Get STARTING AND DRIVING -> Automatic gearbox - Geartronic* Guide for Volvo V40 4 Door Second Generation (2012-2019)

STARTING AND DRIVING

Automatic gearbox

Gear shift indicator*

Automatic gearbox - Geartronic*

The gear shift indicator notifies the driver when it

is appropriate to engage the next higher or lower

gear in order to obtain the lowest possible fuel

consumption.

The automatic gearbox Geartronic has a

hydraulic torque converter that transfers power

from engine to gearbox. It has two different gear

modes - Automatic and Manual.

An essential detail in connection with environ-

mental driving is to drive in the right gear and to

change gear in plenty of time.

An indicator is available as an aid on some vari-

ants - GSI (Gear Shift Indicator) - which notifies

the driver when it is appropriate to engage the

next higher or lower gear in order to obtain the

lowest possible fuel consumption. However, tak-

ing into consideration characteristics such as

performance and vibration-free running, it may be

advantageous to change gear at a higher engine

speed.

Combined instrument panel "Digital" with gear

shift indicator.

The framed number indicates the current gear.

With "Analogue" combined

instrument panel, the gear

positions and indicator arrows

are displayed in its centre.

D: Automatic gear positions. +/–: Manual gear positions.

S: Sport mode*.³

Manual gearbox

Gear shift indicator for manual

gearbox. Only one marker is

illuminated at a time - it is illu-

minated in the centre only dur-

ing normal driving.

The combined instrument panel shows the posi-

tion of the gear selector using the following indi-

cations: P, R, N, D, S*, 1, 2, 3 etc.

Gear positions

Related information

Automatic gear positions are

indicated on the right of the

combined instrument panel.

(Only one marker is illuminated

at a time - the one showing the

current gear selector position.)

At the recommended upshift

the cursor illuminates "+", and at the recom-

mended downshift the cursor illuminates "-"

(marked red in the illustration).

Manual gearbox (p. 273)

•

Automatic gearbox - Geartronic* (p. 274)

•

The gear lever's gearshift pattern varies depending on engine option.

274

* Option/accessory.

STARTING AND DRIVING

Symbol "S" for Sport mode is ORANGE when the

mode is active.

in a box which corresponds to the gear that has

just been selected.

R – Reverse

The car must be stationary when position R is

selected.

Move the lever forwards towards + (plus) to

change up a gear and release the lever,

which returns to its neutral position between

"+" and "–".

•

P – Parking position

Select P when starting the engine or when the

car is parked.

N – Neutral

No gear is engaged and the engine can be

started. Apply the parking brake if the car is sta-

tionary with the gear selector in position N.

To be able to move the gear selector from the P

position, the brake pedal must be depressed and

the key position (p. 81) must be II.

Pull the lever back towards "–" (minus) to

change down a gear and release it.

•

In order to be able to move the gear selector

from the N position to another gear position, the

brake pedal must be depressed and the key posi-

tion (p. 81) must be II.

The gearbox is mechanically blocked when the P

position is engaged. Also apply the parking brake

when the car is parked, see Parking brake

(p. 293).

The manual gearshift mode "+/-" can be

selected at any time while driving.

Geartronic automatically shifts down if the driver

allows the speed to decrease lower than a level

suitable for the selected gear, in order to avoid

jerking and stalling.

D – Drive

D is the normal driving position. Shifting up and

down takes place automatically based on the

level of acceleration and speed. The car must be

stationary when the gear selector is moved to

position D from position R.

NOTE

The gear selector must be in P position to

allow the car to be locked and alarmed.

To return to automatic driving mode:

Move the lever to the side to the end position

•

Geartronic – Manual gear positions

(+/-)

The driver can also change gear manually using

the Geartronic automatic gearbox. The car

engine-brakes when the accelerator pedal is

released.

at D.

IMPORTANT

The car must be stationary when position P is

selected.

NOTE

f the gearbox has a Sport programme then

the gearbox will only become manual after the

lever has been moved forwards or backwards

in its "+/-" position. The combined instrument

panel then shifts the indication from S to

show which of the gears 1, 2, 3 etc. is

engaged.

WARNING

The manual gear position is reached by moving

the lever to the side from position D to the end

position at "+/-". The combined instrument pan-

el's symbol "+/-" changes colour from WHITE to

ORANGE and the digits 1, 2, 3 etc. are displayed

Always apply the parking brake when parking

on a slope - the automatic transmission in P

is not sufficient to hold the car in all situa-

tions.

