1996 VOLVO 850 ECO mode

1996 Volvo 850
pg. 2:11 Storage compartments

1 Compartment in center console (certain models)
2 Glove compartment
3 Compartment in armrest (certain models)
4 Compartment in door
5 Compartment beside front seat (certain models)
6 Compartment between front seats
7 Pocket on rear of front seat
8 Pocket on rear of front seat
9 Mugholder (certain models)
WARNING! Packages on the rear window shelf can obscure vision and may become dang\
erous
projectiles in the event of a sudden stop or an accident.
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1996 Volvo 850
CAUTION: Take care not to spill gasoline during refueling. Gasolines con\
taining alcohol can cause
damage to painted surfaces, which may not be covered under the New Vehic\
le Limited Warranty.
Do not use gasoline containing methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol)\
. This practice can result in
vehicle performance deterioration and can damage critical parts in the f\
uel system. Such damage may
not be covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
pg. 4:4 Driving economy
Economical driving does not necessarily mean driving slowly

Better driving economy may be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid\
starts and stops and
adjusting the speed of your vehicle to immediate traffic conditions. Obs\
erve the following rules:
l Bring the engine to normal operating temperature as soon as possible by \
driving with a light foot on
the accelerator pedal for the first minutes of operation. A cold engine \
uses more fuel and is subject to
increased wear.
l Whenever possible, avoid using the car for driving short distances. This\
does not allow the engine to
reach normal operating temperature.
l Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
l Do not exceed speed limit.
l Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the car.
l Check tire pressure regularly (check when tires are cold).
l Remove snow tires when threat of snow or ice has ended.
l Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc., increase air resistance and there\
by fuel consumption.
l Avoid using automatic transmission kick-down feature unless necessary.
l Avoid using the air conditioning when it is not required. When engaged, \
the air conditioner's
compressor places places an additional load on the engine.
l If your car is equipped with the optional Trip Computer, utilizing the f\
uel consumption modes can
help you "learn" how to drive more economically.

Other factors which decrease gas mileage are:
l Low tire pressure
l Worn or dirty spark plugs
l Incorrect spark plug gap
l Dirty air cleaner
l Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
l Dragging brakes
l Incorrect front end alignment
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1996 Volvo 850

P (Park)

Use this position when starting the engine or parking the car.
Never use P while car is in motion.
The parking brake should also be used when parking on grades.
The gear selector is mechanically locked in the P position (Shift lock)\
. To release the selector, start the
engine and depress the brake pedal. If it is necessary to manually relea\
se the gear selector,
see page 6:18
for instructions.

CAUTION:
l Never select P or R while the car is in motion.
l When initially selecting positions D, 3, L or R, your right foot should \
press firmly on the brake
pedal to ensure that the car is standing still with the engine idling.
l The gear selector should not be downshifted to L at speeds above 75 mph \
(125 km/h).*
* Always observe posted speed limits.
WARNING! Never leave the car when the engine is running. If, by mistake,\
the gear selector is moved
from P the car may start moving.

R (Reverse)

Never engage R while is moving forward.

N (Neutral)

Neutral = no gear is engaged. Use the parking brake. The engine can be s\
tarted with the gear selector in
this position.

D (Drive)

D is the normal driving position and should be used as often as possible\
to help improve fuel economy.
When modes E or S are selected, upshift and downshift of the forward gea\
rs occur automatically and are
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1996 Volvo 850
governed by accelerator pedal position and vehicle speed.

3 (Intermediate position)

Automatically shifts up and down between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears when in\
driving modes E or S. There
is no upshift from 3rd gear. Position 3 can be used for driving in hilly\
terrain, for towing trailers or for
increased engine braking power.

L (low position)

No upshift can occur when L is engaged. Select position L for driving in\
first and second gears. Use this
position to select low gear with no upshift, e.g. when ascending and des\
cending steep grades. The
transmission will noticeably shift down from second to first if road spe\
ed drops to below 40 km/h (25
mph) when driving in E mode and below 10 km/h (6 mph in S mode.

