2003 VOLVO XC70 tire size

2003 VOLVO XC70
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
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_06a.htm (15 of 22)12/30/20\
06 4:18:00 PM

2003 VOLVO XC70
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
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_06a.htm (16 of 22)12/30/20\
06 4:18:00 PM

2003 VOLVO XC70
Towing cars with all wheel drive/front wheel drive
Volvo recommends the use of flat bed equipment. If wheel lift equipment \
must be used, please use
extreme caution to help avoid damage to the car. In this case, the car should be towed with the rear
wheels on the ground if at all possible.
If it is absolutely necessary to tow the vehicle with the front wheels o\
n the ground, please refer to the
towing information on the previous page.
CAUTION:
l The car must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions/specifica\
tions or with a spare tire
other than the one that came with the car. The use of different size whe\
els can seriously damage your
car's transmission.
l Sling-type equipment applied at the front will damage radiator and air c\
onditioning lines.
l It is equally important not to use sling-type equipment at the rear or a\
pply lifting equipment inside the
rear wheels; serious damage to the rear axle may result.
l If the car is being towed on a flat bed truck, the towing eyelets must n\
ot be used to secure the car on
the flat bed. Consult the tow truck operator.
WARNING!
l Do not use the towing eyelets to pull the car up onto a flat bed tow
truck.


file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_06b.htm (3 of 10)12/30/200\
6 4:18:00 PM

2003 VOLVO XC70
four wheels. When replacing tires, be sure that the new tires are the same dimensio\
ns, type (radial) and
preferably from the same manufacturer, on all four wheels. Do not use bi\
as ply tires. Otherwise there is a
risk of altering the car's roadholding and handling characteristics.
NOTE: When storing wheel/tire assemblies (e.g. snow tires and wheels), eith\
er 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 wear indicator strips running across or parallel to the t\
read. When approx. 1/16" (1.6 mm)
is left on the tread, these strips become visible and indicate that the \
tire should be replaced.
Tires with less than 1/16" (1.6 mm) tread have very poor grip in rain \
or snow.
To improve tire economy:
l Maintain correct tire pressure. See the tire pressure label on the insid\
e of the fuel filler door.
l Drive smoothly: avoid fast starts, hard braking and tire screeching.
l Tire wear increases with speed.
l Correct front wheel alignment is very important.
l Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy and driving comfort.
l Volvo does not recommend rotating the tires. However, if tires are rotat\
ed, they must be kept on the
same side of the car so that they revolve in the same direction as befor\
e 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 unbalanced wheels. They do, however, disappear when the tire warms up\
. The degree to which flat
spots form depends on the type of cord used in the tire. Remember that, \
in cold weather, it takes longer
for the tire to warm up and consequently longer for the flat spot to dis\
appear.
CAUTION: The car must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions/specific\
ations or with a
spare tire other than the one that came with the car. The use of differe\
nt size wheels can seriously
damage your car's transmission or driveline.

pg. 109 Wheels and tires
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_07.htm (2 of 10)12/30/2006\
4:18:01 PM

2003 VOLVO XC70
Snow chains
Snow chains can be used on your Volvo with the following restrictions:
l Snow chains should be installed on front wheels only. Use only Volvo app\
roved snow chains.
l Special snow chains must be mounted on 215/55 R16. Consult your Volvo re\
tailer.
l 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. Sufficie\
nt clearances between chains
and brakes, suspension and body components must be maintained. Snow chai\
ns cannot be used on 17"
wheels.
l Some strap-on type chains will interfere with brake components and there\
fore CANNOT be used.
l All Wheel Drive models:Snow chains should only be installed on the front wheels. Only chains
adapted for AWD models should be used.
Consult your Volvo retailer for additional snow chain information.
CAUTION:
l Check local regulations regarding the use of snow chains before installi\
ng.
l Always follow the chain manufacturer's installation instructions careful\
ly. Install chains as tightly as
possible and retighten periodically.
l Never exceed the chain manufacturer's specified maximum speed limit. In \
no case should you exceed
31 mph (50 km/h).
l Avoid bumps, holes or sharp turns when driving with snow chains.
l Vehicle handling can be adversely affected when driving with chains. Avo\
id fast maneuvering and
hard braking. Never allow the wheels to lock up during braking.
Snow tires, studded tires *
Tires for winter use:
Owners who live in or regularly travel through areas with sustained peri\
ods 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 retain traction during cornering,
braking, and accelerating. Failure to do so could reduce traction to an \
unsafe level or adversely affect
handling. Volvo does not recommend tire rotation. However, as with any o\
ther radial tires, if rotated, the
tires must be kept on the same side of the car so that they revolve in t\
he same direction as before
rotation.
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_07.htm (3 of 10)12/30/2006\
4:18:01 PM

2003 VOLVO XC70
The tires on your Volvo will perform to specifications at all normal loa\
ds when inflated as
recommended on the tire information label located on the inside of the f\
uel filler door*. This label also
lists vehicle load limits. Do not load your car beyond the indicated lim\
its. WARNING!
Improperly inflated tires will reduce tire life, adversely affect vehicl\
e handling and can possibly lead
to failure resulting in loss of vehicle control without prior warning.
Temporary Spare
The spare tire in your car is called a "Temporary Spare". It has the fol\
lowing designation: T125/80 R17
(T135/90 R17 on the XC70).
At the recommended tire pressure shown on the inside of the fuel filler \
door, the tire may be used as a
temporary replacement for a front or rear tire.
In the event of damage to this tire, a new one can be purchased from you\
r Volvo retailer. WARNING!
Current legislation prohibits the use of the "Temporary Spare" tire othe\
r than as a temporary
replacement for a punctured tire. It must be replaced as soon as possibl\
e by a standard tire. Road
holding and handling may be affected with the "Temporary Spare" in use. \
Do not exceed 50 mph (80
km/h). Do not drive farther than 50 miles (80 km) on a temporary spar\
e tire.
CAUTION:
The car must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions or with a\
spare tire other than the one
that came with the car. The use of different size wheels can seriously d\
amage your car's transmission.
NOTE: Certain models may be equipped with a full-size spare tire. When used, i\
t should be inflated to
the same pressure as the tire it is replacing.
*Please note that the tire information label indicates pressure for both\
comfort and fuel economy.

pg. 111 Wheels and tires
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_07.htm (5 of 10)12/30/2006\
4:18:01 PM

2003 VOLVO XC70

Attaching the jack
NOTE: To avoid excessive wear and the necessity of rebalancing, mark and reins\
tall wheels in the same
location and position as before removal. To lessen the chance of imbalan\
ce, each wheel hub is equipped
with a guide stud to ensure that a removed wheel can be reinstalled in i\
ts original position (as when
changing over to winter tires/wheels).
NOTE: Refer to
page 133 for hoisting the vehicle on a garage lift.

Jack for AWD models
CAUTION:
l The car must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions or with a\
spare tire other than the one
that came with the car. The use of different size wheels can seriously d\
amage your car's transmission.
l Correct tightening torque on wheel bolts must be observed. The wheel bol\
ts should never be greased
or lubricated. The extended, chromed wheel bolts must not be used with s\
teel rims, as they make it
impossible to fit the hub caps.
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2003/2003_XC70/03xc70_07.htm (9 of 10)12/30/2006\
4:18:01 PM