Back in November I wrote about my wife's 740 overdrive problem. Well, I let her drive my truck and have driven the Volvo since then. Today I finally got around to removing the overdrive solenoid. The problem appears to be the electrical connection where the wire connects to the solenoid. When I got the solenoid cleaned up before removing it I could see that the "boot" that covers the electrical connections on the top of the solenoid was raised on one side. After I got the solenoid off I tried to remove the boot so I could inspect the wires more closely. The rubber broke apart in my hands. One of the terminals on top of the solenoid is badly corroded and the wire is barely connected. I think this explains why the overdrive worked when the car got hot. The wire was expanding enough to cause a good connection when everything was hot under there, but it was inconsistent. I put the solenoid back on without any repairs just to close up the hole.

My question is, can I repair the wire/solenoid connection or do I have to buy another solenoid? I had the car up on blocks with the transmission lowered as much as it would go and was underneath, so I did not get a really good look at how the wires connect. Are the solenoid and the wire connection a sealed unit or does it come separate?

Thanks.

Tom