Hello fellow V70 drivers!

I've had problems with my car's transmission for over a year now and so far I have not found a proper solution. Today I came across this forum and it seems to be the most comprehensive source of information on various Volvo issues on the net, so perhaps somebody here has noticed a problem similar to mine and can suggest a fix.

The car is 2001 V70AWD (not XC) with Geartronic transmission. The car has now done about 132,000 km and the problem started to occur at 105,000 km. Basically the problem has two ways of expressing itself. First, the computer warning light comes on and says "Transmission service required". Second, the gearbox occasionally acts weird -- sometimes the upshifts are late and engine revs get unusually high during acceleration; sometimes while standing in traffic, the car seems to want to "jump" into 1st while my foot is on the brake and I have to press the brake pedal strongly to avoid the car starting to move against my will; sometimes the car hesitates to start accelerating when I lift my foot from the brake and press the accelerator (for a second the car just stands and then "jerks" into motion).

The odd thing about this problem is that all these symptoms come and go and they are not directly related -- the computer warning sign may come while the car is behaving normally, and unusual gearbox activity may occur while there is no warning sign on the computer.

I have been to my local Volvo dealer a couple of times with this and they have told me that the error code refers to a mechanical fault in the gearbox. Their suggested solution is replacing the gearbox and they have clearly stated that they cannot repair my existing box. Since replacing the gearbox would cost me about 7,500 USD, I am not very excited about this. The problem has not prevented driving (I have done over 25,000 km since it first occurred), so I have treated this as an annoyance and not as a very serious issue. Nevertheless, I would like to know if there could be a less costly solution to this transmission problem than replacing the gearbox.

Any ideas?

Sincerely,
Jaanus T.

Do you know if the dealer has the latest software in the transmission?
Sounds like it might be a valve body issue.
The Valve body can be replaced on these cars.
That might and might not fix the problem.
Do you know if they disabled the nuetral control function on your car?

I expect that nobody has touched the software controlling my gearbox, so I'll ask about an upgrade next time I go to the dealer.

Is the neutral control function also a software issue or does disabling it also involve some interference with hardware (disconnecting some electronic component, etc)?

I do not know much about the mechanics of an automatic gearbox but I understand that the valve body is the core component of the system and quite a complex one too. This suggests that the replacement of the valve body is also very expensive and I wonder if it will be significantly more cost-effective than replacing the whole box.

:offtopic: After all my searches in the various internet forums, I begin to have a feeling that I know more about the the possible causes of my gearbox problems as well as the potential fixes than the guys at the local dealership with all their diagnostics equipment and training. I hope that this is not the case :rolleyes:

The nuetral control function can be disabled by software.
Everytime you stop at a light or slow down the car goes into nuetral to help save gas.Sometimes there is a problem with the function and they can disable it and it will fix the problem.

Other times the Valvebody will go bad and have the same complaints as you have.

But there is still the 3rd chance it is in the trans itself.

But the other 2 options are better than the entire trans.

Tech, while skimming through some old posts I saw this one. This is the second time I've seen/heard about Dissableing the nutral option on the transmission. Do you know what the reason is behind it? Was it just an emissions thing or does it save the transmission in any way? To me it sounds like it just adds to more wear 'n tear.

Thanks,
Ben

Well, transmission issues are becoming more popular. Although my V70 does have geartronic, have similar problems. After a transm. oil chnage the problems decreased, but still you feel the engage disengage of the gear at unexpected moments, in particular at low rpm´s and low speeds. I´ve just changed the neutral software patch ( yesterday ) and the transmission seems to improve, but the problem is still on the background.

I would suggest as a matter of economy to try the software patch ( u$s 100 ), a flush of the transm. oil ( u$300 ), then after some months a second flush, then check the valve body ( u$?) and at last desicion, if the problem is annoying you enough change the transmission ( u$s 2000 up ) or trade the car for a new one at another dealer.

There are many complaints with the Aisin-Warner units. Just look around in the different forums.

Good Luck

Yeah, I've seen all the complaints and have actually needed to replace a valve body (US$1500) which didnt make me happy since I just purchased it from a private seller not 300mi previously.

