2005 VOLVO XC90 Owners Manual

2005 VOLVO XC90

6-cylinder turbo models
pg. 96 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
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 properly inflated tires of correct dimensions. Tire size and \
inflation pressures are shown on
the tire inflation pressure placards, located on the driver's side B-pil\
lar (the structural member at the side
of the vehicle, at the rear of the driver's door opening), or on the in\
side of the fuel filler door on
Canadian models.
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. Do not drive on the temporary spare at speeds \
above 50 m.p.h. (80km/h) or for
distances greater than 50 miles (80 km).
Never install snow chains on a temporary spare.

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2005 VOLVO XC90



Contents | Top of Page
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pg. 97 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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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. 98 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. 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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If the BRAKE and ABS warning lights come on at the same time, this could\
indicate a fault in the brake
system.
l Stop the vehicle in a suitable place and switch off the engine.
l Restart the engine.
l If both warning lights go off, no further action is required.
l If both lights are still on after the engine has been restarted, switch \
off the engine again and check the
brake fluid level (see
page 140 for the location of the brake fluid reservoir).
l If the brake fluid level is above the MIN mark, drive carefully to an au\
thorized Volvo retailer and
have the brake system inspected.
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.
pg. 99 Starting and driving
Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC)
The DSTC system on the Volvo XC90 consists of a number of functions:
1. Traction control (TC)
This function is designed to help reduce wheel spin by transferring powe\
r from a drive wheel that begins
to lose traction to the wheel on the opposite side of the vehicle (on t\
he same axle). TC monitors and
compares the rotational speed of the drive wheels. If one of the drive w\
heels shows a tendency to spin,
the difference in speed is immediately detected. This triggers the Anti-\
lock Brake System, which brakes
the spinning wheel until the difference in rotational speed is corrected\
.
TC is most active at low speeds, and a pulsating sound will be audible w\
hen the system is regulating
wheel spin. This is quite normal.
This is one of the DSTC system's permanent functions and is not affected\
when the DSTC button on the
center control panel is pressed.
2. Spin control (SC)
The spin control function is designed to help prevent the drive wheels f\
rom spinning while the vehicle is
accelerating. This is done by temporarily reducing engine torque to the \
drive wheels, which helps
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2005 VOLVO XC90
improve tractive force.
Under certain circumstances, such as when driving with snow chains, or d\
riving in deep snow or loose
sand, it may be advisable to temporarily switch off this function for ma\
ximum tractive force. This is
done by pressing the DSTC button on the center control panel for at leas\
t a half a second.
When the SC function has been switched off:
l The text window will briefly display "DSTC SPIN CONTROL OFF"
l The LED in the DSTC button will be off.
3. Active Yaw Control (AYC)
This function helps maintain directional stability, for example when cor\
nering, by braking one or more
of the wheels if the vehicle shows a tendency to skid or slide laterally\
. This is done by activating the
Anti-lock Braking System. A pulsating sound will be audible when the fun\
ction is active, which is quite
normal. If you apply the brakes while this function is active, the brake\
pedal will feel stiffer than usual.
This is also one of the DSTC system's permanent functions and is not aff\
ected when the DSTC button on
the center control panel is pressed.
4. Roll Stability Control (RSC)
RSC utilizes a gyro-sensor to monitor the vehicle's angle of inclination\
, and the rate at which this angle
changes. If necessary, RSC activates the Anti-lock Brake System to brake\
one or more of the wheels to
help maintain stability. A pulsating sound will be audible when the func\
tion is active, which is quite
normal. If you apply the brakes while this function is active, the brake\
pedal will feel stiffer than usual.
This is one of the DSTC system's permanent functions and is not affected\
when the DSTC button on the
center control panel is pressed.
The DSTC button
The DSTC button in the center control panel is used to switch the Spin C\
ontrol (SC) function on or off.
The button must be pressed for at least a half second to prevent SC from\
being switched off
inadvertently.
When the system has been switched off, the green indicator lamp in the b\
utton will go out and "DSTC
SPIN CONTROL OFF" will be displayed in the text window.
All DSTC functions are (re)activated each time the engine is started.
pg. 100 Starting and driving
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Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC) (contd)
The Stability Control indicator light
The Stability Control indicator light will come on for approximately 2 s\
econds when the ignition is
switched on as the system performs a self-diagnostic test.
The Stability Control indicator light will flash when:
l Traction Control is actively functioning to help avoid drive-wheel spin.\

l Spin Control is actively functioning to help avoid loss of traction duri\
ng acceleration.
l Active Yaw Control is actively functioning to help avoid skids or latera\
l slides.
l Roll Stability Control is actively functioning to help avoid a roll-over\
situation.
The warning symbol in the instrument panel
A steady yellow glow indicates:
l That the system has been automatically disengaged due to a fault. "ANTI \
SKID SERVICE
REQUIRED" will be displayed in the text window. If this occurs, stop the\
vehicle in a suitable place,
switch off and restart the engine. If the light remains on, an authorize\
d Volvo retailer should check the
system.
l In the event of high brake temperature, "TRACTION CONTROL TEMPORARILY OF\
F" will be
displayed in the text window.
The system will automatically switch on again when the brakes have coole\
d.
Emergency Brake Assistance (EBA)
The EBA function is an integrated part of the DSTC system. EBA is design\
ed to provide full brake
effect immediately in the event of sudden, hard braking. The system is a\
ctivated by the speed with which
you depress the brake pedal.
NOTE:
l When the EBA system is activated, the brake pedal will go down and press\
ure in the brake system
immediately increases to the maximum level. Maintain full pressure on th\
e brake pedal in order to utilize
the system completely. EBA is automatically deactivated when the brake p\
edal is released.
l When the vehicle has been parked for some time, the brake pedal may sink\
more than usual when the
engine is started. This is normal and the pedal will return to its usual\
position when it is released.
pg. 101 Starting and driving
Park assist
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2005 VOLVO XC90

A-front (accessory as available), B-rear (option)
Front/rear park assist
The park assist system(s) are designed to assist you when driving into\
parking spaces, garages, etc. They
utilize ultrasound sensors located in the bumpers to measure the distanc\
e to a vehicle or other object, or
a person who may be close to the front or rear of the vehicle.
When is park assist active?
Front: the system is active from the time the engine is started until the car \
exceeds a speed of
approximately 10 mph (15 km/h).
Rear: when the engine is running and reverse gear is selected.
NOTE:
l If the vehicle is equipped with front and rear park assist, both systems\
will either be activated or
deactivated together. They cannot be used separately.
l The indicator light in the button (see the illustration on page 32) will light up to indicate that park
assist system(s) are activated.
When park assist is actively working:
1. The audio system's volume will be reduced.
2. An intermittent signal will be audible from the speakers to indicate \
that you are approaching a person,
object, parked vehicle, etc.
The signals begin when the distance between the bumper and the object is\
:
Rear: approximately 5 feet (1.5 meters)
Front: approximately 2.5 ft (0.8 meters).
3. At a distance of approximately 1 foot (30 cm), the signal will beco\
me constant.
Deactivating the system(s)
1. Press the Park assist button on the center console (see
page 32) to temporarily deactivate the system(s).
2. The indicator light in the button will go out when the system(s) ha\
ve been deactivated.
3. If the vehicle is equipped with front and rear park assist, both syst\
ems will be deactivated by pressing
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