2011 VOLVO XC70 winter tires

05 During your trip
Driving recommendations
05
204
the ignition switched off, which drains the
battery.
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 298 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 239.
•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

06 Wheels and tires
General information
06
226
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with tires according
to the vehicle's tire information placard on the
B-pillar (the structural member at the side of
the vehicle, at the rear of the driver's door
opening).
CAUTION
Some Volvo models are equipped with an
Ultra High Performance tire and wheel com-
bination designed to provide maximum dry
pavement performance with consideration
for hydroplaning resistance. They may be
more susceptible to road hazard damage
and, depending on driving conditions, may
achieve a tread life of less than 20,000 miles
(30,000 km). Even if this vehicle is equipped
with Volvo’s advanced AWD or DSTC sys-
tem, these tires are not designed for winter
driving, and should be replaced with winter
tires when weather conditions dictate.
The tires have good road holding characteris-
tics and offer good handling on dry and wet
surfaces. It should be noted however that the
tires have been developed to give these fea-
tures on snow/ice-free surfaces.
Most models are equipped with "all-season"
tires, which provide a somewhat higher degree
of road holding on slippery surfaces than tireswithout the "all-season" rating. However, for
optimum road holding on icy or snow-covered
roads, we recommend suitable winter tires on
all four wheels.
When replacing tires, be sure that the new tires
are the same size designation, type (radial) and
preferably from the same manufacturer, on all
four wheels. Otherwise there is a risk of altering
the car's roadholding and handling characte-
ristics.
New Tires
Remember that tires are perishable goods. As
of 2000, the manufacturing week and year
(Department of Transportation (DOT) stamp)
will be indicated with 4 digits (e.g., 1510 means
that the tire illustrated was manufactured dur-
ing week 15 of 2010).
Tire ageTires degrade over time, even when they are
not being used. It is recommended that tires
generally be replaced after 6 years of normal
service. Heat caused by hot climates, frequent
high loading conditions or Ultra Violet (U.V.)
exposure can accelerate the aging process.
The temporary spare
1 should also be replaced
at 6-year intervals, even if it has never been
used.
A tire's age can be determined by the DOT
stamp on the sidewall (see the illustration).
A tire with e.g., visible cracks or discoloration
should be replaced immediately.
Improving tire economy
•Maintain correct tire pressure. See the tire
inflation tables beginning on page 231.
•Drive smoothly: avoid fast starts, hard
braking and tire screeching.
•Tire wear increases with speed.
•Correct front wheel alignment is very
important.
•Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy
and driving comfort.
•Tires must maintain the same direction of
rotation throughout their lifetime.
1Option or accessory on some models

06 Wheels and tires
General information
06

227
•When replacing tires, the tires with the
most tread should be mounted on the rear
wheels to reduce the chance of oversteer
during hard braking.
•Hitting curbs or potholes can damage the
tires and/or wheels permanently.
Summer and winter tires
G021778
The arrows shows the direction of rotation of the
tire
•When switching between summer and
winter tires, mark the tires to indicate
where they were mounted on the car, e.g.,
LF = left front, RR = right rear
•Tires with tread designed to roll in only one
direction are marked with an arrow on the
sidewall.
•Incorrectly mounted tires impair the car's
braking properties and ability to force
aside rain, snow and slush.
•The tires with the most tread should always
be at the rear (to reduce the risk of skid-
ding).
•Contact a Volvo workshop if you are
unsure about the tread depth.
Storing wheels and tiresWhen storing complete wheels (tires mounted
on rims), they should be suspended off the
floor or placed on their sides on the floor.
Tires not mounted on rims should be stored on
their sides or standing upright, but should not
be suspended.
CAUTION
Tires should preferably be stored in a cool,
dry, dark place, and should never be stored
in close proximity to solvents, gasoline, oils,
etc.
WARNING
•The wheel and tire sizes for your Volvo
are specified to meet stringent stability
and handling requirements. Unap-
proved wheel/tire size combinations
can negatively affect your vehicle's sta-
bility and handling.
•Any damage caused by installation of
unapproved wheel/tire size combina-
tions will not be covered by your new
vehicle warranty. Volvo assumes no
responsibility for death, injury, or
expenses that may result from such
installations.
Tire wear
Tire rotationTire wear is affected by a number of factors
such as tire inflation, ambient temperature,
driving style, etc. Your vehicle is driven mainly
by the front tires, which will wear faster.
If the tires are rotated, they should only be
moved from front to back or vice versa. They
should never be rotated left to right/right to left.
However, tire rotation, done at the recom-
mended intervals, is one way of helping to keep
tread wear as even as possible and will help
you get maximum mileage from your tires.

