
2006 VOLVO XC90
engine with an adequate supply of fuel. Therefore, it is advisable to re\
fuel as soon as possible when the
needle nears the red zone, or when the fuel warning light comes on.
WARNING!
Never carry a cell phone that is switched on while refueling your vehicle. If the phone rings, this may
cause a spark that could ignite gasoline fumes, resulting in fire and in\
jury.
CAUTION
- Do not refuel with the engine running *. Turn the ignition off or to p\
osition I. If the ignition is on,
an incorrect reading could occur in the fuel gauge
- After refueling, close the fuel filler cap by turning it clockwise unt\
il it clicks into place*.
- Allow for fuel expansion by not overfilling the tank. Overfilling coul\
d also cause damage to the
emission control systems.
- Avoid spilling gasoline during refueling. In addition to causing damag\
e to the environment,
gasolines containing alcohol can cause damage to painted surfaces, which\
may not be covered under
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
- Do not use gasolines containing methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcoho\
l). This practice can result
in vehicle performance deterioration and can damage critical parts in th\
e fuel system. Such damage
may not be covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
* If the fuel filler cap is not closed tightly or if the engine is runni\
ng when the vehicle is refueled, the
Check Engine Light (malfunction indicator lamp) may indicate a fault. \
However, your vehicle's
performance will not be affected. Use only Volvo original or approved fu\
el filler caps.
pg. 89 Starting and driving
Starting the engine
1. Fasten the seat belt.
WARNING!
Before starting, check that the seat, steering wheel and mirrors are adj\
usted properly. Make sure the
brake pedal can be depressed completely. Adjust the seat if necessary. S\
ee
pages 58, 60.
2. Apply the parking brake if not already set. The gear selector is lock\
ed in the (P)ark position
(Shiftlock).
Manual transmission: the clutch must be fully depressed.
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2006 VOLVO XC90
Autostart (V8 AWD only)
This function makes it possible to start the vehicle without holding the\
key in the start position (position
III) until the engine starts. Turn the key to position III and release \
it. The starter motor will then operate
automatically (for up to ten seconds) until the engine starts.
Steering wheel lock
The steering wheel lock might be under tension when the vehicle is parke\
d.
Turn the steering wheel slightly to free the ignition key.
In order to help reduce vehicle theft, make sure the steering wheel lock\
is engaged before leaving
the vehicle.
WARNING!
Never switch off the ignition (turn the ignition key to position 0) or\
remove the key from the ignition
switch while the vehicle is in motion. This could cause the steering whe\
el to lock, which would make
the vehicle impossible to steer.
* The gear selector must be in the (P)ark position (automatic transmission).
** Please be aware that leaving the key in this position will increase b\
attery drain.
pg. 91 Starting and driving
General information
Economical driving conserves natural resources
Better driving economy may be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid\
starts and stops and
adjusting the speed of your vehicle to immediate traffic conditions. Obs\
erve the following rules:
l Bring the engine to normal operating temperature as soon as possible by \
driving with a light foot on
the accelerator pedal for the first few minutes of operation. A cold eng\
ine uses more fuel and is subject
to increased wear.
l Whenever possible, avoid using the vehicle for driving short distances. \
This does not allow the engine
to reach normal operating temperature.
l Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
l Use the transmission's (D)rive position as often as possible and avoid using "kickdown" to help
improve fuel economy.
l Do not exceed posted speed limits.
l Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the vehicle.
l Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire pressure regularly (when tir\
es are cold).
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2006 VOLVO XC90
l Remove snow tires when threat of snow or ice has ended.
l Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc, increase air resistance and also f\
uel consumption.
l At highway driving speeds, fuel consumption will be lower with the air c\
onditioning on and the
windows closed than with the air conditioning off and the windows open. \
l Using the onboard trip computer's fuel consumption modes can help you le\
arn how to drive more
economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
l Dirty air cleaner
l Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
l Dragging brakes
l Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and others are checked at the standard\
Maintenance intervals.
Weight distribution affects handling
At the specified curb weight your vehicle has a tendency to understeer, \
which means that the steering
wheel has to be turned more than might seem appropriate for the curvatur\
e of a bend. This ensures good
stability and reduces the risk of rear wheel skid. Remember that these p\
roperties can alter with the
vehicle load. The heavier the load in the cargo area, the less the tende\
ncy to understeer.
WARNING!
Driving with the tailgate open: Driving with the tailgate open could lead to poisonous exhaust gases
entering the passenger compartment. If the tailgate must be kept open fo\
r any reason, proceed as
follows
- Close the windows
- Set the ventilation system control to air flow to floor, windshield an\
d side windows and blower
control to its highest setting.
CAUTION
Drive slowly and carefully if going through standing water (i.e. floode\
d roadways, etc.). Damage to
the engine could result if excess water is drawn in through the air inta\
ke system. Never drive the
vehicle in water deeper than 18 inches (48 cm).
pg. 92 Starting and driving
General information (contd)
Handling, roadholding
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2006 VOLVO XC90
pg. 95 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.
Contents | Top of Page
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2006 VOLVO XC90
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 147 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.
Emergency Brake Assistance (EBA)
EBA is designed to provide full brake effect immediately in the event of\
sudden, hard braking. The
system is activated 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. You must maintain full press\
ure on the brake pedal in
order to utilize the system completely. EBA is automatically deactivated\
when the brake pedal 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. 98 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,
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2006 VOLVO XC90
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
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.
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2006 VOLVO XC90
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. 99 Starting and driving
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.
pg. 100 Starting and driving
Park assist
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2006 VOLVO XC90
To attach the towing eyelet:
A Use a coin to pry open the lower edge of the cover (A).
B Screw the towing eyelet (C) in place (B), first by hand and then us\
ing the tire iron until it is securely
in place.
After the vehicle has been towed, the eyelet should be removed and retur\
ned to the tool bag. Press the
cover back into position.
Precautions when the vehicle is in tow
l The steering wheel must be unlocked. Turn the ignition key to position I\
or II.
l The gear selector must be in position N.
l Maximum speed: 50 mph (80 km/h). Do not exceed the maximum allowable t\
owing speed.
l Maximum distance with front wheels on ground: 50 miles (80 km).
l While the vehicle is being towed, try to keep the tow rope taut at all t\
imes.
l The vehicle should only be towed in forward direction.
CAUTION
- Please check with state and local authorities before attempting this t\
ype of towing, as vehicles being
towed are subject to regulations regarding maximum towing speed, length \
and type of towing device,
lighting, etc.
- If the vehicle's battery is dead, do not attempt to start the vehicle \
by pushing or pulling it as this will
damage the three-way catalytic converter(s). The engine must be jump s\
tarted using an auxiliary
battery (see
page 103).
- If the vehicle is being towed on a flat bed truck, the towing eyelets \
must not be used to secure the
vehicle on the flat bed. Consult the tow truck operator.
WARNING!
- Remember that the power brakes and power steering will not function wh\
en engine is not running.
The braking and steering systems will function but the brake pedal press\
ure required is 3 - 4 times
above normal and greater steering effort must be exerted.
- The towing eyelets must not be used for pulling the vehicle out of a d\
itch or for any similar purpose
involving severe strain. Do not use the towing eyelets to pull the vehic\
le up onto a flat bed tow truck.
pg. 102 Starting and driving
Towing (contd)
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