Manual transmission users: do any of you have a balky or stiff shift linkage when your car is cold? On my 1999 V70, even when warmed up, sometimes it is hard to shift into reverse. The shift has been like this since new. To not force anything, I wiggle the stick and go into another gear first, like third or fourth. Then it will move more easily into reverse. I am pretty sure it is not the transmission itself because I recently changed the oil with the stock Volvo lube. This oil is rather thin compared to traditional gear oil, thicker than ATF, but thinner than 75/90 weight. I think the problem is with the cable linkage. Are there pulleys or tubes that the wires go through? Is there anything to lubricate or spray? Thanks!

Once in a while my 1998 V70 seems impossible to get into reverse. I feel your pain. My solution has been to run it through all the gears in the following order: 5th, 4rth, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, reverse. This has never failed to get the stick smoothly into reverse.

Hope this helps,
-Greg
1998 V70 T5M

Mine's always been just fine going into revrese so it may be the way the linkages etc. were all set up when the car was built.

BTW, I believe the "secret sauce" Volvo synthetic manual transmission gear oil is just plain 'ol 5W30 synthetic motor oil. (Try a search on this!)

-BTC

'98 V70 T5 5-speed, 167k mi, velour cloth seats, front IPD stabilizer bar, rear factory HD bar, Bilstein HD, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, e-codes, XC grill, Lidatek LE30, V-1, Mobil-1 since new

"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair." -- Douglas Noel Adams (1952-2001)

Mine does the same thing. I never thought of it as abnormal in any way -- whether through wear or by poor design. When it happens, I just move the shifter back to neutral and let off the clutch pedal. It usually goes right into gear when I try it again.

As for the fluid, I actually tried a few others. Valvoline Synthetic Gear Lube was terrible - the car shifted like that old Ford Econoline three-on-the-tree that I used to run deliveries with in my college days. When I switched to Redline MTL (70w80) and then to Redline MT-90 (75w90), the shift quality improved back to stock and then actually very slightly better, respectively. None of these fluid changes had any effect on the "parked into reverse" phenomenon that you originally inquired about.

--
Jim Rothe, '99 S70 T5M,
http://www.jimrothe.com/volvo/index.html