2002 S60 2.4T transmission disengages while driving

[ac102nv]

Update...the trans is dead! Didn't even make it to the dealer for diag. It's something on the output side, not valve body etc. Any idea what a car in good/very good condition with 110k is worth with a dead trans? In the last 6 months it's had a new TB, WP, fuel filter, tires, front brakes, and front strut bearings & mounts installed. Love the car but can't see the expense of a new trans as I can't/won't do it myself.

Good news is, the 99 v70xc is running great!

p.s. checked linkage, it's good. Appreciate the thought!

[groto4]

I have a 2002 V70 with AW55-50sn transmission and a white sticker Magneti Marelli ETM. I purchased the car used at 93000 miles and it now has 98000 and therefore I do not have maintenance history. My symptioms are that the car feels like the transmission disengages and/or goes into limp mode. I don't know which one it is. This issue started after I changed the transmission oil, which I suspect hasn't been changed in a long time. The disengagement feels like something is not locking up, like the converter. The disengagement happens more in the city when I am starting and stopping, but it still happens on the freeway. For example on the freeway at 70 mph, the car all of a sudden goes into limp mode or the trans disengages. At this moment, the car starts coasting and I step on the gas, but obviously no response - the rpms goes up slightly to sometimes to 2 or 3000 rpms, and then the car kicks back into gear. This disengagement period happens for a minute or it can go on for 5, or 10 miles.I continue to change the transmission oil and use the Castrol Transmax Import Multivehicle oil. For each oil change, you only take out 3.5 quarts so after 10 or so trans oil changes that I have done the fluid is still coming out slightly dirty. Despite all the transmission oil changes, the car still seems to disengage. I have taken the car to Volvo and they did a TCM update which did not help. Also there were no codes in the system. They charged me $250 for this.I have also taken the vehicle to a transmission shop and they said this was not a transmission issue since at times it drives totally normal (shifts beautifully). Transmission shop said it was a throttle positioning module (ETM) issue because it is drive-by-wire and he said there was a Technical Service Bulletin (All-Data) that described the symptoms like they experienced with my car.I have also taken the car to an independent automotive shop. Their diagnosis was that the ETM had an ohm reading of 320 ohms, which was way out of spec. The spec they said was 1.5 to 3.5 ohms. I took the car back to Volvo after the appointments at the transmission shop and independent auto shop. Volvo once again put it on their scope and no codes came up in the computer. The also drove the vehicle and said it was the transmission that was the issue. Their quote for a new trans was $6000. I have been trying to drive the car as much as possible and recently my approach has been to drive it with a very slow accelaration method, meaning only push on the gas as little as possible as slow as possible to get up to speed. I drove this way for 2 days and the car did not acted up and go into this disengage mode. Also the disengagement symptoms almost never happen when the car is cold - 95% of the time the car shifts normally and stays in gear when it is cold. Also the disengagement happens more in the city at low speeds versus freeway speeds. One time I drove on the freeway for 20 miles and was driving very aggressively with the gas - coasting to 60 mph, hard accelerate to 70, coasting to 50 hard acceleration to 60 and did this for a good 20 miles and absolutely no disengagement of the transmission occurred during this time. But once I slowed down and got off the freeway, the car acted up and disengaged. 95% of the time when getting off the freeway and coming to a stop and then starting again, the trans disengages.Any input to these symptoms would be most helpful. Thanks!

[ac102nv]

Groto4,
Sorry to hear the troubles, I know it's frustrating to say the least. From what I know it sounds more electronic to me. That could be the items you mentioned of the Valve Body inside the trans. Mine was not electronic so I sold the car (with full disclosure that the trans was dead or almost dead). Hope you find an reasonable solution!

[JRL]

Same as the first guy, your trans is probably shot
You're using the wrong fluid and did you do a power flush or several drain and fills?
You should not have used a power flush at these miles.

2002 turbos do not (usually) have throttle (ETM) issues
Tell] (don't ask) the dealer to do a sweep test on the throttle body and not just say there are no codes, that way you can narrow it down.

[groto4]

JRL - THanks for the insight. This is a non turbo v70. I did use the incorrect fluid on the first 3.25 qt trans oil change, did not do a flush. But I only drove it for maybe 30 miles and it stated acting up about around that time. I have since changed the trans oil probably 10 times (not a flush) since then using Castrol Transmax Import (it says Volvo all applications on bottle) - 3.25 qt per change. But the problems are still continuing. So the 3.25 qts of the wrong fluid can total do this (disengagement) as a result? Volvo did give me the print out of the scan from Vida and for ETM it says No fault found. But for PDM-003E Control module signal too high, DTC is found active.

[precopster]

The symptoms in both of these trans failures are IDENTICAL to the trans failure in my 2001 V70 T5. The filter is likely blocked due to a lack of fluid changes.

It is worth pushing aside the transmission filter as I've documented in my thread here:
www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewto ... &start=100

Addition of a Magnefine filter on the upper cooling hose and you're set to go!!

You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.