2011 VOLVO V50 roof rack

06 Starting and driving
General information
06
138
Economical driving conserves natural
resources
Better 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 handling
At 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
164
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 114.
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
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
250
In many cases, a main HD Radio station (FM
wavebands only) will also have sub-channels
offering additional types of programming or
music.
In such cases, a number will be displayed to
the right of the frequency number indicating
that the currently tuned frequency has at least
one sub-channel. The "2" in the illustration indi-
cates that you are currently listening to the first
sub-channel on frequency 93.9.
Selecting sub-channelsTo listen to a station's sub-channel(s), press
the right arrow key on the center console or on
the steering wheel keypad. To go back to the
main channel, press the left arrow key. To go
to subchannel 2 (if available), press the right
arrow key.
If you are currently tuned to a frequency's main
channel, pressing the left arrow key will tune to
the next lower radio frequency.
NOTE
•When the radio has gone into HD mode,
it may take several seconds before the
">" symbol (if the current frequency has
any sub-channels) is displayed to the
right of the frequency. Pressing the
arrow keys before the number is dis-
played will cause the radio to tune to the
next available radio station, not to the
current station's sub-channels.
•When you are no longer in broadcasting
range of the currently tuned sub-chan-
nel,
No HD reception will be dis-
played. The radio will then be muted
and it will be necessary to tune to or
search for a new radio station.
Sub-channels can also be stored as presets,
see page 246 for information on storing sta-
tions.
If you press a sub-channel's preset button, it
may take up to 6 seconds before the channel
becomes audible. If you press this button while
you are out of digital range of the transmitter,
No HD reception will be displayed.
Listening to satellite radio
The 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 246 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 dis-

11 Specifications
Dimensions and weights
11

269
PositionDimension
HTrack, rear60.3 in. (153 cm)
ILoad width, floor39.5 in (100.2 cm)
JWidth69.7 in. (177 cm)
KWidth encl. door mirrors79.6 in. (202 cm)
Weights
CategoryUSACanada
Gross vehicle weight4320 lbs1960 kg
Capacity weight800 lbs365 kg
Permissible axle weight, front2380 lbs1080 kg
Permissible axle weight, rear2220 lbs1010 kg
Curb weight3310 - 3340 lbs1510 kg
Max. roof load165 lbsAll models: 75 kg
Max. trailer weight (w/o brakes)1540 lbsAll models: 700 kg
Max. trailer weight (with brakes)2000 lbsAll models: 900 kg
Max. tongue weight165 lbsAll models: 75 kg