. ANd of course the famous clunk from P to R or from D to R

Any ideas?

[FORTYVALVE]

Yesterday picked up this December 2004 XC70 with 49K on the clock, full Volvo history, immaculate. D5 SE Lux, (I think 165hp). I'm told it was just into the "facelift" model of that year. I'm used to the auto box in a 2003 Landcruiser (which I'll be selling now.) . Driven carefully the LC will pootle around at not excessive revs. The XC70 seems high revving (over 2000rpm at 60mph on the level) and frequently sounds as if it needs to shift up a gear eg doing over 2000rpm for a while at 50mph before eventually changing up, or not bothering. Lucky for me, the action is smooth so its hard to feel the shifts, I'm just watching the revs. I'm not sure what gear I'm in. Is this how it is with these cars? I can't help feeling that it will be very thirsty operating the way it is. As Baloo said about the bees, it just feels like it's working too hard!
Thanks to PeteB1's great post on flushing the box repeatedly, and others, should I be doing this as well, as 49K assuming the same old oil seems a bit of a stretch and I've heard that Landcruisers also really benefit from the treatment. The box is smooth. Maybe i just need to get used to it?!
Very many thanks for heaps of great posts on here!

[Georgeandkira]

In a 15-16 year old transmission it's always a good idea to do a drain & fill or two.
Given the ease of this job, you have nothing to lose. The fluid might not be black, burned and smelly but it will be aged, darker and depleted.

Many people have been elated after a fluid refreshment.

[barrybritcher]

WELL THE XC IS AWD so will be worse on fuel economy due to drivetrain losses

[FORTYVALVE]

THANK YOU very much, Georgandkira, for your encouragement in that direction. Now I just need to find out which gearbox I have which should not be too hard. Cheers!

[FORTYVALVE]

Thanks, Barrybritcher. I'm looking forward to a whole lot more miles per gallon than with the Landcruiser D4D! The XC70 will do the reduced towing duties that I now need very well I think. Cheers!

[JohnPud]

Yesterday picked up this December 2004 XC70 with 49K on the clock, full Volvo history, immaculate. D5 SE Lux, (I think 165hp). I'm told it was just into the "facelift" model of that year. I'm used to the auto box in a 2003 Landcruiser (which I'll be selling now.) . Driven carefully the LC will pootle around at not excessive revs. The XC70 seems high revving (over 2000rpm at 60mph on the level) and frequently sounds as if it needs to shift up a gear eg doing over 2000rpm for a while at 50mph before eventually changing up, or not bothering. Lucky for me, the action is smooth so its hard to feel the shifts, I'm just watching the revs. I'm not sure what gear I'm in. Is this how it is with these cars? I can't help feeling that it will be very thirsty operating the way it is. As Baloo said about the bees, it just feels like it's working too hard!
Thanks to PeteB1's great post on flushing the box repeatedly, and others, should I be doing this as well, as 49K assuming the same old oil seems a bit of a stretch and I've heard that Landcruisers also really benefit from the treatment. The box is smooth. Maybe i just need to get used to it?!
Very many thanks for heaps of great posts on here!

I have a similar problem with my 2003 XC70. As I drive along lanes with small inclines up and down the revs are around 2000 all the time. If they are lower I can blip the throttle with no speed increase. I did a test a while back on a long uphill stretch and maintained 2000rpm while the speed steadily increased from 50kph to 90kph. On the motorway it is the same until I reach 100kph, then it appears to act normally - revs at that speed are of course above 2000. My first XC70 was the same year but petrol, and I still have my beautiful 2009 205 bhp XC70 in the UK (I'm in Portugal - it would have cost me €19,000 to register it :-( ) and neither of those drive like this one. But the local mechanic and a Volvo dealer both insist there is no problem! Unfortunately, autos are not very popular over here so specialists are hard to find. Does anybody have an idea of the problem?

[MisterGee19]

In normal use with a healthy gearbox, should the gearchanges at light throttle and low speeds be completely imperceptible without looking at the rev counter?

My gearbox gives little noticeable "kicks" when changing in lower gears during normal driving not sure if thats normal or not.

I know my gearbox can get a bit fussy when the fluid is very hot , normally around 3-2 2-3 changes hesitating then banging into gear, but under my usage, its quite rare.

Ive done the first of several sump-dumps which has improved things slightly with several more to go in the future.. I didnt reset the fluid counter or anything in vida.

