2003 VOLVO XC90 Owners Manual

2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Avoid driving diagonally across steep inclines as this could increase th\
e risk of a roll-over. Try to
drive straight up or down the slope.
If the road is very steep, avoid turning the vehicle around to help avoi\
d the risk of rolling over. Back
the vehicle up or down the incline instead.
NOTE: Avoid driving on steep inclines if the fuel tank is nearly empty. If the\
flow of fuel to the engine
is interrupted due to the vehicle's angle of inclination, this could res\
ult in damage to the three-way
catalytic converter. We recommend keeping the fuel tank at least half fu\
ll when driving on steep inclines.
Driving through water
l The vehicle should not be driven through water that is deeper than 18 in\
ches (48 cm). Driving through
deeper water could result in damage to transmission components or the di\
fferential, or to the engine if
excess water is drawn in through the air intake system.
l Drive slowly and avoid stopping when driving through water.
l After having driven through water, apply the brakes lightly several time\
s to remove water, mud, etc
from the brake discs.
l Never allow the vehicle to stand in water above the door sills. This cou\
ld result in damage to the
electrical system.
Conserving electrical current
Keep the following in mind to help minimize battery drain:
l When the engine is not running, avoid turning the ignition key to positi\
on II (see page 88). Many
electrical systems (the audio system, the optional infotainment/navigat\
ion systems, power windows, etc)
will function with the ignition key in position I. This position reduces\
drain on the battery.
l Please keep in mind that using systems, accessories, etc that consume a \
great deal of current when the
engine is not running could result in the battery being completely drain\
ed.
NOTE: A warning message will be displayed in the text window in the instrument\
panel when the
battery charge is low.
pg. 91 Starting and driving
Automatic transmission with Geartronic
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2003 VOLVO XC90

5-cylinder turbo models
P Park
Use this position when starting the engine or parking the vehicle.
Never use P while the vehicle is in motion.
The parking brake should also be set whenever the vehicle 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 ignitio\
n key must be in position II) and
the brake pedal must be depressed.
N (Neutral)
Neutral - no gear engaged. Use the parking brake.

6-cylinder turbo models
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Never leave the vehicle unattended when the engine is running. If, by mi\
stake, the gear selector is
moved from P, the vehicle may start moving.
R (Reverse)
Never engage R while the vehicle is moving forward.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position and should be used as often as possible\
to help improve fuel economy.
The vehicle should not be moving when shifting from R to the D position.

Shiftgate positions
NOTE:
l 5-cylinder turbo engine: 5 forward speeds.
l 6-cylinder turbo engine: 4 forward speeds.
Automatic transmission - shift gate positions
You can move the gear selector freely between the (MAN)ual and (D)rive 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.
pg. 92 Starting and driving
Automatic transmission with Geartronic (contd)
Manual shifting - Geartronic
You can move the gear selector freely between the (MAN)ual and (D)rive positions while driving.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
l Models equipped with a 5-cylinder turbo engine have five forward speeds.\
Models equipped with a 6-
cylinder turbo engine have four forward speeds
l A "lock-up" feature on gears 3 and 4 (and 5, if equipped) reduces engi\
ne speed and help saves fuel.
The currently selected gear will be displayed in the instrument panel (\
see
page 24).
l To access the (MAN)ual shifting position from (D)rive, move the gear selector to the left to MAN.
l To return to the (D)rive position from MAN, move the gear selector to the right.
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.
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 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 t\
o 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 that may be selected.
Kickdown
Automatic shift to a lower gear (kickdown) is achieved by depressing t\
he accelerator pedal fully and
briskly. An upshift will occur when approaching the top speed for a part\
icular gear or by releasing the
accelerator pedal slightly. Kickdown can be used for maximum acceleratio\
n or when passing at highway
speeds.
NOTE: The gear selector must be in the D (Drive) position for kickdown to fu\
nction.
Automatic transmission - adaptive system
The automatic transmission is controlled by an adaptive control system t\
hat constantly monitors the way
in which the transmission functions. It senses and adapts each gear shif\
t for optimal performance. The
system also monitors your particular driving style and adapts gear shift\
ing accordingly.
pg. 93 Starting and driving
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2003 VOLVO XC90

5-cylinder turbo models
W - Winter/Wet driving mode - enhanced vehicle traction
l Mode W will only function if the gear selector is in the (D)rive position.
l Press the button at the base of the gear selector to engage/disengage th\
is driving mode (see
illustration).
l When the W driving mode is engaged, this is displayed in the instrument \
panel (see page 24). This
mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.

