
1996 Volvo 850
Starting and driving
pg. 4:1 Starting and driving
Starting and driving
This section on starting and driving contains items such as starting the\
engine, operating gear selector,
towing, trailers.
4:2 Break-in period
4:3Fuel requirements, Octane rating
4:4Driving economy
4:5Starting the engine
4:6Manual transmission
4:7Automatic Transmission
4:10Points to remember
4:12Emergency towing
4:13Vehicle Towing Information
4:14Starting with an auxiliary battery (jump starting)
4:15Three-way catalytic converter
4:16Brake system, ABS
4:17Trailer towing
4:18Winter driving
4:19Long distance trips, City driving
pg. 4:2 Break-in period, Fuel requirements
A new car should be broken-in!
Refrain from utilizing your car's full driving potential during the firs\
t 1,200 miles (2,000 km) including
the "kick-down" function (automatic transmission).
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1996 Volvo 850
Deposit control gasoline
Volvo recommends the use of gasoline containing deposit control additive\
s. These additives have shown
to be efficient in keeping injectors and intake valves clean. Consistent\
use of deposit control gasolines
will help ensure good driveability and fuel economy. If you are not sure\
whether the gasoline contains
deposit control additives, check with the service station operator.
Unleaded Fuel
Each Volvo has a three-way catalytic converter and must use only unleade\
d gasoline (as specified on the
instrument panel and by a label near the filler inlet). U.S. and Canadi\
an regulations require that pumps
delivering unleaded gasoline be labelled "UNLEADED". Only these pumps ha\
ve nozzles which fit your
car's filler inlet. It is unlawful to dispense leaded fuel into a vehicl\
e labelled "unleaded gasoline only".
Leaded gasoline damages the three-way catalytic converter and the heated\
oxygen sensor system.
Repeated use of leaded gasoline will lessen the effectiveness of the emi\
ssion control system and could
result in loss of emission warranty coverage. State and local vehicle in\
spection programs will make
detection of misfueling easier, possibly resulting in emission test fail\
ure for misfueled vehicles. pg. 4:3 Fuel requirements, Refueling
Octane Rating
Volvo engines are designed for optimum performance on unleaded premium g\
asoline with an octane
rating, AKI of 91, or above. AKI (ANTI KNOCK INDEX) is an average of t\
he Research Octane
Number, RON, and the Motor Octane Number, MON, (RON + MON/ 2).
The minimum octane requirement is AKI 87 (RON 91).
Gasoline Containing Alcohol and Ethers
"Oxygenated fuels"
Some fuel suppliers sell gasoline containing "oxygenates" which are usua\
lly alcohols or ethers. In some
areas, state or local laws require that the service pump be marked indic\
ating use of alcohol or ethers.
However, there are areas in which the pumps are unmarked. If you are not\
sure whether there is alcohol
or ethers in the gasoline you buy, check with the service station operat\
or. To meet seasonal air quality
restrictions, some states require the use of "oxygenated" fuel in certai\
n areas.
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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 4:12 Emergency towing (pulling of vehicles)
Front eyelet Rear eyelet
Precautionary steps to observe when car is in tow
l Steering must be unlocked.
l Please check with state and local authorities before attempting this typ\
e of towing, as vehicles being
towed are subject to regulations regarding maximum towing speed, length \
and type of towing device,
lighting, etc.
l Remember that power brake and power steering assists will not be availab\
le when engine is
inoperative. Brake pedal pressure required is 3 - 4 times above normal a\
nd greater steering effort must
be exerted.
Automatic transmissions only:
l Gear selector in position N. Check transmission oil level (see section \
titled "Transmission oil").
l Maximum speed: 20 mph (30 km/h).
l Maximum distance with front wheels on ground: 20 miles (30 km).
l If the battery is dead, it is not possible to release the gear selector \
by pressing the brake pedal. Release
the gear selector manually, by pressing the OVERRIDE button near the bas\
e of the gear selector.
CAUTION: The towing eyelets must not be used for pulling another vehicle\
out of a ditch or any
similar purpose involving severe strain.
