Warning! Around Halloween I purchased a new ScanTech Overdrive Solenoid and installed it on my 1992 245 automatic transmission at a cost of $104. Unfortunately, over the weekend (2 months later) the overdrive solenoid suffered a catastrophic failure which could have ruined my transmission. I was backing out of my driveway and when I got to the bottom of the driveway, I noticed that my car had just left a streak of fluid behind. It so happens that the overdrive solenoid failed and was gushing out transmission fluid. I was just able to get the car back up the driveway and into the garage. Good thing it didn't rupture out on the highway, I would have surely cooked the tranny.

Anyway, it was dark and I shined a flashlight up under the car and saw the transmission fluid leaking out around the solenoid. At first I thought that it was just a blown o-ring. But after further examination I discovered that the rubber top cap (the part where the electrical wire attaches to the solenoid) had totally split away from the metal solenoid valve parts. Basically, the top blew off of the thing. The result, massive transmission fluid leakage.

My conclusion is that this ScanTech overdrive solenoid suffers from poor quality construction, cheap-o materials, and design flaws. The next day I was able to pull an original Volvo overdrive solenoid from a junker for a cost of $5.25. A quick comparison showed the Volvo part to be of superior design, more metal, and less plastic/rubber. I installed the used Volvo solenoid on my car with some new o-rings and it works flawlessly.

The lesson learned. A used genuine Volvo part is better than a new, non OEM part.

Do you think I will be able to get a refund for the failed solenoid? I purchased it through the internet at that FCPGROTTEN place.