Auto box operation.

[volvocat]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

But not enough to safely decelerate the car without applying the brakes. I was used to a ZF box where dropping into sports mode on fast bends automatically dropped a gear and allowed you to enter and then accelerate out of the bend without touching the brakes at all. The gearbox became a sports car driver in sports mode and a family guy in standard mode. The AW box doesn't do this and the difference between standard and sports modes for engine braking is not appreciable on my 2012 XC70. I still love the car but I have had to change my driving style to compensate for the gearbox.

Polestar will help - in my experience, anyway.
My car also has paddles - best of both worlds.
All I need to complete my performance car illusion is a nice Maserati-stylee exhaust note on the downshifts!
Oh - and 4C - really miss that, this is the only XC/V70 I’ve had without it...

[I-S]

The OP's car is a 2008, and thus does not have the option of selecting sport mode.

[volvocat]

Originally Posted by I-S

The OP's car is a 2008, and thus does not have the option of selecting sport mode.

Yep - easy to get carried away off the original point!

[apersson850]

Well, my 2012 D5 does have sports mode, and, as Tatsfield describe it, if I flick it over from D to S it will downshift (unless I'm above 100 km/h, at least) and apply a significantly higher engine braking than it does in D mode. I use that now and then, when I want some braking, but not enough to motivate applying the brakes. Like in steep downhills.

My D5 is a 230 hp/470 Nm version (Polestar), if that matters. But the D4 181 hp we have does something similar. No Polestar there, but it's newer (2016).

[FollowingGhosts]

I have the TF80 box in my 2007 S80 and used the VIDA diagnostics mode on an hour's drive to work out what the gearbox was doing in terms of lock-up in the background.

It seems in 2nd especially, it is far less inclined to go into lock-up unless the revs are high and seems to prefer 4th with slipping/no lock-up to 3rd at higher revs when you're doing 25ish mph.

In terms of slipping lock-up, I saw that in every gear from 2nd to 6th.

Oh and it is much more likely to enter lock-up when in manual mode, taking advantage of this around town seems to net me a few more MPG.

FWIW, no transmission fault codes in VIDA after a recent fluid change and the gearbox is fairly well behaved in general, but I don't know what version of the software it's on

[seanc]

Originally Posted by FollowingGhosts

I have the TF80 box in my 2007 S80 and used the VIDA diagnostics mode on an hour's drive to work out what the gearbox was doing in terms of lock-up in the background.

It seems in 2nd especially, it is far less inclined to go into lock-up unless the revs are high and seems to prefer 4th with slipping/no lock-up to 3rd at higher revs when you're doing 25ish mph.

In terms of slipping lock-up, I saw that in every gear from 2nd to 6th.

Oh and it is much more likely to enter lock-up when in manual mode, taking advantage of this around town seems to net me a few more MPG.

FWIW, no transmission fault codes in VIDA after a recent fluid change and the gearbox is fairly well behaved in general, but I don't know what version of the software it's on

Any tips on activating the gear indication with Vida?
I've been under the advanced section to the gear indication and tried to activate it by pressing 'continue' as I read through the text but nothing seems to happen for me... but maybe it's because I'm unplugging the laptop to drive, or I'm in the wrong place?

[FollowingGhosts]

Originally Posted by seanc

Any tips on activating the gear indication with Vida?
I've been under the advanced section to the gear indication and tried to activate it by pressing 'continue' as I read through the text but nothing seems to happen for me... but maybe it's because I'm unplugging the laptop to drive, or I'm in the wrong place?

I did exactly the same thing at first. You have to click the weird icon that almost looks like an old NES cartridge or similar.

It'll then pop up with a window where you can activate it and it'll show up on the dash as transmission shift ind mode.

[XC90Mk1]

My 2012 xc90 has little engine braking, it’s pretty poor at slowing you down and you have to rely on brakes. It is not something I am concerned about

[Tannaton]

There other issue with these gearboxes is the engine braking is there, but the software will select the most appropriate gear for speed and load - the priority being economy. Hence on overrun (engine braking) the RPMs will probably never be much above 2000 meaning only limited braking will ever by applied by default.

So if your driving style is about engine braking, or you are towing, you need to be pushing the shifter to left...

[seanc]

Originally Posted by FollowingGhosts

I did exactly the same thing at first. You have to click the weird icon that almost looks like an old NES cartridge or similar.

It'll then pop up with a window where you can activate it and it'll show up on the dash as transmission shift ind mode.

Thank you, I will have a look tomorrow.