Do not attempt to start the car by pushing or pulling it as damage to th\
e three-way catalytic converter
can result.
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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
pg. 8:8 Servicing (cont.)
Fuel System
The fuel system is all-electronic and is microprocessor-controlled. It c\
an continually compensate for
variation in engine load, speed and temperature to give the best economy\
and power. A mass air flow
sensor measures the inducted air. In this way the system can make instan\
taneous adjustments for
changes in air temperature or density, thus always assuring the best eco\
nomy with the lowest possible
exhaust emissions.
Heated oxygen sensor
This is an emission control system designed to reduce emissions and impr\
ove fuel economy. The heated
oxygen sensor monitors the composition of the exhaust gases leaving the \
engine. The exhaust gas
analysis is fed into an electronic module. This adjusts the air-fuel rat\
io to provide optimum conditions
for combustion and efficient reduction of the three major pollutants (h\
ydrocarbons, carbon monoxide
and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by a three-way catalytic converter.
Secondary Air Injection (certain models)
This system adds air to the hot exhaust gases as they are expelled from \
the engine. This causes a
secondary combustion of residual hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, resul\
ting in lower emissions
levels in the exhaust gases.
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1996 Volvo 850
Air pump system (B5254S)
When the engine is being started from cold, an electrical air pump which\
draws air to the exhaust system
is activated. This starts an afterburning process which leads to reduced\
hydrocarbon and carbon
monoxide (HC and CO) emissions and reduces the warm-up period for the \
catalytic converter.
The pump starts when the car has been started and is moving. It continue\
s to work until the catalytic
converter has reached normal working temperature, although it can also s\
tart when the engine is idling.
If the air pump is running and the engine is switched off, the pump cont\
inues working in order to protect
the pump motor.
Note! A soft whining noise can be heard from the pump, and when it perfo\
rms a self-diagnosis, the high/
low beam and the instrument lighting will flash briefly. This is complet\
ely normal. pg. 8:15 Windshield washer nozzles, Washer fluid reservoir
Adjusting washer nozzles
The washer jets should spray the windshield as shown above. Use the edge\
of a small screwdriver to
adjust the nozzles if necessary.
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1996 Volvo 850
Engine
Liquid-cooled gasoline, 5-cylinder, in-line engine. Aluminum alloy cylin\
der block with cast-iron
cylinder liners cast directly into block. Aluminum alloy cylinder head w\
ith double overhead camshafts
and separate intake and outlet channels.
Engine lubrication is provided by an eccentric pump driven from the cran\
kshaft. Full-flow type oil filter.
Exhaust emission control accomplished by fuel injection, heated oxygen s\
ensor(s) and three-way
catalytic converter
Designation Volvo B 5252 S Volvo B 5234
850 R Turbo Volvo B 5254 S Volvo B 5234 T
Turbo
Output 142 hp at 5400
rpm (106 kw/90
rps) 222 hp at 5280
rpm* (166 km/88
rps)* 168 hp at 6200
rpm (125 kw 103
rps) 222 hp at 5280
rpm (166 km/88
rps)
Max torque 152 lbs. at 3600
rpm (206 Nm/60
rps) 221 ft. lbs. at 2000-
5280 rpm (300
Nm/33-88 rps)* 162.3 ft. lbs. at
4700 rpm (220
Nm/55 rps) 221 ft. lbs. at 2000-
5280 rpm (300
Nm/33-88 rps)
Number of
cylinders 5
5 5 5
Bore 3.27" (83 mm) 3.19" (81 mm) 3.27" (83 mm) 3.19" (81 mm)
Stroke 3.54" (90 mm) 3.54" (90 mm) 3.54" (90 mm) 3.54" (90 mm)
Displacement 2.4 liters 2.3 liters 2.4 liters 2.3 liters
Compression ratio 10.0:1 8.5:1 10.5:1 8.5:1
Number of valves 10 20 20 20
Valve clearance Self-adjusting Self-adjusting Self-adjusting Self-adjusting
* The 850 R turbo engine generates increased power on cars equipped with\
an automatic transmission
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