Volvo AW 55-50SN automatic gear change solenoids opening and cleaning SLU, SLS, SLT
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- Опубликовано: 14 дек 2016
- My Volvo S80 D5 Automatic, started was having issues with clunky gear changes especially when stopping and changing from Park to reverse to drive and back. It was only a problem when the gear oil was hot and sometimes it went away for a few days/weeks but always returned. Having researched the issue I came to the conclusion that the issue was with the 3 main solenoids. The SLU, SLS and SLT solenoids, fitted to my AW 55-50SN. I removed, cleaned and returned them to the gearbox. The gear changes have been silky smooth since and for over 3 months now. There are many great RUclips videos on the subject but most miss out some of the finer points of the procedure. Hopefully mine fills in the gaps. There are some great videos on how drop the subframe and raise the engine to remove the solenoids so I have not included this part in this video. It sounds hard but is very straight forward.
This is the first time I have done this job and I have no automatic gearbox experience, just an ordinary guy trying to keep a car on the road
These solenoids are fitted to several makes and models:
VOLVO AW55-50SN 2001-2007
NISSAN RE5F22A 2004-2007
SAAB AW55-50SN 2002-2007
SATURN AF33-5 2003-2004
CHEVY Equinox AF33-5 2005-2006
Pontiac Torrent AF33-5 2006-2008
So my experience of this may help other automatic car drivers. Similar solenoids could be repaired using this method.
Getting the solenoids out is well covered in other videos as is lowering the subframe and raising the engine. The only difficulty I had was removing one bolt holding the solenoid cover on. I had to use a chisel to tap it round. I would not have had this problem if I had removed the air box first and cleaned out the torx head.
Top tips:
Photo's photo's and more photo's to help with cable routing original position of things.
Remove the air box
Cleanliness is key
Take care removing the connector from the solenoids. The solenoids can be removed to help access to connectors.
Practice putting the cover back on, avoiding touching the RTV sealant against the internals of the gearbox. Only do this for real when you are comfortable putting it back on in one smooth movement.
Put 2 dowels in a top and bottom bolt hole will help align the case, before the surfaces mate. 
Авто/Мото
Before doing this fix my Volvo V70T was almost undriveable. Cleaning the old ones would probably work ok but I used brand new Rostra solenoids instead. Car now changes gear silky smooth and better than when I bought the car brand new 19 years ago. Still really smooth 8 months later. The Rostra solenoids are a better design allowing for through flow of fluid so they get a bit of a flushing during normal usage. Didn't use the pricey Volvo fluid - used a cheap Valvoline one from the local hardware store that matched the volvo specs. I'm a happy man for $176USD outlay - I will keep this car another 20 years.
Thank you for taking the time to make this great video!!
I did the exact same thing. Now my transmission is slamming into Drive with a big delay - before it was engaging into D with no issues. Checked my engine mounts and torque mounts and all are fine (they were fine before as well). The bushings have a coating that helps the actuator rod slide properly, it is easy to 'drill' too much and remove too much (or too little) material.
UPDATE: removed again the solenoids but this time put new Rostra in there. Now the transmission shifts great, no more banging in D. Get Rostra solenoids in the first place, don't take a chance trying to repair the old solenoids.
New Rostra solenoids from Ebay sell for about $130. When searching Ebay, some sellers show 'Rostra' in the pictures, but may send cheap knockoff parts, so be careful, genuine Rostra have an R stamped on them (don't buy chinese 'refurbished' Rostra)
An update: I installed the solenoids after cleaning like in the video. They were very dirty, it took long time to clean them (the car has 120K miles). When I put them back in the transmission, the shifting wasn't good (started to flare 2nd-3rd) but got better after driving for a while, not great but improved. However now it bangs into drive (when placing the lever in 'D') which it didn't do before. When shifting from P to D or from N to D, it has a delay of 2 seconds then bangs hard: before the solenoid repair it was perfectly smooth with no delay. I think running the adaptation in Vida is mandatory after repairing or replacing with new solenoids.
I would check the gearbox to chassis double bush mount.