06 Wheels and tires
Snow chains, snow tires, studded tires
06
239 Winter driving conditions
Snow chainsSnow chains can be used on your Volvo with
the following restrictions:
•Snow chains should be installed on front
wheels only. Use only Volvo approved
snow chains.
•If accessory, aftermarket or "custom" tires
and wheels are installed and are of a size
different than the original tires and wheels,
chains in some cases CANNOT be used.
Sufficient clearances between chains and
brakes, suspension and body components
must be maintained.
•Some strap-on type chains will interfere
with brake components and therefore
CANNOT be used.
•All Wheel Drive models: Snow chains
should only be installed on the front
wheels.
•Certain size tires may not allow the assem-
bly of snow chains/traction devices.
Consult your Volvo retailer for additional snow
chain information.
CAUTION
•Check local regulations regarding the
use of snow chains before installing.
•Use single-sided snow chains only.
•Always follow the chain manufacturer's
installation instructions carefully. Install
chains as tightly as possible and
retighten periodically.
•Never exceed the chain manufacturer's
specified maximum speed limit. (Under
no circumstances should you exceed
31 mph (50 km/h).
•Avoid bumps, holes or sharp turns
when driving with snow chains.
•The handling of the vehicle can be
adversely affected when driving with
chains. Avoid fast or sharp turns as well
as locked wheel braking.
Snow tires, studded tires1
Tires for winter use:
•Owners who live in or regularly commute
through areas with sustained periods of
snow or icy driving conditions are strongly
advised to fit suitable winter tires to help
retain the highest degree of traction.
•It is important to install winter tires on all
four wheels to help retain traction duringcornering, braking, and accelerating. Fail-
ure to do so could reduce traction to an
unsafe level or adversely affect handling.
•Do not mix tires of different design as this
could also negatively affect overall tire road
grip.
•Winter tires wear more quickly on dry roads
in warm weather. They should be removed
when the winter driving season has ended.
•Studded tires should be run-in
300 – 600 miles (500 – 1000 km) during
which the vehicle should be driven as
smoothly as possible to give the studs the
opportunity to seat properly in the tires.
The tires should have the same rotational
direction throughout their entire lifetime.
NOTE
Please consult state or provincial regula-
tions restricting the use of studded winter
tires before installing such tires.
1Where permitted

09 Index
09
312
Sirius satellite radio.................................. 143
Snow chains............................................ 239
Snow tires................................................ 239
Sound settings, audio system................. 136
Spare tire................................................. 240
Speed-dependent steering...................... 159
Spin control............................................. 157
SRS............................................................ 21
Stability system...............................157, 158
indicator light........................................ 75
Starting the engine..................................107
with keyless drive...............................107
Starting the vehicle
after a crash (crash mode)....................35
Start inhibitor (immobilizer)........................ 55
Steel grid in cargo area............................ 216
Steering wheel
adjusting............................................... 87
horn....................................................... 87
keypad.................................. 87, 124, 135
Stone chips, touching up......................... 287
Storage spaces........................................ 196
Studded tires........................................... 239
Sunroof (moonroof).................................. 102Supplemental restraint system.................. 21
warning light......................................... 76
Symbols, overview................................... 301
T
Tailgate
driving with it open.............................202
locking/unlocking.................................. 66
power operated.................................. 211
wiper/washer........................................ 95
Tailgate wipers......................................... 272
Taillights, changing bulbs........................ 268
Temporary spare tire............................... 240
Three-way catalytic converter................. 209
Tire designations.....................................233
Tire Pressure Monitoring System....250, 251
indicator light........................................ 75
Tires.........................................................226
age...................................................... 226
changing from summer to winter........ 227
glossary of terms................................ 235
improving economy............................ 226
inflation pressure................................ 229
inflation pressure tables.............231, 232load ratings......................................... 230
rotation............................................... 227
snow...................................................239
spare................................................... 240
specifications...................................... 230
speed ratings...................................... 230
storing................................................. 227
studded............................................... 239
tire pressure monitoring system......... 250
tread wear indicator............................ 228
uniform tire quality grading................. 238
Top tether anchors (child restraint sys-
tems).......................................................... 46
Touching up paint.................................... 287
Towing a trailer................................220, 221
trailer hitch.......................................... 221
Towing the vehicle........................... 222, 223
Traction control........................................ 157
Trailer towing...................................220, 221
trailer hitch.......................................... 221
Transmission
general description.....................111, 112
oil........................................................ 299
shiftlock override................................ 112
Tread wear indicator................................ 228
Trip computer.......................................... 155