03 Your driving environment
HomeLink® Wireless Control System*
03
106* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Introduction
The HomeLink1 Wireless Control System pro-
vides a convenient way to replace up to three
hand-held radio-frequency (RF) transmitters
used to activate devices such as gate opera-
tors, garage door openers, entry door locks,
security systems, even home lighting. Addi-
tional HomeLink information can be found on
the Internet at www.homelink.com.
WARNING
•If you use HomeLink to open a garage
door or gate, be sure no one is near the
gate or door while it is in motion.
•When programming a garage door
opener, it is advised to park outside of
the garage.
•Do not use HomeLink with any garage
door opener that lacks safety stop and
reverse features as required by U.S.
federal safety standards (this includes
any garage door opener model manu-
factured before April 1, 1982). A garage
door that cannot detect an object - sig-
naling the door to stop and reverse -
does not meet current U.S. federal
safety standards. For more information,
contact HomeLink at:
www.homelink.com.
Retain the original transmitter of the RF device
you are programming for use in other vehicles
as well as for future HomeLink programming. It
is also suggested that upon the sale of the
vehicle, the programmed HomeLink buttons be
erased for security purposes. Refer to “Erasing
HomeLink Buttons”.
Programming HomeLink
NOTE
Some vehicles may require the ignition
switch to be turned on or to the second
(“accessories”) position for programming
and/or operation of HomeLink. It is also rec-
ommended that a new battery be placed in
the hand-held transmitter of the device
being programmed to HomeLink for quicker
training and accurate transmission of the
radio-frequency signal.
1. Position the end of your hand-held trans-
mitter 1–3 inches (5–14 cm) away from the
HomeLink button you wish to program
while keeping the indicator light in view.
2. Simultaneously press and hold both the
chosen HomeLink and hand-held transmit-
ter buttons until the HomeLink indicator
light changes from a slow to a rapidly blink-
ing light. Now you may release both the
HomeLink and hand-held transmitter but-
tons.
1HomeLink and the HomeLink house are registered trademarks of Johnson Controls, Inc.
03 Your driving environment
HomeLink® Wireless Control System*
03
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.107
NOTE
Some devices may require you to replace
this Programming Step 2 with procedures
noted in the “Gate Operator / Canadian Pro-
gramming” section. If the HomeLink indica-
tor light does not change to a rapidly blink-
ing light after performing these steps, con-
tact HomeLink at www.homelink.com.
3.
Firmly press, hold for five seconds and
release the programmed HomeLink but-
ton up to two separate times to activate the
door. If the door does not activate, press
and hold the just-trained HomeLink button
and observe the indicator light.
•If the indicator light stays on con-
stantly, programming is complete
and your device should activate when
the HomeLink button is pressed and
released.
•If the indicator light blinks rapidly for
two seconds and then turns to a con-
stant light continue with “Program-
ming” steps 4-6 to complete the pro-
gramming of a rolling code equipped
device (most commonly a garage door
opener).
4. At the garage door opener receiver (motor-
head unit) in the garage, locate the “learn”
or “smart” button. This can usually befound where the hanging antenna wire is
attached to the motor-head unit.
5. Firmly press and release the “learn” or
“smart” button. (The name and color of the
button may vary by manufacturer.) There
are 30 seconds to initiate step 6.
6. Return to the vehicle and firmly press, hold
for two seconds and release the pro-
grammed HomeLink button. Repeat the
“press/hold/release” sequence a second
time, and, depending on the brand of the
garage door opener (or other rolling code
equipped device), repeat this sequence a
third time to complete the programming
process.
HomeLink should now activate your rolling
code equipped device.
Gate Operator/Canadian ProgrammingCanadian radio-frequency laws require trans-
mitter signals to “time-out” (or quit) after sev-
eral seconds of transmission – which may not
be long enough for HomeLink to pick up the
signal during programming. Similar to this
Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators are
designed to “time-out” in the same manner.
If you live in Canada or you are having difficul-
ties programming a gate operator or garage
door opener by using the “Programming” pro-cedures, replace “Programming HomeLink”
step 2 with the following:
•Continue to press and hold the HomeLink
button while you press and release -
every two seconds (“cycle”) your hand-
held transmitter until the HomeLink indica-
tor light changes from a slow to a rapidly
blinking light. Now you may release both
the HomeLink and hand-held transmitter
buttons.
Proceed with “Programming” step 3 to com-
plete.
Using HomeLink
To operate, simply press and release the pro-
grammed HomeLink button. Activation will
now occur for the trained device (i.e., garage
door opener, gate operator, security system,
entry door lock, home/office lighting, etc.). For
convenience, the hand-held transmitter of the
device may also be used at any time. In the
event that there are still programming difficul-
ties or questions, contact HomeLink at:
www.homelink.com.
03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine
03
110
NOTE
•After a cold start, idle speed may be
noticeably higher than normal for a
short period. This is done to help bring
components in the emission control
system to their normal operating tem-
perature as quickly as possible, which
enables them to control emissions and
help reduce the vehicle's impact on the
environment
3.
