2009 VOLVO V50 roof rack

06 Starting and drivingGeneral information
06136
Economical driving conserves natural
resourcesBetter driving economy may be obtained by
thinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stops
and adjusting the speed of your vehicle to
immediate traffic conditions.
Observe the following rules:•
Bring the engine to normal operating tem-
perature as soon as possible by driving
with a light foot on the accelerator pedal for
the first few minutes of operation. A cold
engine uses more fuel and is subject to
increased wear.
•
Whenever possible, avoid using the vehicle
for driving short distances. This does not
allow the engine to reach normal operating
temperature.
•
Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration
and hard braking.
•
Use the transmission's Drive (D) position
as often as possible and avoid using kick-
down.
•
Do not exceed posted speed limits.
•
Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra
load) in the vehicle.
•
Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire
pressure regularly (when tires are cold).
•
Remove snow tires when threat of snow or
ice has ended.
•
Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc,
increase air resistance and also fuel con-
sumption.
•
At highway driving speeds, fuel consump-
tion will be lower with the air conditioning
on and the windows closed than with the
air conditioning off and the windows open.
•
Using the onboard trip computer's fuel
consumption modes can help you learn
how to drive more economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage
are:•
Dirty air cleaner
•
Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
•
Dragging brakes
•
Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and others
are checked at the standard maintenance
intervals.
WARNING
Driving with the tailgate open: Driving with
the tailgate open could lead to poisonous
exhaust gases entering the passenger com-
partment. If the tailgate must be kept open
for any reason, proceed as follows:
1. Close the windows.
2. Set the ventilation system control to air
flow to floor, windshield and side win-
dows and the blower control to its high-
est setting.Weight distribution affects handlingAt 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 curvature of a
bend. This ensures good stability and reduces
the risk of rear wheel skid. Remember that
these properties can alter with the vehicle load.
The heavier the load in the cargo area, the less
the tendency to understeer.

06 Starting and driving
Transporting loads
06
163 Loading the vehicle
Your vehicle's load-carrying capacity is affec-
ted by factors such as:•
the number of passengers
•
tire inflation
•
the amount of optional or accessory equip-
ment installed
•
the amount of cargo.
See the chapter "Wheels and tires" for more
detailed information.
Before loading the car, turn off the engine, and
apply the parking brake when loading or
unloading long objects. The gear selector can
be inadvertently knocked out of position by
long cargo, causing the car to move.
Keep the following in mind when
loading the vehicle:•
Load objects in the cargo area against the
rear seat backrest.
•
Load heavy cargo as low as possible.
•
Center wide loads.
•
Secure all cargo with restraining straps
anchored to the load securing eyelets.
•
Cover sharp edges on the load.
•
Seats can be folded down and head
restraints removed to extend the cargo
compartment, see page 111.
WARNING
•
Remember that an object weighing
44 lbs (20 kg) produces a force of
2,200 lbs (1,000 kg) in a head-on colli-
sion at 30 mph (50 km/h)!
•
When the rear backrest(s) are folded
down, the vehicle should not be loaded
to a level higher than 2 in. (5 cm) below
the upper edge of the rear side win-
dows. Objects placed higher than this
level could impede the function of the
Volvo Inflatable Curtain.
Load carriers (accessory)Load carriers are available as Volvo accesso-
ries. Follow the installation instructions sup-
plied with the load carriers.
Observe the following points when using load
carriers:•
To avoid damaging your car and to achieve
maximum safety when driving, we recom-
mend using the load carriers that Volvo has
developed especially for your car.
•
Volvo-approved removable roof racks are
designed to carry the maximum allowable
roof load for this vehicle: 165 lbs (75 kg).
For Non-Volvo roof racks, check the man-
ufacturer's weight limits for the rack.
•
Never exceed the rack manufacturer's
weigh limits and never exceed the maxi-
mum rated roof load of 165 lbs (75 kg).
•
Avoid single-point loads. Distribute loads
evenly.
•
Place heavier cargo at the bottom of the
load.
•
Secure the cargo correctly with appropri-
ate tie-down equipment.
•
Check periodically that the load carriers
and load are properly secured.
•
Remember that the car's center of gravity
and handling change when you carry a
load on the roof.
•
The car's wind resistance and fuel con-
sumption will increase with the size of the
load.
•
Drive smoothly. Avoid rapid starts, fast
cornering and hard braking.

10 Audio
Radio functions
10``245
To return to the Auto-store mode, press the
AUTO button briefly and select a stored station
by pressing one of the preset buttons (2).Saving auto-stored stations in the preset
memoryAn auto-stored station can be saved in the
memory for manually preset stations.
1.
PressAUTO (7) briefly.
> Auto is displayed.
2. Press one of the preset buttons (2) under
which the station is to be stored. Hold
down the button until
STATION
STORED
is displayed.
The radio will then exit auto-store mode and
the stored station can be selected by pressing
the preset button.
ScanningSCAN (4) automatically searches through the
selected waveband for strong AM or FM sta-
tions. When the radio finds a station, that sta-
tion will be played for approximately 8 sec-
onds, after which scanning resumes.Activating/deactivating SCAN1.
Select radio mode using the AM/FM but-
ton (2).2.
PressSCAN to activate the function.
SCAN
is shown in the display.
3.
Press the SCAN or EXIT button to deacti-
vate the scan function and listen to the
selected station.
Storing a station found with SCANA station can be stored as a preset while the
SCAN function is activated.•
Press one of the preset buttons (2) under
which the station is to be stored. Hold
down the button until
STATION
STORED
is displayed.
The SCAN function will be deactivated and the
station can be selected by pressing the preset
button.
Radio textCertain stations broadcast program informa-
tion, which can be shown in the display.
To start this function:
1.
Select FM1 or FM2 and press the MENU
button.
2.
PressENTER.
3.
Select
RADIOTEXT
in the menu and press
ENTER.
To deactivate this function, select
RADIOTEXT
again and press ENTER.
Listening to satellite radioThe Sirius satellite system consists of a number
of high elevation satellites in geosynchronous
orbit.
NOTE
•
The digital signals from the Sirius satel-
lites are line-of-sight, which means that
physical obstructions such as bridges,
tunnels, etc, may temporarily interfere
with signal reception.
•
Avoid any obstructions, such as metal-
lic objects transported on roof racks or
in a ski box, or other antennas that may
impede signals from the SIRIUS satel-
lites.
Selecting Sirius radio mode1. Press Power to switch on the audio system
(see page 244 for information on the stand-
ard radio functions).
2.
Press the MODE button repeatedly until
Sirius 1 or 2 is displayed.Activating Sirius radio1. Tune to a satellite channel that has no
audio, which means that the channel is
unsubscribed and the text "
Call 888-539-
SIRIUS TO SUBSCRIBE" is displayed