1995 850 Getting Code P0730

WendyandJason · Post by **WendyandJason** » 09 Apr 2015, 09:08

Okay sorry for this guys, but gonna be a long message.

We bought 1995 Volvo 850 used(first Volvo ever). It was running great for about the first 4-5 months. Then it flipped into limp mode about a block away from home. We drove it home slowly. We figured obviously something was wrong but didnt know what at the time. Should not have driven it, by the time we got home we smelled burnt transmission fluid(nasty smell).

Then the adventure began, we towed car to our mechanic. He came back saying we needed new transmission. $3200 for new $2900 for rebuild. We definately cant afford either option, so we had car towed home and we began our research and DIY project. We got a ton of codes at first. So here is a list on what we have accomplished thus far:

replaced solenoids 1 and 2 (tested bad via ohms)
replaced PNP switch(a generic part, thinking we should of splurged and got Volvo part)
cleaned throttle body(pretty gunky)
replaced a couple hoses due to wear
drained/filled nice clean trans fluid
Drained/filled coolant(looked like oil had gotten in there)
cleared all codes
Seemed like we covered everything. I took her out for a test drive. She lagged a little at first, but seemed we fixed it. I drove it around for a good 15-20 minutes and had no issues other then it would not reverse. We figured maybe we didnt adjust PNP correctly. Hubby checked all fluids and they seemed good. He then took his turn to test drive. That is when we realized our journey was not over. It went into limp mode again, and now we have no reverse no 1st gear or 4th gear, and error code P0730/322 popped up again.

So frustrating as it took us soo long to get where we are now, cuz can only spend a couple hours a weekend on it.
So, now my question...is there anything else we could do to fix this baby or our we just gonna have to sucked it up and let her go?

draser · Post by **draser** » 09 Apr 2015, 11:41

If you had oil in coolant need to find out whether it's atf or engine oil. If it was indeed atf then that's your problem. If it's engine oil - do you have misfire codes, oil cap look milky, oil in expansion tank, any of these?

WendyandJason · Post by **WendyandJason** » 09 Apr 2015, 12:26

Only code we get is the p0730.. There was a hose that was cracked and leaked oil on one of the coolant hoses, (these are the ones we replaced)we believe this is how oil got in..there was a residue on the overflow container. We took off and cleaned as best we could. It was black on the container, coolant did look a bit dark almost brownish before we cleaned it.
Oil looks good, hubby also changed oil at beginning of this adventure. Forgot to mention that.

draser · Post by **draser** » 09 Apr 2015, 18:23

I was thinking that coolant got into tranny. It sounds like that's not the case. Since drain and fill worked for a wbile I'd repeat that, there's a procedure that removes more fluid than simple drain, I'd try that. A simple drain only removes 1/3 of fluid. Secondly, I'd revisit the solenoids. If they failed by shorting out, that would read zero ohms at coil, chances are the TCM drivers are gone. If they were open, then I'd still check wiring from TCM to solenoids. If you need details on any of this post back. Lastly, some article on the net points to the ECT as possible cause, don't follow but it's easy to check. And as a last resort, to assess tranny condition, the input to output rpm ratio greater than 200 indicate internal issues. Not sure if Vida Dice does that, someone may chip in. May need dealer on this one, but saves additional expense. Options to consider.

WendyandJason · Post by **WendyandJason** » 09 Apr 2015, 22:28

Ok I mistyped/fed wrong info. Didn't just drain and fill atf, we did a modified flush.
Solenoids are still checking out ok.
Will update as I complete more double checks.

draser · Post by **draser** » 10 Apr 2015, 05:32

See if you get any voltage on sol. connector when plugged in. Push 2 needles in the back of connector and attach voltmeter probes to them, set voltmeter on 20v dc or auto range. Row thru gears and look for voltage on meter.

WendyandJason · Post by **WendyandJason** » 10 Apr 2015, 14:31

Ok we pulled TCM and reverse worked. Cleaned contacts and reinstalled. Haven't test driven it yet to see what happens now. Any thoughts?

WendyandJason · Post by **WendyandJason** » 10 Apr 2015, 18:46

Ok test drove with TCM reinstalled, no reverse again and only 2nd/3rd gear.

WendyandJason · Post by **WendyandJason** » 11 Apr 2015, 17:15

Hubby noted car went into limp mode upon braking...could this be brake switch?

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 11 Apr 2015, 18:06

Perhaps we should merge all three of the ongoing P0730/322 threads. There must be a lot of information being repeated over and over.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=69185

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=69263