i am a new owner of a 2006 v70 turbo , the owners manual is not clear about the "W" driving mode--is it only to be used for starting to drive or once you switch to that mode can you leave it there and continue driving on the highway

 

It just starts you out in a high gear (3rd) so that you don't spin your tires on ice/snow. You can leave it there w/o damage. Unless you are on very slippery roads it is very irritating to feel like you are towing the Queen Mary every time you pull away from a stop.

 

i found that in winter mode D=3rd and 4th gears
3= 2nd gear and 1= 1st gear... it basicly lets you choose your gear manualy

 

Would it cause any mechanical problem if I kept it in Winter mode? My 2001 C 70 is very new to me. I am learning as I go. I love the acceleration but my wife is not comfortable with it at all. To me, the Winter mode seems like the engine is not working hard at all. Reminds me of Chrysler's Fluid Drive in the 1940's. There were four speeds but you rarely used the two lowest. I don't think my mother ever realized they were there. To use them you had to use the clutch to move the shift lever up to the position where second would be on a regular stick shift. You shifted from First to Second by lifting your foot from the accelerator. First gear was very low. Second was a reasonable step up. After you went through those two, you had to use the clutch again to move the shift lever down to the normal position. That made the next two gears available and you went from Third to Fourth by lifting your foot again. Those were the days, my friends . . .