
2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Never switch off the ignition (turn the ignition key to position 0) or\
remove the key from the ignition
switch while the vehicle is in motion. This could cause the steering whe\
el to lock, which would make
the vehicle impossible to steer.
* The gear selector must be in the (P)ark position (automatic transmission).
** Please be aware that leaving the key in this position will increase b\
attery drain.
pg. 89 Starting and driving
General information
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 vehicle 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 Use the transmission's (D)rive position as often as possible and avoid using "kickdown" to help
improve fuel economy.
l Do not exceed posted speed limits.
l Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the vehicle.
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 f\
uel consumption.
l At highway driving speeds, fuel consumption will be lower with the air c\
onditioning 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 others are checked at the standard\
Maintenance intervals.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 103 Starting and driving
Towing a trailer
Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailer hitches that are specially des\
igned for the vehicle.
l Maximum trailer weights recommended by Volvo are:
All models - trailers without brakes: 1,650 lbs (750 kg)
Models with all wheel drive - trailers with brakes: 4,960 lbs (2250 kg)\
Models with front wheel drive - trailers with brakes: 3,970 lbs (1800 k\
g)
Observe the legal requirements of the state/province in which the vehicl\
es are registered.
l All Volvo models are equipped with energy-absorbing shock-mounted bumper\
s. Trailer hitch
installation should not interfere with the proper operation of this bump\
er system.
Trailer towing does not normally present any particular problems, but ta\
ke into consideration:
l Increase tire pressure to recommended full. See section "Wheels and tire\
s."
l When your vehicle is new, avoid towing heavy trailers during the first 6\
20 miles (1,000 km).
l Recommended hitch tongue load is: Trailer weights below 2,650 lbs (1,200 kg) - 110 lbs (50 kg)
Trailer weights above 2,650 lbs (1,200 kg) - 198 lbs (90 kg)
l Maximum speed when towing a trailer: 50 mph (80 km/h).
l Engine and transmission are subject to increased loads. Therefore, engin\
e coolant temperature should
be closely watched when driving in hot climates or hilly terrain. Use a \
lower gear and turn off the air
conditioner if the temperature gauge needle enters the red range.
l If the automatic transmission begins to overheat, a message will be disp\
layed in the text window.
l Avoid overload and other abusive operation.
l Hauling a trailer affects handling, durability, and economy.
l It is necessary to balance trailer brakes with the towing vehicle brakes\
to provide a safe stop (check
and observe state/local regulations).
l Do not connect the trailer's brake system directly to the vehicle's brak\
e system.
l More frequent vehicle maintenance is required.
l Remove the ball and drawbar assembly when the hitch is not being used.
l Volvo recommends the use of synthetic engine oil when towing a trailer o\
ver long distances or in
mountainous areas.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Volvo recommends 225/70 R16 (235/65 R17 on seven-seat models with the T\
6 turbo engine) winter
tires on all four wheels.
Winter tires wear more quickly on dry roads in warm weather. They should\
be removed when the winter
driving season has ended.
Studded tires should be run-in 300-600 miles (500 -1000 km) during whi\
ch the vehicle should be driven
as smoothly as possible to give the studs the opportunity to seat proper\
ly in the tires. The tires should
have the same rotational direction throughout their entire lifetime. In \
other words, if you wish to rotate
the wheels, make sure that the same wheels are always on the same side o\
f the vehicle.
NOTE: Please consult state or provincial regulations restricting the use of st\
udded winter tires before
installing such tires.
* Where permitted
pg. 116 Wheels and tires
Tire pressure
Tire pressure label
Checking and correcting tire pressure
The tire pressure label is located on the inside of the fuel filler door\
.
l Check the tire pressure regularly.
l The tire pressure should be corrected only when the tires are cold.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
l With warm tires, correct only when the pressure is too low. The tire tem\
perature rises after driving
just a few miles.
Vehicle loading
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 lists
both tire and vehicle design limits. Do not load your vehicle beyond the\
load limits indicated.
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 vehicle is called a "Temporary Spare".
Recommended tire pressure (see decal on Fuel filler door) should be ma\
intained irrespective which
position on the vehicle the Temporary Spare tire is used on. In the even\
t of damage this tire, a new one
can be purchased from your Volvo retailer.
WARNING!
Current legislation prohibits the use of the Temporary Spare" tire other\
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 vehicle must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions or wi\
th a spare tire other than the
one that came with the vehicle. The use of different size wheels can ser\
iously damage your vehicle's
transmission.
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" in th\
e previous paragraph. Do not drive
on the temporary spare at speeds above 50 m.p.h. (80km/h) or for dista\
nces greater than 50 miles (80
km). Never install snow chains on a temporary spare.
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.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
menu alternatives are shown in the display.
