
2003 VOLVO XC90
Load carrier cover
The vehicle's ignition key or the stud on the edge of the supplied torqu\
e wrench can be used to undo or
tighten the cover. Turn a quarter turn (90 degrees). See illustration.\
pg. 107 Starting and driving
Cold weather precautions
If you wish to check your vehicle before the approach of cold weather, t\
he following advice is worth
noting:
l Make sure that the engine coolant contains 50 percent antifreeze. Any ot\
her mixture will reduce
freeze protection. This gives protection against freezing down to -31°\
F (-35°C). See section "Coolant".
The use of "recycled" antifreeze is not approved by Volvo. Different typ\
es of antifreeze must not
be mixed.
l Volvo recommends using only genuine Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle's r\
adiator. Your Volvo
retailer stocks plenty of Volvo engine coolant to help protect your vehi\
cle during cold weather.
l Try to keep the fuel tank well filled - this prevents the formation of condensation in the tank. \
In
addition, in extremely cold weather conditions it is worthwhile to add f\
uel line de-icer before refueling.
l The viscosity of the engine oil is important. Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil) improves cold-
weather starting as well as decreasing fuel consumption while the engine\
is warming up. For winter use,
5W-30 oil, particularly the synthetic type*, is recommended. Be sure to \
use good quality oil but do not
use cold-weather oil for hard driving or in warm weather. See section "E\
ngine oil" for more information.
l The load placed on the battery is greater during the winter since the windshield wipers, lighting, etc\
.
are used more often. Moreover, the capacity of the battery decreases as \
the temperature drops. In very
cold weather, a poorly charged battery can freeze and be damaged. It is \
therefore advisable to check the
state of charge more frequently and spray an antirust oil on the battery\
posts.
l Volvo recommends the use of snow tires on all four wheels for winter driving - see section "Wheels
and tires."
l To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from freezing, add washer solvents containing antifreeze (see
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2003 VOLVO XC90
However, for optimum road holding on icy or snow-covered roads, we recom\
mend suitable winter tires
on all four wheels. When replacing tires, be sure that the new tires are\
the same size designation, type
(radial) and preferably from the same manufacturer, on all four wheels\
. Otherwise there is a risk of
altering the vehicle's roadholding and handling characteristics.
NOTE: When storing wheel/tire assemblies (e.g. winter tires and wheels), eit\
her 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.
New tires
Remember that tires are perishable goods. As of 2000, manufacturing year\
and week will be indicated
with 4 digits (e.g. 0015 means that the tire is manufactured year 2000,\
week 15).
Improving 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 If tires are rotated, they must be kept on the same side of the vehicle \
so that they revolve in the same
direction as before 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. In cold weather\
, it takes longer for the tire to
warm up and consequently longer for the flat spot to disappear.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
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.
pg. 115 Wheels and tires
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 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.
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.
NOTE: Consult your Volvo retailer for additional snow chain information.
CAUTION
- Check local regulations regarding the use of snow chains before instal\
ling.
- Always follow the chain manufacturer's installation instructions caref\
ully. Install chains as tightly as
possible and retighten periodically.
- Never exceed the chain manufacturer's specified maximum speed limit. (\
Under no circumstances
should you exceed 31 mph 50 km/h)
- Avoid bumps, holes or sharp turns when driving with snow chains.
- The handling of the vehicle can be adversely affected when driving wit\
h chains. Avoid fast or sharp
turns as well as locked wheel braking.
Snow tires, studded tires*
Tires for winter use:
Owners who live in or regularly commute through areas with sustained per\
iods 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 retai\
n traction during cornering, braking,
and accelerating. Failure to do so could reduce traction to an unsafe le\
vel or adversely affect handling.
Do not mix tires of different design as this could also negatively affec\
t overall tire road grip.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
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.
pg. 117 Wheels and tires
Tire wear indicators
Tires have tread wear indicators
The tires have wear indicator strips running across or parallel to the t\
read. When approx. 1/16 inches
(1.6 mm) is left on the tread, these strips become visible and indicat\
e that the tire should be replaced.
Tires with less than 1/16" (1.6 mm) tread have a very poor grip in rai\
n or snow.
When replacing worn tires, it is recommended that the tire be identical \
in type (radial) and size as the
one being replaced. Using a tire of the same make (manufacturer) will \
prevent alteration of the driving
characteristics of the vehicle.
pg. 118 Wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST CONFORM TO FEDERAL SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS IN ADDITION TO THESE GRADES
Quality grades can be found, where applicable, on the tire sidewall betw\
een the tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Search for a specific program type - PTY
This functions enables you to search for a certain type of program by se\
arching through the entire
waveband.
1. Select FM1 or FM2 and press the MENU button.
2. Select RADIO SETTINGS and press ENTER.
3. Select PTY and press ENTER.
4. Choose SELECT PTY and press ENTER.
5. Press ENTER for one or more of the listed program types to select. Th\
e PTY symbol is displayed and
lights up when you make your first selection and the radio goes into PTY\
mode.
6. When you have made all of your selections, press EXIT/CLEAR to exit t\
he PTY list.
7. Select SEARCH PTY and press ENTER. If the radio finds a station with \
the selected program type,
this station will be played.
8. If the radio finds a station that does not match your selections, con\
tinue the search with the
and
buttons.
9. If no station with the selected program type is found, the radio will\
return to the previously tuned
frequency. PTY will remain in standby mode.
10. To deactivate the PTY standby mode, select CLEAR PTY and press ENTER\
. The PTY symbol then
disappears and the radio returns to the normal operating mode.
PTY standby
To set the radio in PTY standby, repeat steps 1-6.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
T
Tachometer
24
Tailgate - locking/unlocking
78
Tailgate - opening
39
Temperature
49
Temperature gauge
24
Temporary spare tires
116
Text window - messages
28
Three-way catalytic converter
154
TIME FOR REGULAR SERVICE
28
Tire economy
114
Tire economy - improving
114
Tire Rotation
116
Tires
114
Tires - tread wear indicators
117
Towing
100
Towing - cars with All Wheel Drive
101
Towing a trailer
103
Trailer indicator lamp
27
Trailer towing
103
Transmission - Geartronic
91
Treble
165
Trip computer
36
Trip odometer
24
Turn signals - normal turns
33
Type designations
150
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
118, 121
Unlocking
77
Use of Additives
85
V
Valet key
74
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