auto 'box won't shift up when it's not been used

wildatheart · Post by **wildatheart** » 02 Aug 2005, 00:49

Hi there -

The auto gearbox on my 1994 Volvo 850 20v GLT gets lazy when it's been standing for a few days; it doesn't want to shift from first gear, though when I temporarily move the gear lever to the "3" position the box shifts up as normal, and when I then change back to the normal Drive position, the problem stays gone.

I have checked the oil level carefully as per my Haynes service manual instructions. Any ideas? Many thanks!

timsterman · Post by **timsterman** » 04 Aug 2005, 15:48

Does an arrow on your instument panel flash ? Try pulling codes to see if any "hard codes" are stored. Sometimes you can have a solenoid stick iside trans.

Jot · Post by **Jot** » 04 Aug 2005, 15:54

You might try changing the fluid

wildatheart · Post by **wildatheart** » 09 Aug 2005, 16:26

timsterman wrote:Does an arrow on your instument panel flash ? Try pulling codes to see if any "hard codes" are stored. Sometimes you can have a solenoid stick iside trans.

There is no flashing arrow, there appears to be no fault code (and I changed the fluid, to no avail). Could it be a sticking solenoid even if briefly moving the lever to "3" fixes the problem for the rest of the journey?

I would dearly love to fix this problem.