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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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