My 1985 240 sedan has started winding out when shifting up into third and fourth gear and having a delay when automatically downshifting. It doesn't go into fourth until about 50mph (no tachometer), and when coasting down from high speeds I get a "clunk" as it downshifts. Very disturbing.

This is an old but young car: it only has 95,000 miles on it. I bought it recently from a friend who tells me he never had this kind of trouble. This is a new thing for me as I have never had a car with automatic tranny; always standard. No problems at all with shifting between drive, reverse or neutral while sitting still; just the automatic shifts. Fluid level is fine.

I am taking it into my mechanic on Monday but thought I would ask the Board. Any ideas? Thanks.

The TV (throttle valve) cable could be out of adjustment. This is the thing that tells the transmission when and how to shift; if you are on heavy throttle it will shift late and hard, soft pedaling it will shift early and easy. Maybe it is somehow binding up and causing a high-throttle read even when you are going easy on it? That would cause it to shift late and jerkily.

Thanks to all of you who replied. It was the throttle - kick - down cable. Pulled it out a bit, sprayed on some WD-40, and all is well. Thanks again.

JD

Suggest you use a better lubricant than WD-40, which is basically a water dispersant (great for spraying on damp ignition wires, etc.)

I disconnected my KD cable and rigged a wire hook from a cowl vent slot to hold the cable pointing up. Then, over the course of 2 or 3 hours, dribbled small doses of AT fluid down the cable. This one had been stuck solid from long disuse.

Fluid level may be fine, but the fluid it self may not be.

You could try a flush, and that might fix the problem.

Good luck.
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Proud owner of "The World's Most Famous Volvo Radio!"

These transmissions have been described as "bulletproof" out of admiration for their resistance to damage by use.

Don't be quick to give up on it. Likely one or two fluid changes and a check of the cable's adjustment will solve your problem.

The Haynes manual has the procedure for adjustment, I suppose Bentley has it also. It's a fairly simple procedure needing just a couple wrenches and not very much hand cleaner afterwards.

Thanks to all three of you who replied. I feel a lot more comfortable knowing a bit about what the problem could be.

Just so its clear, as Bruce mentioned could very well be just a kickdown cable adjustment. Sounds like it to me...

As the other poster suggested, cable could be be binding up (not releasing correctly) inside the tranny as well. Trying dripping a little ATF down the cable slowly so it makes it into the tranny.

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90 244DL 253K - original engine/drivetrain :)

Also check for vacuum leaks.
(Listen for hissing and look for cracks in tubing, especially at the connections.)

I have to admit I don't know if any part of the shift process is vacuum-driven, but if it is, a vacuum leak will cause problems there and in other places as well.