
systems.
Avoid spilling gasoline during refueling. In addition to causing damage to the environment, gasolines containing
alcohol can cause damage to painted surfaces, which may not be covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Do not use gasolines containing methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). This practice can result in vehicle
performance deterioration and can damage critical parts in the fuel system. Such damage may not be covered under the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
* If the fuel filler cap is not closed tightly or if the engine is running when the car is refueled, the Check Engine
Light (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) may indicate a fault. However, your vehicle's performance will not be affected.
Use only Volvo original or approved fuel filler caps.
pg. 73 Starting the engine
Starting the engine
1. Fasten the seat belt.
WARNING!
Before starting, check that the seat, steering wheel and mirrors are adjusted properly. Make sure the brake pedal can
be depressed completely. Adjust the seat if necessary. See page 52
.
2. Apply the parking brake, if not already set. The gear selector is locked in the (P)ark position (SHIFTLOCK).
3. Without touching the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key* to the starting position. Allow the starter to operate
for up to 5 seconds (turbo: 10 seconds). Release the key as soon as the engine starts. If the engine fails to start, repeat
this step.
NOTE: On certain models, when the car is started, idle speed may be noticeably higher than normal for a short period,
depending on the temperature of the engine.
This has been done to help bring components in the emission control system to their normal operating temperature as
quickly as possible, which enables them to function normally.
For cold starts at altitudes above 6000 ft (1800 meters), depress the accelerator pedal halfway and turn the key to the
starting position. Release the pedal slowly when the engine starts.
4. o release the gear selector from the (P)ark position, the engine must be running (or the ignition key must be in
position II) and the brake pedal must be depressed. While keeping firm pressure on the brake pedal, release the parking
brake.
5. Select the desired gear. The gear engages after a very slight delay which is especially noticeable when selecting R.
NOTE:
Your car is equipped with a KEYLOCK system. When the engine is switched off, the gear selector must be in the
( P )ark position before the key can be removed from the ignition switch.
When starting in cold weather, the transmission may shift up at slightly higher engine speeds than normal until the
automatic transmission fluid reaches normal operating temperature.
CAUTION :
The engine should be idling when you move the gear selector. Never accelerate until after you feel the transmission
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engage! Accelerating immediately after selecting a gear will cause harsh gear engagement and premature transmission
wear.
Selecting P or N when idling at a standstill for prolonged periods of time will help prevent overheating of the
automatic transmission fluid.
Do not race a cold engine immediately after starting. Oil flow may not reach some lubrication points fast enough to
prevent engine damage.
WARNING!
Always place the gear selector in Park and apply the parking brake before leaving the vehicle. Never leave the car
unattended with the engine running.
Always open the garage doors fully before starting the engine inside a garage to ensure adequate ventilation. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which is invisible and odorless but very poisonous.
* Your car is equipped with an electronic start inhibitor (immobilizer). The keys you received with your car are
specially coded. The code in the key is transmitted to an antenna in the ignition switch where it is compared to the
code stored in the start inhibitor module. The car can only be started if a properly coded key is used.
If two of the keys to your car are close together, e.g., on the same key ring, when you try to start the car, this could
cause interference in the immobilizer system and result in the car not starting. If this should occur, remove one of the
keys from the key ring before trying to start the car again.
pg. 74 Automatic transmission
P (Park)
Use this position when starting the engine or parking the car.
Never use P while the car is in motion.
The parking brake should also be set whenever the car is parked.
The gear selector is mechanically locked in the P position (SHIFTLOCK). To release the gear selector from this
position, the engine must be running (or the ignition key must be in position II) and the brake pedal must be
depressed.
WARNING!
Never leave the car unattended 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 the car is moving forward.
N (Neutral)
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Neutral - no gear engaged. Use the parking brake.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position and should be used as often as possible to help improve fuel economy. The car should
not be moving when shifting from R to the D position.