CAUTION
•When starting in cold weather, the auto-
matic transmission may shift up at
slightly higher engine speeds than nor-
mal until the automatic transmission
fluid reaches normal operating tem-
perature.
•Do not race a cold engine immediately
after starting. Oil flow may not reach
some lubrication points fast enough to
prevent engine damage.
•The engine should be idling when you
move the gear selector. Never acceler-
ate until after you feel the transmission
engage. Accelerating immediately after
selecting a gear will cause harsh
engagement and premature transmis-
sion wear.
•Selecting P or N when idling at a stand-
still for prolonged periods of time will
help prevent overheating of the auto-
matic transmission fluid.
Switching off the engine
With the engine running, press the START/
STOP ENGINE button.
If the gear selector is not in the P position or if
the vehicle is moving, press the button twice or
press and hold it in until the engine switches
off.
Jump starting
G021347
Connecting the jumper cables
Follow these instructions to jump start your
vehicle's dead battery or to jump start another
vehicle's dead battery using your vehicle. If the
12-volt auxiliary battery to be used is in another
vehicle, check that the vehicles are not touch-
ing to prevent premature completion of a cir-
3If the gear selector is in the D or R positions and the car is not moving, engine speed (rpm) will be lower and it will take longer for the engine to reach normal operating temperature.
03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
112
Automatic transmission
G021351
Shiftgate positions1
Depress the button on the front of the gear
selector knob to move the gear selector
between the R, N, D, and P positions.
The gear selector can be moved freely between
the Geartronic (manual shifting) and Drive (D)
positions while driving.
Park position (P)Select the P position when starting or parking.
ShiftlockWhen P has been selected, the transmission is
mechanically blocked in this position. The
brake pedal must be depressed and the igni-
tion must be in at least mode II (see page 81)before the gear lever can be moved from the
P position.
Always apply the parking brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Press the control to apply the
brake, see page 118.
CAUTION
The vehicle must be stationary when posi-
tion P is selected.
Reverse ®)The vehicle must be stationary when position
R is selected.
Neutral position (N)No gear is engaged and the engine can be
started with the gear selector in this position.Apply the parking brake if the vehicle is sta-
tionary with the gear selector in position N.
Drive (D)D is the normal driving position. The car auto-
matically shifts between the various forward
gears, based on the level of acceleration and
speed. The car must be at a standstill when
shifting from position R to position D.
Geartronic–manual shiftingGeartronic allows you to manually shift among
your vehicle's six forward speeds. Geartronic
can be selected at any time.
•To access the manual shifting position
from Drive (D), move the gear selector to
the right (to the area marked M in the illus-
tration.
•To return to the D position from the manual
shifting position, move the gear selector to
the left.
While driving
•If you select the manual shifting position
while driving, the gear that was being used
in the Drive position will also initially be
selected in the manual shifting position.
•Move the gear selector forward (toward
"+") to shift to a higher gear or rearward
(toward "–") to shift to a lower gear.
1The information display (see page 75) shows the gear selector's position or the selected gear by displaying the following: P, R, N, D, S, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.
03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
113
•If you hold the gear selector toward "–", the
transmission will downshift one gear at a
time and will utilize the braking power of
the engine. If the current speed is too high
for using a lower gear, the downshift will
not occur until the speed has decreased
enough to allow the lower gear to be used.
•If you slow to a very low speed, the trans-
mission will automatically shift down.
Shiftlock – Neutral (N)If the gear selector is in the N position and the
vehicle has been stationary for at least 3 sec-
onds (irrespective of whether the engine is run-
ning) then the gear selector is locked.
To be able to move the gear selector from N to
another gear position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the ignition must be in posi-
tion II, see page 81.
Geartronic–Sport mode (S)2
This transmission mode provides sportier shift-
ing characteristics and enables a more active
driving style by making it possible to drive at
higher rpm in each gear before shifting up. The
engine also responds faster when the throttle
pedal is pressed.
To access Sport mode from Drive (D), move the
gear selector to the right. The transmission willnot switch to manual shifting mode until the
gear selector is moved forward or rearward
toward + or -.
Sport mode can be selected any time.
NOTE
•When the transmission is in Sport
mode, the transmission symbol in the
main instrument panel will change from
D to S (see page 75).
•Please be aware that using Sport mode
may result in a slight decrease in fuel
economy. Driving in D can help improve
fuel economy.
Geartronic–starting on slippery surfacesSelecting 3rd gear in Geartronic’s manual shift-
ing mode can help provide better traction when
starting off on slippery surfaces. To do so:
1. Depress the brake pedal and move the
gear selector to the right from the D posi-
tion to the manual shifting position. The
text in the instrument panel display will
change from
D to 1.
2. Press the gear selector forward and
release it (this selects 2nd gear). Press theselector forward again and release it to
select 3rd gear.
3. Release the brake pedal and press gently
on the accelerator pedal.