I talked to my mechanic about bypassing the neutral feature and he said he doesnt know how to do it without triggering a code. He said he would look into it though. any thoughts?

I have been having the same problem with my 2000 V70 (2G). I took it to Volvo today and they told me I needed a new transmission, among other things, totalling $8K or $9K. It was still driving badly when I left the dealer, but after shifting manually for a while it was running perfectly smoothly. Now I don't know what I need to do. I still have the Transmission service required message. along with the Emission service required message.

I doubt it needs a whole new transmission, however it may need a few new solenoids. I believe there are seven total, but usually only a few need replacing at a time. It can get pretty pricy but not the cost of a new tranny. I take my volvos to an indy mech. I try to avoid dealers at all costs. My indy has been great to me and hasn't steered me wrong yet. good luck.
-ben

I have a XC 70 2.4 T 2002 and I´m also having problems with the transmission gearbox, 6 mo ago it got stucked in 2nd and 3rd gear, and the check engine light was on. I took the car to the Volvo dealer and they said that it was a computer-software issue, and that it was solved. A couple of weeks ago it showed exactly the same problem, but this time after a whole week of tests they ended saying that it needs to be replaced. Can you tell me what´s the waranty policy of Volvo regarding this issues, and also, Do these Gearboxes are so bad that they need to be replaced, or they just don´t know how to fix it? It isn´t cheap to buy a new one!!!! ($9-10K)

They don't replace parts inside the transmission or rebuild them.
They only replace them.

Do you know the waranty policy of Volvo regarding the Gearboxes?

I'm a tech for a local dealer and can help. There have been mulitple porblems with these transmissions and volvo has released tech notes to address each one. The first one envolves the TCM software. There is a software upgrade that when performed with a transmission adaptation reset can resolve the problem. The key to that fix is resetting the trans. adaptation. Another common problem envolves the B4 servo. The pinch welds that hold a washer to the servo break and this can cause shift flares, harsh engagments, and slipping. Volvo came out with an updated servo and the replacement is fairly easy, you don't even have to open the pan. You can see the servo housing by removing the left front tire. The cover is a circle with a cross looking symbol stamped on it. The cover is held down by a snap ring. The last concern envolves the transmission valve body. Volvo came out with an updated valve body to fix multiple concerns. If anyone is interested give me the last six numbers of your VIN and I'll see which of these fixes your vehicle possibly qualifies for, I can't release the tech notes from volvo because they would concider divulging trade secrets.

Volvotech06,

I had the TCM software upgraded and it did something to the problem but has not eliminated it. Can you tell me how to reset the transmission adaptation?

The last 6 digit of my VIN no are 019691 and I would appreciate if you could let me know what might be the cause of my 'cranky transmission'.

Thanks
regu

I hope you can help me with my trany problem. last 6 of the VIN are 074175. My problem is when I place my car into drive I get the normal bump and a milli sec or 2 later I get another bump. Can you help ?? thanks

I have a 2000 (new shape) V70 T5 Geartronic with 5-speeds. I have been having problems for last 12-18 months with the gearbox slipping when it is doing a full-throttle gearchange from 2nd to 3rd. The symptom is that the engine revs in an uncontrolled manner during the gear change which can lead to engine over-speeding. This is an intermittent problem.
The car went to the Volvo main dealer last year and they upgraded the software. This did not solve the problem but seemed to introduce another problem. This transmission slipping when changing from 2nd to 3rd now also occurs at part throttle changes. Again this is intermittent.
I do have a double clonk when engaging drive, but I do not have any problems with the transmission going into neutral at stand-still.
Last 6 digits of the VIN are 001060.
Volvo main dealer seems to be saying that I need to replace the whole transmission.
Any help or advice is appreciated.

Hi all, own a 2001 V70. Have also had the TCM software upgrade without much success. I suffer from a hard shift at take off, which is does not inspire confidence. I am due for another autotransmission update this coming week, so will let you know how I go.
Volvotech06 my vin number is (last 6 digits): 132011