2003 VOLVO XC90 winter tires

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
page 128 for the location of the washer fluid reservoir).
This is important since dirt is often splashed on the windshield during \
winter driving, requiring the
frequent use of the washers and wipers. Volvo Washer Solvent should be d\
iluted as follows:
Down to 14° F (-10° C): 1 part washer solvent and 4 parts water \
Down to 5° F (-15° C): 1 part washer solvent and 3 parts water
Down to 0° F (-18° C): 1 part washer solvent and 2 parts water
Down to -18° F (-28° C): 1 part washer solvent and 1 part water \
l Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.
NOTE: Avoid the use of de-icing sprays as they can cause damage to the locks.
W Winter/Wet driving modeÐenhanced 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.
l An LED in the button will light up to indicate that W is engaged and thi\
s will also be displayed in the
instrument panel (see
page 24).
l This mode may be selected for starting/moving off on slippery roads.
* Synthetic oil is not used when the oil is changed at the normal mainte\
nance intervals except at owner
request and at additional charge. Please consult your Volvo retailer.
pg. 108 Starting and driving
Before a long distance trip
It is always worthwhile to have your vehicle checked at a Volvo retailer\
before driving long distances.
Your retailer will also be able to supply you with bulbs, fuses, spark p\
lugs and wiper blades for your use
in the event that problems occur.
As a minimum, the following items should be checked before any long trip\
:
l Check that engine runs smoothly and that fuel consumption is normal.
l Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage
l Check transmission oil level*.
l Check condition of drive belts.
l Check state of the battery's charge.
l Examine tires carefully (the spare tire as well), and replace those th\
at are worn. Check tire pressures.
l The brakes, front wheel alignment, and steering gear should be checked b\
y your Volvo retailer only.
l Check all lights, including high beams.
l Reflective warning triangles are legally required in some states/provinc\
es.
l Have a word with your Volvo retailer if you intend to drive in countries\
where it may be difficult to
obtain the correct fuel.
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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
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
CAUTION
- The vehicle must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions or \
with a spare tire other than
the one that came with the vehicle. The use of different size wheels can\
seriously damage your
vehicle's transmission.
- Correct tightening torque on wheel bolts must be observed.
- The wheel bolts should never be greased or lubricated.
- Extended, chromed wheel bolts must not be used with steel rims, as the\
y make it impossible to fit
the hub caps.
pg. 121 Wheels and tires

Attaching the jack
l Position the jack correctly on the bar in the attachment (see illustrat\
ion above) and crank while
simultaneously guiding the base of the jack to the ground. The base of t\
he jack must be flat on a level,
firm, non-slippery surface. Before raising the vehicle, check that the j\
ack is still correctly positioned in
the attachment.
l Raise the vehicle until the wheel to be changed is lifted off the ground\
.
l Unscrew the wheel bolts completely and carefully remove the wheel so as \
not to damage the threads
on the studs.
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).
Installing the wheel
l Clean the contact surfaces on the wheel and hub.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Vanity mirror 62
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
150
Vehicle loading
116
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
150
Volvo and the environment
iii
W
W - Winter
93
Warning symbol in center of dashboard
25
Warranties
124
Washer fluid reservoir
128, 131
Washing the car
110
Waxing
111
Weights
151
Wheels
114
WHIPS
15
Windows
40
Windshield washer
34
Windshield washer fluid reservoir
131
Windshield wipers
34
Windshield wipers (rain sensor function)
34
Winter tires
114
Winter/Wet driving mode
107
Wiper blades
133
Back cover
Accessory Installation - Important Warning
l We strongly recommend that Volvo owners install only genuine, Volvo-appr\
oved accessories, and
that accessory installations be performed only by the factory-trained te\
chnicians at your authorized
Volvo retailer.
l Genuine Volvo accessories are tested to ensure compatibility with the pe\
rformance, safety, and
emission systems in your vehicle. Additionally, your authorized Volvo re\
tailer knows where accessories
may and may not be safely installed in your Volvo. In all cases, please \
consult your authorized Volvo
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