Hi.
Tested a Volvo V40 SE 2litre tonight and there was great dificulty engaging 1st gear and reverse gear.
On the Volvo owners club site I found the text below and wondered if anyone had any further info about it or whether or not this would be a free adjustment by Volvo ( I can hear you laughing already) or how much it would cost to put right.
The car is a nice drive and belongs to a friends daugher who has emigrated, I would like to buy the car if this problem can be solved economically.
from VOC Recently I heard of a case of a used S40 1.8 that was purchased with a mileage of 11,000 miles. The owner subsequently experienced difficulty engaging reverse gear without grating. There was also a stiffness when selecting first gear. He was told by the dealership that Volvo were aware of the problem and were working on it. Volvo Customer Relations were contacted and the owner was assured that a modification would resolve the problem. The work was duly undertaken by the dealership, which involved a very small adjustment to the gear selector gate. The owner was also advised that selection of first gear immediately prior to selecting reverse gear normally results in smoother gear changes ! In many cases, but not all, this achieves the desired result, but because of the random nature of the defect, the procedure must be followed every time reverse gear is required, if the box is not to be progressively ruined. In some instances recently the owner had to resort to pre-selection of reverse gear before starting the engine.