Worth Keeping 850 T5 ; transmission issues:{

coodoo99 · Post by **coodoo99** » 09 Jul 2018, 21:30

Hi All -

My trusty 97 850 T5 transmission is acting up and a shop is saying the Transmission needs replacement. I'm wondering if I should walk away from this ride.

SYMPTOM: When the car is hot, the transmission will not shift out of 1st gear when in Drive.

- there are no transmission or engine Error Codes.

Prior to those symptoms, I performed the following work and those symptoms were NOT noted prior to this work.
1) Rack and Pinon unit replace (rackdoctor.com); bad leak
2) Shift selector module replace with after market from IPD (My reverse lights were not working)
3) Rebuilt the axle CV joints
4) Replace the radiator (there was a slow leak in the Transmission cooler portion); I added a bit of fluid periodically when this was leaking.
5) Replace the EGR system; some of the hoses were brittle and broken when I was getting the rack unit out.
6) rebuilt the pressure transmission cooler hose

Following that work, I had a bit of a hard time getting the transmission oil level set after emptying the sump. I over filled it for drive around the block and that is when I felt the transmission stick in First Gear. With the car in the failed state, you can put the transmission in 3rd and it will hit the lower gears, but still not work in the higher gears. It drives fine when the car starts cold and will work fine until you shut the car down and restart.

There's no slipping or burnt fluid. The transmission was working fine prior to this work. I was working on replacing the transmission fluid after the work with Type IV fluid from Aisin (IPD order).

QUESTIONS:
1) Has anyone heard or experienced this for of transmission problem?

2) Would putting a used transmission in this car be too risky? I know this car well and there's lots of good/new parts and rubber and bilstien suspension.

3) Does anyone have source on a rebuilt 97 850 transmission? Further, has anyone ever used a rebuilt volvo transmission?

- I'm wondering if this going to be an ongoing nightmare and I should cut my losses at this point???

Thanks in Advance, Peter

Post by **erikv11** » 09 Jul 2018, 21:52

(1) Wait for others to chime in (Lee?), I am really no help for the diagnosis and fixing part of this one.

(2) There is very little risk with a used 850 auto transmission. In general they are bullet proof though as they have passed the 20 year mark we are starting to see some failures. If you can find one with relatively low miles, like 150k, it will likely run for a very long time.

(3) Keep an eye on Craigslist for a wrecked 850. Or perhaps someone local will reply here. Or car-part.com, ask the IPD guys, etc. There are a lot of long-lived 850s (98 S/V/C70 turbo is the same transmission) up there. I wouldn't bother looking for a rebuilt.

Alas, my 97 850 parts car is finally destined for the wrecker this week so I can get on with other things like replacing the garage roof. It's got a good trans that I was always meaning to pull as a backup for my 95, but that doesn't do you any good.

coodoo99 · Post by **coodoo99** » 09 Jul 2018, 22:15

I've been digging around a bit and here's used with < 76K on it. See below was text from an email response. I'll call them tomorrow for more details. If it really has that mileage, I'm thinking that would be a worthy deal! Thanks, Peter

You recently requested a quote from Remanns.com, Quote #13368429. You are receiving this quote from Used.Remanns.com because this Remanufactured Transmission you requested is not currently in stock, so we found an alternative for you. this Grade A Used Transmission for you at a lower price!

QUOTE #: 13368429
Vehicle/Part: 1997 Volvo 850 / Used Transmission - Auto FWD Turbo
Price: $685.00 (Grade A Used Transmission) with 1 Year parts & labor warranty image included
Shipping: Free Shipping in all U.S. states except HI & AK
(*There is a $75 charge for all residential deliveries)
Mileage: ~73K miles
Notes: -We Ship Low Mileage Used Transmissions Nationwide Daily!-

Post by **Clemens** » 09 Jul 2018, 23:13

Sounds good. Not cheap, but should get you rolling again.

One thing: are you sure the fluid level is correct now? After draining through the drain hole you shold have to refill with approx 3.2 Liters. Maybe try again with a drain and refill?

I think on OBD 1 850ies (up to 95) you could test test the solenoids. Not sure how this is possible on 96 up OBD 2 cars. Maybe try digging into that.

My 95 did somethinh similar when hot. I never got around diagnosing this properly. It happend in dense city traffic and after long freeway drives only.

Post by **SuperHerman** » 09 Jul 2018, 23:31

First and most important what codes is the transmission throwing? Codes will tell you if you have a solenoid issue.

Second, prior to the current issue - what symptoms was the transmission exhibiting?

Finally, assuming you are not getting codes for a failed solenoid, I would try a few drain and fills.

I thought your car ran Dexron III. Regardless I helped a guy with similar issues by doing two drain and fills.

Were it me I would use Valvoline Maxlife if it states it is a substitute or the cheapest stuff that is compliant. No sense wasting good money on a fix that may not help. You can always do a flush if you get it working with what ever fluid you want.

coodoo99 · Post by **coodoo99** » 10 Jul 2018, 07:05

Prior to the problems, I had a couple small jumps (gear skips on a steep hill) when I think the fluid was a bit low (due to the leak). I worked to keep the level close to normal. I'm using Aisin Type T-IV and have done two drains of sump so far. I'm not getting any codes in the engine or transmission. I had the transmission tested a local indy volvo shop.

The fact it runs fine when the car is cold and no codes is strange. I wonder if a running flush with hoses disconnected would be worth a shot?

Post by **erikv11** » 10 Jul 2018, 07:50

I would completely flush it with cheap Dex III, SuperTech from Walmart. Cost is about 15 bucks. And then run it with that - it's what I use in all my P80 cars.

A reman transmission from these cars with 76k is a little bizarre - what needs to be rebuilt at that mileage? What did they replace and what make of parts did they use? I'm just concerned the reman would actually make it less reliable. Just a note to be careful about it.

sventastic · Post by **sventastic** » 10 Jul 2018, 10:51

Hey Peter, if you end up needing a replacement I have an auto transmission sitting around now that I've done my manual swap. I'm up in Vancouver, BC, so not far away (you're in Seattle?). I'm not sure on logistics of bringing a transmission across the border, but I thought I'd let you know that I'd be happy to help

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rch/pts ... 54044.html

Post by **erikv11** » 10 Jul 2018, 11:20

sventastic wrote: ↑10 Jul 2018, 10:51 Hey Peter, if you end up needing a replacement I have an auto transmission sitting around now that I've done my manual swap. I'm up in Vancouver, BC, so not far away (you're in Seattle?). I'm not sure on logistics of bringing a transmission across the border, but I thought I'd let you know that I'd be happy to help

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rch/pts ... 54044.html

This is perfect IMHO. If the other one is indeed bad.

Post by **abscate** » 10 Jul 2018, 11:32

If you stay more than 48 hours, you can bring up to $800 duty free, back into the US