In my 850 T5, the auto tranny is really dumb. It's either too aggressive(Sport Mode), or too delayed(Comfort Mode).

(Sport Mode) when i'm 40% throttling from a standstill, it holds first between 30-40mph then upshifts skipping 2nd completely going to 3rd then quickly to 4th.

When i'm 100% throttle from a dig then ease off around 60+ it skips 3rd into 4th immediately! My mother's s430 holds gears more aggressively than this which is understandable but my 99 Camry's tranny is even smarter than my T5.

I'm not complaining, car is a rocket (bone stock) but just to cruise around the tranny just skips gears when it's upshifting.

Say if i'm doing 40mph and want to get around a slower car without downshifting, it's nearly impossible b/c the tranny is so aggressive it makes it seem like i'm flooring it to the other drivers!

(Comfort Mode) is just what it says, comfort. Worse than sport I don't even use it at all.

Great car nonetheless, runs up on the best of the Japanese sports sedans and some of the Germans too!

Volvo for life!

 

I don't think mines skips gears. When I'm in SPORT and heavy on the peddal, it will ride 2nd till i'm going about 60 then 3rd till about 85 then 4th. If I'm on it and back off at 55 it may skip 3rd but only when I do something as abrupt as back way off. The button also controls the fuel mix, etc. It's not only a tranny control button. I wish is would drop down 2 gears. When I'm doing say 55 and it's in 4th, and I punch it, it usually only goes to 3rd, not 2nd like I wish it would. At any rate, in ECONO it seems like the brakes are dragging if you punch it. LOL

 

Just like you said, it's an auto, that's the problem. lol.

 

Tranny swap is at the bottom of my list of mods unfortunately.

 

 

I have to agree, it is an auto and not the most advance auto on the planet. From the sounds of it, you need to do a manual swap sooner or later. LOL

 

Get a good auto rebuild and be done with it.5 sp. swaps are so overrated.

 

Just bought a 97 T-5 with 143 000 km, out of curiosity i floor it to see how it handles... Obviously it's beastly, but it coughs a bit before inputing all it power... Suggestions? Filters? Turbo..??
Thank you.

 

Hi Dimi, welcome to the site.

You need to read the NEW 850 OWNER thread before you put your foot in that car again. Then have fun.

 

Its just the way the computer has "learned" your driving pattern. Happens with all newer cars. If you drive easy all the time and shift at low RPMs the tranny computer will try to adjust its shift for best performance at those RPMs. When you "floor it" it doesn't know what to make of it and will shift down more readily.

Sport VS eco modes. Difference is how long it holds gears before upshift. Does not effect downshift. Sport mode gives the illusion to the driver that the car has become "sportier" when its not any sportier than before.

You got a 97 so a hard battery reset will clear the pattern in the computer. If that doesn't work might be able to reprogram the shift patterns more how you like them.

 

I didn't realise the 850's had an adaptive auto?

 

not by much, but its in the ECM. 99+ Volvos all had the full adaptive auto. Its fun tweaking them I can make the shifts as hard as shifting a manual.

edit oh and thats only OBDII equipped 850s

 

Dose it have to be a Volvo from 1999 or later or will ant Volvo with OBDII have a adaptive auto trans?
I ask this because i am wondering if my 1996 850glt has this and if i do how can i get it to learn? And how would i reprogram it if i need too?

 

Did you really just say that? Have you driven a manual? Night and day difference, enough to give you chills.

 

awnser to first question. YES

second. It is built into the ECM it learns as you drive it. TO reset it do a Hard battery reset. YOu proabbly will not notice a difference. You do not reprogram.