Kick-down

Automatic shift to a lower gear (kick-down) is achieved by depressing \
the accelerator pedal fully and
briskly. An upshift will be achieved when approaching the top speed for \
a particular gear or by releasing
the accelerator pedal slightly. Kick-down can be used for maximum accele\
ration or when passing at
highway speeds.

"Lock-up"

The transmission has a "lock-up" function which reduces engine speed and\
saves fuel. "Lock-up" can
sometimes be felt as an additional gear change. pg. 4:8 Automatic transmission
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1996 Volvo 850

The push-buttons to the left of the gear lever are for selection of mode\
s E, S and W. The desired mode
can be selected at any time, including while the car is moving.

Winter/Wet mode

Enhanced Vehicle Traction
This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.
In this mode:
* In position D, the gearbox starts in 3rd gear and changes up to 4th ge\
ar.
* In position 3, 2nd gear is locked and there is no change up to 3rd gea\
r.
In position L, 1st gear is locked.
* These positions always offer the kick-down function.
The indicator lamp in the instrument panel
lights up when this mode is selected (the lamp will also
light up if the gear selector is in position 3 or L.). Press button WIN\
TER in order to disengage this
mode.
When mode is disengaged, the gearbox automatically reverts to the previo\
usly selected S or E mode. If
the indicator lamp
begins to flash, this is an indication of a fault in the automatic gear\
box. The
Malfunction Indicator lamp will also light up if a fault is detected. Pl\
ease contact your Volvo retailer if
this occurs.

CAUTION: Driveability and fuel economy will be adversely affected by pro\
longed driving in mode
W . Volvo recommends using this mode only when starting in extremely sli\
ppery conditions.

Economy Mode

This mode is used for normal driving. The gearbox changes gears at a low\
er engine speed to achieve the
lowest possible fuel consumption.

Sport Mode

This mode is adapted to "sporty" driving characteristics. The transmissi\
on upshifts at higher engine
speeds and less accelerator pedal pressure is required to initiate a dow\
nshift.
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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 4:9 Automatic transmission
Special Tips - automatic transmission

l For driving down steep hills and when driving for prolonged periods at l\
ow speeds, position L should
be selected. Avoid, however, repeated changes since this can cause overh\
eating of the transmission oil.
For driving on long continuous uphill gradients, select position 3.
l See caution on page 4:7.
l Do not hold the car stationary on an incline by using the accelerator pe\
dal. Instead, apply the hand
brake (parking brake). This prevents the transmission oil from becomin\
g overheated.
l When towing a trailer, select shift position 3.
l The (E)conomy mode should be selected when the cruise control is engag\
ed.
l While towing a trailer in hilly terrain, do not drive continuously at en\
gine speeds above 4500 rpm to
help avoid high engine oil temperatures.
pg. 4:10 Points to remember
Cooling system

The risk for engine overheating is greatest, especially in hot weather, \
when:
l towing a trailer up steep inclines for prolonged periods at wide open th\
rottle and low engine rpm.
l stopping the engine suddenly after high speed driving (so-called "after\
-boiling" can occur).
l To avoid overheating, the following rules should be followed:
l Do not drive for prolonged periods at engine speeds above 4500 rpm if yo\
u are towing a trailer in
hilly terrain.
l Reduce speed and downshift when towing a trailer up long, steep inclines\
. The risk of overheating can
be reduced by switching off the air conditioning system for a short time\
.
l Do not let the engine idle unnecessarily for prolonged periods.
l Do not mount auxiliary lamps in front of the grill.
When the risk of overheating is imminent, or in the event of overheating\
, (the temperature gauge goes
repeatedly into, or stays continually in, the red section) the followin\
g precautions should be taken:
l Switch off the air conditioning system.
l Stop the car and put the gear lever into neutral. Do not stop the engine\
!
l Switch the heater to full (maximum) position. Increase the engine spee\
d to approx. 2000 rpm (twice
idling speed) until the temperature begins to drop.

