02 Instruments and controls
Right-side steering wheel lever
02
74
Windshield wipers
Windshield/headlight washers
Rain sensor – on/of, see page 74
Thumb wheel
Windshield wipers offThe windshield wipers are off when
the lever is in position 0.
Manual wiper functionFrom position 0, move the lever
upward. The windshield wipers will
sweep one stroke at a time for as
long as the lever is held up.
Intermittent wiper functionWith the lever in this position, you
can set the wiper interval by mov-
ing the thumb wheel (C) upward to
increase wiper speed or down-
ward to decrease the speed.
Continuous wiper functionThe wipers operate at "normal"
speed.
High speed wiper function.
– Windshield washers
Pull the lever toward the steering wheel and
release it. The wipers will make 2–3 sweeps
across the windshield after the lever has been
released.
CAUTION
•Use ample washer fluid when washing
the windshield. The windshield should
be thoroughly wet when the wipers are
in operation.
•Before using the wipers, ice and snow
should be removed from the wind-
shield/rear window. Be sure the wiper
blades are not frozen in place.
Headlight washers (certain models)
When the lever has been pulled, high pressure
jets mounted in the bumper will spray the head-
lights.
The following applies to conserve washer fluid,
see page 64 for information on the light switch
positions:
Low/high beam headlights onThe headlights will be washed the first time the
windshield is washed. Thereafter, the head-
lights will only be washed once for every five
times the windshield is washed within a
10 minute period.
Parking lights onThe optional Active Bending Lights will be
washed once for every five times the wind-
shield is washed.
Normal halogen headlights will not be washed.
06 Starting and driving
General information
06
141
WARNING
After driving through water, press lightly on
the brake pedal to ensure that the brakes
are functioning normally. Water or mud can
make the brake linings slippery, resulting in
delayed braking effect.
CAUTION
•Engine damage will occur if water is
drawn into the air cleaner.
•If the vehicle is driven through water
deeper than 9 in. (25 cm), water may
enter the differential and the transmis-
sion. This reduces the oil's lubricating
capacity and may shorten the service
life of these components.
•Do not allow the vehicle to stand in
water up to the door sills longer than
absolutely necessary. This could result
in electrical malfunctions.
•If the engine has been stopped while the
car is in water, do not attempt to restart
the engine. Have the car towed out of
the water.
Cold weather precautions
If 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). See section "Coolant". The use of
"recycled" antifreeze 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.
Your Volvo retailer stocks plenty of Volvo
engine coolant to help protect your vehicle
during cold weather.
•Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – this
prevents the formation of condensation 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
1, is recom-
mended. Be sure to use good quality oil but
do not use cold-weather oil for hard drivingor in warm weather, see page 277 for more
information.
•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
the chapter "Wheels and tires."
•To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from
freezing, add washer solvents containing
antifreeze (see page 218 for the location of
the washer fluid reservoir). This is impor-
tant since dirt is often splashed on the
windshield during winter driving, requiring
the frequent use of the washers and wip-
ers. Volvo Washer Solvent should be dilu-
ted 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 sol-
vent and 3 parts water Down to 0 °F
(–18 °C): 1 part washer solvent and 2 parts
1Synthetic oil is not used when the oil is changed at the normal maintenance intervals except at owner request and at additional charge. Please consult your Volvo retailer.
06 Starting and driving
General information
06
142
water Down to –18 °F (–28 °C): 1 part
washer solvent and 1 part water.
•Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.
NOTE
Avoid using de-icing sprays as they can
cause damage to the locks.
Conserving electrical current
Keep the following in mind to help minimize
battery drain:
•When the engine is not running, avoid turn-
ing the ignition key to position II. Many
electrical systems (the audio system, the
optional navigation system, power win-
dows, etc) will function with the ignition key
in position I. This position reduces drain on
the battery.
•Please keep in mind that using systems,
accessories, etc that consume a great deal
of current when the engine is not running
could result in the battery being completely
drained. Driving or having the engine run-
ning for approximately 15 minutes will help
keep the battery charged.
•The optional 12 volt socket in the trunk
(certain models only) provides electricalcurrent even with the ignition switched off,
which drains the battery.
NOTE
•If the ignition is switched on, a warning
message will be displayed in the text
window in the instrument panel when
the battery charge is low.
•An energy conserving function
designed into the vehicle's electrical
system will switch off certain functions
or reduce the load on the battery by,
e.g., reducing the audio system's vol-
ume.
