03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
128* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Gear indicatorThe gear currently being used is displayed on the rightside of the instrument panel. The " S" symbol turns orange
if Sport mode is being used.
Reverse: position RThe vehicle must be stationary when position R is selected.
Neutral: position NNo gear is engaged and the engine can bestarted with the gear selector in this position.Apply the parking brake if the vehicle is sta-tionary with the gear selector in position N.
Drive: position DD is the normal driving position. The car auto-
matically shifts between the various forwardgears, based on the level of acceleration andspeed. The car must be at a standstill whenshifting from position R to position D.
Geartronic: manual shifting (+S–)Geartronic allows you to manually shiftamong your vehicle's forward gears. Gear-tronic can be selected at any time. To shift gears manually, move thegear selector to the side from
D
toward +S–. The +S– symbol in the
instrument panel will change from
white to orange and the number of the gear
currently being used (
1, 2, 3, etc.) will be dis-
played (see the following illustration).
• To return to automatic shifting mode from +S–
, move the gear selector to the side
toward D.
Gear shift indicator*
Gear shift indicator in a digital instrument panel* 2
This option indicates when to shift up or down to help conserve fuel. A white arrow willappear above or below the number of thecurrent gear to prompt the driver to shift upor down.
While driving
• If you select the manual shifting position while driving, the gear that was beingused in the Drive position will also initiallybe selected in the manual shifting posi-tion.
• Move the gear selector forward (toward
+)
to shift to a higher gear or rearward(toward –) to shift to a lower gear.
• If you hold the gear selector toward "–",the transmission will downshift one gearat a time and will utilize the braking powerof the engine. If the current speed is toohigh for using a lower gear, the downshiftwill not occur until the speed hasdecreased enough to allow the lower gearto be used.
• If you slow to a very low speed, the trans-mission will automatically shift down.
Shiftlock: Neutral (N)If the gear selector is in the
N position and
the vehicle has been stationary for at least 3 seconds (irrespective of whether the engineis running) then the gear selector is locked. In order to move the gear selector from N to
another gear position, the brake pedal must be depressed and the ignition must be in atleast position II, see page 88.
2
Analog instrument panel: the gear shift indicator is displayed in the center of the speedometer
03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
}}
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.129
Geartronic: steering wheel paddles*In addition to the manual gearshift function using the gear selector, this option makes itpossible to manually shift gears from thesteering wheel.
Steering-wheel mounted gear shift paddles
" – ": Shift down to a lower gear.
"+ ": Shift up to a higher gear.
In order to shift gears with the paddles, they have to first be activated. The gear selector
can be in either the D or S position. Activating the paddles:
• Pull either paddle toward the steering wheel and release it; the
D in the instru- ment panel will change to the number ofthe gear currently being used.
Shifting gears:
• Pull the paddle toward the steering wheeland release it.
NOTE
If the gear selector was in
D when paddle
shifting was activated ( D changed to the
number of the gear being used), the trans- mission will automatically revert to D after
approximately 5 seconds if the paddlesare not used to shift gears. This will not occur:
• during active driving (e.g., on a wind- ing road, while accelerating, etc)
• if the gear selector was in
S when the
paddles were activated
If the transmission reverts to D, the pad-
dles will have to be reactivated (pull either paddle toward the steering wheel andrelease it) before they can be used to shiftgears again. The paddles can also be manually deacti- vated by pulling both paddles toward thesteering wheel and holding them until thegear number shown in the instrumentpanel changes to D.
Geartronic: Sport mode (S) 3This transmission mode provides sportier shifting characteristics and enables a moreactive driving style by making it possible todrive at higher rpm in each gear before shift-ing up. The engine also responds faster whenthe accelerator pedal is pressed. To access Sport mode from Drive (
D), move
the gear selector to the left. The transmission will not switch to manual shifting mode untilthe gear selector is moved forward or rear-ward toward + or –. Sport mode can be selected any time.
NOTE
• On vehicles equipped with Sport mode, the transmission symbol in themain instrument panel will changefrom
D to S when the gear selector is
moved to the manual shifting mode. Ifthe gear selector is moved toward "+"or "-", the number of the gear currentlybeing used will be displayed, seepage 79).
