2003 S60 - Destroyed Shift Module?

volvostud · Post by **volvostud** » 23 Aug 2010, 15:26

My wifes S60 has been doing some weird stuff lately. When I shifted down into drive I was pulling it into drive and it just naturally pulled over into geartronic. Almost like the transition went from a 90* to a slight J, naturally curving into the geartronic. Strange

So last week she puts it into reverse and backs out of the garage. For our driveway she has to make a 2 point turn (stupid S60 steering is so wide). She put it into drive and it went into geartronic. She can't get it out of geartronic, or into drive. She turns the car off. Calls me at the gym and I come home to see what I can do.

With a little power I can pop it into drive and as long as I squeeze the button I can move it all the way into Park with some effort. I practice with it and find that it will stay in Drive, mostly, but the slightest breeze to the left and it moves to GT.

Before sending her to work I loosened the retaining nut on the control module (at the other end of the shift cable). This reduced the effort required to shift the car through the gears, but didn't do much for the D/GT issue.

It went into the shop the next morning. They called not long after saying it was a toasted shift cable, easy fix. When they finally got around to actually doing the fix though they called to tell me the entire shifter was toast. they described it as 'hand grenaded'. Some of the small internals were either broken or breaking. so we just ordered a used $250 shift module.

Anyone see this before? I found one thread that went noplace on Brickboard.

Post by **JRL** » 24 Aug 2010, 06:35

Nope, you're the 1st!

tsg22 · Post by **tsg22** » 29 Aug 2010, 13:13

I am having the same problems on my car, so I guess I am the second. Where did you get the replacement module, is it a dealer only item?

When I took off the trim around the shift module, a yellow piece of plastic fell into my hands so I am fairly confident this is my problem as well.

tsg22 · Post by **tsg22** » 25 Sep 2010, 21:35

Update: Called the Volvo dealership and when I told them what was happening they knew exactly what I needed (almost like this is common). It cost me $10 dollars in parts and an hour of my time to fix.

Here are some pictures.

: View of the broken piece

: After the parts were replaced

: Broken yellow piece

The yellow and black pieces hold the shifter in drive. You push the shifter out of the yellow and black pieces when you go into manual mode. So when it won't stay in drive, one of these plastic pieces is broken as seen in the pictures.

This is a fairly easy fix. You have to remove the center console (two bolts in the console storage unit and two bolts under the pen holder thing in front of the shifter. From there it is just popping things out. The hardest thing to do is get the shifter cover off (the black thing I am holding in the pictures.) It is held in by the u shaped clips and requires some gentle persuasion.

Hope this helps.

HHB · Post by **HHB** » 06 Nov 2010, 10:52

this is so my problem, removed center console, and there was a piece of the yellow part just laying there. I really appreciate the pic's too. My only problem is, I can't figure out how to remove the is the cover for the shifter box. Can't for the life of me figure out how to remove it.

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 06 Nov 2010, 11:15

pull the cover upwards from the rear. After the cover is loose you can see that is held by four clips around the shifter. Release the clips one at a time.

HHB · Post by **HHB** » 06 Nov 2010, 11:36

I'm assuming the cover from the rear is closest to the dash board, I must be doing something wrong, it aint budging. I see the u-clamps your talking about, just have no idea how to get them out. What tool did u use? Just don't want to brake anything

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 06 Nov 2010, 13:33

no, you pull the back of the cover facing the rear of the car.

Once is loose from the rear, it loosens from the front and the cover can be lifted a few inches to disengage the clips.
Use a long screwdriver for the clips.

HHB · Post by **HHB** » 06 Nov 2010, 15:02

thanks for the help. Got it all exposed, and I see the problem. Is there a place on line I can go to that has full schematic of the shifter mod. You guessed it, the yellow piece is obviously held in by the black piece, and that held in by what appears to be a plastic rivet of some kind that appears to be spring loaded. This appears to be a bit more complex then originally contemplated.

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 06 Nov 2010, 16:26

get the replacement part, and then look again at the pictures posted above and you'll see how to put it back together.