
03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine – Flexifuel
03
118* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
General information about starting
with Flexifuel
The engine is started in the same way as in a
petrol-engined car.
In the event of starting difficulties
If the engine does not start at the first start
attempt:
•Make further attempts to start with the
START/STOP ENGINE button.
If the engine still does not startThe outside temperature is lower than +5 °C:
1. Connect the engine block heater for at
least 1 hour.
2. Make further attempts to start with the
START/STOP ENGINE button.
IMPORTANT
If the engine does not start despite repeated
start attempts, you are recommended to
contact an authorised Volvo workshop.
Engine block heater*
Electrical input to the engine block heater.
When the temperature is expected to be lower
than –10 °C and the car has been refuelled with
bioethanol E85, an engine block heater should
be used for about 2 hours to facilitate the quick
starting of the engine.
The lower the temperature, the longer the time
required with the engine block heater. At
-20 °C the heater should be used for approx. 3
hours.
Cars intended for E85 have an electric engine
block heater*. Starting and driving with a pre-
heated engine involves significantly lower
emissions and reduced fuel consumption. For
this reason you should aim to use the engine
block heater throughout the winter months.
WARNING
The engine block heater is powered by high
voltage. Fault tracing and repair of an elec-
tric engine block heater and its electrical
connections must only be carried out by a
workshop - an authorised Volvo workshop
is recommended.
NOTE
Points to remember for carrying reserve
fuel:
•In the event of stalling due to an empty
fuel tank, bioethanol E85 from a reserve
fuel can may make the engine difficult
to start in extreme cold. This is avoided
by filling the reserve fuel can with 95
octane petrol.
For more information on Flexifuel's bioethanol
E 85 fuel, see page 289 and 384.
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03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine – external battery
03
120
Jump starting
If the battery is flat then the car can be started
with current from another battery.
When jump starting the car, the following steps
are recommended to avoid short circuits or
other damage:
1. Insert the remote control key in key posi-
tion 0, see page 78.
2. Check that the donor battery has a voltage
of 12 V.
3. If the donor battery is installed in another
car - switch off the donor car's engine and
make sure that the two cars do not touch
each other.4. Connect one of the red jump lead's clamps
to the donor battery's positive terminal (1).
IMPORTANT
Connect the start cable carefully to avoid
short circuits with other components in the
engine compartment.
5. Open the clips on the front cover of the
battery in your car and remove the cover,
see page 345.
6. Connect the red jump lead's other clamp
onto the car's positive terminal (2).
7. Connect one of the black jump lead's
clamps to the donor battery's negative ter-
minal (3).
8. Connect the other clamp to a grounding
point, e.g. right-hand engine mounting at
the top, the outer screw head (4).
9. Check that the jump lead clamps are
affixed securely so that there are no sparks
during the starting procedure.
10. Start the engine of the "donor car" and
allow it to run a few minutes at a speed
slightly higher than idle approx. 1500 rpm.
11. Start the engine in the car with the dis-
charged battery.
IMPORTANT
Do not touch the crocodile clips during the
start procedure. There is a risk of sparks
forming.
12. Remove the jump leads in reverse order -
first the black and then the red.
> Make sure that none of the black jump
lead's clamps comes into contact with
the battery's positive terminal or the
clamp connected to the red jump lead!
WARNING
•The battery can generate oxyhydrogen
gas, which is highly explosive. A spark
can be formed if a jump lead is con-
nected incorrectly, and this can be
enough for the battery to explode.
•The battery contains sulphuric acid,
which can cause serious burns.
•If sulphuric acid comes into contact
with eyes, skin or clothing, flush with
large quantities of water. If acid
splashes into the eyes - seek medical
attention immediately.
For more information on the car's battery - see
page 344.
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03 Your driving environment
Gearboxes
03
121
IMPORTANT
The operating temperature of the gearbox is
checked in order to prevent damage to any
of the drive system's components. In the
event of a risk of overheating a warning
symbol illuminates on the instrument panel
combined with a text message - In which
case, follow the recommendation given.
Manual gearbox
Gearshift pattern 5-speed gearbox.
Gearshift pattern 6-speed gearbox.
The 6-speed box is available in two versions -
reverse gear position differs between them.
Look at the actual gearshift pattern imprinted
on the gear lever.
•Depress the clutch pedal fully during each
gear change.
•Take your foot off the clutch pedal between
gear changes.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when park-
ing on a slope - leaving the car in gear is not
sufficient to hold the car in all situation.
Gear indicator1
An essential detail in connection with environ-
mental driving is to drive in the right gear and
change gear in time.
The driver is assisted by an indicator - GSI
(Gear Shift Indicator) - which notifies the driver
when it is most advantageous to engage the
next higher or lower gear in order to obtain the
lowest possible fuel consumption. However,
taking into consideration characteristics such
as performance and vibration-free running, it
may be advantageous to change gear at a
higher engine speed.
