2004 XC70 Lurching into gear

el_loco · Post by **el_loco** » 01 Aug 2014, 14:05

Automatic tranny seems to shift at the proper time but with more force or a bit of a lurch. This is almost unnoticeable when driving uphill or when traveling on the highway (at higher speeds). Also under hard acceleration it seems to shift smoothly.
109,000 miles on the vehicle but the transmission was replaced at 90,000 by the dearlership, under warranty with the previous owner. The two year warranty period of the rebuilt transmission has expired.
I have had a respected independent shop and the dealership inspect the transmission and test drive. Both say it appears normal, though the dealership did claim it had been overfilled with tranny fluid (which would have happened AT the dealership since no one else has touched the transmission since they replaced it) and removed some. Fluid condition appears good.

Taking the quality independent shop and dealership at their word, and knowing that my year Volvo transmission is not typically one with the earlier models problems, I am looking into other possible causes of these symptoms.
The lower transmission mount was replaced but the rest of the motor mounts are original judging by appearance. Could worn mounts be a cause of hard feeling shifts?
Any other thoughts are appreciated.

Post by **JRL** » 01 Aug 2014, 15:55

Doesn't help

Post by **abscate** » 02 Aug 2014, 05:12

The fact that an incline does eliminate the lurch does point to bad engine mounts as a possible cause.

Your 2004 transmission is robust and way down the list of suspects

el_loco · Post by **el_loco** » 02 Aug 2014, 10:03

JRL-
What can I add to be more helpful? Here is the bullet point list based on my observations and experience with this car so far:
Fluid level and condition are good.
Rebuilt 20,000 miles ago.
No "flare' or RPM surges (it feels more like the clutch plates are grabbing versus slipping)
Seems to shift smooth under hard acceleration or when going uphill.
Car is up to date on all regular maintenance and has the current transmission software update.
Has been "inspected" twice, once by dealership and once by a Volvo specialist independent mechanic who has performed other work on this car. Both found no issues.
Problem has slowly progressed to worse.
More noticeable when driving then when riding as a passenger.

When I grab the strut brace stabilizer bar and wiggle it, it moves a LOT. Whether this is related I do not know but it seems like far too much movement.

Thanks, let me know what else I could add.

Post by **oragex** » 02 Aug 2014, 13:58

'Rebuild' transmissions are what they are. They usually replace only the common faulty components (i.e. the solenoids) but it depends how long the previous owner has been driving with bad solenoids: in the long term, other internal components get damaged and those cannot be refurbished. Your replacement transmission might have had internal damage from the start. I've read about several such situations on forums, all of them being repairs at official Volvo dealers. They don't fully rebuild the transmissions, even when asking $7000 to replace one. Don't ask me why

Other than that, I could be the upper engine mount (easy to visually inspect), or that the transmission software has not been set to 'new fluid' setting. If the transmission still thinks it's working on old fluid, the shift will be rougher. I have this happening on mine, I replaced the old fluid without resetting to 'new fluid' and it started shifting roughly from 2nd to 3rd.

el_loco · Post by **el_loco** » 02 Aug 2014, 15:35

What is one looking for when inspecting the upper engine mount? What are signs of it being worn or damaged other than rubber crumbling?
At idle there is some pretty wicked vibration that translates through the seat, which I'd read can be a worn upper mount and then came across a few posts describing symptoms similar to mine that were diagnosed as a toasted upper mount. The mount certainly looks original, has some slight splitting at the corners (it is the squared version, not the circular one) and as I mentioned when I grab the strut brace bar and pull, it wobbles back and forth a LOT. I'm just hoping to verify that these are also symptoms of bad mounts and/or other bushings.

And to reiterate, I have had an independent Volvo specialist drive and inspect the transmission and comment that, while they all shift a little differently, nothing about mine seems unusual. He also said that they have mixed experiences with rebuilt transmissions from Volvo but had no reason to be concerned about mine. For what it's worth. I can only take the advisement I'm given by people who know a lot more than I do. Hey, that's also why I'm a member here! Thanks!

Blandeaux · Post by **Blandeaux** » 06 Aug 2014, 09:34

I had a bit of lurching in my 03 XC70 from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. I had similar problems as you, could shift smooth at higher RPMs and on the other gears. After I did some maintenance on my PCV system the problem went away and now shifts very smooth. Just putting it out there. Might do the pressure test with your oil cap to be sure your engine has a vacuum. Could be the cause of rough idle problems as well.

el_loco · Post by **el_loco** » 07 Aug 2014, 21:42

Thanks, Blandeaux. I had a shop do the PCV-lite service with the understanding that it might only be a temporary fix and ultimately would need the $800 PCV service. This was about a year ago so you may have hit on something.
Did you do the PCV maintenance yourself? Any tips, did you have a good write-up to follow?

Thanks

el_loco · Post by **el_loco** » 11 Aug 2014, 11:25

I did the oil dip-stick test with the engine warm and idling, no smoke whatsoever from the down tube.