96 855: shifting not as smooth as it used to be

Post by **Clemens** » 19 Oct 2021, 14:09

I haven't driven the R that much the past year and I noticed the other day that it shifts kinda rough from 3 to 4 and also shudders when engaging reverse.
One time it didn't fully disengage when coming to a full stop and took off harshly after hitting the gas pedal.

5 years ago a few ATF drains solved the problme. Ever since I do ATF drains every yesr. I did an ATF drain 2 weeks ago, but the tranny is still not as smooth as it should be. The drained ATF was not black, smelled normal, no excessive debris on the magnet.

Just wondering what this could be. Are the solenoids S1 or S2 on the way out?
A long term solution would be a manual swap, I guess.

Any inputs would be appreciated.

Post by **hausmeister** » 19 Oct 2021, 15:18

Maybe an ecu reset (disconnect battery) could help? Worn engine mounts? Just as an alternative to try.
You said drains, not flush. I do not change it as often as you, but I always do a "flush", try to get it as clean as possible. In my experience it looks ok on the dipstick, but when I put a drop on paper it looks a lot more brown - so I always check it like that. I try to keep it pinkish at least.
Hope it is nothing mayor

On mine the trans has already been replaced by someone previously, so hopefully I can dodge this bullet.
Edit: I would keep mine as automatic. Somehow I have grown fond of it as it is

Post by **Clemens** » 27 Oct 2021, 02:54

I could try a reset, might be worth it. Engine mounts are quite new, all of them.
I heard bad stories about power flushing and drain and refills have always worked for me. I guess the main problem is that really take it to the freeway way too seldomly, making shifts to 4th gear under load a rare event.

I'm with you on the comfort of AT, but give a T5M a try and suddenly the AT seems sluggish.

Post by **hausmeister** » 27 Oct 2021, 06:37

For flushing, just use the transmission itself to pump out the fluid and then fill up with new(same amount), repeat until reasonably clean. I also drain it before starting this, not sure if it is needed. There are a bunch of videos on yt on how to do it, I just connect hoses on the line that goes to the cooler and go from there. Pretty sure there are also write ups here somewhere. (for example https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/v70-r ... uid-flush/)

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 27 Oct 2021, 11:39

Clemens wrote: ↑19 Oct 2021, 14:09 I haven't driven the R that much the past year and I noticed the other day that it shifts kinda rough from 3 to 4 and also shudders when engaging reverse. One time it didn't fully disengage when coming to a full stop and took off harshly after hitting the gas pedal.

Because it has not been worked much for the last year, take it out for a long highway run. The fluid has been sitting in the bottom most of the year leaving upper parts dry. Give it a chance to get everything lubed and scrubbed clean before you start throwing time and money at it.

Cars are meant to be worked. Things can go wrong just from not being worked. The guys that have large collections take each one out and drive them a couple of times a year to prevent such problems.

Still recall a Police car my dad was working on. We pulled the Valve covers off and it was a solid block of sludge. You could see the imprint of the Valve covers in the sludge. The car was from a small town nearby where the police pretty much just sat in one place idling and watching traffic. We told them if you don't want the problem again, chase a hot rod once in a while