2003 VOLVO XC70 Owners Manual

2003 VOLVO XC70
Automatic transmission - shift gate positions
You can move the gear selector freely between the (MAN)ual and (D)ri\
ve positions while driving.
Depress the button on the front of the gear selector knob to move betwee\
n the R, N, D, and P positions.
Please see the following page for information on using the Geartronic ma\
nual shift mode.

pg. 93 Automatic transmission (Geartronic)
Manual shifting - Geartronic
You can move the gear selector freely between the (MAN)ual and (D)ri\
ve positions while driving. Gears
2, 3, and 4 have a "lock-up" function which reduces engine speed and hel\
ps save fuel. The currently
selected gear will be displayed in the instrument panel (see
page 27).
l 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.
l 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 b\
eing used in the (D)rive position
will also initially be selected in (MAN)ual position.
l Move the gear selector forward (toward "+") to shift to a higher gear \
or rearward (toward "-") to shift
to a lower gear.
l If you hold the gear selector toward "-", the transmission will downshif\
t, one gear at a time, and will
utilize the braking power of the engine. If the current speed is too hig\
h for using a lower gear, the
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downshift will not occur until the speed has decreased enough to allow t\
he lower gear to be used.
l If you slow down to a very low speed, the transmission will automaticall\
y shift down.
l When starting in the (MAN)ual position, 3rd gear is the highest gear t\
hat 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 the D (Drive) positi\
on.
W Winter/Wet driving mode - enhanced vehicle traction
l Mode W will function only if the gear selector is in the (D)rive posit\
ion.
l Press the button at the base of the gear selector to engage/disengage th\
is driving mode (see
illustration).
l 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 27).
l This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.

pg. 94 All Wheel Drive - option
All Wheel Drive (AWD) - general information
Your Volvo can be equipped with permanent All Wheel Drive, which means t\
hat power is distributed
automatically between the front and rear wheels. Under normal driving co\
nditions, most of the engine's
power is directed to the front wheels. However, if there is any tendency\
for the front wheels to spin, an
electronically controlled coupling distributes power to the wheels that \
have the best traction.
Tire dimensions
Volvo recommends that you always drive on tires of the same brand, size,\
construction (radial), tread
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pattern, load-, speed-, traction-, temperature-, and treadwear rating. N\
ever drive on mixed tires, except
for brief periods when the temporary spare tire is in use.
Always use properly inflated tires of correct dimensions. Tire size and \
inflation pressures are shown on
the tire pressure label located inside the fuel filler door.
Tire Rotation
Volvo recommends rotating the tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km). Tir\
es should be rotated front-to-
back/back-to-front only. Tires must maintain the same direction of rotat\
ion throughout their lifetime, and
should never be rotated from one side of the vehicle to the other.
Temporary Spare
The temporary spare tire is for temporary, low-speed, short-distance use\
only. Replace it with a full-
sized tire as soon as possible, in accordance with "Tire Rotation" above\
. Do not drive on the temporary
spare at speeds above 50 m.p.h. (80km/h) or for distances greater than\
50 miles (80 km).
Never install snow chains on a temporary spare.

pg. 95 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. 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 few minutes of operation. A cold eng\
ine 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 posted speed limits.
l Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the car.
l Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire pressure regularly (when tir\
es 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 also \
fuel consumption.
l Avoid using automatic transmission kickdown feature unless necessary.
l Avoid using the air conditioning when it is not required. When engaged, \
the conditioner's compressor
places an additional load on the engine. However, at higher driving spee\
ds, fuel consumption will be
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lower with the air conditioning on and the windows closed than with the \
air conditioning off and the
windows open.
l Using the onboard trip computer's fuel consumption modes can help you le\
arn how to drive more
economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
l Dirty air cleaner
l Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
l Dragging brakes
l Incorrect front end alignment Some of the above mentioned items and othe\
rs are checked at the
standard Maintenance Service intervals.
NOTE: Vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions should use (D)rive as o\
ften as possible and
avoid using "kick-down" to help improve fuel economy. Vehicles equipped \
with manual transmissions
should use fifth gear at highway speeds. At other times, choose the high\
est gear that still allows smooth
acceleration.
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 on the rear of the vehicle (e.g., he\
avily loaded (max. 220 lbs, 100 kg)
cargo area or when towing a trailer, the less the tendency to understeer\
.
Handling, roadholding
Vehicle load, tire design and inflation pressure all affect vehicle hand\
ling. 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.

