1998 Volvo S90
A - Rear fog light*
The indicator light in the
instrument panel will light
up when the rear fog light
is on. This fog light is
considerably brighter than
the normal tail light and
should be used only when
the atmospheric
conditions, such as fog,
rain, snow, smoke or dust
reduce the daytime or
nighttime visibility of
other vehicles to less than
500 ft (150 meters).
*By design, there is one
rear fog light only, located
in the driver's side tail light
cluster.
B- Instrument
illumination
To increase the brightness,
rotate the switch upward.
To decrease the brightness,
rotate the switch
downward.
C- Front fog lights
The indicator light in the
switch will light up when
the front fog lights are on.
The front fog lights will
only function when the low
beam headlights are on.
NOTE:Local regulations
governing the use of fog
lights may vary.
D- Power antenna (sedans only)
This button can be used to lower the antenna
when, for example, you are listening to a tape or
CD, or when you are driving into a low-roof
garage or car wash. CAUTION: The antenna must be lowered
before washing the car in an automatic car wash. E- Steering
wheel adjustment
The steering wheel
can be adjusted to 3
different positions.
Move the control on
the left side of the
steering column
downward and hold
it in place. Adjust
the steering wheel
to the position
desired. Release the
control and check
that the steering
wheel is locked in
position.
WARNING!Do
not adjust the
steering wheel
while driving.
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1998 Volvo S90
Chapter 2 - (cont.)
Sun roof, Hazard warning flasher, Tailgate wiper/washer, heated rear window
pg. 23
C- Heated rear window,
heated side-door mirrors
(certain models)
Depress the switch to start
heating of rear window and side
mirrors. Both orange control
lights in the switch will
illuminate. A timer switches off
the side mirror heating after
approx. 6 minutes and the rear
window demister after 12
minutes. The control lights go
out correspondingly.
D- Hazard warning flasher
The four-way flasher should be
used to indicate that the vehicle
has become a traffic hazard.
NOTE:Regulations regarding the
use of the hazard warning flasher
may vary from state to state.
E-Central lock switch
Press the switch to lock/unlock
the doors and trunk/tailgate.
Lock: press the lower section of
the switch
Unlock: press the upper section
of the switch.
NOTE: The lock function only
operates if the doors are closed.
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1998 Volvo S90
Chapter 3 - Body and interior
pg. 31
Body and
interior
The seats,
doors, sun
roof, mirrors,
etc. are
described on
the following
pages.
Keys, Doors and Locks pg. 32
Remote keyless entry system pg. 32
Front seats pg. 34
Rear/side view mirrors, Vanity mirror pg. 35
Interior light, Rear reading lights pg. 36
Child safety locks, Trunk lid pg. 37
Passenger compartment storage spaces pg. 38
Hood pg. 39
Trunk light, spare tire, jack (sedan) pg. 40
Wagon tailgate/child safety lock pg. 41
Concealed storage bins, Folding rear seat (wagon) pg. 42
Removing seat cushions, Securing cargo (wagon) pg. 44
Cargo space lighting, spare tire, jack (wagon) pg. 45
Cargo space - loading pg. 46
Cargo barrier pg. 47
Luggage cover pg. 48
Sun roof pg. 49
Long load storage pg. 50
Alarm pg. 51
Keys, Doors and Locks pg. 32
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1998 Volvo S90
Rear-view mirror
A Normal position
B Night position,
reduces glare from
following headlights
Electrically-operated side-view
mirrors
The control switches are located in the
driver's door armrest.
A Horizontal adjustment
B Vertical adjustment
CAUTION: Never use ice scrapers
made of metal as they can easily
scratch the mirror surface.
WARNING!The mirrors should
always be adjusted prior to driving.
Objects seen in the wide-angle right
side-view mirror are closer than they
appear to be.
Vanity mirrors
The vanity mirrors are located on both
front sun visors.
The lamps light up when the covers are
opened.
Interior light, Rear reading lights pg. 36
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1998 Volvo S90
Interior light
1 Lights always on.
2 Lights always off.
3 Light is on when either of the
front or the rear doors are opened.
Atime-delay device keeps the
interior illuminated for approx. 30
seconds after closing the driver's
door. This facilitates finding the
starting (ignition) switch, etc., at
night.
Rear reading lights
Rear seat passengers can turn the
rear reading lights on or off by
using the adjacent switches. A ON
B OFF
To avoid battery drain
The interior light and the warning
lights in the rear of the doors come
on when a door is opened.
To avoid battery drain when the
doors are opened for prolonged
periods, these lights can be
switched off by pushing in and
turning the door light switches
slightly clockwise. When the door
is closed the switch will return to
its normal position.
Contents | Top of Page
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1998 Volvo S90
WARNING!
Always turn engine off and apply
parking brake when loading/
unloading the vehicle. Place
transmission selector in P (PARK)
position to help prevent
inadvertent movement of selector.
Alarm pg. 51
Alarm LED
Alarm
To lock: Press the lock/panic button
once to lock all doors and trunk/tailgate
and arm the security system. Lamps will
flash to acknowledge that the vehicle is
locked and the security system is armed.
