2007 Volvo XC90
Octane rating
Volvo engines are designed to achieve rated horsepower, torque, and fuel\
economy performance using premium 91 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 we\
ather, towing a trailer, or driving for extended
periods at higher altitudes than normal, it may be advisable to switch t\
o higher octane fuel (91 or higher) or to change
gasoline brands to fully utilize your engine's capacity, and for the smo\
othest possible operation.
NOTE: When switching to higher octane fuel or changing gasoline brands, it ma\
y 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 stron\
gly 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:
l standing upwind away from the filler nozzle while refueling
l refueling only at gas stations with vapor recovery systems that fully se\
al the mouth of the filler neck during refueling
l wearing neoprene gloves while handling a fuel filler nozzle.
Use of Additives
With the exception of gas line antifreeze during winter months, do not a\
dd solvents, thickeners, or other store-bought
additives to your vehicle's fuel, cooling, or lubricating systems. Overu\
se may damage your engine, and some of these
additives contain organically volatile chemicals. Do not needlessly expo\
se yourself to these chemicals.
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2007 Volvo XC90
Difficult driving conditions
Driving on rough/unpaved surfaces
The Volvo XC90 is designed primarily for on-road driving, and it has exc\
ellent handling characteristics on very rough or
unpaved roads.
When driving on poorly maintained or unpaved roads, please keep the foll\
owing in mind:
l Reduce speed on rough surfaces to minimize possible damage to the vehicl\
e's underbody.
l When driving on soft surfaces such as dry sand or snow, try to avoid sto\
pping if at all possible.
WARNING!
Avoid driving diagonally across steep inclines as this could increase th\
e risk of a roll-over. Try to drive straight up or
down the slope.
If the road is very steep, avoid turning the vehicle around to help avoi\
d the risk of rolling over. Back the vehicle up or
down the incline instead.
NOTE: Avoid driving on steep inclines if the fuel tank is nearly empty. If th\
e flow of fuel to the engine is interrupted due
to the vehicle's angle of inclination, this could result in damage to th\
e three-way catalytic converter. We recommend
keeping the fuel tank at least half full when driving on steep inclines.\
Driving through water
The vehicle can be driven through water up to a depth of approximately 1\
8 inches (48 cm), at a maximum speed of 6 mph
(10 km/h).
Take particular care when driving through flowing water.
Clean the electrical connections for trailer wiring after driving in mud\
or water.
When driving through water, maintain low speed and do not stop in the wa\
ter.
WARNING!
After driving through water, press lightly on the brake pedal to ensure \
that the brakes are functioning normally. Water
or mud can make the brake linings slippery, resulting in delayed braking\
effect.
CAUTION!
l Engine damage will occur if water is drawn into the air cleaner.
l If the vehicle is driven through water deeper than 18 in (48 cm), wate\
r may enter the differential and the
transmission. This reduces the oil's lubricating capacity and may shorte\
n the service life of these components.
l Do not allow the vehicle to stand in water up to the door sills longer t\
han absolutely necessary. This could result in
electrical malfunctions.
l If the engine has been stopped while the car is in water, do not attempt\
to restart the engine. Have the car towed out
of the water.
pg. 124 Starting and driving
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2007 Volvo XC90
Load carrier cover
The vehicle's ignition key or the stud on the edge of the supplied torqu\
e wrench can be used to undo or tighten the cover.
Turn a quarter turn (90 degrees). See illustration.
pg. 143 Starting and driving
Cold weather precautions
If you wish to check your vehicle before the approach of cold weather, t\
he following advice is worth noting:
l Make sure that the engine coolant contains 50 percent antifreeze. Any ot\
her mixture will reduce freeze protection. This
gives protection against freezing down to -31°F (-35°C). See sec\
tion "Coolant". The use of "recycled" antifreeze is not
approved by Volvo. Different types of antifreeze must not be mixed.
l Volvo recommends using only genuine Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle's r\
adiator. Your Volvo retailer stocks plenty of
Volvo engine coolant to protect your vehicle during cold weather.
l Try to keep the fuel tank well filled - this prevents the formation of condensation in the tank. \
In addition, in extremely
cold weather conditions it is worthwhile to add fuel line de-icer before\
refueling.
l The viscosity of the engine oil is important. Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil) improves cold-weat\
her starting as well
as decreasing fuel consumption while the engine is warming up. For winte\
r use, 5W-30 oil, particularly the synthetic type
1,
is recommended. Be sure to use good quality oil but do not use cold-weat\
her oil for hard driving or in warm weather. See
section "Engine oil" for more information.
l The load placed on the battery is greater during the winter since the windshield wipers, lighting, etc\
. are used more
often. Moreover, the capacity of the battery decreases as the temperatur\
e drops. In very cold weather, a poorly charged
battery can freeze and be damaged. It is therefore advisable to check th\
e state of charge more frequently and spray an
antirust oil on the battery posts.
l Volvo recommends the use of snow tires on all four wheels for winter driving - see section "Wheels and tires."\
l To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from freezing, add washer solvents containing antifreeze (see page 188 for the
location of the washer fluid reservoir). This is important since dirt i\
s often splashed on the windshield during winter
driving, requiring the frequent use of the washers and wipers. Volvo Was\
her Solvent should be diluted as follows:
- Down to 14° F (-10° C): 1 part washer solvent and 4 parts water
- Down to 5° F (-15° C): 1 part washer solvent and 3 parts water
- Down to 0° F (-18° C): 1 part washer solvent and 2 parts water
- Down to -18° F (-28° C): 1 part washer solvent and 1 part water
l Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.
NOTE: Avoid the use of de-icing sprays as they can cause damage to the locks.
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2007 Volvo XC90
Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of vehicle des\
ign performance.
Before loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following ter\
ms for determining your vehicle's
weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle's Federal/ C\
anadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS/CMVSS) label, and the vehicle's tire information plac\
ard.
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 equipm\
ent. When towing, trailer hitch
tongue load is also part of cargo weight.
NOTE: For trailer towing information, please refer to the section "Towing a t\
railer" on
page 137.
Permissible axle weight
The maximum allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle (fron\
t or rear). These numbers are
shown on the Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS/ CM\
VSS) 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:
l The location of the various labels in your vehicle can be found on page 208.
l A table listing important weight limits for your vehicle can be found on\
page 209.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
- Locate the statement "the combined weight of occupants and cargo shoul\
d never exceed XXX pounds''
on your vehicle's placard.
- Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will b\
e riding in your vehicle.
- Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kil\
ograms or XXX pounds.
- The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage \
load capacity. For example, if
the "XXX'' amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb. passen\
gers 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 calculat\
ed in Step 4.
- 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 capa\
city of
your vehicle.
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2007 Volvo XC90
Folding sideview mirrors 52
Front park assist
132
Front seat - backrest
85
Front seats - power
86
Front suspension
213
Fuel
114
Fuel filler cap
2, 118
Fuel filler door
2, 117
Fuel Formulations
115
Fuel gauge
46
Fuel tank, capacity
213
Fuses
201
G
Gasoline
114
Geartronic - manual shifting
125
General information
2
Generator warning light
48
Glove compartment
95
Gross vehicle weight (GVW)
161
H
Handling
116
Hazard warning flashers
61
Headlight wiper blades
190
Headlights
58
Headphones
222
Heated front seats
81
High beam flash
58
High beam headlights
58
High beam indicator
46
High/low beams - replacing
194
Hoisting the car
183
Home safe lighting
58
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