2012 VOLVO XC70 towing

Contents
6
06
06 During your trip
Driving recommendations....................... 262
Refueling................................................. 266
Loading................................................... 271
Cargo area ............................................. 276
Towing a trailer....................................... 280
Emergency towing.................................. 283
07
07 Wheels and tires
General information ...............................288
Tire inflation............................................. 291
Inflation pressure ...................................293
Tire designations .................................... 294
Glossary of tire terminology ................... 296
Vehicle loading ....................................... 297
Uniform Tire Quality Grading ................. 299
Snow chains, snow tires, studded tires . 300
Temporary Spare ................................... 301
Tire Sealing System................................ 302
Changing a wheel ..................................308
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 311
08
08 Maintenance and
specifications
Volvo maintenance.................................. 316
Maintaining your car............................... 317
Hood and engine compartment.............. 319
Engine oil................................................ 320
Fluids...................................................... 322
Replacing bulbs...................................... 324
Wiper blades and washer fluid................ 331
Battery..................................................... 333
Fuses...................................................... 336
Vehicle care............................................. 344

01 Safety
Integrated booster cushion 01
50
Stowing the two-stage integrated
booster cushion
The booster cushion can be folded down com-
pletely (stowed) from either the stage 1 or stage
2 positions.
NOTE
The booster cushion cannot be moved from
the stage 2 (upper) position to the stage 1
(lower) position. It must first be folded down
completely to the stowed position, and then
adjusted to stage 1.
Pull the handle forward to release the
booster cushion.
Press down on the center of the booster
cushion to return it to the stowed position.
NOTE
The booster cushion must be in the stowed
position before the rear seat backrests are
folded down.
CAUTION
Be sure there are no loose objects under the
booster cushion before it is stowed.
WARNING
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can
occur
Follow all instructions on the
booster cushion and in the vehi-
cle's owner's manual.
MAKE SURE THE BOOSTER
CUSHION IS SECURELY
LOCKED BEFORE THE CHILD IS
SEATED.
•
Use this booster cushion only with chil-
dren whose height and weight are
within the permitted limits shown in the
table (see page 48).
•In the event of a collision while the inte-
grated booster cushion was occupied,
the entire booster cushion and seat belt
must be replaced. The booster cushion
should also be replaced if it is badly
worn or damaged in any way. This work
should be performed by a trained and
qualified Volvo service technician only.

03 Your driving environment
Instruments and controls
03

79
Seat belt reminder
This symbol comes on for approximately 6 sec-
onds if the driver has not fastened his or her
seat belt.
Generator not charging
This symbol comes on during driving if a fault
has occurred in the electrical system. Contact
an authorized Volvo workshop.
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 322 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 322. If the level in the reservoir is belowMIN, 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 322. 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 129. 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.

03 Your driving environment
Ignition modes
03
83 Starting and stopping the engine
See page 111 for information on starting the
engine and switching it off.
Emergency towing
See page 283 for more information.

03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine
03
112
WARNING
•Always remove the remote key from the
ignition slot when leaving the vehicle,
especially if there are children in the
vehicle.
•Never open the driver's door while driv-
ing or when the vehicle is being towed.
The steering lock could otherwise be
activated, making it impossible to steer
the vehicle. On vehicles with the
optional keyless drive, never remove
the remote key from the vehicle while
driving or during towing.
•Always place the gear selector in Park
and apply the parking brake before
leaving the vehicle. Never leave the
vehicle unattended with the engine run-
ning.
•Always open garage doors fully before
starting the engine inside a garage to
ensure adequate ventilation. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monox-
ide, which is invisible and odorless but
very poisonous.
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.
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
Brakes
03