To unlock: Press the unlock button once
to unlock the driver's door only and
disarm the security system.
Press the unlock button again (within 10
seconds) to unlock all doors and trunk/
tailgate.
Emergency function
To activate the " panic alarm
"function:
Press and hold lock/panic button for at
least 3 seconds. The car's lights will
flash and an alarm will sound for
approximately 30 seconds.
This function can be switched off at
any time by pressing either of the
buttons.
Programming a transmitter
New transmitters (max. 4) must be
programmed to function with your
alarm system. To do this:
l Make sure all doors, hood and
trunk/tailgate are closed.
l Turn the ignition on and off 5
times within 10 seconds. On the
fifth try, leave the ignition on.
l Press either button on the
transmitter. NOTE: The first transmitter must be
programmed within 15 seconds, the
others within 10 second intervals.
When the alarm system accepts the
codes from each transmitter, the
LED on the dash will glow steadily
for several seconds.
l Switch the ignition off and test the
transmitter(s).
Batteries
The remote transmitter is powered
by 2 three-volt batteries, type CR
1220. If three short signals are
audible from the transmitter each
time you lock/unlock the car, this
indicates that the batteries are weak.
Replacement: Remove the battery
cover on the back of the transmitter
with a coin. Replace the batteries.
Reinstall the cover, making sure it is
secured tightly to help protect the
transmitter.
NOTE: If only the driver's door is
unlocked, the lock will automatically
reengage (re-lock) and the alarm will
reset after 30 seconds unless the
door has been opened.
If all of the doors were unlocked (by
pushing button 2 twice within 10
seconds) and no door/trunk/tailgate
was opened within two minutes, all
locks will reengage and the alarm
will reset. This is to prevent the
vehicle from being left unlocked if
the unlock button is inadvertently
pressed.
The lock/unlock and alarm features
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1998 Volvo S90
and third gears when in
driving modes E or S. There
is no upshift from third gear.
Position 3 can be used for
driving in hilly terrain, for
towing trailers or for
increased engine braking
power.
CAUTION: Never select P
or R while the car is in
motion. 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. The gear
selector should not be
downshifted to L at speeds
above 75 mph (125 km/h). -
Always observe posted
speed limits!
Automatic transmission pg. 59
Shift gate positions
The gear selector can be moved
freely between D and 3.
Selections of other positions are
Kick-down
Automatic shift to a lower gear
(kick-down) is achieved by
depressing the accelerator pedal
fully and briskly.
An up-shift 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 acceleration or
when passing at highway
speeds.
The indicator lamp in the
instrument panel lights up when
mode W is selected. Press button
W in order to disengage this
mode.
When mode W is disengaged,
the gearbox automatically
reverts to the previously selected
S or E mode.
If the indicator lamp begins to
flash, this is an indication of a
fault in the automatic gearbox. If
the transmission does not shift
properly, place the gear selector
in position L. Please contact
your Volvo retailer if this
occurs.
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1998 Volvo S90
Chapter 4 (cont)
Brake system
pg. 67
If one of the brake
circuits should
malfunction, the red
warning light will come
on
The pedal stroke increases
slightly, the pedal feels softer
and extra pressure is required for
normal braking.
If the light comes on while
driving or braking, stop
immediately and check the brake
fluid level in the reservoir.
WARNING!
If the fluid level is below the
MIN mark in either section
of the reservoir: DO NOT
DRIVE. Tow the car to a
Volvo retailer and have the
brake system checked and
repaired.
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
The system performs a self-
diagnostic test when the vehicle
is started and at 4 mph (6 km/h).
The driver may detect one
pulsation of the brake pedal,
which is normal.
To obtain optimal effect from
the ABS system, constant
pressure should be 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 at this
time.
Please be aware that ABS does
not increase the absolute braking
potential of the vehicle.
While control will be enhanced,
ABS will not shorten stopping
distances on slippery surfaces.
Moisture on brake
discs and brake pads
affects braking.
Driving in rain and slush or
passing through an automatic car
wash can cause water to collect
on the brake discs and pads.
This will cause a delay in
braking effect when the pedal is
depressed. To avoid such a delay
when the brakes are needed,
depress the pedal occasionally
when driving through rain, slush
etc. This will remove the water
from the brakes. Check that
Severe strain on the
brake system
The brakes will be subject to
severe strain when driving in
mountains or hilly areas or
towing. The speed is usually low
which means that the cooling of
the brakes is less efficient than
when driving on level roads. To
reduce the strain on the brakes it
is advisable not to use the brakes
excessively. Instead, shift into a
lower gear, position 3 or in some
cases L ,and let the engine help
with the braking.
Do not forget that, if you are
towing a trailer, the brakes will
be subjected to greater load than
is normal.
If the brake power-
assist does not
function
The power assist to the brakes
functions only when the engine
is running. When the car is
moving without the engine
running the brake pedal pressure
required to stop the car is
increased by 3-4 times.
The brake pedal feels stiff and
hard.
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