Manual gear selection issue

[VVTi]

XC90
MANUAL
D5
2007

Could anyone be kind enough and help with any suggestions to investigate my gear selection issue please?

Note MANUAL Gear Box

PROBLEM
On a few occasions I find it awkward to select 1st, 2nd or 3rd.
There seems to be no reasoning to when this may happen or which gear this may be.
Temperature wise it’s happened between single figures to mid 20’s.
This can be whilst in slow moving traffic, at the beginning of journey, or after a decent run.
It seems as if there’s a slight notch that it’s not allowing me to push the gear stick any further forward at the begging of the selection/gate.
I never force it.
If I reengage the clutch again and/or select another gear this seems to sort it most of the time, but sometimes still feeling a little notchy rather than being totally slick which it normally is. As if the clutch isn’t being depressed enough.

WORK DONE SO FAR
It’s been to the Volvo main dealer who adjusted the linkage and greased everything up but hasn’t really done anything and they couldn’t find or suggest anything and reported no issue, nor experienced the fault.

CAR DETAILS
It’s done 115k miles.
FVSH
I bought the car with 50k on it.
It had a complete, brand new gear box (under warranty thank god) at the Volvo main dealer at 55k when the 5th gear bearing started to make a noise.
I also had the clutch changed whilst everything was out.
I had a tow bar fitted when I bought the car and tow a 1.5 ton caravan 3 or 4 times a year within England (ie not massive distances, but appreciate I’m probably straining it more in the lower gears).

I love the car otherwise and would like to keep it as it took me ages to find a decent manual (or so I thought).

Any thoughts or assistance would be very much appreciated – THANK YOU.

[diro]

I think I know where a problem can be - transmission control module/gear selector controller or however that device is called. Sounds odd because it is manual and I dont exactly remember a description of it. Very likely a controller is messing about.

The idea of the controller is to prevent shifting unnecessary gears. It has electronically controlled sliding stopper which changes its position depending if you drive or parked. While a car is parked you would not be able to put into 5 and 6 gear. When you driving, controller prevents to switch accidentally into reverse gear.
In your case if controller is messing about and a slider doesnt come to the right position - you have problems shifting gears.

You need to remove the panel and surrounding of the gear selector to get access to the controller. The controller is attached to the bracket with screws and connected to wiring. Once you have access you will definitely recognize it. Release it from the bracket and have a go.

[Acer]

Originally Posted by VVTi

XC90
MANUAL
D5
2007

Could anyone be kind enough and help with any suggestions to investigate my gear selection issue please?

Note MANUAL Gear Box

PROBLEM
On a few occasions I find it awkward to select 1st, 2nd or 3rd.
There seems to be no reasoning to when this may happen or which gear this may be.
Temperature wise it’s happened between single figures to mid 20’s.
This can be whilst in slow moving traffic, at the beginning of journey, or after a decent run.
It seems as if there’s a slight notch that it’s not allowing me to push the gear stick any further forward at the begging of the selection/gate.
I never force it.
If I reengage the clutch again and/or select another gear this seems to sort it most of the time, but sometimes still feeling a little notchy rather than being totally slick which it normally is. As if the clutch isn’t being depressed enough.

WORK DONE SO FAR
It’s been to the Volvo main dealer who adjusted the linkage and greased everything up but hasn’t really done anything and they couldn’t find or suggest anything and reported no issue, nor experienced the fault.

CAR DETAILS
It’s done 115k miles.
FVSH
I bought the car with 50k on it.
It had a complete, brand new gear box (under warranty thank god) at the Volvo main dealer at 55k when the 5th gear bearing started to make a noise.
I also had the clutch changed whilst everything was out.
I had a tow bar fitted when I bought the car and tow a 1.5 ton caravan 3 or 4 times a year within England (ie not massive distances, but appreciate I’m probably straining it more in the lower gears).

I love the car otherwise and would like to keep it as it took me ages to find a decent manual (or so I thought).

Any thoughts or assistance would be very much appreciated – THANK YOU.

I believe the manual gearboxes in early D5s were always a bit dodgy. You may be looking at a new box. They have already replaced it once at 55k and you have done the same amount of miles again. Manual XC90s are pretty few and far between.

[VVTi]

Originally Posted by diro

I think I know where a problem can be - transmission control module/gear selector controller or however that device is called. Sounds odd because it is manual and I dont exactly remember a description of it. Very likely a controller is messing about.

The idea of the controller is to prevent shifting unnecessary gears. It has electronically controlled sliding stopper which changes its position depending if you drive or parked. While a car is parked you would not be able to put into 5 and 6 gear. When you driving, controller prevents to switch accidentally into reverse gear.
In your case if controller is messing about and a slider doesnt come to the right position - you have problems shifting gears.

You need to remove the panel and surrounding of the gear selector to get access to the controller. The controller is attached to the bracket with screws and connected to wiring. Once you have access you will definitely recognize it. Release it from the bracket and have a go.

Thank you Diro.

I know the picture is of an Auto but i assume this is the area I should be aiming at?
BTW that's not my highlights on the drawing.
Thank you.

[VVTi]

Originally Posted by Acer

I believe the manual gearboxes in early D5s were always a bit dodgy. You may be looking at a new box. They have already replaced it once at 55k and you have done the same amount of miles again. Manual XC90s are pretty few and far between.

I'm aware the splines for the rear drive was an issue on the early/pre-facelift models but nothing on this year nor on the gearbox itself on any year?

The autos got revamped.

[diro]

Originally Posted by VVTi

Thank you Diro.

I know the picture is of an Auto but i assume this is the area I should be aiming at?
BTW that's not my highlights on the drawing.
Thank you.

Yes, thats the place. You'll see a controller down the gear selector. A slider itself has about 1/2 inch diameter a little wheel at the end if I remember

[Acer]

Originally Posted by VVTi

I'm aware the splines for the rear drive was an issue on the early/pre-facelift models but nothing on this year nor on the gearbox itself on any year?

The autos got revamped.

There are so few manuals about that it is hard to say, but I am sure I read it somewhere. You had a gearbox rebuilt at only 55k. That is not normal and doesn't say much for the box.

[VVTi]

Originally Posted by Acer

There are so few manuals about that it is hard to say, but I am sure I read it somewhere. You had a gearbox rebuilt at only 55k. That is not normal and doesn't say much for the box.

True, but that was a bearing, and bearings can fail any time on anything. Rare but does happen. Limited if they get x-rayed which I very much doubt they are.

It was a complete brand new whole gear box, not a re-con.

[Acer]

Originally Posted by VVTi

True, but that was a bearing, and bearings can fail any time on anything. Rare but does happen. Limited if they get x-rayed which I very much doubt they are.

It was a complete brand new whole gear box, not a re-con.

Even more sinister then. A brand new gearbox is playing up after only 55k miles! Hopefully someone will have an easy fix.

[owenfackrell]

Ours is a manual. A 2005 model year one. It has done 231k miles so far and the box is original. The clutch has been changed in that time but that was due to the slave cylinder going at 172k miles. It was also used to tow a horse box for a number of years by the previous owner. Never heard of an electronic device preventing gear selection. I have had the surround off of mine a number of times and never seen anything like described. I have laos sat there selecting all the gears whilst stationary, engine has running and off. In fact I often take advantage of the torque and put it in 6 whilst doing 40 or less equally I have put it in to a low gear whilst at high speed, but slowing with no problems.
I would check that you are not losing brake fluid as the clutch shares the same reservoir as when the when the slave cylinder went in out other car the first symptoms was difficulty selecting gears.