• Please be aware that using Sportmode may result in a slight decrease infuel economy. Driving in
D can help
improve fuel economy.
3 Certain models only
03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
130
Geartronic: starting on slippery
surfaces
Selecting 3rd gear in Geartronic’s manual shifting mode can help provide better tractionwhen starting off on slippery surfaces. To doso:
1. Depress the brake pedal and move the gear selector to the side from D toward
+S– .
2. Press the gear selector forward and release it (this selects 2nd gear). Press the selector forward again and release itto select 3rd gear. The optional steeringwheel paddles can also be used; see theprevious section "Geartronic: steeringwheel paddles."
3. Release the brake pedal and press gently on the accelerator pedal.
Shiftlock override
If the vehicle cannot be driven, for example because of a dead battery, the gear selectormust be moved from the P position before
the vehicle can be moved 4
.
Lift away the rubber mat on the floor of the storage compartment behind the cen-ter console to expose the small openingfor overriding the shiftlock system.
Insert the key blade into the opening. Press the key blade down as far as possi-ble and keep it held down.
Move the gear selector from the P posi-
tion. For information on the key blade, see page 64.
All Wheel Drive: AWD 5
Your Volvo can be equipped with permanent All Wheel Drive, which means that power isdistributed automatically between the frontand rear wheels. Under normal driving condi-tions, most of the engine's power is directedto the front wheels. However, if there is anytendency for the front wheels to spin, an elec-tronically controlled coupling distributespower to the wheels that have the best trac-tion.
4
If the battery is dead, the electric parking brake cannot be applied or released. Connect an auxiliary battery if the battery voltage is too low, see page 125.5
Standard on certain models.
03 Your driving environment
Eco*
03
134* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Introduction
Eco is a function 1
developed by Volvo to give
the driver the opportunity to actively drive more economically and to help reduce fuelconsumption.
When Eco is activated, thefollowing functions are modi-fied:
•The automatic transmission's shifting points
• The engine management system andaccelerator pedal response
• Stop/stop function (see page 137): theengine can auto-stop before the vehiclehas come to a full stop
• Eco Coast functionality is activated:engine braking is disabled
• Climate system settings: certain functions(e.g., air conditioning) will be temporarilyreduced or deactivated
NOTE
When Eco is activated, several climate system parameters are changed and thefunction of certain current-consuming sys-tems will be reduced. Pressing the
AC button will reset the cli-
mate system but at a reduced level.
Function
ECO On/Off button in the center console
ECO symbol in the instrument panel
When the engine is switched off, ECO is deactivated and must be reactivated each time the engine is started (with the exceptionof certain engines). The
ECO symbol will be displayed in the
instrument panel and the indicator light in the ECO button will be on when Eco is activated.
Eco on or offWhen ECO is deactivated, the ECO symbol will not be
displayed in the instrument panel and the indicator lightin the ECO button will be off.
The function will remaindeactivated until the buttonis pressed again.
Eco CoastEco Coast is an integral part of the Eco func- tion and essentially deactivates engine brak-ing, allowing the vehicle to roll freely.
NOTE
To function optimally, Eco Coast should primarily be used when the vehicle cancoast as far as possible.
When the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the transmission is automatically dis-
1 Option on models equipped with certain 4-cylinder engines
03 Your driving environment
Hill Descent Control (HDC)*
03
}}
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.147
Introduction
Normally, when the accelerator pedal is released while driving down hills, the vehicle'sspeed slows as the engine runs at lower rpm(the normal engine braking effect). However, ifthe downhill gradient becomes steeper and ifthe vehicle is carrying a load, speed increasesdespite the engine braking effect. In this sit-uation, the brakes must be applied to reducethe vehicle's speed. HDC is a type of automatic engine brake and makes it possible to increase or decrease thevehicle's speed on downhill gradients usingonly the accelerator pedal, without applyingthe brakes. The brake system functions auto-matically to maintain a low and steady speed. HDC is particularly useful when driving down steep hills with rough surfaces, and where theroad may have slippery patches.