Indication is made with an up or down arrow in
the combined instrument panel's right-hand
display.
1Only manual gearbox for the D2 model.
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03 Your driving environment
Gearboxes
03
122* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Reverse gear inhibitorThe reverse gear inhibitor hinders the possibil-
ity of mistakenly attempting to engage reverse
gear during normal forward travel.
•Follow the gearing pattern printed on the
gear lever and start from neutral position,
N before moving it to R position.
•Only engage reverse gear when the car is
stationary.
NOTE
With the upper variant of the shifting pattern
for 6-speed gearbox (see previous illustra-
tion) - first press down the gear lever in the
N position in order to engage reverse gear.
Automatic gearbox Geartronic*
D: Automatic gear positions. +/–: Manual gear
positions.
The information display shows the position of
the gear selector using the following indica-
tions:
P, R, N, D, S, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, see
page 71.
Gear positions
Parking position - P
Select P when starting the engine or when the
car is parked. The brake pedal must be
depressed to disengage the gear selector from
the P position.
The gearbox is mechanically blocked when the
P position is engaged. Apply the parking brake
as well, as a precaution - see page 137.
NOTE
The gear selector must be in P position to
allow the car to be locked and alarmed.
IMPORTANT
The car must be stationary when position
P is selected.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when park-
ing on a slope - the automatic transmis-
sion's P position is not sufficient to hold the
car in all situation.
Reverse position - RThe car must be stationary when R position is
selected.
Neutral position - NNo gear is engaged and the engine can be
started. Apply the parking brake if the car is
stationary with the gear selector in N position.
Drive position - DD is the normal driving position. Shifting up and
down takes place automatically based on the
level of acceleration and speed. The car must
be stationary when the gear selector is moved
to D position from R position.
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03 Your driving environment
Gearboxes
03
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.125 Automatic gearbox Powershift*
D: Automatic gear positions. +/–: Manual gear
positions.
Powershift is a 6-stage automatic gearbox that
has double mechanical clutch discs in contrast
to a conventional automatic gearbox. A con-
ventional automatic gearbox has a hydraulic
torque converter instead that transfers power
from engine to gearbox.
Powershift transmission operates in the same
way and has similar controls and functions as
the Geartronic automatic transmission, descri-
bed in the previous section.
Powershift or Geartronic?In the event of uncertainty as to whether or not
the car is equipped with Powershift transmis-sion, this can be verified by checking the des-
ignation on the transmission's label under the
bonnet - see page 370. The designa-
tion ”MPS6” means that it is Powershift – trans-
mission otherwise it is Geartronic automatic
transmission.
HSAThe HSA (Hill Start Assist) function means that
the pressure in the brake system remains for
several seconds while the foot is moved from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal before
setting off or reversing uphill.
The temporary braking effect releases after
several seconds or when the driver acceler-
ates.
To bear in mindThe transmission's double clutch has overload
protection that is activated if it becomes too
hot, e.g. if the car is held stationary with the
accelerator pedal on an uphill gradient for a
long time.
Overheated transmission causes the car to
shake and vibrate, and the warning symbol illu-
minates and the information display shows a
message. The transmission can also overheat
during slow driving in queues (10 km/h orslower) on an uphill gradient, or with a trailer
hitched. The transmission cools down when
the car is stationary, with foot brake depressed
and the engine running at idling speed.
Overheating during slow driving in queues can
be avoided by driving in stages: Stop the car
and wait with your foot on the brake pedal until
there is a moderate distance to the traffic
ahead, drive forward a short distance, and then
wait another moment with your foot on the
brake pedal.
IMPORTANT
Use the foot brake to hold the car stationary
on an uphill gradient - do not hold the car
with the accelerator pedal. The gearbox
could then overheat.
For important information regarding Powershift
transmission and towing - see page 304.
Text message and actionIn some situations the display may show a
message at the same time as a symbol is illu-
minated.
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03 Your driving environment
Gearboxes
03
126
SymbolDisplayDriving characteristicsAction
Transm. overheat brake to holdDifficulty in maintaining even speed at con-
stant engine speed.Transmission overheated. Keep the car
stationary using the foot brake.A
Transm. overheat park safelySignificant pulling in the car's traction.Transmission overheated. Park the car
immediately in a safe manner.A
Transm. cooling let engine runNo drive due to overheated gearbox.Transmission overheated. For fastest cool-
ing: Run the engine at idling speed with the
gear lever in the N or P position until the
message clears.
AFor fastest cooling: run the engine at idling speed with the gear lever in the N or P position, until the message clears.
The table shows three steps with an increased
degree of seriousness should the transmission
become too hot. In parallel with the display text
the driver is also advised that the car's elec-
tronics are temporarily changing the driving
characteristics. Follow the instructions on the
information display where appropriate.
