Auto gearbox needs replacing?

[Brendan W]

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showth...=psychological

One member's experience changing geartronic fluid. Didn't get the benefit until the second flush. Might be of some help.

[signum]

MSS in Morley
http://www.mss-workshop.co.uk/

[Rossi-fan]

As above. Change the fluid, it is relatively easy, and won't cost much to do, maybe 40 to 50 quid. You've got nothing to lose. If you want to push it up to Durham, I'll show you how to do it.

[Bernard333]

Originally Posted by signum

Is it possible to get a good second hand one, rather than a reconditioned one?
Is it possible to repair the transmission?

.

Its possible to get a good used one, a member on the forum offered me an AW55-50 for free but I was not able to get to London to pick it up. Have since found one on a written off S60 T5 for £100, its taking a risk as these boxes especially on T5s sometimes have a very hard life but the write off was caused by a conrod coming through the engine block so I am assuming the gearbox was probably ok when it happened. Best place to look in my experience is not a Volvo specialist breaker as they often charge twice the price of a non specialist scrapyard, I spent a couple of weeks in January buying various Volvo bits from breakers and scrapyards, the price variation for exactly the same item surprised me, i.e £10 for a T5 in tank pump complete with both senders from a scrapyard compared to £ 50 from a Volvo specialist breaker.

Repairing the autobox is not something I want to try the more I have learned about it although there are plenty of amateurs in the USA seem to have managed it so maybe it is possible.

[BarryCambs]

I got my v70 with a known rough gearbox. On the way home it suffered complete failure! I'd try draining a bit of fluid into a glass jar. If it looks metalic as mine did, it's probaby time to call it a day. If not, chainging the fluid can't fo any harm.

I got a second hand box from Salvo and I think it was £350 with 3 months warrenty. Two days labour sounds a bit much? I paid for 8 hours at Lakes Volvos. The geartronic and normal boxes are the same - just need to swap the looms. The replacement box worked well without having the adaptaions reset and having the battery disconnected during the change reset all the warning codes. I've done about 20,000 miles since with a series of sump dumps along the way, so hopefully this box will outlast the rest of the car.

[signum]

The news isn't good.
When the car is warmed up it's undriveable.
I'm not even going to try and drive it home - 5 miles.

Martin Lowes said that they won't repair transmissions on this model as they've found when all said and done it isn't really economically viable.
I suppose they would say that, but they are highly recommended.

I'm strongly thinking about a replacement with a full 12 month warranty.

It's pricey, but I want to drive it for a long time yet - 100K+.
Everything else is working fine.
It's looked after by a Volvo specialist, who recommended the transmission specialists.

Thanks for the advice.

Maybe I should do an ATF flush every so often on the new box.
What sort of interval?

[Rossi-fan]

You could do a 6 litre change once a year. Keep the ATF nice and fresh and red looking.

[reggit]

Originally Posted by signum

The news isn't good.
When the car is warmed up it's undriveable.
I'm not even going to try and drive it home - 5 miles.

Martin Lowes said that they won't repair transmissions on this model as they've found when all said and done it isn't really economically viable.
I suppose they would say that, but they are highly recommended.

I'm strongly thinking about a replacement with a full 12 month warranty.

It's pricey, but I want to drive it for a long time yet - 100K+.
Everything else is working fine.
It's looked after by a Volvo specialist, who recommended the transmission specialists.

Thanks for the advice.

Maybe I should do an ATF flush every so often on the new box.
What sort of interval?

There's a chap in the classifieds breaking a low mileage S60 T5 auto which has had a bump - he bought it just for the engine. Worth asking if the box is available? http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=199129

If it was me, I'd get that and flush it a couple of times.