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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 4:17 Trailer towing
When preparing for trailer towing, observe the following:

l Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailer hitches which are specially de\
signed for the car. For
trailer weights exceeding 2000 lbs. (908 kg), use only a trailer hitch\
offered as a Genuine Volvo
accessory.

NOTE: Models with automatic transmission are equipped with a transmissio\
n oil cooler as standard
equipment. This cooler helps prevent overheating of the transmission dur\
ing times of increased load, as
when towing a trailer.

l Maximum trailer weight recommended by Volvo is:
Trailers without brakes : 1100 lbs (500kg)
Trailers with brakes: 2" (50 mm) ball - 3300 lbs (1500 kg), 1 7/8" (\
47 mm) ball - 2000 lbs (908 kg).

Observe the legal requirements of the state/province in which the vehicl\
es are registered. All Volvo
models are equipped with energy-absorbing shock-mounted bumpers. Trailer\
hitch installation should
not interfere with the proper operation of this bumper system.

Trailer towing does not normally present any particular problems, but ta\
ke into consideration:
l Increase tire pressure to recommended full. See section "Wheels and tire\
s".
l Recommended hitch tongue load is 110 (50 kgs) for trailer weights belo\
w 2,650 lbs (1,200 kgs) and
165 lbs (75 kgs) for trailer weights above 2,650 lbs (1,200 kgs). Fo\
r trailer weights between 2,650-3,300
lbs (1,200-1,500 kgs) a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) should never b\
e exceeded.
l Engine and transmission are subject to increased loads. Therefore, engin\
e coolant temperature should
be closely watched when driving in hot climates or hilly terrain. Use lo\
wer gear and turn off air
conditioner if temperature gauge pointer enters the red range.
l Avoid overload and other abusive operation.
l Hauling a trailer affects handling, durability, and economy.
l It is necessary to balance trailer brakes with the towing vehicle brakes\
to provide a safe stop (check
and observe State/Local regulations).
l Do not connect the trailer's brake system directly to the vehicle's brak\
e system.
l More frequent vehicle maintenance is required.
l Remove the ball and drawbar assembly when the hitch is not being used.
l Volvo recommends the use of synthetic engine oil when towing a trailer o\
ver long distances or in
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1996 Volvo 850
8:15 for the location of the washer fluid reservoir). This is important sin\
ce the dirt is often splashed on
the windshield during winter driving, thus requiring frequent use of the\
washers and wipers. The Volvo
Washer Solvent should be diluted as follows:
Down to 14°F (-10°C): 1 part anti-freeze and 4 parts water
Down to 5°F (-15°C): 1 part anti-freeze and 3 parts water
Down to 0°F (-18°C): 1 part anti-freeze and 2 parts water
Down to -18°F (-28°): 1 part anti-freeze and 1 part water
l When driving in temperatures below 15 F (-10 C), we recommend the use \
of Volvo's radiator guard to
help the engine reach normal operating temperature as quickly as possibl\
e. This guard should not be
used when towing a trailer.
l Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.

NOTE: Avoid the use of de-icing spray as they can cause damage to the lo\
cks.

Winter/Wet mode

Enhanced Vehicle Traction

This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads. In \
this mode:
* In position D, the gearbox starts in 3rd gear and changes up to 4th ge\
ar.
* In position 3, 2nd gear is locked and there is no change up to 3rd gea\
r.
In position L, first gear is locked.
* These positions always offer the kick-down feature.
pg. 4:19 Long distance trips, City driving
Before a long distance trip

It is always worthwhile to have your car checked at a Volvo retailer bef\
ore driving long distances. Your
retailer will also be able to supply you with bulbs, fuses, spark plugs \
and wiper blades for your use in the
event that problems occur.
If you prefer to check the car yourself, please note the following:
l Check that the engine runs smoothly and that fuel consumption is normal.\

l Check engine oil, coolant levels, and for possible fuel leakage.
l Check transmission oil level.
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