Volvo Automatics

I got my first auto 10 months ago. It’s flakey at times. It wants to start in 3rd or 4th most of the time. On a hill of course that usually doesn’t turn out well.

Try switching to manual. It’s bad on turns sometimes. Trouble shifting up with the drag from turning. Be careful with that on unprotected turns.

Paccar 12 spd

 

One more note especially in winter. If your stuck, always switch to manual. Never spin in an auto.

 

Volvo auto manuals don’t like it when you step in, try to be gentle next time. Sorry if I am being sexist here, but they are like women. You don’t have sex with them right away, you take them to dinner (sometimes few times) first. Now, if you don’t have time for the “courting game”, use P-power button with paddle shifting. In our analogy, I call it P-prostitute mode.

 

Doealex is right. When a tractor is beating on you, something is not quite right.

Go to manual mode find the reduction you need and walk her off in that gear. Good little doggie will do what you want without all that bucking, kicking and bouncing. Go through the gears as needed until you overcome the upgrade or whatever. Let her have the auto at cruise speed.

I am not sexist either but tractors are like women, you need to be nice in some situations. And dominant in others.

 

“Hill assist” means, as far as I know, if you take your foot off of a brake pedal, you have few seconds to press on throttle before it slides backwards. This helps you avoid using both feet at the same time, thus extending your clutch life. I have the same clutch (knocking on wood here) for 480+K miles on my truck so far, and I do a lot of city (hills) driving.

 

Hill assist is something I would disable for myself. Its the way I am.

However from what I know of it, when you let off the brakes you will not hear the hiss of brakes releasing under computer control for about 3 seconds. Time enough to get to your fuel pedal and clutch to set up a steep hill stump pulling. Once Mr Hiss talks to you you should already be applying power and walk off.

 

You’re right. So “hill assist” gives more than 3 seconds (not sure how long). I don’t use “hill assist” when I’m stopped at the incline or decline, I use my brakes. Maybe, it’s meant to be used when your trailer brakes are smoking hot from constant stop and go traffic.
It is very hard to overheat brakes on Volvo tractor, because of the large size of the drum&shoes.

 

I guess when hill assist decides times up and you roll backwards thats your time. Im hoping its not a stupid computer loop that sits on your brakes for as long you don't touch your fuel and clutch.

 

Another “intelligent “ I-shift feature that I like is, transmission taking the gear to neutral when you stopping the truck from high speed without engine brake. You can see on your screen that instead of downshifting and wearing you transmission, it changes from D to N. And when you’re almost stopped it goes back to D and selects the gear for you. It happens so fast that it’s barely visible.