Selectiing 2nd gear in an automatic,

OK, if everyone on the planet knows this already, then I admit, I'm an
idiot. If not, then I've just discovered something useful.

My 94 850 turbowagon is my first auto trans car since I started
driving in 65... One thing that's bugged me about it is the
transmission manual selections. D, 3, L. There's no apparent way to
select 2nd.
For mild downhills, 3rd is OK for controlling speed without riding the
brakes, but on steeper hills, it doesn't offer enough engine braking.
At speeds above 25MPH, L (1st) is too low.

Last week, I accidentally discovered that if you select L at a higher
speed (30-50 MPH), it will select SECOND gear for you and hold it
until the speed drops to 25MPH, where it then drops to 1st.

So, if 3rd doesn't do it. just pick L and keep the speed above 25MPH..

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Yes this is normal slushbox behavior, it will never let you overrev the
engine, the gear selection represents the top gear it will engage which will
leave the engine below the redline.

 

The geartronic models (shiftable automatics) will stay in the gear you
select and you can reach the rev limiter, an automatic ignition cut out
at redline.

 

Ahhh, I can tell you drive in Economy, not sport mode.

This is documented in my Owner's Manual. (1998 V70)

"L (Low position)
The indicator lamp in the instrument panel (up arrow symbol) and the
lamp in the W mode selector light up when this gear is selected. No
upshift can occur when L is engaged. Select position L for driving in
first and second gears. Use this position to select low gear with no
upshift, e.g. when ascending and descending steep grades. The
transmission will noticeable shift down from second to first if road
speed drops to below 40 km/h (25 mph) when driving in E mode and below
10 km/h (6 mph) in S mode."

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

And I think if you use the L position with the winter mode button, can't you
force 2nd gear only?

 

L position in winter mode locks in fist gear. 3 position in winter mode
locks in 2nd gear.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

Yup I use this all the time in the 960 (I live in an area called Halton
Hills... there are some hills around here)... I hate it when it downshifts
to gear 1 tho, it'll quite abruptly engine brake the car... you have to
remember to go into Drive 3 or D when you are done descening... If you start
in L tho, it starts in first and WILL NOT UPSHIFT!!!..... I bounced the
redline finding this out.

OK, if everyone on the planet knows this already, then I admit, I'm an
idiot. If not, then I've just discovered something useful.

My 94 850 turbowagon is my first auto trans car since I started
driving in 65... One thing that's bugged me about it is the
transmission manual selections. D, 3, L. There's no apparent way to
select 2nd.
For mild downhills, 3rd is OK for controlling speed without riding the
brakes, but on steeper hills, it doesn't offer enough engine braking.
At speeds above 25MPH, L (1st) is too low.

Last week, I accidentally discovered that if you select L at a higher
speed (30-50 MPH), it will select SECOND gear for you and hold it
until the speed drops to 25MPH, where it then drops to 1st.

So, if 3rd doesn't do it. just pick L and keep the speed above 25MPH..

To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@"
Spammers are VERMIN. Please kill them all.

 

Don't need to hit winter mode in a 960... L doesn't allow upshifts in
Economy mode (haven't tried sport - tho I drive in this mode all the time in
the city, I turn it off going down country roads - I don't need the car
downshifting going up slight inclines).

Must be a little different for each car?

 

Are you sure, 'cos that wouldn't make much sense to me? I thought L on it's
own locked in first gear, that's how it seems to behave in mine - unless
you're already travelling at speed, then it downshifts when it can.

I would have thought that using L and winter mode would maintain second -
the winter mode aspect pushing up the gear selection from first, and L not
letting it get above second.

I would have thought that actually locks 3rd, with no lockup?

It's a while since I checked the manual, though, and a good while since I
actually played around with the gearbox, so I could well be wrong.

 

In my S70, L doesn't allow upshifts, either.

Winter mode mean you start from a higher gear.

And the changing of the sport / economy modes, can have a bearing on when L
downshifts if you're already driving at speed.

 

Once again, from my owner's manual:

"W Winter/Wet mode
Enhanced Vehicle Traction
This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.
- In position D*, the gearbox starts in 3rd gear and changes up to 4th
gear.
- In position 3*, 2nd gear is locked and there is no change up to 3rd
gear.
- In position L, 1st gear is locked.

* These positions always offer the kick-down function."

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

Thanks for clarification - I take it that's an 850 / ?70 series manual?

Also, does using winter mode have any effect in L? Would it change up
without winter mode - because mine doesn't seem to.

 

Thanks. I'll try "S" mode on my 94 850 Turbo Wagon and see if it will stay
in 2nd gear as the speed drops below 25 mph. That would be nice.

 

I tried it this evening in S mode, shifting into Low at 30 mph (went into
2nd gear) then decelerating. At 25 mph it went into 1st gear.

 

I seem to remember that in Winter Mode it would stay in 2nd longer
before it would shift down into 1st when the shifter was in L.

 

The manual is the one from my 98 V70. I guess the only difference in
position "L" between the 3 modes is the speed that the transmission
shifts into 1st gear. In any mode it won't shift out. I've verified
the downshift speeds in "S" and "E", but don't know what will happen in
"W".

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)