On my XC60 the P -> R shift clunk was fixed by replacing an engine mounting.

If the transmission had never been flushed (or if you don't know whether it had been flushed) the best investment you can make is to have the transmission fluid replaced. Just be aware that the Aisin transmissions in Volvo's use very specific transmission fluid (if the Volvo fluid is too expensive, get it from a Toyota dealer - Aisin is a Toyota company) and have the counters reset. Cheapest insurance for a healthy and long life from the transmission you can invest in.

 

Interesting - thanks for the tips. The car is under warranty and I don't know the full service history, although I'm hoping a Volvo dealership will provide some of this this when they inspect it.

 

Hi, i've found this thread and i noticed that my 8 speed geartronic also does (not always, but most of the time) a clunk sound when moving to and from reverse. Up until today i always assumed this was normal as there were no issues with driving or it getting stuck or something. It's my first ever automatic car so i'm not really sure what to expect!

Could this perhaps be normal?

 

I've owned my 60,000-mile car for a couple of months and I've noticed a couple of what may, or may not, be minor issues with the gearbox. A local independent Volvo specialist thinks they could point to a major and expensive problem down the line, although I have not yet had the vehicle properly assessed at a main dealer.

Here's what I've noticed and I wondered if other owners have had the same issue, or know if this is a 'thing' among XC60's with the auto box?

Here's what happens: when I move the selector from Park to Reverse, it feels distinctly clunky, compared to when changing to the other modes. The vehicle drives exactly as it should, so I haven't so far been too concerned. Secondly, when selecting park on an incline, the vehicle moves more than expected before (I assume) the auto-handbrake kicks in.

It's only a few inches but this can be quite alarming as you get out of the vehicle, although it always stops. Both seemed relatively minor, wear and tear issues, which I assumed would be fixed with cable adjustments or similar.

I am a firm believer in using the manual parking brake (as in the parking brake switch) on any incline. Otherwise, the entire weight of the vehicle rests on a tiny pin which locks the transmission. The slight rolling back of all automatic transmission cars is the pin 'finding' space in the tines of the gear to rest. If that pin breaks (such as it did when my stepmother's Audi grenaded itself on a hill and rolled back down while in Park) then you're in a sticky situation.

Using the parking brake is cheap insurance and a peace-of-mind for me. Plus, it eliminates the annoying few inches of forward movement.

As for your transmission itself, engine mounts are a good place to start looking. I have heard no horror stories involving the 8 speed Aisin transmission.

 

Volvo released a software update for the auto transmission that fixes the clunk 90% of the time. It was a known fault so go to Volvo and ask for the update - FREE! Their policy is that any updates that fix a known fault will be free of charge so just remind them of that.

 

I would address the issue as soon as possible. Both of my father's 5 speed aisins had that jerk and then died several years later of a transmission failure. I was able to change the transmission fluid following Volvo Sweden's youtube video on my 176,00km 2013 XC60 then via VIDA reset the transmission fluid counter and perform an transmission adaptation. The problem you had described has been gone since and everything drives smoothly. I've heard a dealer's software update can do the trick, but sometimes make it worse. I've read some horror stories after doing a transmission adaptation as well so proceed with caution when going that route. If neither of those work then either a change of engine mounts and/or replacing the solenoids in the transmission generally do the trick according to forum posts.

If you decide to go with the transmission fluid change route (which is good preventative maintenance anyways), remember that after either 2012 or 2013 (iirc) the 6 speed aisin transmission uses JWS 3324 oil rather than JWS 3309. The use of the incorrect oil can be a big problem and what makes matters worse is that VIDA can report the transmission as TF-80SC (JWS 3309) when it is actually TF-81SC (JWS 3324), but the correct transmission fluid Volvo part reference number should show up in the information section of the car when using VIDA. I recommend buying the Aisin fluid, the transmission manufacturer probably knows best and it is quite a bit cheaper than the OEM Volvo fluid.

 

I recommend buying the Aisin fluid, the transmission manufacturer probably knows best and it is quite a bit cheaper than the OEM Volvo fluid.

Aisin is a company owned by Toyota and their transmissions are used in Lexus, Toyota and many OEM (including Volvo) models. My experience is that the cheapest transmission fluid is from a Toyota dealer - the JWS3309 spec is T-IV but I'm not sure what they label the JWS3324 / AW1 spec oil - maybe somebody else can help. Btw the Toyota branded fluid = Aisin.

 

Where is the tag with the 80 or 81SC designation? We just picked up a 13 T6 R Design and I doubt that the fluid has ever been changed so it's high on my to-do list when (if?) we get a few warm days. FWIW I've had good luck with Liqui Moly 1800 ATF in other European transmissions and I see that FCP has it as an option for these too.