Checked both torque mounts (upper and lower), in good condition, bolts properly secured. It seems it's a matter of 'adaptation'. It also seems the adaptation cannot happen unless the fluid reaches at least 65C (it winter here for now). I'll wait for a warmer day to run the adaptation procedure and post the results. Here's a list with the solenoid related issues, from Rostra (they make replacement solenoids) www.rostratransmission.com/pdf/AW55-50-Solenoid-Adjustment-Chart-v2.pdf
Peppermint I just did the same thing. I removed and cleaned the solenoids only to have a hard slam into drive afterwards when I did not have that issue before. Just ordered the new rostra solenoids hopefully they will finally resolve the issue.
Seems the lesson should be if it isn't broke don't fix it. Both of you said it shifted into drive just fine until you did this now it bangs.
For future reference count the turns of the pintle on the end. mine comes in at 5 with a distance of 1.9775 from the top of the bottom slot to the tip of it. This is important as it controls constantly line pressure if the pressure is too high (you turned it in to many times) it bangs into gear. If it is too soft it slips. Sounds like you fellows didn't count your turns.
Thanks for the wee video, that's how you really clean a solenoid, and with no fancy tools. Had to sit through countless videos of people just spraying cleaner on the outside and calling it clean, much appreciated, thanks again.
What I see a lot of is people using drill bits to clean them out. I have read one post somewhere they suggest using a reemer to resize the bushings. I forgot where I read that but it does make some sense. I wonder if the one who suggested that owns a machine shop or transmission shop. That really does sound like the way to go if you can find one the right size. You would probably still use cleaner or at least compressed air to clear the debris out otherwise the problem may come back even worse. I wonder if the valve body rebuild businesses test the valve bodies with hot transmission fluid. That would be simply because the issues we have are often when everything is hot and the bushings have expanded.
Outstanding. The best preventative maintenance is to do regular fluid changes on these AISIN gearboxes. I do a drain & fill of the TF-80SC in my VR every oil change. While it is only a portion of the fluid in it, it maintains the cleanliness of the fluid, which is my opinion is why the solenoid valving gets sticky. i never understood why Volvo said the fluid is 'lifetime'.
The life time of the gearbox is considerably greater if the oil is changed than the life time of the gearbox that hasn't had an oil change.
AWESOME Video! Highly informative. Thanks a million for being so detailed. Again awesome work.👏👍
Your patience and wisdom set a great example. Thank You.
Thankyou! You've given many the confidence to try a free fix for the most annoying and niggling issue on these otherwise reliable Volvos. Bob Warnke also suggests drilling access holes in the valve body cover in case you also need to fine tune the solenoid valve pressures without having to take the cover off each time you want to make an adjustment. Rostra & Sonnax have symptomatic guides for the adjustment. Just make sure you drill the holes in the cover after you remove it - NOT BEFORE YOU REMOVE IT - and plug the holes with rtv silicone or a removable plug of some sort. I've owned my 2002 volvo v70T since new and with regular servicing it still looks and runs like new after 18 years. But the transmission has started playing up in the past 2 years - I will give this a try and see how it goes.
Hey did you end up trying this fix?! How did it work out?
@@FlippedSociety Car is now changing gears better than when I bought it new in 2002. I didn't try cleaning the solenoids as I wanted to make sure I gave this my best shot and use new parts. I just bought the rostra kit for the 3 main solenoids. I also created access ports in the valve cover to allow for easy adjustment of the solenoids but that was probably unnecessary as the car changes gears better than when I bought it new in 2002. The Rostra solenoids are far superior to the original AISIN ones as they allow for through flow and only around 176 USD. But if you are a tightwad or on a really tight budget cleaning the old ones might also work. Its an easy fix if you take your time and follow instructions and links on these comments. If this didn't work out I was going to ditch the car but it's been running sweet for over 6 months now and changes are really smooth. I didn't even bother doing the software adaptation. Looks like I could be keeping this car another 20 years.
@@arconiluka Amazing news. So you didn't have to tweak the solenoids after putting them in? Also, did you go through dropping the subframe or just weasel the bolts off the casing? I'm starting to mentally prepare for this fix. haha.
