Transmission shifts hard

marcus · Post by **marcus** » 07 Jan 2018, 04:06

Hello.
I have S60 2001. It has alread 370k miles.

The transmission showed some problem just after I bought my car years ago. It had then 90k miles. The fluid was black. I changed it few times then and quite regularly since that time. I was using castrol T IV fluid. Did not do anything alse and transmission run great until now.

Now it shifts hard on downshifts to 3 gear after worm up. I changed the B4 servo cap. My mechanic told me that there was bend washer inside. He flatten it and put back.

Was he right?

Unfortunatelly stil my car has hard shifts.

Dealer volvo told me that the trany can be calibrated.

What to do next?

Do something alse with the cap? Clean the piston inside?

Does the calibration would help?

Please share you tought.

Regards
Mario

Post by **oragex** » 07 Jan 2018, 07:37

The mechanic should have removed the washer and replaced the cap with the new redesigned one which has the washer secured better - the washer must stay secured on the cap. The washer was breaking free on the old design. Also replace the piston inside as well as it wears at the surface and starts 'grabbing'. Also check the rubber seals on the piston and cap but new parts should have new seals. It's a 30 min job for someone experienced. Search on Youtube, there is a video about it.

As for the reprogramming - see what happens after the servo repair. And congrats on reaching such miles on a 2001 transmission, it is clearly due to replacing the fluid regularly.

Post by **vtl** » 07 Jan 2018, 08:53

B4 brake band wears out, longer B4 pin is needed to compensate for the longer move (gear brake needs to be applied within a very narrow time window). Take the piston out, there will be 0 to 5 rings on the pin. Get the next size or simply weld another 0.5 mm. With this high mileage you may need to go 2 or even 3 steps up (one step is 0.5 mm). If this is the only problem in transmission, and you didn't drive it like that for too long, transmission can drive as long as B4 band has some friction material left on it.

Post by **oragex** » 07 Jan 2018, 15:37

Post by **E Showell** » 07 Jan 2018, 19:03

Check lower torque mount as well. Rubber could be worn out. Smaller of the two bushings usually gives out before the larger one. That failure could happen abruptly accounting for a sudden worsening in shifting characteristics.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 07 Jan 2018, 20:04

Black ATF Fluid! ... does it smell burnt?