1996 VOLVO 850 tires

1996 Volvo 850
850 Owner's Manual VOLVO 850
1 9 9 6
This manual deals with the operation and care of your Volvo.

Welcome to the world-wide family of Volvo owners. We trust that you will\
enjoy many years of safe
driving in your Volvo, an automobile designed with your safety and comfo\
rt in mind. To help ensure
your satisfaction with this vehicle, we encourage you to familiarize you\
rself with the equipment
descriptions, operating instructions and maintenance requirements/recomm\
endations in this manual. We
also urge you and your passengers to wear seat belts at all times in thi\
s (or any other) automobile. And,
of course, please do not operate a vehicle if you may be affected by alc\
ohol, medication or any
impairment that could hinder your ability to drive.

Your Volvo is designed to meet all applicable safety and emission standa\
rds, as evidenced by the
certification labels attached to the driver's door opening and on the le\
ft wheel housing in the engine
compartment.

Contents
Instruments and controls ... 1
Body and interior .. 2
Occupant safety, Reporting safety defects ... 3
Starting and driving ... 4
Wheels and tires ... 5
In case of emergency ... 6
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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
Weight distribution affects handling

At the specified curb weight your car has a tendency to understeer, whic\
h means that the steering wheel
has to be turned more than might seem appropriate for the curvature of a\
bend. This ensures good
stability and reduces the risk of rear wheel skid. Remember that these p\
roperties can alter with the
vehicle load. The heavier the load in the trunk (max. 220 lbs, 100 kg)\
, the less the tendency to
understeer.

Handling, roadholding

Vehicle load, tire design, and inflation pressure, all affect vehicle ha\
ndling. Therefore, check that the
tires are inflated to the recommended pressure according to the vehicle \
load. See "Tire pressure" section.
Loads should be distributed so that capacity weight or maximum permissib\
le axle loads are not
exceeded.
WARNING! It is recommended that tire of the same make and dimensions be \
used on all four wheels
(including the use of snow tires). Do not use bias ply tires as this w\
ill adversely alter vehicle handling
characteristics.


Holes for roof rack

Roof racks
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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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1996 Volvo 850
l Check condition of drive belts.
l Check state of charge of battery.
l Examine tires carefully (the spare tire as well), and replace those th\
at are worn. Check tire pressures.
l The brakes, front wheel alignment, and steering gear should be checked b\
y your Volvo retailer only.
l Check all lights, including high beams.
l Reflective warning triangles are legal requirement in some countries.
l Have a word with your Volvo retailer concerning engine adjustments if yo\
u intend to drive in
countries where it may be difficult to obtain correct fuel.
l Consider your destination. If you will be driving through an area where \
snow or ice are likely to
occur, consider snow tires.




Contents | Top of Page
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1996 Volvo 850
Wheels and tires
pg. 5:1 Wheels and tires
Wheels and tires

The handling and riding comfort of the vehicle is dependent on the infla\
tion pressure and the type of
tires fitted. Read the following pages carefully.

5:2 General information, Wear indicator, Tire economy, Flat spots
5:3Snow chains, Winter tires
5:4Inflation pressure
pg. 5:2 Wheels and tires
General information

Your vehicle is equipped with tires according to the tire information la\
bel located on the rear facing side
of the right front door.

The following is an example of a tire designation code:
195 = tire width in mm.
60 = tire profile. This is the relationship (in percent) between the s\
ection height and the width of the tire.
R = radial tires.
15 = diameter in inches on all four wheels.

The tires have good road holding characteristics and offer good handling\
on dry and wet surfaces. It
should be noted however that the tires have been developed to give these\
features on snow/ice-free
surfaces. Certain models are equipped with "all-season" tires, which pro\
vide a somewhat higher degree
of winter roadholding on slippery surfaces than tires without the "all-s\
eason" rating. However, for
optimum road holding on icy or snow covered roads - we recommend suitabl\
e winter tires on all four
wheels. When replacing tires, be sure that the new tires are the same si\
ze designation, type (radial) and
preferably from the same manufacturer, on all four wheels. Otherwise the\
re is a risk of altering the car's
road-holding and handling characteristics.
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1996 Volvo 850

NOTE: When storing wheel/tire assemblies (e.g. winter tires and wheels)\
, either stand the assemblies
upright or suspend them off the ground. Laying wheel/tire assemblies on \
their sides for prolonged
periods can cause wheel and/or tire damage.

