Contrary to information previously viewed on this board no way is it a $170 job to replace the PNP switch. That refers only to the mode switch (Sport/no Sport) which is .7 hours in All Data. The PNP switch is 2 hours labor....just check out the procedure in Bay 13 and tell me that is only a 42 minute job. I have confirmed this (embarassingly) after arguing with my local dealer service advisor, then checking with the other local dealer and my trusted independent shop.

Just a caveat to others.......I am still ahead of the game as many other "experts" have flatly suggested "get a new transmission" so my fingers are crossed.

Volvo's warranty flat rate time for that is .8 hr BUT that doesn't include diagnostic time, a test drive or anything else that might be required to do the job correctly IMHO. Most shops will charge about 2 hours as that's a fair rate.

OK its the day after I picked up the car with a PNP switch replacement and a repair to the shift release solenoid. The shifter was not releasing from Park with the handle release for a LONG time, I have had to do it with the manual shift override button on the console. I paid for the work last evening late and came back to pick it up with my wife long after the service dept (Volvo of Pleasanton, CA) had closed. The park release was still not operable, and the radio was in anti-theft mode as well. After entering the code and getting no radio, I left it alone and tried again this morning after more than the required 2 hour wait. The code still does not work. The radio was (I guess) replaced under warranty before I got the car but I did get the NEW code from this very dealer just trwo weeks ago.

Seems strange that I paid over $400 for the repairs and then they failed to notice the park release still didn't work, as they had to drive the car to a parking area for me to come back and retrieve it. And why would this battery disconnect invalidate a radio code that was perfectly good just two weeks ago? The good news is so far the PNP replacement seems to have remedied the trans glitch, i.e. would not shift out of low in the mornign, then would go into limp-home and give the "incorrect gear ratio" code along with a check engine light and upshift flashing arrow.

Two steps forward, one step back.

You're right in feeling that they should have discovered and at least notified you about the microswitch. It's repair is not related to the PNP switch so they wouldn't have automatically fixed that without your permission but they definately should have caught that.

As for the radio, again they should have coded that for you too. Sometimes a guy's in a hurry and forgets to check the radio but they should have. If the code you have doesn't unlock it in one try, stop (don't keep trying). You'll need to remove the radio (easy,just press and pull out the two tabs) and give the parts department your VIN, model # of radio (and color, black or grey face) PN and serial # (all on top of the radio).

Thanks Fred, you are absolutely correct. BUT I did specifically request and was charged for the microswitch replacement. AND I had to get the radio code by the method you described just a couple of weks ago at the very same dealer. I did catch my Advisor there late Sat afternoon and he was at a loss on both items. He recited the correct radio code to me without me even saying it. They had tried to restart the radio because when I picked it up later Friday the display said "rpt" already. And he had no explanantion why the manual shift override still had to be used or was not noticed when the car was moved from the service bay to the customer lot for later pickup. I had made the appointment for this "one day" job 10 days in advance, the car spent 3 days there and now its going back tomorrow. They are very cordial over there but not terribly efficient. Would I be out of line to suggest some sort of inconvenience consideration?? Maybe like a free latte or something?

I know all of you in Volvo-land are on pins and needles to know if I got all this crap fixed...late Tuesday after 5 days at Volvo of Pleasanton it appears to be done but I got there 7 minutes too late to pick up the car. I will fetch it first thing tomorrow....cannot wait to shift out of park one-handed, have my trans shift out of first without the upshift/limphome light and hear the mellow tones of the AM radio news to guide me on my treacherous (hey its SNOWING in No. CA!)commute.

I don't know, I assume the labour rates vary depending on where you go to get your car serviced. I just had my PNP switch replaced last week and the indie garage charged me one hour of labour plus the part. Total cost was about $185 Canadian which is about $125 US (guess I got a good deal). I'm happy to report that after having had this part replaced, my transmission seems to run fine now.

Bob-

Dealers in the Denver area charge between 1.5 and 3.3 hours for a PNP switch. I've done so many that my best time is around 20 minutes.

Dave the Volvo Tech

'99 V70R AWD, '93 854 GLT, '82 242 DL

Thanks to all of you that responded to this post...my fervent hope is this is the end of my transmission woes for the time being so I can get on with life. Which by the way includes my less-than-a-week-old 2001 Honda S2000. At the risk of being regarded as a Volvo Dis-loyalist (which in view of all the trouble I have had with the 850 I could be) let me say this Honda ROCKS.

By the way I also meant to ask if anyone gets a randon flashing of the air conditioning and recirc lights occasionally when first starting. They blink in unison 6 or 8 times then go out.

Bob-

AC and recirc light flashing on startup indicate a fault code in the ECC.

Dave the Volvo Tech

'99 V70R AWD, '93 854 GLT, '82 242 DL

Hello Dave-

Does that repeat a fault code that would be read on the A2 hole on the LED? From time to time I get an evap emissions code (3-1-5 I think) and a smell of gas when I fill (not overfill) the tank. My Volvo shop replaced a bad vac line when they did the valves right after NY so I though it was all done, but maybo not.

thanks for the help

Sounds like you are on the right track. Volvo dealers or independents for that matter don't work for All Data, Chiltons, Motor or any of those companys that put out time guides without having ever done the job for themselves. They are Guides not laws, and could give a good idea of the labor rate however they may be in error.

PNP switch can be done in 45 minutes or less by a trained experienced tech who has done the job over and over. However, 2 hours is a fair labor rate.