2002 XC70 Transmission solenoid REPAIR success!

[GearheadNY.com]

Just wanted to throw this out there for those who are experiencing a transmission related issue, and for those who have not yet had one in your 2001-2002 Volvo V70

Over the past two years or so I have been experiencing hard reverse engagement as well as a late shift between 2-3 and 3-4. I know I should have done the repair sooner, but between the new baby, new house, and new jobs things have been a little hectic. So basically, it has been like this for at LEAST 2-3 years (79k miles - 97k miles)with an IPD tune to boot. I really took the "No F*CKS given" approach.

Picked up the TransGo kit for the AW55-50 transmissions found in our cars (and MANY others) that repairs the sticking solenoids by way of a drill bit and replacement caps for the back of the solenoids. ( This one here on eBay)

In a nutshell:
- You pull the belly pan off and the front tray under the radiator/intercooler/condenser
- lower the subframe (remove the front two bolts if possible)
- unbolt the dipstick tube
- remove the transmission valve body cover
- remove the 3 linear solenoids at the top of the VB
- Disassemble Johnny 5 (the solenoids)
- Grind the solenoids down to remove the caps on the back and Clean the heck out of them
- Insert drill bit into solenoid and ream the bushings free of and crap that is causing them to stick
- Grind rear of solenoids until lip is flush with body - Clean again
- Reassemble Johnny 5 and press new caps on to solenoids (4.5 turns on the two larger solenoids, and 8 on the smaller)
- Install, reassemble car, and enjoy! (don't forget to set the transmission adaptation mode)

I don't know if this will help anyone, but for a whopping $75 there is HOPE if your car is driving like a bag of smashed assholes like ours was. You may even be able to use this kit as a preventative measure if you are experiencing a minor "shift flare" as I think my other XC70 is doing.

If you have any questions, please let me know! I'm sure I can help!

#dumpytransmission #muchjunk #toooldforthis**** #somechanic

[2008XC70]

For about $200 or so, you might also consider the Rostra linear solenoid kit that sells on ebay. The solenoids are already rebuilt and ready to go in if you're not up to modifying the original solenoids. Just did this and so far so good, but only time will tell. Car is a 2001 and has 201k miles, 2nd transmission, was shifting very poorly prior to the repair job. No longer does it drive like 'a bag of smashed assholes'

[GearheadNY.com]

For about $200 or so, you might also consider the Rostra linear solenoid kit that sells on ebay. The solenoids are already rebuilt and ready to go in if you're not up to modifying the original solenoids. Just did this and so far so good, but only time will tell. Car is a 2001 and has 201k miles, 2nd transmission, was shifting very poorly prior to the repair job. No longer does it drive like 'a bag of smashed assholes'

Glad to hear another success story!

I chose the rebuild route because A.) it was cheaper and B.) it's just plain more fun to rebuild than to replace

Not being sure of how this was going to turn out, I didn't want to waste $250 on new solenoids.

Love that statement, it just has a ring to it that defines this condition quite well.

[cwise73]

It is good to hear of another solution! How long did the process take you?

[GearheadNY.com]

It is good to hear of another solution! How long did the process take you?

It took me about 4-5 hours to do only because I had a little trouble getting the caps off the back of the solenoids. Come to find out, I probably could have ground the backs down a little further OR just drill a small hole in them and pull them out with a screw. Hindsight is always 20/20! IMO, this is the way to go if you don't want to spend a ton of money. These cars are just not worth the money they once were. All in all this probably saved me about 150 over buying "new" solenoids, but cost me about an hour or so in fiddling and cleaning the old ones.

[2008XC70]

It took me about 4-5 hours to do only because I had a little trouble getting the caps off the back of the solenoids. Come to find out, I probably could have ground the backs down a little further OR just drill a small hole in them and pull them out with a screw. Hindsight is always 20/20! IMO, this is the way to go if you don't want to spend a ton of money. These cars are just not worth the money they once were. All in all this probably saved me about 150 over buying "new" solenoids, but cost me about an hour or so in fiddling and cleaning the old ones.

How bad/clogged with debris were the solenoids before you repaired them?

[GearheadNY.com]

There was a surprisingly small amount of debris that came out of them. Though there was a lot of "sludge" inside the solenoid and around the piston. And to clarify the type of sludge, it was pretty light weight, gray/metallic in color, and difficult to remove completely without a rag. The car is still shifting well and hasn't hiccuped since the repair.

[JRL]

One of the lucky and successful few

[Renzo86]

Do you have any pictures of your work? I really need to get this done. My 2002 xc70 is giving me crappy downshiftings and hesitation between upshifting ..

Can you please guide me through this?

[sexton7z]

Hey guys I need to do this. Do I need to remove the subframe to get the cover off of the trans? Also how do you set the transmission in adaptation mode? Any help would be great. thanks