Lost all gears. 1996 Volvo 850 GLT Update

Jvkeup · Post by **Jvkeup** » 16 Jul 2019, 17:05

Hey all,

Very bad situation here. My Volvo has been running great but today has lost all gears ( I mean all, not one engages)
I’ve had no CEL lights or limp mode up arrows. I’ve recently put a ton of work into this car including replacing transmission solenoid s1&s2. A few months after replacing those, I encountered a leaking radiator into my transmission. So I replaced the radiator, hose and flushed the transmission completely (Volvo OEM coolant) as well as did a complete coolant flush. Its been about 2-3 months since all that work was complete, it was driving like a dream but now is on its way via tow to a Volvo specialist. I’m completely stumped and hope this isn’t the end of my wagon.

Side notes:
•first thing to go was reverse and then drive.
•when I turn the car off for a little and turn back on I can get a little engagement in 1st gear but it is very clunky
•new audible noise similar to metal shimmering sound
•tranny fluid is at correct level
•coolant is good to go as well
•120k miles on the dash
•I don’t beat on this car

Post by **Kara503** » 16 Jul 2019, 18:43

My first thought is to suspect the transmission or torque converter is kaput if you hear a metal on metal noise.
Fret not! These transmissions are not expensive. I sourced one for my current 96 850 turbo 2 years ago for only $300, and that was one with 110k. Update when you hear back from the shop and keep in mind you can always use a blown transmission as an opportunity for a manual swap

Post by **abscate** » 16 Jul 2019, 18:45

slow beating...

M56..... M56..... M56 ...

Jvkeup · Post by **Jvkeup** » 16 Jul 2019, 19:27

Kara503 wrote: ↑16 Jul 2019, 18:43 My first thought is to suspect the transmission or torque converter is kaput if you hear a metal on metal noise.
Fret not! These transmissions are not expensive. I sourced one for my current 96 850 turbo 2 years ago for only $300, and that was one with 110k. Update when you hear back from the shop and keep in mind you can always use a blown transmission as an opportunity for a manual swap

Thanks for the response! I will be reporting back as soon as I get an update. I've just put a good amount of money into this car getting it nice and road ready for long road trips etc, so this is a very big blow. Also, Ive always thought about manual swaps. what would it run for a Volvo specialist to do that? I don't feel confident enough to tackle that sort of thing yet.

Post by **ZionXIX** » 16 Jul 2019, 19:37

abscate wrote: ↑16 Jul 2019, 18:45 slow beating...

M56..... M56..... M56 ...

*the beat intesifies*

M56...M56...M56

Post by **abscate** » 16 Jul 2019, 20:20

Jvkeup wrote: ↑16 Jul 2019, 19:27
Kara503 wrote: ↑16 Jul 2019, 18:43 My first thought is to suspect the transmission or torque converter is kaput if you hear a metal on metal noise.
Fret not! These transmissions are not expensive. I sourced one for my current 96 850 turbo 2 years ago for only $300, and that was one with 110k. Update when you hear back from the shop and keep in mind you can always use a blown transmission as an opportunity for a manual swap
Thanks for the response! I will be reporting back as soon as I get an update. I've just put a good amount of money into this car getting it nice and road ready for long road trips etc, so this is a very big blow. Also, Ive always thought about manual swaps. what would it run for a Volvo specialist to do that? I don't feel confident enough to tackle that sort of thing yet.

I would guess 20 hours labour plus parts - so $2500-3000 all in

Post by **Clemens** » 17 Jul 2019, 05:33

This sucks, but if the car is in good overall condition and you have a clear culprit (ie tranny) think how littel car you might get for the 2500 bucks the M56 conversion will cost (or the grand for a used AT swap)

Jvkeup · Post by **Jvkeup** » 17 Jul 2019, 10:46

Clemens wrote: ↑17 Jul 2019, 05:33 This sucks, but if the car is in good overall condition and you have a clear culprit (ie tranny) think how littel car you might get for the 2500 bucks the M56 conversion will cost (or the grand for a used AT swap)

still havent got any word back from the shop. Still so stumped on whats going on, being that i dont have dash lights on or anything. It drove perfectly fine on the highway 20 minutes before all this happened

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 17 Jul 2019, 11:35

Why did you replace the S1 and S2 solenoids in the first place and where did you source the solenoids from?

Jvkeup · Post by **Jvkeup** » 17 Jul 2019, 12:00

polskamafia mjl wrote: ↑17 Jul 2019, 11:35 Why did you replace the S1 and S2 solenoids in the first place and where did you source the solenoids from?

I was dealing with the dreaded up arrow limp mode. Our first thought was the PNP, but after further investigation with a volvo specialist, we determined it was s1 and s2 from the codes we pulled. The shop i take it to uses only Volvo OEM parts or the closest equivalent. I don't have the paper work with me currently to see what exact brand they used.

Lost all gears. 1996 Volvo 850 GLT **Update**