Before a long distance trip
It is always worthwhile to have your vehicle
checked at a trained and qualified Volvo serv-
ice technician before driving long distances.
Your trained and qualified Volvo service tech-
nician 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 checked2.
•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 your
Volvo retailer only.
•Check all lights, including high beams.
•Reflective warning triangles are legally
required in some states/provinces.
•Have a word with your Volvo retailer 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.
2To prevent injury from contact with hot surfaces, do not inspect your vehicle's transmission fluid yourself. Have your vehicle's transmission fluid level inspected by a qualified Volvo service technician.
09 Maintenance and servicing
Engine compartment 09
218
Cooling system expansion tank
Power steering fluid reservoir (concealed
behind the headlight)
Dipstick – engine oil
Radiator
Cooling fan
Washer fluid reservoir
Engine oil filler cap
Brake/clutch fluid reservoir
Battery
Relay/fuse box
Air cleaner
WARNING
The cooling fan may start or continue to
operate (for up to 6 minutes) after the engine
has been switched off.
09 Maintenance and servicing
Fluids09
221 Washer fluid
Washer fluid reservoir
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment and holds approximately
4.2 US qts (4 liters). During cold weather, the
reservoir should be filled with windshield
washer solvent containing antifreeze.
Coolant
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.
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.
11 Specifications
Fuel, oils, and fluids
11
275 Specifications and capacities
CategorySpecificationCapacity
Fuel tankOctane rating: unleaded gasoline, minimum
octane requirement AKI 87, recommended rat-
ing AKI 91 or above.15.9 US gallons (60 liters)
Engine oil (with filter replacement)See page 277 for information on engine oil
specifications.6.1 US quarts (5.8 liters)
Automatic transmission oilJWS 33098.14 US quarts (7.7 liters)
CoolantVolvo original coolant/antifreeze (50/50 mix-
ture of water and anti-freeze)10.5 US quarts (10 liters) – models with automatic
transmission
Brake fluidDOT 4+ boiling point >536 °F (280 °C), P/N
94374330.63 US quarts (0.6 liters)
Power steering fluidWSS M2C204-A or equivalent1.3 US quarts (1.2 liters) – system and reservoir com-
bined
Washer fluid reservoirUse washer fluid solvent in cold weather con-
ditions.4.2 US qts (4 liters)
Air conditioning systemRefrigerant – R134a1.2 lbs. (530 grams)
12 Index
12
292
tire sealing system.............................. 189
tread wear indicator............................ 178
uniform tire quality grading................. 187
winter driving...................................... 188
Tire sealing system.................................. 189
Towing a trailer........................................ 164
trailer hitch.......................................... 166
Towing the vehicle................................... 160
Trailer hitch - detachable......................... 166
Trailer towing........................................... 164
Transmission
Geartronic........................................... 152
shiftlock override................................ 153
Tread wear indicator................................ 178
Treble....................................................... 248
Trip computer............................................ 70
Trips, long distance................................. 142
Trunk
loading................................................117
opening from the inside...................... 133
opening mechanically......................... 133
Trunk divider (Power retractable hard
top)........................................................... 107
Turn signals............................................... 68
indicator lights...................................... 54U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading...................187
V
Valet locking............................................ 126
Vehicle dimensions.................................. 272
Vehicle Event Data..................................... 13
Vehicle loading........................................ 185
Vehicle maintenance................................ 214
performed by the owner.....................215
Vehicle towing.........................................160
Vehicle weights........................................ 273
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)......... 271
Volvo and the environment........................ 14
Volvo maintenance.................................. 214
Volvo On Call Roadside Assistance........ 284
W
Warning flashers, hazard........................... 76
Warning symbol......................................... 56Warranties................................................ 214
Washer fluid..................................... 221, 275
Washer fluid reservoir......................218, 221
Water, driving through............................. 140
Weights.................................................... 273
Wheel nuts............................................... 198
Wheels.....................................................176
changing............................................. 199
storing................................................. 177
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)....... 35
Wind blocker (power retractable hard top)
(Power retractable hard top).................... 110
Windows
power.................................................... 77
Windshield washer fluid reservoir............218
Windshield wiper blades.......................... 223
Windshield wipers...................................... 74
rain sensor............................................ 75
Winter tires............................................... 188
Wiper blades
replacing windshield wipers............... 223