• PSI: Pounds per square inch, a standard unit of air pressure.
• B-pillar: The structural member at the side of the vehicle behind the front door.
• Bead area of the tire: Area of the tire next to the rim.
• Sidewall of the tire: Area between the bead area and the tread.
• Tread area of the tire: Area of the perimeter of the tire that contacts the road when mounted on the vehicle.
• Rim: The metal support (wheel) for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon which the tire beads are seated.
• Maximum load rating: a figure indicating the maximum load in pounds and kilograms that can be carried by the
tire. This rating is established by the tire manufacturer.
• Maximum permissible inflation pressure: the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire.
This limit is set by the tire manufacturer.
• Recommended tire inflation pressure: inflation pressure, established by Volvo, which is based on the type of tires
that are mounted on a vehicle at the factory. This inflation pressure is affected by the number of occupants in the car,
the amount of cargo, and the speed at which the vehicle will be driven for a prolonged period. This information can be
found on the tire inflation placard(s) located on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler door on
Canadian models, and in the tire inflation table in this chapter.
• Cold tires: The tires are considered to be cold when they have the same temperature as the surrounding (ambient)
air. This temperature is normally reached after the car has been parked for at least 3 hours.
pg. 128 Wheels and tires
Vehicle loading
Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of vehicle design performance.
Before loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for deter-mining your vehicle's weight
ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle's Federal/ Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS/CMVSS) label, and the vehicle's tire information placard:
Curb weight
The weight of the vehicle including a full tank of fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers,
cargo, or optional equipment.
Capacity weight
All weight added to the curb weight, including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer hitch tongue load
is also part of cargo weight.
NOTE: For trailer towing information, please refer to the section "Towing a trailer" on page 107
.
Permissible axle weight
The maximum allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These numbers are shown on the
Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS/ CMVSS) label. The total load on each axle must never
exceed its maximum permissible weight.
Gross vehicle weight (GVW)
The vehicle's curb weight + cargo + passengers.
NOTE:
• The location of the various labels in your vehicle can be found on page 160
.
• A table listing important weight limits for your vehicle can be found on page 166
.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
(1) Locate the statement "the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX pounds" on your
vehicle's placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the "XXX"
ProCarManuals.com
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual
1 to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
WARNING!
- Exceeding the permissible axle weight, gross vehicle weight, or any other weight rating limits can cause tire
overheating resulting in permanent deformation or catastrophic failure.
- Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities than the tires that were original equipment on the
vehicle because this will lower the vehicle's GVW rating. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the originals do
not increase the vehicle's GVW rating limitations.
1 See "Towing a trailer" on page 107.
pg. 129 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 between the tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TREADWEAR
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2) times as
well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and many depart significantly from the norm due to variation in driving habits,
maintenance practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
TRACTION
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C, as measured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance. WARNING!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and is not a measure of
cornering (turning) traction.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature grades are AA (the highest), A, B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to the generation of heat
and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a minimum level of performance that all
ProCarManuals.com
WARNING!
When adding accessories, equipment, luggage and other cargo to your vehicle, the total loaded weight capacity of
the vehicle must not be exceeded.
* The max permissible axle loads or the gross vehicle weight must not be exceeded.
** When driving for prolonged periods at temperatures above 86° F (30° C), the maximum recommended weight is
2000 lbs (900 kg).
***See also section "Trailer towing"
pg. 169 Engine specifications
Engine specifications
Designation: Volvo B 5254 T2 Output 208 hp at 5000 rpm (154 kW/83 rps)
Max. torque 236 ft. lbs. at 1500-4500 rpm (320 Nm/25-75 rps)
Number of cylinders 5
Bore 3.27" (83 mm)
Stroke 3.67" (93.2 mm)
Displacement 2.5 liters
Compression ratio 9.0:1
Number of valves 20
Designation: Volvo B 5244 S Output 165 hp at 6000 rpm (123 kW/100 rps)
Max. torque 166 ft. lbs. at 4500 rpm (225 Nm/75 rps)
Number of cylinders 5
Bore 3.27" (83 mm)
Stroke 3.54" (90 mm)
Displacement 2.4 liters
Compression ratio 10.3:1
Number of valves 20
Designation: Volvo B 5254 T4 Output 300 hp at 5500 rpm* (220 kW/92 rps)*
Max. torque 295 ft. lbs. at 1950-5250 rpm** (400 Nm/31-95 rps)**
Number of cylinders 5
Bore 3.27" (83 mm)
Stroke 3.67" (93.2 mm)
Displacement 2.5 liters
Compression ratio 8.5:1
Number of valves 20
* Automatic transmission: 300 hp at 6000 rpm, 220 kW at 100 rps
** Automatic transmission: 258 ft. lbs at 1850-6000 rpm, 350Nm at 32-100 rps
ProCarManuals.com