Volvo 2001 S80 Operation And Care Manual page 53

The transmission will shift automatically between gears 2 and 1 from this position. The transmission cannot shift up
to third gear from second gear.
1 (Low gear)
If you select this gear at speeds above 30 mph (50 km/h), the transmission will first shift to second gear and then to
first gear at lower speeds.
NOTE: The intermediate and low gears can be used for:
· Driving in a mountainous area
· Towing a trailer
· Increasing the braking effect of the engine.
· The transmission has a built-in limiter designed to help prevent excessive engine speeds (high rpm) when gears 3,2 or
1 are selected.
Kickdown
Automatic shift to a lower gear (kickdown) is achieved by depressing the accelerator pedal fully and briskly. An
upshift will occur when approaching the top speed for a particular gear or by releasing the accelerator pedal slightly.
Kickdown can be used for maximum accelera-tion or when passing at highway speeds.
Automatic transmission - adaptive system
The automatic transmission is controlled by an adaptive guidance system that constantly monitors the way in which the
transmission functions. It senses and adapts each gear shift for optimal performance. The system also monitors your
particular driving style and adapts gear shifting accordingly.
pg. 68 Automatic transmission AW5
Automatic transmission - shift gate positions
The gear selector can be moved freely between N and D.
Depressing the selector knob enables you to move the gear selector to positions P, R, N, D, 3, 2 and 1.