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275

STARTING AND DRIVING

A gear change occurs at each pull of the paddle

provided that the engine speed does not leave

the permitted range.

Geartronic - Sport mode (S)

Paddles*

The Sport programme provides sportier

As a supplement to manual gear changing with

the gear selector there are also controls located

on the steering wheel, so-called "paddles".

characteristics and allows higher

engine speed for the gears. At the

same time it responds more quickly to

acceleration. During active driving, the use of a

lower gear is prioritised, leading to a delayed

upshift.

After each gear change the combined instrument

panel changes figure to show the current gear.

To be able to change gear with the steering

wheel paddles they must first be activated. This is

by means of pulling one of the paddles toward

the steering wheel - the combined instrument

panel then changes indication from "D" to a fig-

ure, which indicates the current gear.

NOTE

Automatic deactivation

To activate Sport mode:

If the steering wheel paddles are not used

then they are deactivated after a short time -

this is indicated when the combined instru-

ment panel switches indication, from the fig-

ure for the current gear back to "D".

Move the gear selector to the side from D

position to the end position at "+S–" - the

combined instrument panel changes indica-

tion from D to S.

•

To then change gear one step:

Pull one of the paddles backwards - towards

the steering wheel - and release.

•

Sport mode can be selected at any time while

driving.

The exception is during engine braking - then

the paddles are activated as long as engine

braking is in progress.

Geartronic - Winter mode

It can be easier to pull away on slippery roads if

3rd gear is engaged manually.

Manual deactivation

The steering wheel paddle shifters can also

be deactivated manually:

1. Depress the brake pedal and move the gear

selector from D position to the end position

at "+/–" - the combined instrument panel

shifts the indication from D to the figure 1⁴.

Pull both paddles toward the steering

wheel and hold until the combined instru-

ment panel changes character from the

figure for the current gear to "D".

•

2. Scroll up to gear 3 by pushing the lever for-

ward towards "+" (plus) twice - the combined

instrument panel shifts the indication from 1

to 3.

Both steering wheel "paddles".

The paddles can also be used with the gear

selector in Sport mode* - then the paddles are

constantly activated without being deactivated.

"-": Selects the next lower gear.

3. Release the brake and accelerate carefully.

"+": Selects the next higher gear.

If the car has Sport mode* then "S" is shown first.

276

* Option/accessory.

STARTING AND DRIVING

The gearbox "winter mode" means that the car

moves off with a lower engine speed and

reduced engine power on the drive wheels.

Towing

Gear selector inhibitor

There are two different types of gear selector

inhibitor - mechanical and automatic.

If the car has to be towed - see important infor-

mation in the section Towing (p. 315).

Kick-down

Related information

Mechanical gear selector inhibitor

When the accelerator pedal is pressed all the

way to the floor (beyond the position normally

regarded as full acceleration) a lower gear is

immediately engaged. This is known as kick-

down.

Transmission fluid - grade and volume

(p. 399)

•

Gearboxes (p. 273)

•

If the accelerator is released from the kick-down

position, the gearbox automatically changes up.

Kick-down is used when maximum acceleration

is needed, such as for overtaking.

Safety function

To prevent overrevving the engine, the gearbox

control program has a protective downshift inhibi-

tor which prevents the kick-down function.

The gear selector can be moved forward and

back freely between N and D. Other positions are

locked with a latch that is released with the inhib-

itor button on the gear selector.

Geartronic does not permit downshifting/kick-

down which would result in an engine speed high

enough to damage the engine. Nothing happens

if the driver still tries to shift down in this way at

high engine speed – the original gear remains

engaged.

With the inhibitor button depressed the lever can

be moved forwards or backwards between P, R,

N and D.

Automatic gear selector inhibitor

The automatic gearbox has special safety sys-

tems:

When kick-down is activated the car can change

one or more gears at a time depending on

engine speed. The car changes up when the

engine reaches its maximum speed in order to

prevent damage to the engine.

Parking position (P)

Stationary car with engine running:

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277

STARTING AND DRIVING -> Automatic gearbox - Geartronic* for Your Volvo V40 4 Door Second Generation (2012-2019)

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