Only real painful part is manoeuvring the valve body back into place while it has fresh rtv beaded on its mating faces. You have to do a dry run a couple of times so you can learn the best way to manoeuvre it back on without any rtv being rubbed off against any other parts. First important step before taking anything apart is to thoroughly clean all surfaces around and on the valve body and gearbox with degreaser and then wash it down with soapy water and let it dry. I would allow a weekend for this job - one leisurely day to get it ready and repeat watching and reading the well written guides out there. I ended up printing off all the info I could find and then sat down and read it through over and over and then got a clear mental picture of the procedure before i started and even then kept referring to the guides while doing it. But please be careful to safely prop and your car on decent car stands in the recommended jacking points, chock the rear wheels, hand brake on and in gear and work safely at all times - dont take any short cuts when it comes to safety. If you can find a friendly garage or workshop that lets you use their hoists for a nominal fee or a slab of beer that would make life a lot easier. My local community mens shed read one of my articles on this and contacted me and said hey we have a car hoist here - come and use it and make a few new friends and we will lend you a hand - how great is that! If I did the job again it would take me 2 hours instead of 16hrs - I was scared to attempt it as my mechanical skills aren't crash hot but patience , lots of breaks and cuppas and thinking it through before and while you are doing it will help you get through it
@@FlippedSocietyNo need to tweak the solenoids as it worked well afterwards - didn't even do the adaptation which is a pain to get right and find the right roads to do it on. So no need to drill and make access ports in the valve body cover. No need to remove the valve body either. Just replace the solenoids with the valve body still on the car. The Rostra kit has different wiring to the volvo on one solenoid but the Rostra instructions will tell you how to do that. Take plenty of pics while you are doing it, especially one of the valves once you have the cover off.
Bunny, I don't often comment on the interweb, but I would like to take the time to say a massive thanks for the instructional video. I cleaned out the solenoids on my hard shifting 180,000 mile V70 T5 last weekend and it appears to have made a difference during the first drive afterwards. Only tweak to your method was that I used a small cutting disk on a Dremel type device to neatly open up each solenoid with 12 small slits. Biggest PITA was dropping the subframe to get the cover off. The top black solenoid spindle was the only one that appeared to be tight on disassembly. Warm weather and a traffic jam will truly tell as to whether this worked, but so far so good. This fix cost me just over £3 for a new cooler pipe seal, £6 tube of gasket and £12 for 2 litres of transmission fluid. Love solutions and fixes like this! Thanks again. G
Thanks for your comments. Really appreciate you taking the time and trouble. It is hard to believe it has been about 6 years ago since the video was made. I would probably need to watch the video to remember how to do it but it is still going strong at 250K miles so no need just yet. Saving a fortune is always a great feeling. Just glad it helped you out.
Great Video this one - For anyone having hard shifting problems with the Aisin transmission, just clean the solenoids like above and now shifts like a brand new car.
Definitely saved us a ton not needing to buying expensive kits.
Dealership and mechanics couldn't fix here in Perth / wanted crazy money for new transmission install - Thanks for showing the most cost effective solution bunnybr!
My S80 is now at 250000 miles and has driven perfectly since doing the solenoid work. You are right, I was quoted £4000 for a replacement gearbox, way above the value of the car. No one would do the job I ended up doing. Thanks for your kind comments
Thanks man. Wish I saw this before ordering the kit. Most clear video on how to actually disassemble and clean these things
Thanks for the video, I used a Dremel tool to do the cutting and it worked great
instablaster...
Thank you, very good video guide. It could save me 130$
Some Volkswagen owners do this on the 09G. When it gets hot they get the shifting problems you mention. One of the problems is that it is slow to shift when that happens. I just hope that it is not causing the clutches to burn from the apparent slipping it causes. You and I could have very nice cars if the transmissions were just better made. I find it ironic that company mostly owned by Toyota makes out transmissions and yet we get these things with the bad valve bodies. I wonder if VW is doing any more valve body recalls. I once had a 2006 Jetta 2.5 that was eligible. It appeared to shift fine but they swapped the valve body. Really I had it done for the free fluid, the recall is done free of charge for the customer or I would have told them to keep the car. The fluid for that car was $18.36 and tax per liter. For my 2013 Passat 2.5 which seems to be a similar car that fluid is almost $25 per liter. Some people with a 09G ultimately find themselves going back to Volkwagen's fluid after having tried the other fluids.
Тhank you! I got a great experience especially how to disconnect this damn connector from the selenoid
can you tell me how u dropped the subframe down and how much clearance was needed I can see u got both wheels still on car
Thank you so much sir for publishing this video. I have two maxima giving the hard and delayed changing of gears which are driving me crazy. I just bought two valve body for them and if I had seen this video before I could have save the money. Thanks again and don’t let negative comments stop you from saving and help us saving some greens.
