
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
Roof racks are available as Volvo accessories. Observe the following poi\
nts when is use:
l Avoid single-point loads. Distribute the load evenly.
l Place heavier cargo at bottom of load.
l Observe that center of gravity and handling are influenced by load weigh\
t.
l Increasing load size increases wind resistance and, thus, adversely affe\
cts fuel economy.
l Anchor the cargo correctly with appropriate tie-down equipment.
l Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, fast cornering and hard braking.
l Max. roof load is 220 lbs. (100 kg) when Volvo approved removable roof\
racks are attached to the
points indicated in the illustration. For permanent roof racks, check th\
e manufacturers weight
specifications.
WARNING! An extra mat on the driver's floor can cause the accelerator pe\
dal to catch. Check that the
movement of the accelerator pedal is not impeded. Not more than one prot\
ective floor covering may be
used at one time.
Contents | Top of Page
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1996 Volvo 850
Jump starting
If the booster battery to be used is in another car, check that the cars\
are not touching to prevent
premature completion of negative circuit. Note the position of the batte\
ry terminals and using jumper
cables:
l First connect the booster battery positive (+) terminal (1) to car b\
attery positive (+) terminal (2).
l Then connect the booster battery negative (-) terminal (3) to a stat\
ionary solid metal part on the
engine at a point away from the battery (4).
Do not connect booster cable to any part of fuel system or any moving pa\
rts. Avoid touching hot
manifolds.
After the engine has started, first remove the negative (-) terminal j\
umper cable. Then remove the
positive (+) terminal jumper cable.
CAUTION: Improper hook-up of jumper cables or use of other than 12-volt \
batteries could result in
damage to equipment and/or battery.
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1996 Volvo 850
WARNING!
l To reduce the possibility of explosion, never expose battery to open fla\
me or electric spark.
l Do not smoke near battery.
l Batteries generate hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive.
l Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not allow battery fluid to cont\
act eyes, skin, fabrics or
painted surfaces. If contact occurs, flush affected area immediately wit\
h water. Obtain medical
attention immediately if eyes are affected.
Failure to follow the instructions for jump starting can lead to persona\
l injury.
pg. 4:15 Three-way catalytic converter
Three-way catalytic converter cautions
l Keep your engine properly tuned. Certain engine malfunctions, particular\
ly involving the electrical,
fuel or distributor ignition systems, may cause unusually high three-way\
catalytic converter
temperatures. Do not continue to operate your vehicle if you detect engi\
ne misfire, noticeable loss of
power or other unusual operating conditions, such as engine overheating \
or backfiring. A properly tuned
engine will help avoid malfunction that could damage the three-way catal\
ytic converter.
l Do not park your car over combustible materials, such as grass or leaves\
, which can come into contact
with the hot exhaust system and cause such materials to ignite under cer\
tain wind and weather
conditions.
l Excessive starter cranking (in excess of one minute), with an intermit\
tently firing or flooded engine,
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1996 Volvo 850
can cause three-way catalytic converter or exhaust system overheating.
l Remember that tampering or unauthorized modification to the engine or th\
e vehicle may be illegal
and can cause three-way catalytic converter or exhaust system overheatin\
g. This includes:
- Altering fuel injection settings or components.
- Adjusting distributor ignition timing beyond specified limits.
- Altering emission system components or location or removing components\
- Repeated use of leaded fuel.
NOTE: Unleaded fuel is required for cars with three-way catalytic conver\
ters. A label on the instrument
panel and inside fuel tank filler door will remind owners and filling st\
ation attendants of this
requirement.
Important! It is unlawful to dispense leaded fuel into any vehicle label\
ed "unleaded gasoline only".
pg. 4:16 Brake system
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
If the warning lamp lights up there is a malfunction of the ABS system (\
the standard braking system will
however function) and the vehicle should be driven to a Volvo retailer \
for inspection. The Anti-lock
Braking System (ABS) helps to improve vehicle control (stopping and s\
teering) during severe braking
conditions by limiting brake lock-up. When the system "senses" impending\
lock-up, braking pressure is
automatically modulated in order to help prevent lockup, which could lea\
d to a skid.
The system performs a self-diagnostic test when the vehicle first reache\
s a speed of approximately 12
mph (20 km/h). The brake pedal will pulsate several times and a sound \
may be audible from the ABS
control module. This is normal.
To obtain optimal effect from the ABS system, constant pressure should b\
e kept on the brake pedal
while the system is modulating the brakes. Do not pump the brake pedal. \
The switching of the ABS modulator will be audible and the brake pedal w\
ill pulsate at this time. Please
be aware that ABS does not increase the absolute braking potential of th\
e vehicle. While control will be
enhanced, ABS will not shorten stopping distances on slippery surfaces. \
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1996 Volvo 850
mountainous areas.
NOTE: Refer to section "Automatic transmission" for additional trailer h\
auling tips.
WARNING!
l Bumper-attached trailer hitches must not be used on Volvos, nor should s\
afety chains be attached to
the bumper.
l Trailer hitches attaching to the vehicle rear axle must not be used.
l Never connect a trailer's hydraulic brake system directly to the vehicle\
brake system, nor a trailer's
lighting system directly to the vehicle lighting system. Consult your ne\
arest authorized Volvo retailer
for correct installation.
pg. 4:18 Winter driving
Cold weather precautions
l If you wish to check your car before the approach of cold weather, the f\
ollowing advice is worth
noting:
l Make sure that the engine coolant contains at least 50 percent antifreez\
e: that is, 3.7 qts. (3.5 liters)
Volvo Genuine Coolant/Antifreeze. This gives protection against freezing\
down to -31°F (-35°C). See
section "Coolant". The use of "recycled" antifreeze is not approved by V\
olvo. Different types of
antifreeze may not be mixed.
l Try to keep the fuel tank well filled - this prevents the formation of c\
ondensation in the tank. In
addition in extremely cold weather conditions it is worthwhile to add fu\
el line de-icer before refueling.
l The viscosity of the engine oil is important. Oil with low viscosity (t\
hinner oil) improves cold-
weather starting as well as decreasing fuel consumption while the engine\
is warming up. For winter use,
5W-30 oil, particularly the synthetic type, is recommended. Be sure to u\
se good quality oil but do not
use this cold-weather oil for hard driving or in warm weather. See secti\
on "Engine oil" for more
information.
l The load placed on the battery is greater during the winter since the he\
ater, windshield wipers,
lighting etc. are used more often. Moreover, the capacity of the battery\
decreases as the temperature
drops. In very cold weather, a poorly charged battery can freeze and be \
damaged. It is therefore
advisable to check the state of charge more frequently and spray an anti\
-rust oil on the battery posts.
l Volvo recommends the use of snow tires on all four wheels for winter dri\
ving - see section "Wheels
and tires".
l To prevent the washer reservoir from freezing, add washer solvents conta\
ining antifreeze (see page
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