S40 Powershift - Reliability

[joeyboy130]

Morning all,

Ive posted a few threads about my S40. I bought it two weeks ago and the transmission is now slipping so in need of repair, private seller so nothing i can do just need to bite the bullet and fix it i guess. Its booked in for a diagnostic test next week to determine how much it will cost to fix. Other than the transmission id like to know the general reliability of the S40 from users or experts like your good selves ?

[domhart10]

what engine is in your S40? I had a 2.0D which was a bag of problems but I still loved the car but decided to get the T5 and I have to say its the best car I have ever owned.

Only problem I have had that is really the cars fault is a boot loom issue and a condenser needed replacing but appart from that I think if these are looked after and maintained well then should last you. I bought mine on 45k 3 years ago and now on 120k.

My previous S40 2.0D wasnt looked after well which is probably why it had so many problems but this current one I make sure it gets regular checks / oil changes etc and it has seen me very well and it gets raced around as well on track.

[Welton]

I'm sorry to hear this has happened, this it what bugs me about private sales whoever owned it before knew full well the gearbox was fubarred but 'neglected' to say anything about it and waited to see if you noticed anything odd which is very difficult on a typical test drive.

I'm not an expert on the powershift but have been here for 9 years and seen many posts about various issues with the gearbox and in my view the system is not as reliable as a traditional torque converter automatic and it certainly appears to have some inherent issues, I guess once it starts playing up it's already too late whereas it would have benefited from a fluid change earlier on etc.

Hopefully some real-time owners can advise further.

[joeyboy130]

Yeah mine is the 2009 Volvo S40 Powershift 2.0D. The car has full service history and MOT done before i bought it came back with no advisories. Other than the transmission issue the car is pretty much spotless. Great looking car and fully kitted for what i want in a car. I just know the transmission will come with quite a hefty bill ive been told its anywhere from £1500 - £2500 to fix depending on what the diagnostics test comes back with so wish me luck that its an easy fix. Once i get it fixed i will get the fluid changed regularly every 30k miles i think as i dont want to be spending out on it again. Any other issues that you guys would say might come up which are common on these cars?

[domhart10]

yeh buddy I was in a similar situation with my previous S40 2.0D, needed a new engine cause the previous owner used the wrong oil and the there was a problem with some tapets etc but I really liked the car so I paid for the repair.

Regardless of how a car looks when you pick it up you will still never know. So my advice is which I did with my S40 T5, get warranty on it for the first 3 years so if anything like that goes wrong then it will get sorted and paid for.

Things to look out for
- Gear selector went a bit weird in mine and I lost reverse (Dealer sorted it for free)
- Alternator went causing a catestrophic electrical failure disco display, make sure this doesnt happen to you on the road
- If you remap, stay clear from any tunning boxes as it will just push the car in limp mode
- Check that the air condition system is ok, for some reason the fan wasnt working either which obviously isnt good for slow/standing traffic.

Appart from all that, I loved the car which is why when my commute dropped I got exactly the same car in the same color but the T5

[joeyboy130]

oh ok thank you for that. Yeah the air conditioning has been re filled before i bought it, the service history is all up to date. Engine is smooth and oil levels all good. It is literally just the transmission that has done me over which is a huge shame as i like the car but hopefully the cost to repair will not be too much. How many miles did you get out of you 2.0D?

[domhart10]

Originally Posted by joeyboy130

oh ok thank you for that. Yeah the air conditioning has been re filled before i bought it, the service history is all up to date. Engine is smooth and oil levels all good. It is literally just the transmission that has done me over which is a huge shame as i like the car but hopefully the cost to repair will not be too much. How many miles did you get out of you 2.0D?

I think I must of got around 40k out of it. Did some runs down to the south of spain and over to Austria. Have to say it was really really good while I had it.

the 2.0D has plenty of power but is also great on mpg.

[joeyboy130]

Thats good news then. I was undecided on what to do, either sell it as it is to we buy any car and cut my loses or get the repair done and hope it lasts a good 2 years of motorway driving. Think the repair option would probably be the best option at present just want the repair to be under £2000 but we will see next tues after the diagnostic test. Did you like the powershift gearbox?

[domhart10]

Originally Posted by joeyboy130

Thats good news then. I was undecided on what to do, either sell it as it is to we buy any car and cut my loses or get the repair done and hope it lasts a good 2 years of motorway driving. Think the repair option would probably be the best option at present just want the repair to be under £2000 but we will see next tues after the diagnostic test. Did you like the powershift gearbox?

yeh cross fingers for that, no mine was a manual.

[Bungo]

In reply to your other post too.
Mine has done 109k. Oil changed at 100k. No problems other than having to do the usual delay going from drive to reverse and vice versa.
As I'm sure you may have read already, the internet is full of people complaining how bad this box is, however they do tend to be Ford owners.
Is the box knackered or is it something else like a solenoid or the dmf etc etc.
At the end of the day most modern cars are extremely reliable, however, I don't think there is any modern car these days that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to fix when they do go wrong.