NOTE
The table's examples are no indication that
the car is defective but instead show that a
safety function has been activated inten-
tionally to prevent damage to one of the
car's components.
WARNING
If a warning symbol combined with the textTransm. overheat park safely is ignored
then the heat in the gearbox may become
so high that the power transmission
between engine and gearbox is temporarily
halted in order to prevent the clutch from
malfunctioning - the car then loses drive and
is stationary until gearbox temperature has
cooled to an acceptable level.
For more possible display messages with their
respective proposals for solutions concerning
automatic transmission, see page 200.
A display text clears automatically after the
action has been carried out or after one press
on the indicator stalk OK button.
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03 Your driving environment
DRIVe Start/Stop*
03
130* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
ConditionsM/AA
There is a temporarily high cur-
rent take-off or battery capacity
drops below the lowest permissi-
ble level.M + A
Repeated pumping of the brake
pedal.M + A
The car starts to roll - faster than
the equivalent normal walking
pace.M
The driver's belt lock is opened
with the gear selector in D or N
position.A
Steering wheel movements.A
The gear selector is moved from
the D position to "+/-" or R.A
The driver's door is opened with
the gear selector in D position - a
"ping" sound and text message
inform that the Start/Stop func-
tion is active.A
AM = Manual gearbox, A = Automatic gearbox.
WARNING
Do not open the bonnet when the engine
has stopped automatically - the engine may
suddenly start automatically. First switch off
the engine as normal using the START/
STOP ENGINE button before opening the
bonnet.
The engine does not auto-startIn the following cases the engine does not
auto-start after having auto-stopped:
ConditionsM/AA
A gear is engaged without
declutching - a display text
prompts the driver to set the gear
lever in neutral position in order to
enable automatic starting.M
The driver is unrestrained, the
gear selector is in P position and
the driver’s door is open - a nor-
mal engine start must take place.A
The gear selector is moved to P
position - press the START/
STOP ENGINE button to restart
the engine.
If the driver's door is opened
before starting the engine with
the START/STOP ENGINE but-
ton, the Start/Stop function is
switched off.A
AM = Manual gearbox, A = Automatic gearbox.
Involuntary engine stop with manual
gearbox
In the event that a start-up fails and the engine
stops, proceed as follows:
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03 Your driving environment
Foot brake
03
135 General
The car is equipped with two brake circuits. If
one brake circuit is damaged then this will
mean that the brakes engage at a deeper level
and harder pressure on the pedal is needed to
produce the normal braking effect.
The driver's brake pedal pressure is assisted
by a brake servo.
WARNING
The brake servo only works when the engine
is running.
If the brake is used when the engine is switched
off then the pedal will feel stiff and more force
must be used to brake the car.
In very hilly terrain or when driving with a heavy
load the brakes can be relieved by using engine
braking. Engine braking is most efficiently used
if the same gear is used downhill as up.
For more general information on heavy loads
on the car, see page 378.
Anti-lock braking systemThe car is equipped with ABS (Anti-lock
Braking System) which prevents the wheels
from locking during braking. This means the
ability to steer is maintained and it is easier to
swerve to avoid a hazard for example. Vibrationmay be felt in the brake pedal when this is
engaged and this is normal.
A short test of the ABS system is made auto-
matically after the engine has been started
when the driver releases the brake pedal. A
further automatic test of the ABS system may
be made when the car reaches 10 km/h. The
test may be experienced as pulses in the brake
pedal.
Emergency brake lights and automatic
hazard warning flashers
Emergency brake lights are activated to alert
vehicles behind about sudden braking. The
function means that the brake light flashes
instead of - as in normal braking - shining with
a constant glow.
Emergency brake lights are activated at
speeds above 50 km/h if the ABS system is
working and/or in the event of sudden braking.
After the car's speed has been slowed below
10 km/h the brake light returns from flashing to
the normal constant glow - while at the same
time the hazard warning flashers are activated,
and they flash until the driver changes engine
speed with the accelerator pedal or they are
deactivated with their button, see page 92.
Cleaning the brake discsCoatings of dirt and water on the brake discs
may result in delayed brake function. This delay
is minimised by cleaning the brake linings.
Manual cleaning is advisable with wet road sur-
faces, prior to long-stay parking and after the
car has been washed. Carry this out by braking
gently during a short period while en route.
Emergency Brake AssistanceEmergency Brake Assistance EBA (Emergency
Brake Assist) helps to increase brake force and
so reduce braking distance. EBA detects the
driver's braking style and increases brake force
as necessary. The brake force can be rein-
forced up to the level when the ABS system is
engaged. The EBA function is interrupted when
the pressure on the brake pedal is reduced.
NOTE
When EBA is activated the brake pedal low-
ers slightly more than usual, depress (hold)
the brake pedal as long as necessary. If the
brake pedal is released then all braking
ceases.
MaintenanceTo keep the car as safe and reliable as possi-
ble, follow the Volvo service intervals as speci-
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