6-cylinder turbo models
pg. 94 Starting and driving
All Wheel Drive
All Wheel Drive (AWD) - general information
Your Volvo can be equipped with permanent All Wheel Drive (option), wh\
ich means that power is
distributed automatically between the front and rear wheels. Under norma\
l driving conditions, most of
the engine's power is directed to the front wheels. However, if there is\
any tendency for the front wheels
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2003 VOLVO XC90
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
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 pr\
operly inflated tires of correct
dimensions. Tire size and inflation pressures are shown on the tire pres\
sure 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, lowspeed, short-distance use \
only. Replace it with a full-sized
tire as soon as possible, in accordance with "Tire Rotation" in the prev\
ious paragraph. Do not drive on
the temporary spare at speeds above 50 m.p.h. (80km/h) or for distance\
s greater than 50 miles (80 km).
Never install snow chains on a temporary spare.




Contents | Top of Page
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 95 Starting and driving
Brake system
BRAKE Brake circuit malfunction
The brake system is a hydraulic system consisting of two master cylinder\
s and two separate brake
circuits. If a problem should occur in one of these circuits, it is stil\
l possible to stop the vehicle with the
other brake circuit.
If the brake pedal must be depressed farther than normal and requires gr\
eater foot pressure, the stopping
distance will be longer.
A warning light in the instrument panel will light up to warn the driver\
that a fault has occurred.
If this light comes on while driving or braking, stop immediately and ch\
eck the brake fluid level in the
reservoir.
NOTE: Press the brake pedal hard and maintain pressure on the pedal - do not p\
ump the brakes.
WARNING!
If the fluid level is below the MIN mark in the reservoir or if a "Brake\
failure - Service urgent"
message is displayed in the text window: DO NOT DRIVE. Have the vehicle \
towed to a Volvo
retailer and have the brake system inspected.
NOTE: When the vehicle is at a standstill and the engine is idling, e.g. at a \
traffic light and the brake
pedal is depressed, the pedal may go down slightly. This is a normal fun\
ction of the power-assisted
brake system.
Power brakes function only when the engine is running
The power brakes utilize vacuum pressure which is only created when the \
engine is running. Never let
the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine switched off.
If the power brakes are not working, the brake pedal must be pressed app\
roximately four times harder
than usual to make up for the lack of power assistance. This can happen \
for example when towing your
vehicle or if the engine is switched off when the vehicle is rolling. Th\
e brake pedal feels harder than
usual.
Water on brake discs and brake pads affects braking
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Driving in rain and slush or passing through an automatic car wash can c\
ause 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 brake\
application feels normal. This
should also be done after washing or starting in very damp or cold weath\
er.
Severe strain on the brake system
The brakes will be subject to severe strain when driving in mountains or\
hilly areas, or when towing a
trailer. Vehicle speed is usually slower, which means that the cooling o\
f the brakes is less efficient than
when driving on level roads. To reduce the strain on the brakes, shift i\
nto a lower gear and let the engine
help with the braking. Do not forget that if you are towing a trailer, t\
he brakes will be subjected to a
greater than normal load.
pg. 96 Starting and driving
Brake system (contd)
Anti-lock brakes (ABS)
If the warning lamp lights up there is a malfunction of the ABS system (\
the standard braking system will
however function) and the vehicle should be driven cautiously to a Volv\
o retailer for inspection. The
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) helps to improve vehicle control (stop\
ping and steering) during severe
braking conditions by limiting brake lockup. When the system "senses" im\
pending lockup, braking
pressure is automatically modulated in order to help prevent lockup, whi\
ch could lead to a skid.
This system performs a self-diagnostic test when the engine is started a\
nd when the vehicle first
reaches a speed of approximately 12 mph (20 km/h). The brake pedal will pulsate several times and a
sound may be audible from the ABS control module. This is normal.
To obtain optimal effect from the ABS system, constant pressure should b\
e kept on the brake pedal,
keep constant pressure on the brake pedal. Do not pump the brake pedal.
The switching of the ABS modulator will be audible and the brake pedal w\
ill pulsate during braking.
Please be aware that ABS does not increase the absolute braking potentia\
l of the vehicle. While control
will be enhanced, ABS will not shorten stopping distances on slippery su\
rfaces.
ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution)
EBD is an integrated part of the ABS system. EBD regulates the hydraulic\
pressure to the rear brakes to
help provide optimal braking capacity. The brake pedal will pulsate duri\
ng braking, which is normal.
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