Press the menu button (2) to enter menu mode. Use the menus as follows\
:
l Use the menu keys (3) to navigate up or down in the menus. Dots in the\
display indicated that there
are more menu selections from which to choose.
l One long press on EXIT/CLEAR exits menu mode.
l A short press on the EXIT/CLEAR enables you to cancel, undo, or answer n\
o to a menu selection, or
to go back in the menu structure.
l Pressing ENTER confirms a menu selection, or takes you to the next subme\
nu.
pg. 162 Audio
Audio system controls (contd)
Rear headphone connectors and controls (option)
The door panels behind the second row of seats can be equipped with head\
phone connectors for
passengers in the second and optional third row of seats. Several people\
can listen to different sound
sources, such as CDs or the radio at the same time without disturbing ea\
ch other. Two sets of
headphones can be plugged into each connector.
l Use the SEL button (1) to step between the sound sources.
l Press the arrow keys (2) briefly to change CD tracks or switch between\
preset stations.
l Hold down the arrow keys to fast forward/reverse, or search for the prev\
ious/next strong radio station.
l Hold down the SEL button to turn off the sound.
For the best sound reproduction, we recommend headphones with impedance \
between 16-32 ohm. The
sensitivity of these should be equal to or greater than 102 dB. The head\
phone connections are intended
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2003 VOLVO XC90
the resonance of a concert hall. Dolby Surround Pro Logic II (DPL2) wo\
rks in CD and FM mode. 3-
channel stereo (3-CH) is recommended for AM radio broadcasts. DPL2 is \
only available on the highest
level audio system -Premium Sound. Use the following instructions to sel\
ect PRO LOGIC II, 3-
CHANNEL, or to turn these functions off.
1. Select AUDIO SETTINGS in the menu.
2. Press ENTER.
3. Select SURROUND MODE
4. Press ENTER.
5. Select PRO LOGIC II, 3-CHANNEL, or OFF.
The symbol
PL II is shown in the display. 3-CH is shown when 3-channel stereo is s\
elected.
Dolby noise reduction is manufactured under license from Dolby Laborator\
ies Licensing Corporation.
"Dolby", "Pro Logic" and the double-D symbol
are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing
Corporation. The Dolby Pro Logic Surround System is manufactured under l\
icence from Dolby
Laboratories Licensing Corporation.
pg. 167 Audio
Bass speaker - SUBWOOFER (option)
The subwoofer helps the system provide fuller sound and deeper bass.
1. Select AUDIO SETTINGS in the menu and press ENTER.
2. Select SUBWOOFER and press ENTER. See
page 165 for information on setting the subwoofer level.
Equalizer FR
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2003 VOLVO XC90
1. Choose radio mode using the SELECTOR control or the AM/FM button.
2. Press the MENU button (2).
3. Select AUTOSTORE and press ENTER.
4. Select AST SEARCH and press ENTER.
5. AUTOSTORING is shown in the display and a number of strong stations (\
max. 10) from the set
frequency band are now automatically stored in the autostore memory. If \
there are no stations with
sufficient signal strength, NO AST FOUND is displayed.
6. The stored stations are available under the buttons 0-9 (1).
7. When the radio is in autostore mode, AUTO is shown in the display. AU\
TO disappears when you
return to the normal radio mode.
8. Return to normal radio mode by pressing the AM/FM button or EXIT/CLEA\
R.
9. To access previously stored stations, carry out steps 1-3 but select \
AST MODE in step 4 and press
ENTER.
pg. 171 Audio
Scanning - SCAN
This function automatically searches for the next strongest AM and FM st\
ations.
1. Choose radio mode using the SELECTOR control (1) or the AM/FM butto\
n (2).
2. Press the MENU button.
3. Select SCAN to start searching and press ENTER. When the radio finds \
a station, it stops there for
about 8 seconds and then continues its search.
4. Press the EXIT/CLEAR button to stop scanning.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
CD changer (option)
The CD changer can hold up to six discs.
1. Choose CD mode using the SELECTOR control or the CD button.
2. Select an empty slot with the number keys 1-6 (1). The display indi\
cates which slots are empty.
3. Insert a disc into the changer.
To insert a new disc, you must first select an available empty slot in t\
he CD changer. Make sure
INSERT DISC is displayed before inserting a new disc.
Selecting disc number
Use the station setting buttons 1-6 (1) to select which disc is to be \
played. The number of the disc and
the track are shown in the display.
SCAN
This function plays the first ten seconds of each track and only functio\
ns on the currently selected disc.
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Select SCAN and press ENTER.
Press EXIT/CLEAR to listen to an entire track.
Changing tracks
Press
to go to the next track or to go to the previous track. The track number is shown in
the display. If you have a keypad in the steering wheel, you can use the\
arrow keys in the same way.
Searching within a track
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