3 (Intermediate gear)
The transmission will shift automatically between gears 3, 2 or 1 from this position. The transmission cannot shift up
to (D)rive (D) from third gear.
2 (Intermediate gear)
The transmission will shift automatically between gears 2 and 1 from this position. The transmission cannot shift up
to third gear from second gear.
1 (Low gear)
If you select this gear at speeds above 30 mph (50 km/h), the transmission will first shift to second gear and then to
first gear at lower speeds.
NOTE: The intermediate and low gears can be used for:
Driving in a mountainous area
Towing a trailer
Increasing the braking effect of the engine.
The transmission has a built-in limiter designed to help prevent excessive engine speeds (high rpm) when gears 3, 2
or 1 are selected.
Kickdown
Automatic shift to a lower gear (kickdown) is achieved by depressing the accelerator pedal fully and briskly. An
upshift will occur when approaching the top speed for a particular gear or by releasing the accelerator pedal slightly.
Kickdown can be used for maximum acceleration or when passing at highway speeds.
Automatic transmission - adaptive system
The automatic transmission is controlled by an adaptive control system that constantly monitors the way in which the
transmission functions. It senses and adapts each gear shift for optimal performance. The system also monitors your
particular driving style and adapts gear shifting accordingly.
pg. 75 Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission - shift gate positions
The gear selector can be moved freely between N and D.
Depressing the selector knob enables you to move the gear selector to positions P, R, N, D, 3, 2 and 1.
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W Winter/Wet driving mode - enhanced vehicle traction
Mode W will only function if the gear selector is in the (D)rive position.
Press the button at the base of the gear selector to engage/disengage this driving mode (see illustration).
An LED in the button will light up to indicate that W is engaged and this will also be displayed in the instrument
panel (see page 25
).
This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.
Cold starts
When driving before the engine has reached its normal operating temperature, the transmission will shift up at slightly
higher engine speeds to heat the three-way catalytic converter as quickly as possible.
pg. 76 Automatic transmission (Geartronic)
P (Park)
Use this position when starting the engine or parking the car.
Never use P while the 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 (SHIFTLOCK). To release the gear selector from this
position, the engine must be running (or the ignition key must be in position II) and the brake pedal must be
depressed.
WARNING!
Never leave the car unattended when the engine is running. If, by mistake, the gear selector is moved from P, the car
may start moving.
R (Reverse)
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Never engage R while the car is moving forward.
N (Neutral)
Neutral - no gear engaged. Use the parking brake.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position and should be used as often as possible to help improve fuel economy. The car should
not be moving when shifting from R to the D position.
Kickdown
Automatic shift to a lower gear (kickdown) is achieved by depressing the accelerator pedal fully and briskly. An
upshift will occur when approaching the top speed for a particular gear or by releasing the accelerator pedal slightly.
Kickdown can be used for maximum acceleration or when passing at highway speeds. Kickdown does not function
when the transmission is in the manual shift (geartronic) mode (see next page).
Shift gate positions
Automatic transmission - adaptive system
The automatic transmission is controlled by an adaptive control system that constantly monitors the way in which the
transmission functions. It senses and adapts each gear shift for optimal performance. The system also monitors your
particular driving style and adapts gear shifting accordingly.
Automatic transmission - shift gate positions
You can move the gear selector freely between the (MAN) ual and (D)rive positions while driving.
Depress the selector knob on the front side of the gear selector to move between the R, N, D and P positions.
Please see the following page for information on using the Geartronic manual shift mode.
pg. 77 Automatic transmission (Geartronic)
Manual shifting - Geartronic
You can move the gear selector freely between the (MAN) ual and (D)rive positions while driving. Gears 2, 3, and 4
have a "lock -up" function which reduces engine speed and helps save fuel.
The currently selected gear will be displayed in the instrument panel (see page 23
).
To access the (MAN)ual shifting position from (D)rive, pull the gear selector back slightly from D and move it to
the left to MAN.
To return to the (D)rive position from MAN, move the gear selector to the right and push it forward to the (D)rive
position.