119
•The ABS system activates for more than
approximately a half second
•In the event of sudden braking while the
vehicle is moving at speeds above approx-
imately 6 mph (10 km/h)
When the vehicle has come to a stop, the brake
lights and additional taillights remain on for as
long as the brake pedal is depressed or until
braking force on the vehicle is reduced.
Power brakes function only when the
engine is running
The power brakes utilize vacuum pressure
which is only created when the engine is run-
ning. Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine switched off.
If the power brakes are not working, consider-
ably higher pressure will be required on the
brake pedal to compensate for the lack of
power assistance. This can happen for exam-
ple when towing your vehicle or if the engine is
switched off when the vehicle is rolling. The
brake pedal feels harder than usual.
Water on brake discs and brake pads
affects braking
Driving in rain and slush or passing through an
automatic car wash can cause water to collect
on the brake discs and pads. This will cause a
delay in braking effect when the pedal is
depressed. To avoid such a delay when thebrakes are needed, depress the pedal occa-
sionally when driving through rain, slush, etc.
This will remove the water from the brakes.
Check that brake application feels normal. This
should also be done after washing or starting
in very damp or cold weather.
Severe strain on the brake systemThe brakes will be subject to severe strain
when driving in mountains or hilly areas, or
when towing a trailer. Vehicle speed is usually
slower, which means that the cooling of the
brakes is less efficient than when driving on
level roads. To reduce the strain on the brakes,
shift into a lower gear and let the engine help
with the braking. Do not forget that if you are
towing a trailer, the brakes will be subjected to
a greater than normal load.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) helps to
improve vehicle control (stopping and steering)
during severe braking conditions by limiting
brake lockup. When the system "senses"
impending lockup, braking pressure is auto-
matically modulated in order to help prevent
lockup that could lead to a skid.
The system performs a brief self-diagnostic
test when the engine has been started and
driver releases the brake pedal. Another auto-
matic test may be performed when the vehicle
first reaches a speed of approximately 6 mph(10 km/h). The brake pedal will pulsate several
times and a sound may be audible from the
ABS control module, which is normal.
Cleaning the brake discsCoatings of dirt and water on the brake discs
may result in delayed brake function. This delay
is minimized by cleaning the brake linings.
Cleaning the brake pads is advisable in wet
weather, prior to long-term parking, and after
the vehicle has been washed. Do this by brak-
ing gently for a short period while the vehicle is
moving.
Emergency Brake AssistanceEBA is designed to provide full brake effect
immediately in the event of sudden, hard brak-
ing. The system is activated by the speed with
which the brake pedal is depressed.
When the EBA system is activated, the brake
pedal will go down and pressure in the brake
system immediately increases to the maximum
level. Maintain full pressure on the brake pedal
in order to utilize the system completely. EBA
is automatically deactivated when the brake
pedal is released.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Stability system
04
148* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Introduction
The Dynamic Stability and Traction Control
system (DSTC) consists of a number of func-
tions designed help reduce wheel spin, coun-
teract skidding, and to generally help improve
directional stability.
CAUTION
A pulsating sound will be audible when the
system is actively operating and is normal.
Traction control (TC)This function is designed to help reduce wheel
spin by transferring power from a drive wheel
that begins to lose traction to the wheel on the
opposite side of the vehicle (on the same axle).
TC is most active at low speeds.
This is one of DSTC's permanent functions and
cannot be switched off.
Active Yaw Control (AYC)This function helps maintain directional stabil-
ity, for example when cornering, by braking
one or more of the wheels if the vehicle shows
a tendency to skid or slide laterally.This is one of DSTC's permanent functions and
cannot be switched off.
Spin control (SC)The spin control function is designed to help
prevent the drive wheels from spinning while
the vehicle is accelerating.
Trailer Stability Assist – TSA*Trailer Stability Assist helps stabilize a vehicle
that is towing a trailer when the vehicle and
trailer have begun to sway. See page 281 for
more information.
This system is automatically deactivated if the
driver selects Sport mode.
Operation
Sport modeThe stability system is always activated and
cannot be switched off.
However, the driver can select Sport mode,
which offers more active driving characteris-
tics. In this mode, the engine management sys-
tem monitors movement of the accelerator
pedal and steering wheel for sportier driving byallowing more lateral movement of the rear
wheels before DSTC is activated.
Under certain circumstances, such as when
driving with snow chains, or driving in deep
snow or loose sand, it may be advisable to
temporarily use Sport mode for maximum
tractive force.
If the driver releases pressure on the acceler-
ator pedal, DSTC will also activate to help sta-
bilize the vehicle.
To switch to Sport mode:
1.
Press the My Car button in the center con-
sole control panel and select My XC70
DSTC in the menu.
2. Unselect the symbol and leave the menu
by pressing EXIT.
>
This puts DSTC in Sport mode.
Sport mode remains active until the driver
switches it off in the menu or until the engine is
switched off. DSTC will return to normal mode
when the engine is restarted.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)*
04

* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.155
WARNING
Adaptive Cruise Control only warns of vehi-
cles detected by the radar sensor, see
page 158. In some cases there may be no
warning or the warning may be delayed. The
driver should always apply the brakes when
necessary.
Steep inclines and/or heavy loadsACC is primarily intended for use on fairly level
roads. The system may have difficulty main-
taining the correct distance to a vehicle ahead
on steep inclines, if the vehicle is carrying a
heavy load or is towing a trailer. In these situa-
tions, the driver should always be prepared to
apply the brakes if necessary.
Operation
Controls and display
Resume previous settings, increase speed
(each additional press increases speed by
1 mph (approximately 2 km/h).
Standby mode on/off
Set time interval
Put in active mode and set a speed
Set speed (parentheses indicate standby
mode)
Time interval while it is being set
Time interval after it has been set
Putting ACC in standby modeBefore ACC can be used to regulate speed
and/or the distance to a vehicle ahead, it must
first be put in standby mode.
To do so:
Press
.
The
symbol appears in the display and
parentheses (---) indicate that ACC is in
standby mode.
NOTE
The driver's door must be closed and the
driver's seat belt must be fastened before
ACC can be put in active mode. If the driv-
er's seat belt is taken off or if the driver's
door is opened, ACC will return to standby
mode.
Setting a speedOnce ACC has been put in standby mode, use
the
or buttons to store (set) the vehicle's
current speed. This puts the system in active
mode. The set speed, for example 55 mph, is
shown in the display.