[Georgeandkira]

To Gee19: How dirty was the fluid? I assume fairly dirty as you sound accepting of "more to go in the future".
Your transmission will thank you....seems it already has.

I suggest adding LubeGard (red bottle) at the recommended dose (1 oz. per system quart) once the fluid is acceptably clean.

I do not believe in "mechanics in a can" however, the LubeGard line is used by pros.
10 years ago a TCM download improved the shifting in my 2002 V70.
After that I read about LubeGard on the oil fora website and tried it.
The additional improvement was amazing.

DISCLAIMER: I have no £-$-€ interest in what you buy/do.

[777dave]

Hi my transmission service message came on so I changed the fluid but I got a code001f which is vehicle speed sensor so I replaced it with another one reset the codes drove about 1 mile and it came back transmission service message plugged in vida and two messages one tcm say no communication and ecm says no communication with tcm please can you help me

[luggsey]

Hi my transmission service message came on so I changed the fluid but I got a code001f which is vehicle speed sensor so I replaced it with another one reset the codes drove about 1 mile and it came back transmission service message plugged in vida and two messages one tcm say no communication and ecm says no communication with tcm please can you help me

I remember reading a couple of threads that mentioned damage to the wiring leading to the gearbox?
Maybe worth a check first.

[eric19371]

Good day to you all. I am having an issue with the AW55-50 geartronic gearbox fitted into my '04 2.4i V50 (> 130k miles) and after reading through the majority of the past 40 pages of posts in this thread I am hoping that one of you may know of a solution to my problem.

FYI: I have already had a thread on this issue in the S40/V50 forum HERE (https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=300282).

I acquired the car in March '19 and in November '19 I noticed an issue with it where the RPM was fluctuating at low revs. I did some research and the symptoms I am seeing match the conditions under 'Volvo Shift Modes: Locking Slip-up' but they are greatly exaggerated with the RPM fluctuation sometimes being around 300-400RPM. The occurrence is varied, it probably occurs 75% of the the times the conditions are met but when it starts to happen it is almost continual. When it occurs you can feel a change in performance, going from smooth to sluggish as the RPM fluctuates.

The Sonnax site describes the feature as follows:

https://www.sonnax.com/tech_resource...urers-part-one (https://www.sonnax.com/tech_resources/143-aw-55-50-differences-between-manufacturers-part-one)

Slipping Lock-up – Slipping lock-up mode allows for a smoother lock-up engagement while reducing vibration and noise. The computer maintains a 50 to 200 RPM torque converter clutch slip in this mode. The following conditions must be met for this mode to activate:

Gear shifter must be in the D, 4, or 3 position.
Transmission must be in 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear.
The transmission input speed must be 1100 RPM or higher and the throttle opening must be 35% or less.
Engine coolant must reach a certain temperature.
Transmission oil temperature must be at least 40°C (104°F), but not to exceed 120°C (248°F).

When I purchased the car, nearly two years ago it had a full main dealer service history but I could find no record of an ATF change so in April this year I took it to a local garage for a ATF change. I understand this was simply a change, not a flush. This did not resolve the issue although it did appear better for a little while.

When the conditions of the slipping lock-up feature are not met, which is generally when it goes above 2k RPM, the gearbox appears to be otherwise smooth and the engine gives strong performance with no indication of slipping from the gearbox. On a cold morning just after starting you can feel the first few changes but as soon as the temperature gauge starts to rise this goes away.

I am wondering if it simply needs a full ATF flush and a software update?

[Maverick87]

I own a Volvo s60 2002 year, D5 motor automatic. Ever since I bought it last year I have had a problem. When I drive it in the city or on the terrain where it sometimes asks for a frequent gear change, the gearbox starts to jerk on 1-2 and 2-3 gears, somehow enters that bad algorithm and remembers it and continues to change it like that, until I turn off the car on 10-15 min, after that it works without problems. It also stops twitching when I press W (winter) mode on the gearbox, but when I return to D it twitches again until it sits off for 10-15 minutes. So in W mode it changes without any problems. I've got answer from someone: In the W mode the gearbox is skipping the 1st and 2nd gears so it stays in 3rd or higher - it is not recommended to leave in W as it may cause quick transmission wear. The fact it works fine after restarting may look like something electrical. Thanks in advance