While driving
If you select the (MAN)ual position while driving, the gear that was being used in the (D)rive position will also
initially be selected in (MAN)ual position.
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Move the gear selector forward (toward "+") to shift to a higher gear or rearward (toward "-") to shift to a lower
gear.
If you hold the gear selector toward "-", the transmission will downshift one gear , and will utilize the braking power
of the engine. If the current speed is too high for using a lower gear, the downshift will not occur until the speed has
decreased enough to allow the lower gear to be used.
If you slow down to a very low speed, the transmission will automatically shift down.
When starting in the (MAN)ual position, 3rd gear is the highest gear that may be selected.
NOTE: Kickdown (see previous page) does not function when the transmission is in the manual shift (geartronic)
mode. The gear selector must be in D (Drive) position.
W Winter/Wet driving mode - enhanced vehicle traction
Mode W will only function if the gear selector is in the (D)rive position.
Press the button at the base of the gear selector to engage/disengage this driving mode (see illustration).
An LED in the button will light up to indicate that W is engaged and this will also be displayed in the instrument
panel (see page 25
).
This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.
pg. 78 Driving economy
Economical driving conserves natural resources
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. Observe the following rules:
Bring the engine to normal operating temperature as soon as possible by driving with a light foot on the accelerator
pedal for the first few minutes of operation. A cold engine uses more fuel and is subject to increased wear.
Whenever possible, avoid using the car for driving short distances. This does not allow the engine to reach normal
operating temperature.
Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
Do not exceed posted speed limits.
Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the car.
Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire pressure regularly (when tires are cold).
Remove snow tires when threat of snow or ice has ended.
Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc., increase air resistance and also fuel consumption.
Avoid using automatic transmission kickdown feature unless necessary.
Avoid using the air conditioning when it is not required. When engaged, the A/C compressor places an additional
load on the engine. However, at higher driving speeds, fuel consumption will be lower with the air conditioning on and
the windows closed than with the air conditioning off and the windows open.
Using the onboard trip computer's fuel consumption modes can help you learn how to drive more economically.
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Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
Dirty air cleaner
Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
Dragging brakes
Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and others are checked at the standard Maintenance Service intervals.
NOTE : Vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions should use (D)rive as often as possible and avoid using
"kickdown" to help improve fuel economy.
Cooling system
The risk for engine overheating is greatest, especially in hot weather, when:
Towing a trailer up steep inclines for prolonged periods at wide open throttle and low engine rpm.
Stopping the engine suddenly after high speed driving (so-called "after-boiling" can occur).
To avoid overheating, the following rules should be followed:
Do not drive for prolonged periods at engine speeds above 4500 rpm if you are towing a trailer in hilly terrain.
Reduce speed 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.
Do not let the engine idle unnecessarily for prolonged periods.
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 following precautions should be taken:
Switch off the air conditioning system.
Pull off the road, away from traffic, stop the car and put the gear selector into Park. Do not stop the engine!
Switch the heater to full (maximum) position. Increase the engine speed to approx. 2000 rpm (twice idling speed)
until the temperature begins to drop.
If the warning light in the center of the instrument panel is red, and the message "Coolant level lo stop engine" is
displayed, switch off the engine as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Do not remove coolant expansion tank cap. The coolant will be extremely hot.
If necessary, see page 116
for information on checking and topping-up the coolant level.
Contents | Top of Page
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2 0 0 3
VOLVO S80
Chapter 8 - Maintenance/Servicing
pg. 99 Maintenance/Servicing
Fuses100
Replacing bulbs104
Paint touch up111
Washing the car112
Cleaning the upholstery113
Maintenance service, Warranty114
Fuel/emissions systems115
Drive belt, Air pump system, Coolant116
Emissions maintenance117
Opening the hood, Engine compartment119
Engine oil120
Power steering/Brake fluid reservoirs122
Battery maintenance123
Replacing wiper blades125
pg. 100 Fuses
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