Jerking when decelerating
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jfkrontz87
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 29 March 2012
- Year and Model: 2002
- Location: Charleston, SC
Jerking when decelerating
I have a 2002 Volvo S60 with a little over 75,000 miles. I bought this car about two months ago and have been having this problem for about a month of that time. Anyway, when I am driving and I take my foot off of the gas the car kind of makes several little jerking motions before smoothing out around 40mph. Yesterday I was driving on my college campus and slowed to take a corner and when I sped back up the car like downshifted and revved up like the transmission didn't engage, I took my foot off of the pedal and when I went to accelerate again it was fine. I have had no grinding noises, the transmission shifts smoothly, nothing to make me think it was the transmission until yesterday when it did that. THe car has another problem where on rare occasions when I drive a while and put the car in park it will accelerate on its own without my foot on the pedal and the AC increases speed without my touching it. Could all these problems be electrical or is my worst fear realized and this is a bad transmission? Just paid a lot of money, for a college student, for this car and I am really worried that I got suckered really bad. Please give me your best educated guess, I don't really need your negative opinions about my car or my intelligence like I have gotten on other forums, thanks.
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ColoradoVolvo
- Posts: 62
- Joined: 5 March 2012
- Year and Model: 2001
- Location: Longmont
I have similar problems with my '01 v70xc. I have read in several places that the jerking is from a bad etm. I would look into it because i know my etm is pretty much shot. You could try cleaning it and that may be what happened when you turned too. I do think that your ac problem has nothing to do with the etm though
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electech
- Posts: 63
- Joined: 24 March 2012
- Year and Model: 1998 S70 NA manual
- Location: Washington, DC
Welcome to MVS 
First the rare problem: It's hard to say without hearing it, but my guess for the A/C and engine idle rev is that the A/C is engaging, which automatically picks up the idle speed so the car doesn't stall when the compressor kicks in. This is normal, and it's supposed to be smooth. If it's not smooth, that's probably an engine issue, not an electrical problem. If it is cycling rapidly (less than a minute between revving and dropping back down and revving again) you have a freon leak in your A/C system. That is also wearing on your compressor and making the engine work harder when it turns on. Best to turn off the A/C until it gets fixed. (use the fan for ventilation, but the A/C and defroster setting will turn on the A/C compressor.)
As for the blower, if you are using automatic climate control, it will vary on it's own and that is normal. If you have it installed and aren't using it, you could have a quirky controller. If it goes on and off when you want it to, and both heat and A/C work, then you have to decide whether blower fan speed is worth spending the money to fix.
I would focus on the transmission. Is your check engine light on? Any other warning lights? (do these lights light up when you first turn on the ignition? Check all the warning lights, if they don't light when the key is first turned on they may have been tampered with)
Check your transmission fluid. It sounds simple, but it is easy to get this wrong, make sure to do on an absolutely level surface. The instructions from the VADIS system for checking the transmission fluid level (they call it "oil", but make sure you use correct transmission fluid!)
--------------------------------------
Automatic Gearbox Oil level, checking
Warning! Avoid skin contact with the gearbox fluid.
Note! Use only gearbox oil, Volvo P/N 116 1540-8 (1 litre container), 116 1640-6 (4 litre container).
Conditions
The difference between the MAX and MIN volumes is 0.2 litres. Check the oil temperature in the gearbox.
At room temperature (+20 °C) the oil level is close to the MIN mark on the "cold area".
At room temperature (+20 °C) and low oil level the oil barely reaches the dipstick.
The "cold range" (+40 °C) is reached after approximately 15 minutes idling in the workshop, while the "hot range" (+80 °C) is reached after approximately 30 minutes highway driving at an air temperature above +15 °C.
Preparing to check the oil level
Park the car on a level surface.
Apply the handbrake.
Apply the foot brake.
Let the engine idle.
Move the gear selector lever to position P.
Move the gear selector through all positions. Wait in each position for approximately 3 seconds
Move gear selector to position P and wait approximately 2 minutes before checking the oil level.
The dipstick must be pushed down as far as possible into the dipstick tube.
Caution! Wipe the dipstick with a nylon cloth or similar. Do not use a cloth which may leave fluff or threads.
Low level (topping up)
Top up with oil through the dipstick pipe
Take account of the temperature when topping up with oil.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope this helps! Post your results here
First the rare problem: It's hard to say without hearing it, but my guess for the A/C and engine idle rev is that the A/C is engaging, which automatically picks up the idle speed so the car doesn't stall when the compressor kicks in. This is normal, and it's supposed to be smooth. If it's not smooth, that's probably an engine issue, not an electrical problem. If it is cycling rapidly (less than a minute between revving and dropping back down and revving again) you have a freon leak in your A/C system. That is also wearing on your compressor and making the engine work harder when it turns on. Best to turn off the A/C until it gets fixed. (use the fan for ventilation, but the A/C and defroster setting will turn on the A/C compressor.)