What ATF fluid do you use on your Volvo ?
Hey guys... I replaced the valve body on a 07' XC90. Now the vehicle has no reverse. Couple of threads I read online say a seal may have been damages upon installation but doesn't stay which seal. Was wondering if you might be able to point me in the right direction. Thanks.
11:53 when you put back to cover there is no place to moving up and down of needle . coil how to move needle?
What is the distance on the SLS and SLU solenoids? 15:15. On SLT 4.72 mm. Thank you!
SLS ????
lovely! i love videos like this...
Very imformative video, think you covered every tecnical aspect.
I would have thought it is ment to be sealed at the plate end the solenoid?
The original ones are not Rostra brand right? As you mention the Rostra ones are not so fuzzy with leaking, but how about the Aisin ones do you think?
And thanks for sharing your learning
only thing I would change on this would be the size of drill bit use , should use a #21 drill instead of a 4mm , I have done this on a 2005 Nissan maxima which uses the same transmission as Volvo
Thank you. Now to curse through the job on mine.
Hey Ivar. My Xc70 is at 230k and just getting this. Did you tackle yours yet? I have read through all the 'fluff' of everyones theories on this problem...being 2021 I feel like there has to be a CERTAIN fix resolution (like this video and the solenoids)... Nothin like starting the video with a hacksaw vs taking to stealership and getting robbed.
Give it a go Ivar! I kept putting off doing it but car got so bad I was going to sell it to the wreckers. But 8 months after this fix its still changing gears better than new.
@@arconiluka well i have done the solenoid thing, and they seemed fine. I have also wasted 300 euros buying a gear position sensor from the u.s. it was not the fault. Still sticks in a high gear forward no matter where the shifter is. Even in R. Started dismantling everything. Awd dropbox is on its last chapter in life. Hard work without a lift. Have seen videos of fixing these transmissions, and that is just too big a project. Will probably give up.
Hope your car lasts for a while.
Sorry it didn't work for you. Probably needs a complete overhaul and you have to really think twice about that given the time and money that will take. At least you had the satisfaction of trying. If my fix hadn't worked I probably would have sold the car for parts.
Is it the same procedure on a 2000 S80 T6? GM transmission 4T65.
When cleaning the bushes with the drill bit, reverse direction feed the bit in as you have done, but keep spinning the bit for about 15 seconds in the reverse direction while pushing and pulling the drill bit in and out - NEVER rotate the drill bit the other way (i.e. clockwise) or you will score the bushings and destroy the solenoid!
Loved to video, you're a real "MacGyver". Very briefly at the end you mentioned some sort of calibration or learning mode but you didn't show us what you were using for this. I assume some sort of scanner program thru the OBD2 port. Could you give a bit more info on this please, before I rip my gearbox apart :-)
The gear box training is well documented elsewhere on the internet so i havent included it. It is reset via ODB scanner. I reset mine and tried the instructions. i ended by resetting again and just driving. I now have quick take off smooth gear changes especially when stopping or slowing down. i wouldnt worry too much about the training. most garages dont bother.
There is an adaptive mode. This causes the transmission to learn faster. It can be just driven and it will learn it a little slower but will learn it nonetheless.
For anyone rebuilding this transmission and looking for parts, you will find that there are two types of filters: ones with or without a "rib". I am unable to find a definitive source of information as to which transmissions have which filter, and the only source that said anything about it WAS WRONG, so I'm here to share the one tiny tidbit I know (I had to tear my entire transmission apart to figure this out, AFTER I had already bought the wrong filter):
The transmission in a 2001 Volvo V70XC has a filter WITH a rib. (there, was that so hard, internet?) If you have a different vehicle, I can't help you, but don't count on internet sources either. Tear your transmission apart first, then buy the parts when you know for sure which ones to get. (Also, my friction plates are all fine, I can still see the paint on them, so for me, IT IS JUST THE VALVE BODY!!!)
You know there are codes written on the outside of the transmission. The label is pretty easy to spot on top. This should tell a person what transmission they have. What you are talking about is Early and Late units which has subtle differences from one another. There should also be a casting code that tells you which transmission you have in the car, finding that can be a little more difficult. There are a few ways to get the right filter other than tearing into it. I understand why you did it as not many people know those codes exist and have a lot of information on them but that is why they are there is to help you when you have to rebuild, service or replace it.