Wear indicator

The tires have a so-called "wear indicator" in the form of a number of n\
arrow strips running across or
parallel to the tread. When approx. 1/16" (1.6 mm) is left on the trea\
d, these strips show up and indicate
that the tire should be replaced.
Tires with less than 1/16" (1.6 mm) tread have a very poor grip in rai\
n or snow.
When replacing worn tires, it is recommended that the tire be identical \
in type (radial) and size as the
one being replaced. Using a tire of the same make (manufacturer) will \
prevent alteration of the driving
characteristics of the vehicle.

To improve tire economy:

l Maintain correct tire pressure.
l Drive smoothly: avoid fast starts, hard braking and tire screeching.
l Tire wear increases with speed.
l Do not change wheel location unless necessary.
l Correct front wheel alignment is very important.
l Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy and driving comfort.
l If the wheels are rotated, they should be kept on the same side of the c\
ar so that they revolve in the
same direction as prior to rotation.
l Hitting curbs or potholes can damage the tires and/or wheels permanently\
.

Flat spots

All tires become warm during use. After cooling, when the vehicle is par\
ked, the tires have a tendency to
distort slightly, forming flat spots. These flat spots can cause vibrati\
ons similar to the vibrations caused
by imbalanced wheels. They do, however, disappear when the tire warms up\
. The degree to which the
flat spots form depends on the type of cord used in the tire. Remember t\
hat, in cold weather, it takes
longer for the tire to warm up and consequently longer for the flat spot\
to disappear.
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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 5:3 Wheels and tires
Snow chains

Snow tire chains can be used on your Volvo with the following restrictio\
ns:
l Snow chains should be installed on your front wheels only.
l Snow chains may be mounted on tire dimension 185/65R15 and 195/60R15. Ti\
re dimension
205/55R15 and 205/50R16 require a special type of snow chain. Consult yo\
ur Volvo retailer. Snow
chains may not be used on 205/55R16
If accessory, aftermarket or "custom" tires and wheels are installed and\
are of a size different than the
original tires and wheels, chains in some cases CANNOT be used. Snow cha\
ins cannot be used on those
turbo models fitted with all-season tires 205/55 R16 or 205/45 R17. Mode\
ls equipped with 205/55 R15
or 205/50 R16 need specially designed snow chains. Sufficient clearances\
between chains and brakes,
suspension and body components must be maintained.
l Some strap-on type chains will interfere with brake components and there\
fore CANNOT be used.
CAUTION:
l Check local regulations regarding the use of snow chains before installi\
ng.
l Always follow the chains manufacturer's installation instructions carefu\
lly. Install chains as tightly
as possible and re-tighten periodically.
l Never exceed the chain manufacture's specified maximum speed limit. (Un\
der no circumstances
should that limit be higher than 30 mph (45 km/h).
l Avoid bumps, holes or sharp turns when driving with snow chains.
l The handling of the vehicle can be adversely affected when driving with \
chains. Avoid fast or sharp
turns as well as locked wheel braking.

Snow tires, studded tires *

Tires for winter use:
Owners who live in or regularly commute through areas with sustained per\
iods of snow or icy driving
conditions are strongly advised to fit suitable winter tires to help ret\
ain the highest degree of traction.
It is important to install winter tires on all four wheels to help retai\
n traction during cornering, braking
and accelerating. Failure to do so could reduce traction to an unsafe le\
vel or adversely affect handling.
Do not mix tires of different design as this could also negatively affec\
t overall tire road grip. Volvo
recommends 185/65 R15 winter tires on 15" wheels on all 850 models inclu\
ding models equipped with
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