Shiftlock override
If the vehicle cannot be driven, for example
because of a dead battery, the gear selector
must be moved from the P position before the
vehicle can be moved
3.
Lift away the rubber mat on the floor of the
storage compartment behind the center
console to expose the small opening for
overriding the shiftlock system.
2Only available on models with the T6 turbo engine.3If the battery is dead, the electric parking brake cannot be applied or released. Connect an auxiliary battery if the battery voltage is too low, see page 110.
03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
114
Insert the key blade into the opening. Press
the key blade down as far as possible and
keep it held down. Move the gear selector
from the P position. For information on the
key blade, see page 60.
All Wheel Drive – AWD4
Your Volvo can be equipped with permanent
All Wheel Drive, which means that power is
distributed automatically between the front
and rear wheels. Under normal driving condi-
tions, most of the engine's power is directed to
the front wheels. However, if there is any ten-
dency for the front wheels to spin, an electron-
ically controlled coupling distributes power to
the wheels that have the best traction.
NOTE
The message AWD disabled Service
required will be appear in the information
display if an electrical fault should occur in
the AWD system. A warning light will also
illuminate in the instrument panel. If this
occurs, have the system checked by a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni-
cian.
4Standard on certain models.
03 Your driving environment
Hill Descent Control (HDC)*
03
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.121 Introduction
Normally, when the accelerator pedal is
released while driving down hills, the vehicle's
speed slows as the engine runs at lower rpm
(the normal engine braking effect). However, if
the downhill gradient becomes steeper and if
the vehicle is carrying a load, speed increases
despite the engine braking effect. In this situa-
tion, the brakes must be applied to reduce the
vehicle's speed.
HDC is a type of automatic engine brake and
makes it possible to increase or decrease the
vehicle's speed on downhill gradients using
only the accelerator pedal, without applying
the brakes. The brake system functions auto-
matically to maintain a low and steady speed.
HDC is particularly useful when driving down
steep hills with rough surfaces, and where the
road may have slippery patches.
WARNING
HDC does not function in all situations, and
is a supplementary braking aid. The driver
has full responsibility for driving in a safe
manner.
Function
•HDC can be switched on and off with the
button in the center console. An indicator
light in the button illuminates when HDC is
activated.
•The indicator light in the instrument
panel illuminates and a message is dis-
played when the system is controlling the
vehicle's speed.
•HDC only functions when first or reverse
gears are selected (1 will be shown in the
instrument panel display when first gear is
selected).
NOTE
HDC cannot be activated if the gear selector
is the D position.
Using HDC
HDC allows the car to roll forward at a maxi-
mum speed of 6 mph (10 km/h), and 4 mph
(7 km/h) in reverse. However, the accelerator
pedal can be used to select any speed that is
possible in first or reverse gears. When the
accelerator pedal is released, speed is quickly
reduced again to 6 mph (10 km/h) or 4 mph
(7 km/h), depending on the gear selected,
regardless of the hill's gradient. It is not nec-
essary to apply the brakes.
•The brake lights illuminate automatically
when HDC is controlling the vehicle's
speed.
•The driver can slow or stop the vehicle at
any time by applying the brakes.
HDC is deactivated when:
•The button on the center console is
pressed
•A gear higher than first gear is selected
•D is selected on vehicles with an automatic
transmission
HDC can be deactivated at any time. If this is
done while driving down a steep hill, the sys-
tem's braking effect will decrease gradually.
04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Active chassis system–Four C*
04
146* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Active chassis (Four C)
Active chassis, Four-C (Continuously Con-
trolled Chassis Concept)1, regulates the cha-
racteristics of the shock absorbers so that the
car's driving characteristics can be adjusted.
There are three settings: Comfort, Sport and
Advanced.
NOTE
This system is available on Canadian mod-
els only.
ComfortComfort mode offers a somewhat softer ride
and the transmission shifts gears at lower rpm.
This mode is particularly suitable for long-dis-
tance highway driving. The indicator light in the
button will be on when this mode is selected.
SportIn this mode, the vehicle's body sway is
reduced during cornering and steering
response is more immediate. The transmission
shifts up at higher rpm for sportier driving. The
indicator light in the button will be on to indi-
cate that Sport mode has been selected.
AdvancedIn this mode, body sway in curves is minimal
and steering response is very direct. Gear shift-ing is done at high rpm in each gear for
dynamic and active driving.
Operation
Chassis settings
Use the buttons in the center console to
change setting. The setting in use when the
engine is switched off is activated the next time
the engine is started.
Speed-dependent steering force*
Steering force increases with the speed of the
vehicle to give the driver enhanced sensitivity.
At low speed the vehicle is easy to steer in
order to facilitate parking, etc.
Steering force can be changed under MY CAR
Car settingsSteering wheel force.
Select
Low, Medium or High. For a descrip-
tion of the menu system, see page 128.
NOTE
This steering force level menu function can-
not be accessed when the vehicle is in
motion.
1Available as an option on Canadian models only