2004 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 tru\
ck.
s
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2004 VOLVO XC70
Cold weather precautions
If you wish to check your car before the approach of cold weather, the f\
ollowing 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 car's radia\
tor. Your local Volvo
retailer stocks plenty of Volvo engine coolant to protect your car durin\
g 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 this cold-weather oil for hard driving or in warm weather. See secti\
on "Engine 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 anti-rust oil on the batter\
y 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
page 136 for the location of the washer fluid reservoir). This is important sin\
ce dirt is often splashed on
the windshield during winter driving, requiring the frequent use of the \
washers and wipers. The Volvo
Washer Solvent should be diluted 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 mode - enhanced vehicle traction
l Mode W will only function 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.
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.
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2004 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.
CAUTION: R-models only: 16" wheels may not be used. Consult your Volvo retailer about the types \
of wheels that may be mounted on R-models.
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
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2004 VOLVO XC70
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. 111 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 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.
* V70R - Volvo offers specially designed chains that can be used on 225/\
45/R17 tires.
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
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