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. 0W-30 oil is recommended for
driving in areas with sustained low temper-
atures.
•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
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.
09 Maintenance and servicing
Engine oil 09
220
CAUTION
•Not checking the oil level regularly can
result in serious engine damage if the oil
level becomes too low.
•Oil that is lower than the specified qual-
ity can damage the engine.
•Always add oil of the same type and
viscosity as already used.
•Never fill oil above the MAX mark. This
could cause an increase in oil consump-
tion.
•Oil changes should be carried out by a
trained and qualified Volvo service tech-
nician.
WARNING
Do not allow oil to spill onto or come into
contact with hot exhaust pipe surfaces
NOTE
Volvo uses different systems to indicate a
low oil level or pressure. Some models have
an oil pressure sensor, in which case a
warning symbol (see page 58) is used to
indicate low oil pressure. Other models have
an oil level sensor, in which case the driver
is alerted by the warning symbol in the cen-
ter of the instrument panel and a text in the
information display. Some models use both
systems. Contact an authorized Volvo
retailer for more information.
11 Specifications
Engine oil
11
277 Oil specifications
Engine oil must meet the minimum
ACEA A5/B5. Lower quality oils may not offer
the same fuel economy, engine performance,
or engine protection.
Oil additives must not be used.
Oil viscosityIncorrect viscosity oil can shorten engine life
under normal use. SAE 5W-30 will provide
good fuel economy and engine protection. See
the viscosity chart.
Viscosity chart
Extreme engine operationSAE 0W-30 oil meeting ACEA A5/B5 require-
ments is recommended for driving in areas with
sustained low temperatures.
