S80 - does it have gear-hold like the classic model?

[berrymanuk]

Just been for a drive with my IAM observer, and he asked if my car had the capability to hold its gear and utilize engine braking to keep its speed.

Both of my previous models did, they had the L,2,3 functions, but the geartronic gearbox doesn't seem to be capable.. having tried it out as soon as I dropped him off
I popped out of Drive into the manual-equivalent it was in, and left it there whilst coasting down a hill. The engine revved and the speed was gathering.

Does anyone else with a S80 or V70 notice this?

[tt82]

It depends on your engine, the gradient of the hill and where in the rev range you let it go to to see any effect of engine braking. At low revs it won't be very prominent.

Try driving along a quiet road (business park at weekend etc) at 30 mph in D, come off the accelerator at a set point and let the car coast to a halt. Then repeat but shift into Geartronic and drop 2 gears, ie 4 to 2 and come off the accelerator at the same point and let it coast to a halt. I think you'll find it will stop quicker.

[berrymanuk]

I've got the 185BHP D5 engine.

Thanks for the advice tt82! I'll have a mooch down to one of the business parks in the town and give this a try.

[Paul Wildsmith]

sounds old fashioned to me and harks back to the days of poor brakes. Match gear to road speed. Slowing down use brakes

[rickp78]

When I did my IAM a few years ago, they were clear on 'gears to go, brakes to stop'. This advise was based on that brakes are much cheaper to change than gearboxes. Also it still fascinates me the number of people that religiously change down the gears just when pulling up to a junction - no need and putting unnecceary wear on clutches and gearboxes. In a manual box however I would change down when decending a steep hill and only use short burst of gentle braking if I need to - often drive behind cars with their brakes on the whole decent!!

[tt82]

Just what I was thinking Rick. Could of sworn that when I did my IAM it was brakes to stop, though they did say to hold a low gear when going downhill to use engine breaking to hold back the vehicles speed.

[berrymanuk]

That's what I'm trying to establish tt82, to see if it can hold its own with engine braking whilst going downhill.. didn't have much luck today. I've never used the geartronic part of the box until yesterday to be honest, and not driven a manual since I had my V6 Rover 75 back in 2010.

[tt82]

Well when I'm coasting in my V70 D5, I feel the change in engine braking as it changes down gears.

[berrymanuk]

In a straight line I get the same, but down hill it doesn't want to play ball

[TheJoyOfSix]

Originally Posted by rickp78

This advise was based on that brakes are much cheaper to change than gearboxes.

This is, quite frankly, the biggest load of tosh out there regarding driving technique. Changing down and using engine braking does not put any strain on the gearbox or driveline provided the downchange is done properly. If the revs are brought up to match the roadspeed there is no stress on the gearbox or drivetrain, but since the demise of non-synchro gearboxes this technique has all but disappeared and certainly isn't taught any more.

To my mind brakes are a last resort and so anything that can be done to keep them cool and in perfect working order should be used if possible. I want to know that if I make a mistake, or someone else makes one, and I need to slow suddenly that my brakes are capable of doing so.