2013 VOLVO XC70 automatic transmission

02 Locks and alarm
Remote key and key blade
02
58* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
NOTE
As an added safety precaution, the parking
lights will come on automatically for a short
period when the tailgate has been opened.
After closing, the tailgate will not automatically
relock. Press Lock to relock it and rearm the
alarm.
See also the section "Unlocking the tailgate
from the passenger compartment."
Panic alarm – This button can be used to
attract attention during emergency situations.
To activate the panic alarm, press and hold this
button for at least 3 seconds or press it twice
within 3 seconds. The turn signals and horn will
be activated. The panic alarm will stop auto-
matically after 2 minutes and 45 seconds.
To deactivate, wait approximately 5 seconds
and press the button again.
The Panic alarm button will not unlock the vehi-
cle.
RangeThe remote key has a range of approximately
60 ft. (20 m) from the vehicle.
NOTE
Buildings or other obstacles may interfere
with the function of the remote key. The
vehicle can also be locked or unlocked with
the key blade, see page 59.
If the remote key is removed from the vehicle
while the engine is running or if the ignition is
in mode I or II and all of the doors are closed,
a message will appear in the instrument panel
display and there will be an audible signal.
When the remote key is returned to the vehicle,
the message will be erased and the audible
signal will stop after one of the following has
been done:
•The remote key is inserted in the ignition
slot
•The vehicle's speed exceeds 20 mph
(30 km/h)
•The OK button on the left steering wheel
lever is pressed
Unique functions—PCC*
Information button
Indicator lights
Pressing the information button provides cer-
tain information about the vehicle with the help
of the indicator lights.
Using the information button1.
Press the information button .
2. All of the indicator lights will flash sequen-
tially for approximately 7 seconds to indi-
cate that the PCC is receiving information
from the vehicle. If any of the buttons are
pressed during this 7-second period,
transmission of information to the PCC will
be interrupted.

03 Your driving environment
Mirrors
03
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.105 Power door mirrors
Door mirror controls
Adjusting1.
Press the L button for the left door mirror
or the R button for the right door mirror.
The light in the button comes on.
2. Adjust the position with the joystick in the
center.
3.
Press the L or R button again. The light
should no longer be on.
WARNING
Objects seen in the mirrors may appear fur-
ther away than they actually are.
Retractable power door mirrors*The mirrors can be retracted for parking/driving
in narrow spaces:
1.
Press down the L and R buttons at the
same time.
2. Release them after approximately one sec-
ond. The mirrors automatically stop in the
fully retracted position.
Fold out the mirrors by pressing down the L
and R buttons at the same time. The mirrors
automatically stop in the fully extended posi-
tion.
Storing the position*The mirror positions are stored in the key mem-
ory when the vehicle has been locked with the
remote key. When the vehicle is unlocked with
the same remote control the mirrors and the
driver's seat adopt the stored positions when
the driver's door is opened.
The function can be activated/deactivated in
MY CAR under Settings
Car settings
Car key memoryPersonal settings in key
memory. See page 189 for a description of the
menu system.
Tilting the door mirrors when parking*The door mirrors can be tilted down to help
give the driver a better view along the sides of
the vehicle, for example when parallel parking.To activate this function, select reverse gear
and press the L or R mirror control button to tilt
the mirror down.
The function can be activated/deactivated in
MY CAR under Settings
Car settings
Side mirror settingsTilt left mirror or Tilt
right mirror
. See page 189 for a description
of the menu system.
The door mirror will reset to its normal position:
•after 10 seconds when reverse is disen-
gaged and the car remains stopped.
•immediately when reverse is disengaged
and the vehicle's forward speed exceeds
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
•immediately if you press the correspond-
ing L or R button again.
•when the engine is turned off.
•when the side mirrors are folded in.
NOTE
Only one mirror can be tilted down at a time.
Automatically tilting the door mirrors
when parking
The door mirrors can tilt down automatically to
help give the driver a better view along the
sides of the vehicle, for example when parallel
parking. When the transmission is no longer in

