Is this a TRANS issue, or could it be simpler?

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let us begin: Basically, the last time I drove the Volvo, I drove it backwards only. And yes, some local law enforcement were VERY upset with me over this. And if you saw a white Volvo brick driving backwards on Quincy Shore Dr on Sunday night, to Southern Artery, right outside their police station.. hi.

The best way to describe it is this:

The last time I drove the car, it would go REVERSE in gears 1,2 and R. (I have no idea how weird that is, but it did. Faster in R, but would engage Reverse with shifter stalk in 1 and 2. I was too busy driving backwards to video it. I also got stuck in another snowbank, due to.. driving backwards. At first.)

A member of the Volvo forum, in bold, typed: More likely your shifter cables are either broken or misaligned

What do you think? DEAD trans, sell the car? (It is for sale, ATM.) Or.. check BASIC things first? (Sam's said "Dead trans" so idk)

Also, price of rebuild/new trans install? That car is .. great... still... ?
 
It does sound like a problem with the linkage.

What happens if you put it in D or N??
 
Originally Posted By: shell_user
I thought from your last post you were trying to SELL this car?!


Yes, but if that falls through...

Originally Posted By: Gabe
It does sound like a problem with the linkage.

What happens if you put it in D or N??


N = Nothing (Neutral,) it doesn't move.
The scariest thing is that, in "D" and "3," it doesn't move, either.

Again: The last time it drove, "1" and "2" it would move backwards, and it would feel as if I drove over a curb just before it engaged and began moving.

if it is some kind of a linkage problem, if I burned out a piece of it but not the whole thing, then.. hallelujah?

Sorry I couldn't video it, folks.
frown.gif
But I'll bet Sam just started her up, put her in "D," revved her up and she didn't move, and said, "Trans is dead."

... ???
 
Replacing the linkage is a fairly cheap repair.

You should check it out before selling it.
 
Not being experienced in that autobox but I always thought that reverse seperate to the forward gears.

I can remember we used to get a fair few Honda Preludes in the garage I ran back in the 90's.

Always the same problem they had stuck it in reverse whilst still going forward and ripped all the teeth of a cog in the gearbox.

That may be an over simplification but we never used to strip them down and just sent them out on an exchange basis for a recon box.

I don't know how an autobox can go backwards when first and second lockup is selected.

It does sound like the problem is at the selector side rather than the actual gearbox, but the symptoms are not something I have ever seen or heard of before.

Must admit this car lasted a little longer than a thought it would, though not by much.

This was always the way this poorly maintained and expensive to repair car was heading.

Previous owner got rid as they could see the writing on the wall after their neglect.

The trader made a few hundred dollars selling a hand grenade with the pin pulled to somebody that thought they know about cars.

I believe the phrase is "A fool and his money are easily parted"

Why not add some MMO to the flux capacitor that should fix it.
 
Originally Posted By: bigjl
Not being experienced in that autobox but I always thought that reverse seperate to the forward gears.

I can remember we used to get a fair few Honda Preludes in the garage I ran back in the 90's.

Always the same problem they had stuck it in reverse whilst still going forward and ripped all the teeth of a cog in the gearbox.

That may be an over simplification but we never used to strip them down and just sent them out on an exchange basis for a recon box.

I don't know how an autobox can go backwards when first and second lockup is selected.

It does sound like the problem is at the selector side rather than the actual gearbox, but the symptoms are not something I have ever seen or heard of before.

Must admit this car lasted a little longer than a thought it would, though not by much.

This was always the way this poorly maintained and expensive to repair car was heading.

Previous owner got rid as they could see the writing on the wall after their neglect.

The trader made a few hundred dollars selling a hand grenade with the pin pulled to somebody that thought they know about cars.

I believe the phrase is "A fool and his money are easily parted"

Why not add some MMO to the flux capacitor that should fix it.


If I had ANY $$$, I would keep it. Sounds like it might just be a selector. "Start small."

At the moment, Andre from Randolph (who has had this car before and loves it) is paying $500 cash. (Unless somebody comes and steals it from Sam's before then.)

This car was a hoot, and I can't wait to get another.

Love y'all!
 
A needless post.
Automatic transmissions don't normally die at 130K even with no maintenance at all.
No way the previous owner would have seen this coming.
It is as though you've been rooting for this car to die in the OP's use.
I find that very distasteful, as I'm sure most other members do.
 
On some fords, the trans would get confused if the PRNDL switch got screwed up. Basically it was a potentiometer that measured certain ohms in different gears, and added resistance confused the computer.

Your volvo has some ford DNA in it.

What gets me though is IMO the basic PRND should be hydraulic, and the 3-2-L could be electronic. So a failure of this switch shouldn't have you in reverse.

However with you hooning it in the snow you could have messed up something electronic or even mechanical hanging down there.
 
Most likely cause on this car is the PNP switch. Sits on top of the trans, about $150 in parts, a bit more in labor. It sits under the battery, which means that it is subject to corrosion...more so in your Volvo which has a strap instead of a battery hold-down, indicating corrosion, or battery replacement, in the past.

In the meantime, though, you are doing your best to kill this poor car...what now? You've blown up a tire from spinning it?

Do you still own this thing or not? The "facts" in your posts change hourly, if not more often...
 
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool


If I had ANY $$$, I would keep it. Sounds like it might just be a selector. "Start small."

At the moment, Andre from Randolph (who has had this car before and loves it) is paying $500 cash. (Unless somebody comes and steals it from Sam's before then.)

This car was a hoot, and I can't wait to get another.

Love y'all!



I thought this Volvo belonged to your "lady friend"?

smirk.gif


Have any other tall tales to post today?
29.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
A needless post.
Automatic transmissions don't normally die at 130K even with no maintenance at all.
No way the previous owner would have seen this coming.
It is as though you've been rooting for this car to die in the OP's use.
I find that very distasteful, as I'm sure most other members do.


Yes, the truth does hurt sometimes.

What hurts you more the fact that I was proved right or the fact I am from the UK and was proved right.

Your post is completely irrelevant to this thread.

I suspect you didn't actually read my post properly and just took from it what you wanted to.
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Most likely cause on this car is the PNP switch. Sits on top of the trans, about $150 in parts, a bit more in labor. It sits under the battery, which means that it is subject to corrosion...more so in your Volvo which has a strap instead of a battery hold-down, indicating corrosion, or battery replacement, in the past.

In the meantime, though, you are doing your best to kill this poor car...what now? You've blown up a tire from spinning it?

Do you still own this thing or not? The "facts" in your posts change hourly, if not more often...
 
take it to a mechanic and get it fixed. i do not think you are qualified to speculate, or even begin to fix it yourself. good luck.
 
OK....so you've got videos of the tires spinning...and a picture of a blown tire...are you showing cause and effect?

Spinning the tires excessively will cause them to fail from heat buildup...it will not get you unstuck in two feet of snow. You need to shovel first...

Opening and closing the sunroof with a foot and a half of snow on it will cause it to jam...why you want it open in the days after a blizzard is difficult to fathom...but you should clear all the snow off the car as soon as possible so that it doesn't melt, begin to form ice and break parts of the car...like the sunroof...

You drive the car at 100 MPH when you know the timing belt is overdue...you're asking for it to break...

What's remarkable in all this is the abuse that this poor Volvo keeps taking at your hands...why are you trying to kill it?

Do you still own this poor car?
 
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