2011 VOLVO S60 coolant temperature

03 Your driving environment
Instruments and controls
03

79
Engine temperatureEngine overheating can result from low oil or
coolant levels, towing or hard driving at high
heat and altitude, or mechanical malfunction.
Engine overheating will be signaled with text
and a red warning triangle in the middle of the
instrument display. The exact text will depend
on the degree of overheating. It may range from
High engine temp Reduce speed to High
engine temp Stop engine. If appropriate,
other messages, such as Coolant level low,
Stop safely will also be displayed. If your
engine does overheat so that you must stop the
engine, always allow the engine to cool before
attempting to check oil and coolant levels.
See page 292 for more information.
Fault in brake system
If this symbol lights, the brake fluid level may
be too low. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
check the level in the brake fluid reservoir, see
page 292. If the level in the reservoir is below
MIN, the vehicle should be transported to an
authorized Volvo workshop to have the brake
system checked.
Canadian models are equipped with this
symbol.
If the
and symbols come on at the
same time, there may be a fault in the brake
force distribution system.1. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off
the engine.
2. Restart the engine.
•If both symbols extinguish, continue driv-
ing.
•If the symbols remain on, check the level in
the brake fluid reservoir, see page 292. If
the brake fluid level is normal but the sym-
bols are still lit, the vehicle can be driven,
with great care, to an authorized Volvo
workshop to have the brake system
checked.
•If the level in the reservoir is below MIN, the
vehicle should be transported to an author-
ized Volvo workshop to have the brake
system checked.
WARNING
•If the fluid level is below the MIN mark
in the reservoir or if a warning message
is displayed in the text window: DO
NOT DRIVE. Have the vehicle towed to
a trained and qualified Volvo service
technician and have the brake system
inspected.
•If the ABS and Brake system lights are
on at the same time, there is a risk of
reduced vehicle stability.
Warning symbol
The red warning symbol lights up to indicate a
problem related to safety and/or drivability. A
message will also appear in the main instru-
ments panel's display. The symbol remains
visible until the fault has been rectified but the
text message can be cleared with the READ
button, see page 122. The warning symbol can
also come on in conjunction with other sym-
bols.
Action:
1. Stop in a safe place. Do not drive the vehi-
cle further.
2. Read the information on the information
display. Implement the action in accord-
ance with the message in the display. Clear
the message using READ.
Reminder – doors not closedIf one of the doors, the hood or trunk lid is not
closed properly, the information or warning
symbol comes on together with an explanatory
text message in the instrument panel. Stop the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible and
close the door, hood or trunk.
If the vehicle is driven at a speed
lower than approximately 5 mph
(7 km/h), the information symbol comes on.

06 During your trip
Driving recommendations
06
240
Before a long distance tripIt is always worthwhile to have your vehicle
checked by a trained and qualified Volvo serv-
ice technician before driving long distances.
Your retailer will also be able to supply you with
bulbs, fuses, spark plugs and wiper blades for
your use in the event that problems occur.
As a minimum, the following items should be
checked before any long trip:
•Check that engine runs smoothly and that
fuel consumption is normal.
•Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage
•Have the transmission oil level checked.
•Check condition of drive belts.
•Check state of the battery's charge.
•Examine tires carefully (the spare tire as
well), and replace those that are worn.
Check tire pressures.
•The brakes, front wheel alignment, and
steering gear should be checked by a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni-
cian only.
•Check all lights, including high beams.
•Reflective warning triangles are legally
required in some states/provinces.
•Have a word with a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician if you intend to
drive in countries where it may be difficult
to obtain the correct fuel.
•Consider your destination. If you will be
driving through an area where snow or ice
are likely to occur, consider snow tires.
Cold weather precautionsIf you wish to check your vehicle before the
approach of cold weather, the following advice
is worth noting:
•Make sure that the engine coolant contains
50 percent antifreeze. Any other mixture
will reduce freeze protection. This gives
protection against freezing down to
–31 °F (–35 °C). The use of "recycled" anti-
freeze is not approved by Volvo. Different
types of antifreeze must not be mixed.
•Volvo recommends using only genuine
Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle's radiator.
•Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – this
helps prevent the formation of condensa-
tion in the tank. In addition, in extremely
cold weather conditions it is worthwhile to
add fuel line de-icer before refueling.
•The viscosity of the engine oil is important.
Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil) improves
cold-weather starting as well as decreas-
ing fuel consumption while the engine is
warming up. For winter use, 5W-30 oil, par-
ticularly the synthetic type, is recom-
mended. Be sure to use good quality oil but
do not use cold-weather oil for hard driving
or in warm weather, see page 325 for more
information on engine oil.
NOTE
Synthetic oil is not used when the oil is
changed at the normal maintenance inter-
vals except at owner request and at addi-
tional charge.
•The load placed on the battery is greater
during the winter since the windshield wip-
ers, lighting, etc. are used more often.
Moreover, the capacity of the battery
decreases as the temperature drops. In
very cold weather, a poorly charged bat-
tery can freeze and be damaged. It is there-
fore advisable to check the state of charge
more frequently and spray an anti-rust oil
on the battery posts.
•Volvo recommends the use of snow tires
on all four wheels for winter driving, see
page 270.
•To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from
freezing, add washer solvents containing
antifreeze. This is important since dirt is
often splashed on the windshield during
winter driving, requiring the frequent use of
the washers and wipers. Volvo Washer
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

