2001 Volvo V70 TRANSMISSION TAKES TO LONG TO SHIFT DOWN TO

JOHN PEAVLER

MEMBER
2001 VOLVO V70

Transmission problem
2001 Volvo V70 All Wheel Drive Automatic 86,000 miles

MY CAR IS A V70 CROSS COUNTRY WAGON AWDWITH 2.4LITER 5-CYL, I JUST HAD THE TRANS. REBUILT FOR THE THIRD TIME, IT IS STILL SLOW TO SHIFT BACK TO THE LOW GEAR, 2-4 SECONDS CAUSING IT TO TO JERK WHEN YOU GET BACK INTO THE GAS. ALL NEW SELANOIDS TWICE, NEW VALVE BODY THIRD ONE.I HAVE READ A MANY MANY REVIEWS, PEOPLE HAVING SAME PROBLEM, DOES VOLVO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM? HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAGON NEED HELP THANKS JOHN PEAVLER

1 Reply

JIS001

MECHANIC
3,408 POSTS

Sometimes having another shop rebuild the transmission my come out alright but the majority of the times you get the same issues you are experiencing right now. On this model a function called "Neutral Control" is present on all 2001 V70 and S60 cars. It is also present on 2002 non-turbo V70 and S60 cars built before January 2002. When the vehicle comes to a stop, the Transmission Control Module (TCM) activates Neutral Control. Even though the gear selector is in the Drive position, a Neutral condition is engaged hydraulically in the transmission. Neutral Control disengages when the brake pedal is released or the throttle is applied.

SYMPTOMS:

When the neutral control function is incorrect, there are three symptoms that can be felt in the car;

1. After coming to a complete stop and keeping the brakes applied, a "thump" can be felt in the car. It is felt about 2 seconds after coming to a stop.

2. When releasing the brake there is a harsh or double re-engagement of drive.

3. When idling in 'D' range with the brake applied, the engine speed oscillates (fluctuates).

In addition to these symptoms, some cars may set a DTC 012A or 012B in the TCM; which should be erased before downloading the software.

Note that Neutral Control is not active during the following;

Transmission in 'W' mode

Transmission in Geartronic mode

Gear selector in 'L' range (non-Geartronic shifter)

Operating with high AC demand (higher idle speed)
Updating the transmission control module software will remove this function. Now since you have replaced parts in the transmission, you also need to have the shop reset the oil counter for the transmission and reset the transmissions adaptations to zero. The transmission control module (TCM) receives information about the desired gear position and driving mode from the driver. In conjunction with the signals from a number of sensors in the transmission and the engine control system, unlike with a purely hydraulically controlled transmission, this allows the control module to calculate the optimal shifting points and engagement of lock-up. The control module allows for small changes in the operating conditions and adapts the various transmission functions to ensure that the correct gear is always selected in relation to the driving mode selected by the driver.
This adaptability guarantees smooth and consistent gear shift quality throughout the operational life of the transmission. If it is not reset to zero it is still using old information from the previouse transmission resulting in very hard gear shifts. Once it is reset then the transmission control module needs to be put into adaptive test drive mode and a specific test drive needs to be done. If all that fails then you will need to take it in to Volvo to have the proper repair done. Lets not forget that the transmision control module is what controls the shifting so there is a good possibillity that the module could be bad as well?