pg. 96 Points to remember
Cooling system
The risk for engine overheating is greatest, especially in hot weather, \
when:
l Towing a trailer up steep inclines for prolonged periods at wide open th\
rottle and low engine rpm.
l Stopping the engine suddenly after high speed driving (so-called "after\
-boiling" can occur).
l To avoid overheating, the following rules should be followed: Do not dri\
ve for prolonged periods at
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engine speeds above 4500 rpm if you are towing a trailer in hilly terrai\
n.
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 followi\
ng precautions should be taken:
l Switch off the air conditioning system.
l Pull off the road, away from traffic, stop the car and put the gear sele\
ctor into neutral.
l Switch the heater to full (maximum) position. Increase the engine spee\
d to approx. 2000 rpm (twice
idling speed) until the temperature begins to drop.
WARNING!
Do not remove coolant expansion tank cap. The coolant will be extremely \
hot.
If necessary, see
page 129 and 132 for information on checking and topping-up the coolant
level.
CAUTION: Drive slowly and carefully if going through standing water (i.e. flood\
ed roadways, etc.).
Damage to the engine could result if excess water is drawn in through th\
e air intake system. Never drive
the vehicle in water deeper than 1 foot (300 mm). See the flood warnin\
g on
page 7.
WARNING!
l Driving with the tailgate open: Driving with the tailgate open could mean that poisonous exhaust
gases enter the passenger compartment.
If the tailgate must be kept open for any reason, proceed as follows:
- Close the windows.
- Set the ventilation system control to air flow to floor, windshield an\
d side windows and blower
control to its highest setting.
l Floor mats: An extra mat on the driver's floor can cause the accelerator pedal to \
catch. Check that
the movement of the accelerator pedal is not impeded. Not more than one \
protective floor covering
may be used at one time.
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2003 VOLVO XC70
Electrical system
When replacing the battery or when carrying out work involving the elect\
rical system, the following
should be observed:
l A battery connection to the wrong terminal will damage the electrical sy\
stem. Be sure to connect the
positive battery cable to the positive battery terminal and the negative\
battery cable to the negative
battery terminal.
l If booster batteries are used for starting, they must be properly connec\
ted to minimize the risk of the
electrical system being damaged. For correct connection, see "Jump start\
ing" section.
l Never disconnect the battery circuit (for example, to replace the batte\
ry) while the engine is running,
as this may damage the generator. Always make sure that all the battery \
connections are properly
cleaned and tightened.
l If any electrical welding work is performed on the vehicle, the battery'\
s ground lead (negative cable)
and all the connecting cables of the generator must be disconnected and \
the welder cables placed as near
the welding points as possible.
l The radio must be turned off before the battery is disconnected.
l Switch off the ignition for at least 10 minutes before disconnecting the\
battery.

pg. 97 Roof racks/Load carriers
Load carriers (accessory)
Load carriers are available as Volvo accessories. Observe the following \
points when in use:
l To avoid damaging your car and to achieve maximum safety when driving, w\
e recommend using the
load carriers that Volvo has developed especially for your car.
l Volvo-approved removable roof racks are designed to carry the maximum al\
lowable roof load for this
vehicle: 220 lbs (100 kg). For Non-Volvo roof racks, check the manufac\
turer's weight limits for the rack.
l Never exceed the rack manufacturer's weigh limits and never exceed the m\
aximum rated roof load of
220 lbs (100 kg).
l Avoid single-point loads. Distribute loads evenly.
l Place heavier cargo at the bottom of the load.
l Anchor the cargo correctly with appropriate tie-down equipment.
l Check periodically that the load carriers and load are properly secured.\

l Remember that the car's center of gravity and handling change when you c\
arry a load on the roof.
l The car's wind resistance (and correspondingly, fuel consumption) will\
increase with the size of the
load.
l Drive smoothly. Avoid rapid starts, fast cornering and hard braking.
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Load carrier attachment points
Attaching load carriers (models without rails)
The attachment brackets for the load carriers are located under the roof\
molding.
1 Make sure that the load carriers are placed in the right direction. Se\
e the mark on the decal under the
cover.
2 Press the guide lugs into the holes (1).
3 Carefully lower the opposite side of the load carrier to the roof.
4 Loosen the tightening wheel slightly. Slide the hook on the load carri\
er attachment into the attachment
bracket under the roof molding.
5 Turn the tightening wheel to secure the load carrier in the attachment\
bracket.
6 Repeat this procedure for the other load carrier attachments.
7 Check that the hooks on all four load carrier attachments are securely\
tightened in the respective
attachment brackets on the roof of the car.
8 Press down the covers.
Check periodically that the load carriers and load are properly secured.\

Reducing wind noise and improving fuel economy
To maximize fuel efficiency and minimize wind noise, Volvo recommends th\
at load carriers be removed
when not in use.

pg. 98 Load carriers (models with rails)

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Position of load carriers
Make sure that the wing-shaped load carriers are installed on the roof r\
ails with the rounded edge
forward (see the inset illustration above). The load carriers are iden\
tical and can be placed anywhere
along the roof rails.
Reducing wind noise and improving fuel economy
To maximize fuel efficiency and minimize wind noise, Volvo recommends th\
at load carriers be removed
when not in use.
Fitting the load carriers (accessory)
Make sure that the load carrier is pressed firmly out against the roof r\
ail. Screw the load carrier in place.
Use the supplied torque wrench and tighten to the mark on the wrench (c\
orresponding to 6 Nm). See
illustration.
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