WARNING
HDC does not function in all situations, and is a supplementary braking aid. Thedriver has full responsibility for driving in asafe manner.
Function
• HDC can be switched on and off with the button in the center console. An indicatorlight in the button illuminates when HDCis activated.
• The indicator light
in the instru-
ment panel illuminates and a message is displayed when the system is controllingthe vehicle's speed.
• HDC only functions when
first or reverse
gears are selected (
1 will be shown in the
instrument panel display when first gear is selected).
NOTE
HDC cannot be activated if the gear selec- tor is the D position.
Using HDC
HDC allows the car to roll forward at a maxi- mum speed of 6 mph (10 km/h), and 4 mph(7 km/h) in reverse. However, the acceleratorpedal can be used to select any speed that ispossible in first or reverse gears. When theaccelerator pedal is released, speed isquickly reduced again to 6 mph (10 km/h) or4 mph (7 km/h), depending on the gearselected, regardless of the hill's gradient. It isnot necessary to apply the brakes.
• The brake lights illuminate automatically when HDC is controlling the vehicle'sspeed.
• The driver can slow or stop the vehicle atany time by applying the brakes.
HDC is deactivated when:
• The button on the center console ispressed
• A gear higher than first gear is selected
• D
is selected on vehicles with an auto-
matic transmission
HDC can be deactivated at any time. If this is done while driving down a steep hill, the sys-tem's braking effect will decrease gradually.
03 Your driving environment
Hill Descent Control (HDC)*
03
148* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
NOTE
Engine response to pressure on the accel- erator pedal may be slightly slower thannormal when HDC is activated.
04 Driver support
Stability system
04
153
Symbols and messages in the main instrument panel
SymbolMessageDescription
DSTC Temporarily OFFThe DSTC system function has been temporarily reduced due to high brake disc temperature. DSTC reactivates automatically when the brakes have cooled.
DSTC Service requiredThe DSTC system is not functioning properly.
• Stop the vehicle in a safe place, turn off the engine and restart it.
• If the message is still displayed when the engine has restarted, drive to an authorized Volvo work- shop to have the system inspected.
and
"Message"Read the message in the instrument panel
Steady glow for 2 secs.The system is performing a self-diagnostic test.
Flashing symbolDSTC is actively functioning to help counteract wheel spin and/or a skid.
-Sport
mode has been activated.
WARNING
The stability system is intended to help improve driving safety. It supplements, butcan never replace, the driver's judgmentand responsibility when operating the vehi-cle. Speed and driving style should alwaysbe adapted to traffic and road conditions.
04 Driver support
Road sign information (RSI)*
04
154* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Introduction
Examples of readable road signs Road Sign Information (RSI) is a feature that helps the driver see road signs with the pos-ted speed limit. If the vehicle passes a sign showing the speed limit, this will be displayed in the centerconsole.
WARNING
RSI does not function in all situations and is only intended to provide supplementaryinformation. The driver is always responsible for oper- ating the vehicle safely.
Operation
Speed limit information
When RSI registers a road sign showing the speed limit, this sign is displayed as a symbolon the instrument panel.
Settings in MY CAR
Possible settings in MY CAR Displaying the speed limit indication can be deactivated. To do so:
• Deselect the alternative in
MY CAR
SettingsCar settingsRoad Sign
Information or cancel by pressing EXIT.
Speed alertThe driver can opt to be alerted if the vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit by more than3 mph (5 km/h). The alert is given when thesymbol with the posted speed limit in theinstrument panel begins to flash. To activate speed alert:
• Check the Speed alert box in
MY CAR
SettingsCar settingsSpeed alertor cancel by pressing EXIT.
Limitations
RSI's camera has the same limitations as the human eye. See page 182 for more informa-tion about the camera's limitations. Signs that indirectly indicate the speed limit (such as a sign with a town's name and thepermitted speed limit) will not be registeredby RSI. Other factors that may interfere with RSI include:
• Faded signs
• Signs located in a curve