03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine
03
114
WARNING
•Always remove the remote key from the
ignition slot when leaving the vehicle
and ensure that the ignition in mode 0
(see page 83 for information about the
ignition modes), especially if there are
children in the vehicle.
•On vehicles with th optional keyless
drive, never remove the remote key
from the vehicle while it is being driven
or towed.
•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
Transmission
03
118
Automatic transmission
G021351
Shiftgate positions1
Depress the button on the front of the gear
selector knob to move the gear selector
between the R, N, D, and P positions.
The gear selector can be moved freely between
the Geartronic (manual shifting) and Drive (D)
positions while driving.
CAUTION
The transmission’s temperature is moni-
tored to help prevent damage to the trans-
mission or other drivetrain components. If
there is a risk of overheating, the warning
symbol on the instrument panel will illumi-
nate and a text message will be displayed.
Follow the instructions provided there.
Park position (P)Select the P position when starting or parking.
ShiftlockWhen P has been selected, the transmission is
mechanically blocked in this position. The
brake pedal must be depressed and the igni-
tion must be in at least mode II (see page 82)
before the gear lever can be moved from the
P position.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when the
vehicle is parked, particularly when parking
on a hill. The transmission's P mode may
not be able to keep the vehicle stationary if
it is parked on an incline.
Press the control to apply the parking brake,
see page 124.
CAUTION
The vehicle must be stationary when posi-
tion P is selected.
Reverse (R)The vehicle must be stationary when position
R is selected.
Neutral position (N)No gear is engaged and the engine can be
started with the gear selector in this position.
Apply the parking brake if the vehicle is sta-
tionary with the gear selector in position N.
Drive (D)D is the normal driving position. The car auto-
matically shifts between the various forward
1The information display (see page 75) shows the gear selector's position or the selected gear by displaying the following: P, R, N, D, S, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
119
gears, based on the level of acceleration and
speed. The car must be at a standstill when
shifting from position R to position D.
Geartronic–manual shiftingGeartronic allows you to manually shift among
your vehicle's six forward speeds. Geartronic
can be selected at any time.
•To access the manual shifting position
from Drive (D), move the gear selector to
the right (to the area marked M in the illus-
tration.
•To return to the D position from the manual
shifting position, move the gear selector to
the left.
While driving
•If you select the manual shifting position
while driving, the gear that was being used
in the Drive position will also initially be
selected in the manual shifting position.
•Move the gear selector forward (toward
"+") to shift to a higher gear or rearward
(toward "–") to shift to a lower gear.
•If you hold the gear selector toward "–", the
transmission will downshift one gear at a
time and will utilize the braking power of
the engine. If the current speed is too high
for using a lower gear, the downshift willnot occur until the speed has decreased
enough to allow the lower gear to be used.
•If you slow to a very low speed, the trans-
mission will automatically shift down.
Shiftlock – Neutral (N)If the gear selector is in the N position and the
vehicle has been stationary for at least 3 sec-
onds (irrespective of whether the engine is run-
ning) then the gear selector is locked.
To be able to move the gear selector from N to
another gear position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the ignition must be in posi-
tion II, see page 82.
Geartronic–Sport mode (S)2
This transmission mode provides sportier shift-
ing characteristics and enables a more active
driving style by making it possible to drive at
higher rpm in each gear before shifting up. The
engine also responds faster when the throttle
pedal is pressed.
To access Sport mode from Drive (D), move the
gear selector to the right. The transmission will
not switch to manual shifting mode until the
gear selector is moved forward or rearward
toward + or –.
Sport mode can be selected any time.
NOTE
•On vehicles equipped with Sport mode,
the transmission symbol in the main
instrument panel will change from D to
S when the gear selector is moved to
the manual shifting mode. If the gear
selector is moved toward "+" or "-", the
number of the gear currently being used
will be displayed, see page 75).
•Please be aware that using Sport mode
may result in a slight decrease in fuel
economy. Driving in D can help improve
fuel economy.
Geartronic–starting on slippery surfacesSelecting 3rd gear in Geartronic’s manual shift-
ing mode can help provide better traction when
starting off on slippery surfaces. To do so:
1. Depress the brake pedal and move the
gear selector to the right from the D posi-
tion to the manual shifting position. The
text in the instrument panel display will
change from
D to 1.
2. Press the gear selector forward and
release it (this selects 2nd gear). Press the
selector forward again and release it to
select 3rd gear.
2Certain models only

03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
120
3. Release the brake pedal and press gently
on the accelerator pedal.
Shiftlock override
If the vehicle cannot be driven, for example
because of a dead battery, the gear selector
must be moved from the P position before the
vehicle can be moved
3.
Lift away the rubber mat on the floor of the
storage compartment behind the center
console to expose the small opening for
overriding the shiftlock system.
Insert the key blade into the opening. Press
the key blade down as far as possible and
keep it held down.
Move the gear selector from the P position.
For information on the key blade, see
page 59.
All Wheel Drive – AWD4
Your Volvo can be equipped with permanent
All Wheel Drive, which means that power is
distributed automatically between the front
and rear wheels. Under normal driving condi-
tions, most of the engine's power is directed to
the front wheels. However, if there is any ten-
dency for the front wheels to spin, an electron-
ically controlled coupling distributes power to
the wheels that have the best traction.
NOTE
The message AWD disabled Service
required will be appear in the information
display if an electrical fault should occur in
the AWD system. A warning light will also
illuminate in the instrument panel. If this
occurs, have the system checked by a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni-
cian.
3If the battery is dead, the electric parking brake cannot be applied or released. Connect an auxiliary battery if the battery voltage is too low, see page 116.4Standard on certain models.

