Dear roadie,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. I suspect the linkage - between the shifter handle and the transmission - has separated. I operate 940 series cars. However, I'd guess the linkage is roughly similar. The shifter handle has at the bottom a place where a connector rod - held onto the shifter handle by a pin, which is secured by an E-clip (if I recall correctly), which goes through a bushing. The E-clip is a flat, spring steel retainer, that fits into a groove at the end of the pin, and keeps the pin in place.

If the E-clip broke, and the pin fell out, the shifter handle no longer is connected to the shift linkage.

Your comment that the tranny was replaced, suggests that someone may have re-used a worn e-clip, or not seated the E-clip fully into the groove, at the end of the pin. When the E-clip said "Bye-bye" to the pin, it was only a matter of time, before the pin said "bye bye" to the linkage.

Bottom line: You'll have to jack up the car to inspect the linkage. If my guess is correct, you can reconnect the linkage using a common stove bolt. Apply two nuts, and lock them against each other.

As soon as you can, get to a Volvo dealer, and get a new pin, bushing, and E-clip.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook