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Towing with geartronic

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Old Sep 30th, 2009, 00:22   #31
4wheeldriver
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If you read the original post properly you will see that after the conversation with the VCUK engineer I posted that he told me that is how the geartronic box SHOULD operate by taking neutral to prevent you from holding it too long in a gear to use engine braking and (possibly) damaging the gearbox!

Obviously from some of the posts it doesnt ALWAYS act like this as some seem to have it happen to them and others dont. During my test drive with the engineer I displayed the xc90 running solo gather momentum from 40mph to over 50 on 2 seperate downhill stretches and was told that it was "how the box operates" Obviously this is not entirely true as above, some do and some dont suffer from this "feature". Seems to be a lot of problems with Volvos across the brand suffer from various "features" to cover up their shortcomings. Personally this was enough for me to put the safety of my family above persevering with it and the car was got rid of in short order.

for a brand that sells on its reputation for safety I find this to be a less than satisfactory explanation of a "feature" on a premium brand.
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Old Oct 1st, 2009, 14:05   #32
Johnny8718
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If it is the case that you have now sold your car, why are you ranting at the way in which people read your posts on this site?

I dont wish to get into a debate with you or enter onto any form of arguement - my intention was to help in the matter, offering my experiences along with everyone else. This seems a useless thread as the only driver with an issue, doesnt actually own a Volvo any more!

Good look with the R/Rover. Lovely car, hope you have big pockets!

John.
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Old Oct 1st, 2009, 18:44   #33
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Its not a rant its pointing out that the geartronic actually acts one way or another according to VCUK but it doesnt and other owners should be aware of this point. I still had the XC when I started this thread and there does seem to be some that agree that it happens and others that it doesnt. Point being that the "features" of the gearbox dont seem to happen to every model. Only some. So how can it be normal operation if it doesnt always operate the way they say??

Dont need deep pockets for the RRS. It better on fuel, cheaper to insure and so far been 1000 times more reliable than the xc.
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Old Oct 1st, 2009, 19:25   #34
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Isn't it a case of the gearbox gets used to your style of driving which maybe why different people have different experiences ?
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Old Oct 2nd, 2009, 13:39   #35
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Thats perfectly true Gill but only to a certain extent. The basic programming for the operation of the gearbox should remain the same regardless of driving style.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2009, 14:27   #36
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Default towing with geartronic.

Back online after Virgin Media fried our modem for a 2nd time.

"What?? Even up the big hill from Bellinzona to Lugano??"by dodgy ken.

No! going downhill!

Have learnt that parking sensor "service required" is because we should have switched it off with the caravan on the back.
£54.36 each and 3 hours to remove bumper and fit!!!!!!!
Seems only one is faulty , but would anyone know if it's worth replacing them all?
I have no idea how they work, and wonder if they have a "life" and so would it be worth replacing all 4 while the bumper is off?
73K miles and counting!

Advice gratefully received!

have a pic of a roof mounted tent on a 900 series complete with ladder!
See my pics on here!
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Old Oct 29th, 2009, 22:17   #37
Yet another Mike
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XC90caravanpuller View Post
Have learnt that parking sensor "service required" is because we should have switched it off with the caravan on the back.
£54.36 each and 3 hours to remove bumper and fit!!!!!!!
Seems only one is faulty , but would anyone know if it's worth replacing them all?
Interesting, that is news to me. We have been pulling our Senator Indiana for two years now and I have never turned off the parking sensors. Oddly enough it wasn't until I read this that it occurred to me that when I reverse with the van on the back they don't sound. Our towbar and electrics were an original install (Volvo parts) as part of the car purchase, I wonder if the software is bright enough to sense the towing socket is in use and turn the sensors off.

Getting back to the original purpose of this thread, I can report that we have done many long downhill runs in the last two years (the drop off each side of the Massif Central comes to mind) and, with cruise control set, our XC90 D5 AWD has generally not strayed much more than a couple of miles off the setting - both solo and towing. Occasionaly though on a particularly steep descent it does seem to "get away" but it just takes a brief touch on the brakes to pull it back under control.

However, in May, driving solo on a hot day up from the South of France we had just crossed the Millau bridge and stopped for a change of drivers. There had been roadworks which had left us crawling uphill in the heat for over an hour. Setting off again a warning popped up "Transmission Service Required". I spent the next ten minutes ploughing through the user manual and ringing back to the UK (it was a bank holiday here) to try to find how urgent this message was. Then we just lost drive completely. There was a boiling sound coming from the gearbox for a few seconds. We were recovered home (which is another epic story) and, to cut a very very long story short, Volvo UK arranged for a replacement gearbox to be fitted as soon as they could.

It came as rather a shock to our system because we had grown to completely trust the car. Now, if I am stuck in slow traffic on a hot day I think I might start to think about pulling over - a few minutes/hours delay is better than not having the car for a month.

Cheers

Mike
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Old Oct 29th, 2009, 22:37   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yet another Mike View Post

Getting back to the original purpose of this thread, I can report that we have done many long downhill runs in the last two years (the drop off each side of the Massif Central comes to mind) and, with cruise control set, our XC90 D5 AWD has generally not strayed much more than a couple of miles off the setting - both solo and towing. Occasionaly though on a particularly steep descent it does seem to "get away" but it just takes a brief touch on the brakes to pull it back under control.

Cheers

Mike
Thanks for the post Mike. Yet again this seems to contradict what I was told about how the gearbox SHOULD operate. Starting to sound more and more like a line of buit fed out by VCUK to try to accept a substandard car!!!
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Old Nov 30th, 2009, 23:12   #39
kev ryder
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i have a v70 2.4d,sep.08 reg. geartronic and tow a caravan 1500k.g. i live in north yorkshire where there are several notorious steep hills.when approaching a hill ,up or down i always us manual,going up to keep in max.torque range and going down for max engine braking,only done about 7,700 miles,but engine braking is as good as any car or van i have had and going up is dream,only complaint is fuel consumption on short locale runs,max 22 mpg,but it does about the same towing
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Old Apr 24th, 2010, 18:54   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4wheeldriver View Post
Thanks for the post Mike. Yet again this seems to contradict what I was told about how the gearbox SHOULD operate. Starting to sound more and more like a line of buit fed out by VCUK to try to accept a substandard car!!!
Having read many of your posts it would appear from your comments that

your Volvo was built completely differently to everybody else's. Could it be

maybe that your faults lie with the driver rather than the vehicle?
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