06 During your trip
Towing a trailer
06
250
Introduction
Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailer
hitches that are specially designed for the vehi-
cle.
NOTE
See page 323 for the maximum trailer and
tongue weights recommended by Volvo.
•Observe the legal requirements of the
state/province in which the vehicles are
•All Volvo models are equipped with
energy-absorbing shock-mounted bump-
ers. Trailer hitch installation should not
interfere with the proper operation of this
bumper system.
Trailer towing does not normally present any
particular problems, but take into considera-
tion:
•Increase tire pressure to recommended full
pressure. See the tire inflation tables
beginning on page 263.
•When your vehicle is new, avoid towing
heavy trailers during the first 620 miles
(1,000 km).
•Maximum speed when towing a trailer:
50 mph (80 km/h).
•Engine and transmission are subject to
increased loads. Therefore, engine coolant
temperature should be closely watchedwhen driving in hot climates or hilly terrain.
Use a lower gear and turn off the air con-
ditioner if the temperature gauge needle
enters the red range.
•If the automatic transmission begins to
overheat, a message will be displayed in
the text window.
•Avoid overload and other abusive opera-
tion.
•Hauling a trailer affects handling, durabil-
ity, and economy.
•It is necessary to balance trailer brakes
with the towing vehicle brakes to provide a
safe stop (check and observe state/local
regulations).
•Do not connect the trailer's brake system
directly to the vehicle's brake system.
•More frequent vehicle maintenance is
required.
•Remove the ball and drawbar assembly
when the hitch is not being used.
•Volvo recommends the use of synthetic
engine oil when towing a trailer over long
distances or in mountainous areas.
WARNING
•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must
not be used on Volvos, nor should
safety chains be attached to the
bumper.
•Trailer hitches attaching to the vehicle
rear axle must not be used.
•Never connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to the vehicle
brake system, nor a trailer's lighting
system directly to the vehicle lighting
system. Consult your nearest author-
ized Volvo retailer for correct installa-
tion.
•When towing a trailer, the trailer's safety
wire must be correctly fastened to the
hole or hook provided in the trailer hitch
on the vehicle. The safety wire should
never be fastened to or wound around
the drawbar ball.

08 Maintenance and specifications
Fluids
08
292
Coolant
Location of the coolant reservoir
Normally, the coolant does not need to be
changed. If the system must be drained, con-
sult a trained and qualified Volvo service tech-
nician.
See page 326 for information on cooling sys-
tem capacities.
CAUTION
•If necessary, top up the cooling system
with Volvo Genuine Coolant/Antifreeze
only (a 50/50 mix of water and anti-
freeze).
•Different types of antifreeze/coolant
may not be mixed.
•If the cooling system is drained, it
should be flushed with clean water or
premixed anti-freeze before it is refilled
with the correct mixture of water/anti-
freeze.
•The cooling system must always be
kept filled to the correct level, and the
level must be between the MIN and
MAX marks. If it is not kept filled, there
can be high local temperatures in the
engine which could result in damage.
Check coolant regularly!
•Do not top up with water only. This
reduces the rust-protective and anti-
freeze qualities of the coolant and has a
lower boiling point. It can also cause
damage to the cooling system if it
should freeze.
•Do not use chlorinated tap water in the
vehicle's cooling system.
WARNING
•Never remove the radiator cap while the
engine is warm. Wait until the vehicle
cools.
•If it is necessary to top off the coolant
when the engine is warm, unscrew the
expansion tank cap slowly so that the
overpressure dissipates.
Brake fluid
Location of the brake fluid reservoir
Checking the levelThe fluid reservoir is concealed under the
round cover at the rear of the engine compart-
ment. The round cover must be removed first
before the reservoir cap can be accessed.