Same is true for an engine as well.
cool
Thanks for the well explained video. I own a 2005 S40 T5 Auto. It runs and changes smooth until the engine warms up the the error message " Transmision service required " and then the gearbox goes into limp mode. After switching off the ignition and restarting it resets again but goes back into limp mode soon after a little driving. Ive already replaced the 2 x gearbox speed sensors that come out of the TCM ontop of the gearbox as this was one of the error codes picked up on the mechanics Launch diagnostic. Any advice on this ?
Any idea on how to change the transmission oil on a 2006 Volvo S60 d5 tiptronic any advice would be greatly appreciated
There is no easy way. There are plenty of videos which show how to do it. As some fluid is in the sump and some in the cooler. It is a case of diluting the old oil with new stuff. It takes lots of fluid.
This involves a lot of work......I have done it on several cars and I can honestly say it is in no way fun. If its your first time you won't finish it any sooner than about an entire day morning to night. Us mechanics who do it regularly still run into things that take longer.
The biggest thing I can tell you to watch out for is to remember to remove hydraulic lines first, then electrical, then start unbolting things. This prevents you from breaking wires and lines. Also do not forget the TC has fluid in it and it will piss out. Account for that. The thing I hate about automatic transmissions is once you start unbolting things ATF seems to come from every hole on it.
Personally I wish there were more demand for manual and people knew how to operate them. The box rarely goes unless it is abused. Only one thing on them to replace mostly is clutch and pressure plate from time to time but if you don't burn up the clutch you will be good for a very long time. Automatics are nice but it is always a matter of when they go not if.
@@evilcowboy You've done this same method with success?
That is a braw video. Iv got the same problem on my 2001 v70 xc. THANK YOU! Slange
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Hi, i own a 2005 s40. it shifts hard when slowing down. where can i find the solenoid?
I have the same issue with my 2005 s40 T5, but only does that when it has reached normal operating temperature, when cold it changes beautifully, how did you go with yours
@@richardmelusi4129 I ended up replacing the transmission. But first We took out the valve body and solenoids. Cleaned them put them back but it still didn’t work. So I junked it and got another one.
a lot cheaper than buying the transgo kit
Sounds like a diesel engine, or the engine is really worn out
This car has a five-cylinder engine that sounds like a badger's asshole.
Yeah thats common on that engine and is normal. Every wonder why that stupid plastic cover is on the engines? Other than looks it is sound proofing for the engine especially when it sounds like that. Volvos sound like ass and VW's tick like a motherfucker. The 5 cylinder is inline and thus the inline design is always more durable than a V design.
But you're right it would probably be beneficial to give it a top end refresh which is everything from the head gasket up to the top. But then again I am a guy who uses valve seals instead of throwing them away and leaving the old ones in because it requires an extra day to clean the head and install them. I personally don't like smelling burnt oil after replacing a head gasket.
Good job, but for god sakes where some rubber gloves.
This person does not understand how to open a soleniod. From the first minutes to 7,12 he solenoid damaged completely
Ok, so I havent spent £550 on the special tool no 3163787x. So yes my method is not the best method to open the can. This is how I effectively resolved my issue with sticking solenoids with the tools available at very little cost.
A year on, the car is still changing gears perfectly. Thank you for your comment.
Jarnas salasevicius .. Not everyone has fancy tools or hundreds of pounds to spend on them. This gentleman did the way like most of us would do and I have lots of respect for people like him.
Please make a video and upload it so we can learn how to do it the right way
:D
He did it in an in home scenario and paid attention to critical measurements. That means he did it right to a standard of a DIY person and did a good job of it too. The repair kit from Sonnax has you grind off the crimped area and press a cap on it which is exactly the same thing with the real difference being you can see the relief cuts he made. Big deal as he said it supplies more oil with the gaps there and the solenoid is less likely to stick again.
Jesus Christ I am a mechanic and been doing it for years and I see nothing wrong with what he did. It is a hell of a lot better than seeing some jackass put a couple of wires around it to try an hold it on, and yes I have seen some cars with people attempting to hold critical parts together with wire and duct tape.
owww what are you doing hi hi what a amateur pfffff.
Yes I am an amateur. But job done in 2016 and still going strong since. A good amateur job I think?