Sitting at traffic lights-correct procedure?

[robsterpaterson]

Right, daft question time. I'm not a fan of sitting with my foot on the brake if sitting stationary for a while, but I've started doing it now I've got an auto.
I'm trying to get into the habit of using the parking brake instead but I've got a query;
I've heard that when stationary in D with your foot on the brakes, that the TF80-SC box goes into neutral. Is this correct? If I use the parking brake, should I be nudging the box into neutral? Cheers.

[nu11eaf]

Just put gear in park position which holds your car without parking brake.

[robsterpaterson]

Always an option, but I'd be wary of a rear-end shunt damaging the box if it was pushed forward in Park. Although an impact capable of shunting 2200kg prob means that the gearbox would be the least of my worries...

[4x4]

Car into neutral and parking brake applied. This way you don't need to pass reverse gear two times and it doesn't put any strain on the gearbox parking pawl

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by 4x4

Car into neutral and parking brake applied. This way you don't need to pass reverse gear two times and it doesn't put any strain on the gearbox parking pawl

I would agree with the above and this is what I think the highway code would say - however it's my personal opinion that in practice putting it in "P" is 99% as satisfactory.

You should not sit with your foot on the brake in "D" - this is a bad practice both from the driving and mechanical point of view.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by robsterpaterson

I've heard that when stationary in D with your foot on the brakes, that the TF80-SC box goes into neutral. Is this correct? If I use the parking brake, should I be nudging the box into neutral? Cheers.

Yes that is correct it is a feature invented by Volvo on the earlier cars with the AW55 box where it would shift to neutral after around 10-15 seconds (when stationary, up to temperature and foot on brake). It's referred to as Neutral Control. The gearbox manufacturer, Aisin Warner, adopted it as a standard feature in the later 6-speed TF-80 series and it happens sooner now, after just a few seconds.

On a healthy gearbox this operation is virtually undetectable to the driver.

[gmonag]

A pet hate of mine is drivers who sit in queues in front of me, at night, with the foot brakes applied. The brake lights are dazzling, so I try not to do it myself.

My preferred procedure is to select N and apply the parking brake. If that will not hold the car stationary (... I know!) then I select P.

Also to keep the parking brake working as best it can, when parking I stop, select N, apply the parking brake, let the car settle then select P.

[4x4]

Originally Posted by gmonag

...My preferred procedure is to select N and apply the parking brake. If that will not hold the car stationary (... I know!) then I select P.

If the parking brake will not hold then the car is illegally on the road

[XJSDriver]

Agree with Gmonag, I hate being blinded by lazy inconsiderate drivers who sit with their foot on the brake; I appreciate in slow moving traffic this is unavoidable, but at traffic lights or a queue which is not moving, please put in park or neutral.

[nu11eaf]

A lot if not most modern cars now have stop/start and auto hold brakes that apply when car comes to a stop, and stay on until you pull away, my newer version XC90 included, and probably all new Volvo's do now.
When I first got my car I was not aware that when the auto hold is applied the brake lights stay on until you pull away, even when foot is off the brake pedal, I suspect that a lot of the stationary brake lights are due to auto hold brakes. But not all.
With my old XC90 I used to put gear selector in park and foot off the brake but with the new car with stop/start and auto hold I just leave it in drive ready to apply the accelerator to start engine and release the brakes.
If I have a vehicle sat behind me at night or heavy rain I usually slip it into park to release the brakes.
You tend to get out of the habit of putting car in park or neutral with the new technology.

I know its annoying to sit behind bright brake lights at night or in rain.