1992 Volvo 240 AW70 Auto

This 1992 245 is having issues at start up, car starts right up and idles properly. However once I pull out into the road and begin to drive the car doesn't shift normally! This only happens in the moring when the car has sat all night or after it's been sitting for a couple hours and it has had a chance to fully cool down!

The engine and trans were yanked 20,000 miles ago, for routine maintenance! Seals and gaskets were all completely replaced on both engine and transmission as preventative maintenance! Car has 320,000 on original engine and trans. Volvo master tech checked the transmission internals and approved for reassembly! Had no issues with the car for 9 months! Then this fall when it began to get really cold out I started noticing the tranny was taking a while to warm up! I had already replaced the over drive solenoid at this point so I knew I could rule that out!

Car runs absolutely perfect to my knowledge after the tranny warms up! It doesn't matter if I warm the car up for 5 or 15 minutes, it still takes driving down the road to to get the tranny to spring to life! I drained and replaced some tranny fluid with the same stuff the mechanic used, no change there!

Want to know if you guys have experienced this before, if it will be something I will just have to live with! Also, brought the car to a second Volvo master tech out in Easton MD, he said he didn't work on transmissions and that he would send it out! Throttle cable is also new, rule that out!

Fluid level is good!

Edit:
The issue is that the car is failing to up shift, very similar to the way it would act if the OD selenoid was not functioning! It does this for at least a mile or two, I got courageous the last couple of days, and if I stomp on the gas and raise the rpm's up to 4k/4.5k it goes away shortly after starting to drive! But I don't want to keep on doing that to the car!

What year Turbo did the AW 71 come out of?

My apologies, it's the stock 1992 trans, no evidence of it ever being actually replaced, so AW70, guess mods need to fix the title!

The AW70's are typically dead or dying now especially the ones that have never had a service and or fresh ATF.

An AW71 swap may indeed be in the cards unless you want to spend $1K + on a big maybe for a 'rebuild' at AAMCO ect.

That said have you dropped the pan, cleaned the screen, and changed the fluid?

Or you just fishing for the magic bullet ?

Hoping it's not sow thing internal, maybe a common issue with a difinitive and practiced solution! If that is fishing, then yes, absolutely!

Even though the transmission was fully and completely serviced recently, I may drop the pan and put a new filter this weekends! I have an extra trans filter and gasket not in the shop!

May not hurt!

OK here's your 'catch of the day' as best I can provide it...

You'll need some good fitting SAE wrenches to break the filler tube off of the pan, and acetone will clean the gunk off of the metal screen.

Typically the pan gasket is reusable, and I'd recommend slathering some white lithium grease on it upon installation.

BTW one of the 8mm bolts is a bit of a wriggle to get past the oil routing tubing, but it's do-able.

OBV clean the magnet and put it back!

Good luck on your mission!

That engine bay looks spectacular!

Redwood Chair said:

OK here's your 'catch of the day' as best I can provide it...

You'll need some good fitting SAE wrenches to break the filler tube off of the pan, and acetone will clean the gunk off of the metal screen.

Typically the pan gasket is reusable, and I'd recommend slathering some white lithium grease on it upon installation.

BTW one of the 8mm bolts is a bit of a wriggle to get past the oil routing tubing, but it's do-able.

OBV clean the magnet and put it back!

Good luck on your mission!

Click to expand...

I am interested to see how clean the pan still is, it was like new when everything was put back together! I personally cleaned that trans pan out! I have no issue putting in the new gasket!

I have done the trans filter a few times on a 240, also have done the throttle cable replacement! What a pain trying to get your fingers into the trans to disconnect and connect the cable!

n. rippe said:

That engine bay looks spectacular!

Click to expand...

Yes, when I got the car back from the shop, I felt really bad that I intended to drive the car so hard, winter drive it and daily drive it! Haha, but it's been a blast to have a 240 as a daily driver! I'll let my wife take the Honda Accord or 2014 Subaru and I drive the 240 bc I like it so much!

What's it doing? Failing to upshift? Slipping? Shifting harshly? How long does it last?

Sorry, failing to up shift, very similar to the way it would act if the OD selenoid was not functioning! It does this for at least a mile or two, I got courageous the last couple of days, and if I stomp on the gas and raise the rpm's up to 4k/4.5k it goes away shortly after starting to drive! But I don't want to keep on doing that to the car!

Redwood Chair said:

Or you just fishing for the magic bullet ?

Click to expand...

like this one?

Woo, I do have a spare m46! Really don't think that's the answer right now anyway! The AW70 is a tougher, lounger lasting tranny any way, isn't it!?

It was as clean as the oil pan!

I might answer a question for you if you promise never to use one of these > "!" ever again...

OE Cork trans pan gaskets basically last forever with some white lithium and careful disassembly or re-assembly.

Nope! Will absolutely not promise that! Took you long enough to complain about it! Back on track, mods can erase these erroneous answers, so we can get back on op!

Good luck!

I see an AW70 in your future.

I need practice at this, but what one can do is measure the pressures via the test ports on the side of the trans. I wanna get to the point where I install an electronic pressure transducer and then monitor values inside the cabin on a screen.

nel621 said:

I see an AW71 in your future.

Click to expand...

FTFY!

^ I thought the "L" was longer so not a direct fit. Maybe?