2007 XC90 Tranny(?) Shudders

jewrican · Post by **jewrican** » 28 Oct 2013, 08:48

I have an 07 with 98k on it and the tranny is shuttering in what i believe is third gear.

It will shift just fine - no noticeable slipping or anything like that at all. It will shift into what I think is third and throughout most of that gear it will just shutter and then stop right before the shift and then be fine. It is only during slow steady acceleration.

I think that tranny issues are quite rare on this model and year but I am quite concerned at this point. Any ideas or experience with this symptom and more importantly how did you resolve it for less than thousands of dollars

Post by **jimmy57** » 28 Oct 2013, 09:18

The first effort to address this would be to change the transmission fluid. If it has never had fluid changes then it is unwise at 98K miles to do a flush. That transmission uses JWS 3309/ Toyota T-IV fluid.
If there isn't a noticeable improvement after a second drain and fill then valve body may need to be repaired or replaced.
Have you tried to shift manually to see if it has the shudder when shifted that way?

There is a possibility that this is only torque converter clutch shudder and not actually third gear shudder.

jewrican · Post by **jewrican** » 28 Oct 2013, 09:25

Thanks for the reply jimmy57

I had the transmission flushed at 68,992 on 6/2011 at Volvo.

Would you recommend I do another? Any additives recommended with our cars ( i usually cringe when i think of doing so but who knows)?

I do believe that manually shifting the car the shudder still exists.

Thanks for your input.

Post by **xHeart** » 28 Oct 2013, 09:33

jewrican wrote:I have an 07 with 98k on it and the tranny is shuttering in what i believe is third gear.

It will shift just fine - no noticeable slipping or anything like that at all. It will shift into what I think is third and throughout most of that gear it will just shutter and then stop right before the shift and then be fine. It is only during slow steady acceleration.

I think that tranny issues are quite rare on this model and year but I am quite concerned at this point. Any ideas or experience with this symptom and more importantly how did you resolve it for less than thousands of dollars

I will check each engine mount first.
Look closely for wear on transmission torque mount, replace it at slightest deterioration.
Is there a loss in tranny fluid, check level when HOT?

williala · Post by **williala** » 12 Feb 2014, 20:55

Did you look into the possibility of inner cv joints on the front axles? Mine is doing the same thing and I'm going to change out the front passenger side tomorrow.

jewrican · Post by **jewrican** » 13 Feb 2014, 06:08

the dealer went WAY above and beyond for me. They said, lets replace the axles and see what happens. They replaced both axles and the issue still existed. They then pulled the axles off and charged me NOTHING.

Ive never heard a dealer do that for anyone, and I am more than impressed with them. I would never expect that and hope no one else would expect that either. At the end of the whole thing, they think it may be coming from the tranny but volvo wont even authorize it to be replaced at this time - even though i am out of warranty and would be paying for it on my own.

Everything related to the tranny was evaluated including fluid (was doing it before a flush which was done at 75), particles in fluid, software updates to car, etc etc etc.

williala · Post by **williala** » 21 Feb 2014, 05:54

Did changing the fluid help the problem? I'm facing the same issues, looking for a solution. I've changed the passenger side axle and no change. Getting ready to change the driver's side axle. Maybe it is the trans fluid, since when I shift manually, the vibration is greatly reduced.

jewrican · Post by **jewrican** » 21 Feb 2014, 07:20

The dealer did change mine but i would love to hear it fixes yours. It drives me insane

williala · Post by **williala** » 06 Mar 2014, 18:35

I did change mine, and the shudder is still there. Still have to change out the drivers side front axle. Waiting for a little warmer weather.

mcbain_ · Post by **mcbain_** » 29 Mar 2016, 20:04

Hi There. I realise this is an old question, but just in case you are still active and looking for answers, I have one - kind of.

I had the exact same issue. Dealer and specialists spent many weeks trying to diagnose but couldn't. Eventually taking a chance they replaced the torque converter. it worked! ... for about 18 months. Now the problem is back.

So, basically replacing the torque converter fixes it - temporarily.

My shudder issue is the same - 3rd gear only, around 1700 rpm under moderate acceleration only.

Hopefully someone else out there can add to this.