As for the blower, if you are using automatic climate control, it will vary on it's own and that is normal. If you have it installed and aren't using it, you could have a quirky controller. If it goes on and off when you want it to, and both heat and A/C work, then you have to decide whether blower fan speed is worth spending the money to fix.
I would focus on the transmission. Is your check engine light on? Any other warning lights? (do these lights light up when you first turn on the ignition? Check all the warning lights, if they don't light when the key is first turned on they may have been tampered with)
Check your transmission fluid. It sounds simple, but it is easy to get this wrong, make sure to do on an absolutely level surface. The instructions from the VADIS system for checking the transmission fluid level (they call it "oil", but make sure you use correct transmission fluid!)
--------------------------------------
Automatic Gearbox Oil level, checking
Warning! Avoid skin contact with the gearbox fluid.
Note! Use only gearbox oil, Volvo P/N 116 1540-8 (1 litre container), 116 1640-6 (4 litre container).
Conditions
The difference between the MAX and MIN volumes is 0.2 litres. Check the oil temperature in the gearbox.
At room temperature (+20 °C) the oil level is close to the MIN mark on the "cold area".
At room temperature (+20 °C) and low oil level the oil barely reaches the dipstick.
The "cold range" (+40 °C) is reached after approximately 15 minutes idling in the workshop, while the "hot range" (+80 °C) is reached after approximately 30 minutes highway driving at an air temperature above +15 °C.
Preparing to check the oil level
Park the car on a level surface.
Apply the handbrake.
Apply the foot brake.
Let the engine idle.
Move the gear selector lever to position P.
Move the gear selector through all positions. Wait in each position for approximately 3 seconds
Move gear selector to position P and wait approximately 2 minutes before checking the oil level.
The dipstick must be pushed down as far as possible into the dipstick tube.
Caution! Wipe the dipstick with a nylon cloth or similar. Do not use a cloth which may leave fluff or threads.
Low level (topping up)
Top up with oil through the dipstick pipe
Take account of the temperature when topping up with oil.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope this helps! Post your results here
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electech
- Posts: 63
- Joined: 24 March 2012
- Year and Model: 1998 S70 NA manual
- Location: Washington, DC
After rereading your post a third time, another thought crossed my mind: Check your battery. Go to an auto parts store that will check it for free. If the blower speed picks up when the idle speed picks up, it could be a low/bad battery and the alternator is picking up the slack. A bad battery (or bad cable connections) can cause all kinds of problems with the engine and transmission computers. The poor downshifting could be a result of a sudden drop in voltage from a drop in engine/alternator speed. If you are handy, you can check your battery voltage yourself under various conditions with a multimeter, but it's hard to beat free And a $75 battery beats a $3800 transmission every time 
And a $75 battery beats a $3800 transmission every time I'm having the same problem with my 2002 Volvo S60 with 164k miles. It jerks at red lights and when I try to come to an immediate stop. It doesn't do it all the time, but I have noticed that it's getting progressively worse. I took it to the dealer and they drove it around and then the service manager came out and said "we need to put in a new transmission". I took it to my dad a man that only works on American cars and he recommended this website. I'm considering a transmission flush but the independent Volvo service center said it might make the problem worse. I'm not sure who to trust, but my first instinct was to take it for an oil change and let them check the fluid levels. I can check it myself but I'm really nervous about adding fluid. I'm done a lot of servicing my own vehicle but I don't want to make matters worse if all I need to do is shell out 200 bucks for a flush.
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chris81964
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 1 April 2012
- Year and Model: S60 2001
- Location: new Jersey
There are post on this forum for proceedures for flushing the transmission.
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ColoradoVolvo
- Posts: 62
- Joined: 5 March 2012
- Year and Model: 2001
- Location: Longmont
Well i was also told my trans needed to be replaced. But i was also told that the flushcould help it alot or make it worse. has anyone had the flush done with any feedback? i would much rather do a trans flush then a new trans
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MoVolvos
- Posts: 5271
- Joined: 15 January 2012
- Year and Model: S&V70XC,S60,C30,XC90
- Location: NC
- Has thanked: 310 times
- Been thanked: 524 times
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https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =2&t=48583
If ETM becomes the Problem - Use as a General Guide
Volvo Rough Idle Problems (ETM issues) - how to fix
Blessings,
BKM
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Transmission Flush InfoColoradoVolvo wrote:Well i was also told my trans needed to be replaced. But i was also told that the flushcould help it alot or make it worse. has anyone had the flush done with any feedback? i would much rather do a trans flush then a new trans
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =2&t=48583
If ETM becomes the Problem - Use as a General Guide
Volvo Rough Idle Problems (ETM issues) - how to fix
Blessings,
BKM
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Blessings,
BKM
2008 C30 T5 2.0 M66
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BKM
2008 C30 T5 2.0 M66
2007 S60 2.5T - New Project
2003 S80 T6 Transmission DIED
2000 S70 SE Base - New Project
1998 S70 T5 Prior
1989 240 Wagon Prior
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