03 Your driving environment
Hill Descent Control (HDC)*
03
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.127 Introduction
Normally, when the accelerator pedal is
released while driving down hills, the vehicle's
speed slows as the engine runs at lower rpm
(the normal engine braking effect). However, if
the downhill gradient becomes steeper and if
the vehicle is carrying a load, speed increases
despite the engine braking effect. In this situa-
tion, the brakes must be applied to reduce the
vehicle's speed.
HDC is a type of automatic engine brake and
makes it possible to increase or decrease the
vehicle's speed on downhill gradients using
only the accelerator pedal, without applying
the brakes. The brake system functions auto-
matically to maintain a low and steady speed.
HDC is particularly useful when driving down
steep hills with rough surfaces, and where the
road may have slippery patches.
WARNING
HDC does not function in all situations, and
is a supplementary braking aid. The driver
has full responsibility for driving in a safe
manner.
Function
•HDC can be switched on and off with the
button in the center console. An indicator
light in the button illuminates when HDC is
activated.
•The indicator light in the instrument
panel illuminates and a message is dis-
played when the system is controlling the
vehicle's speed.
•HDC only functions when first or reverse
gears are selected (1 will be shown in the
instrument panel display when first gear is
selected).
NOTE
HDC cannot be activated if the gear selector
is the D position.
Using HDC
HDC allows the car to roll forward at a maxi-
mum speed of 6 mph (10 km/h), and 4 mph
(7 km/h) in reverse. However, the accelerator
pedal can be used to select any speed that is
possible in first or reverse gears. When the
accelerator pedal is released, speed is quickly
reduced again to 6 mph (10 km/h) or 4 mph
(7 km/h), depending on the gear selected,
regardless of the hill's gradient. It is not nec-
essary to apply the brakes.
•The brake lights illuminate automatically
when HDC is controlling the vehicle's
speed.
•The driver can slow or stop the vehicle at
any time by applying the brakes.
HDC is deactivated when:
•The button on the center console is
pressed
•A gear higher than first gear is selected
•D is selected on vehicles with an automatic
transmission
HDC can be deactivated at any time. If this is
done while driving down a steep hill, the sys-
tem's braking effect will decrease gradually.

07 During your trip
Towing a trailer
07
285 Introduction
Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailer
hitches that are specially designed for the vehi-
cle.
NOTE
See page 361 for the maximum trailer and
tongue weights recommended by Volvo.
•Observe the legal requirements of the
state/province in which the vehicles are
•All Volvo models are equipped with
energy-absorbing shock-mounted bump-
ers. Trailer hitch installation should not
interfere with the proper operation of this
bumper system.
Trailer towing does not normally present any
particular problems, but take into considera-
tion:
•Increase tire pressure to recommended full
pressure. See the tire inflation table on
page 299.
•When your vehicle is new, avoid towing
heavy trailers during the first 620 miles
(1,000 km).
•Maximum speed when towing a trailer:
50 mph (80 km/h).
•Engine and transmission are subject to
increased loads. Therefore, engine coolant
temperature should be closely watchedwhen driving in hot climates or hilly terrain.
Use a lower gear and turn off the air con-
ditioner if the temperature gauge needle
enters the red range.
•If the automatic transmission begins to
overheat, a message will be displayed in
the text window.
•Avoid overload and other abusive opera-
tion.
•Hauling a trailer affects handling, durabil-
ity, and economy.
•It is necessary to balance trailer brakes
with the towing vehicle brakes to provide a
safe stop (check and observe state/local
regulations).
•Do not connect the trailer's brake system
directly to the vehicle's brake system.
•More frequent vehicle maintenance is
required.
•Remove the ball holder when the hitch is
not being used.
•Volvo recommends the use of synthetic
engine oil when towing a trailer over long
distances or in mountainous areas.
WARNING
•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must
not be used on Volvos, nor should
safety chains be attached to the
bumper.
•Trailer hitches attaching to the vehicle
rear axle must not be used.
•Never connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to the vehicle
brake system, nor a trailer's lighting
system directly to the vehicle lighting
system. Consult your nearest author-
ized Volvo retailer for correct installa-
tion.
•When towing a trailer, the trailer's safety
wire must be correctly fastened to the
hole or hook provided in the trailer hitch
on the vehicle. The safety wire should
never be fastened to or wound around
the drawbar ball.