07 During your trip
Driving recommendations
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Before a long distance tripIt is always worthwhile to have your vehicle checked by a trained and qualified Volvoservice technician before driving long dis-tances. Your retailer will also be able to sup-ply you with bulbs, fuses, spark plugs andwiper blades for your use in the event thatproblems 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 checked.
• Check condition of drive belts.
• Check state of the battery's charge.
• Examine tires carefully (the spare tire aswell), and replace those that are worn.Check tire pressures.
• The brakes, front wheel alignment, andsteering gear should be checked by atrained and qualified Volvo service techni-cian only.
• Check all lights, including high beams.
• Reflective warning triangles are legallyrequired in some states/provinces.
• Have a word with a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician if you intend to drive in countries where it may be difficultto obtain the correct fuel.
• Consider your destination. If you will bedriving through an area where snow or iceare likely to occur, consider snow tires.
Cold weather precautionsIf you wish to check your vehicle before the approach of cold weather, the followingadvice is worth noting:
• Make sure that the engine coolant con- tains 50 percent antifreeze. Any othermixture will reduce freeze protection. Thisgives protection against freezing down to–31 °F (–35 °C). The use of "recycled"antifreeze is not approved by Volvo. Dif-ferent types of antifreeze must not bemixed.
• Volvo recommends using only genuineVolvo antifreeze in your vehicle's radiator.
• Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – thishelps prevent the formation of condensa-tion in the tank. In addition, in extremelycold weather conditions it is worthwhileto add fuel line de-icer before refueling.
• The viscosity of the engine oil is impor-tant. Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil)improves cold-weather starting as well asdecreasing fuel consumption while theengine is warming up. Full synthetic0W-30 oil is recommended for driving inareas with sustained low temperatures. •
The load placed on the battery is greaterduring the winter since the windshieldwipers, lighting, etc., are used moreoften. Moreover, the capacity of the bat-tery decreases as the temperature drops.In very cold weather, a poorly chargedbattery can freeze and be damaged. It istherefore advisable to check the state ofcharge more frequently and spray an anti-rust oil on the battery posts.
• Volvo recommends the use of snow tireson all four wheels for winter driving, seepage 300.
• To prevent the washer fluid reservoir fromfreezing, add washer solvents containingantifreeze. This is important since dirt isoften splashed on the windshield duringwinter driving, requiring the frequent useof the washers and wipers. Volvo WasherSolvent should be diluted as follows:Down to 14 °F (–10 °C): 1 part washersolvent and 4 parts water Down to 5 °F(–15 °C): 1 part washer solvent and3 parts water Down to 0 °F (–18 °C):1 part washer solvent and 2 parts waterDown to –18 °F (–28 °C): 1 part washersolvent and 1 part water.
• Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.
• Avoid using de-icing sprays as they cancause damage to the locks.
09 Maintenance and specifications
Hood and engine compartment09
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Opening and closing the hood
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Pull the lever located under the left side of the dash to release the hood lock.
Lift the hood slightly. Press the release control (located under the right front edgeof the hood) to the left, and lift the hood.
WARNING
Check that the hood locks properly when closed.
Engine compartment, overview
Coolant expansion tank
Power steering fluid reservoir
Dipstick-engine oil
Filler cap-engine oil
Cover over brake fluid reservoir
Battery
Relay/fuse box
Washer fluid reservoir
The appearance of the engine compartment may vary depending on engine model.
WARNING
The cooling fan (located at the front of the engine compartment, behind the radiator)may start or continue to operate (for up to6 minutes) after the engine has beenswitched off.
WARNING
Before performing any operations in the engine compartment, the ignition shouldalways be completely switched off (inmode 0, see page 85) and there should be
no remote keys in the passenger compart-ment. The gear selector should be in the P
(park) position. If the engine has been run-ning, wait until it has cooled before touch-ing any components in the engine com-partment. The distributor ignition system operates at very high voltages. Special safety precau-tions must be followed to prevent injury.Always turn the ignition off when:
• Replacing distributor ignition compo- nents e.g. plugs, coil, etc.
• Do not touch any part of the distributorignition system while the engine is run-ning. This may result in unintendedmovements and body injury.
