
octane fuel.
Volvo recommends premium for best performance, but using 87 octane or above will not affect engine reliability.
In demanding  driving conditions, such as operating the vehicle in hot weather, towing a  trailer, or driving for extended
periods  at higher altitudes than normal, it may be  advisable to switch to higher octane fuel (91 or higher) or to change
gasoline brands to fully utilize your engine's capacity, and  for the smoothest possible operation.
NOTE: When switching to higher octane fuel or changing gasoline brands, it may be  necessary  to fill the tank more
than once before a  difference in engine operation is noticeable.
Fuel Formulations
Do not use gasoline that contains lead as a  knock  inhibitor,  and  do not use lead additives. Besides damaging  the
exhaust emission control systems on your vehicle, lead has been strongly linked to certain forms of cancer.
Many fuels  contain  benzene as a  solvent. Unburned benzene has been strongly linked to certain forms of cancer. If you
live in an  area where  you must  fill your own gas tank, take precautions. These may include:
 standing upwind away from  the filler  nozzle while refueling
 refueling only at gas stations with vapor recovery systems that fully seal the mouth of the filler  neck during
refueling
 wearing neoprene gloves while handling a  fuel filler  nozzle.
Use of Additives
With the exception of gas line antifreeze  during winter months,  do not add  solvents, thickeners, or other store -bought
additives to your vehicle's fuel, cooling, or lubricating systems. Overuse may damage your engine, and  some of these
additives contain  organically volatile chemicals. Do not needlessly expose yourself to these chemicals.
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  injury.
pg. 108 Starting and driving
Fuel requirements
WARNING!
Carbon  monoxide is a  poisonous, colorless, and  odorless gas. It is present in all exhaust gases. If you ever smell
exhaust fumes  inside the vehicle, make sure the passenger  compartment is ventilated,  and  immediately return the
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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
vehicle, 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 vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours.
pg. 153 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 determining 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 131
.
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 199.
 A table  listing  important weight limits for your vehicle can be  found on page 201.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
- Locate the statement "the  combined  weight of occupants and  cargo should never exceed XXX pounds'' on your
vehicle's placard.
- Determine the combined  weight of the driver and  passengers that will be  riding in your vehicle.
- Subtract the combined  weight of the driver and  passengers from  XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
- The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and  luggage load capacity. For example, if the Ô'XXX''
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.)
- 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.
- If your vehicle will be  towing a  trailer, load from  your trailer will be  transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
1
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manual to determine how this  reduces the available cargo and  luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
1. See "Towing a trailer"  on page 131.
pg. 154 Wheels and tires
Vehicle loading
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.
pg. 155 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
passenger  vehicle tires must  meet  under the Federal Motor Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and  A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
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