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06 Starting and driving
Towing a trailer
06
166
WARNING
•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must not be used on Volvos, nor shouldsafety chains be attached to thebumper.
• Trailer hitches attaching to the vehiclerear axle must not be used.
• Never connect a trailer's hydraulicbrake system directly to the vehiclebrake system, nor a trailer's lightingsystem directly to the vehicle lightingsystem. Consult a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician for correctinstallation.
• When towing a trailer, the trailer'ssafety wire must be correctly fastenedto the hole or hook provided in thetrailer hitch on the vehicle. The safetywire should never be fastened to orwound around the drawbar ball.
LevelingIf your vehicle is equipped with automatic lev- eling, the rear suspension always retains thecorrect ride height regardless of the load.
• The system adjusts the rear suspension to the correct level after the vehicle hasbeen driven a short distance.
• When the vehicle is stationary, the rearsuspension lowers, which is normal.
Page 180 of 308

07 Wheels and tires
General information
07
178
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with tires according to the vehicle's tire information placard on theB-pillar (the structural member at the side ofthe vehicle, at the rear of the driver's dooropening).
CAUTION
Some Volvo models are equipped with an Ultra High Performance tire and wheelcombination designed to provide maxi-mum dry pavement performance with con-sideration for hydroplaning resistance.They may be more susceptible to roadhazard damage and, depending on drivingconditions, may achieve a tread life of lessthan 20,000 miles (30,000 km). Even if thisvehicle is equipped with Volvo’s advancedAWD or DSTC system, these tires are notdesigned for winter driving, and should bereplaced with winter tires when weatherconditions dictate.
The tires have good road holding characteris- tics and offer good handling on dry and wetsurfaces. It should be noted however that thetires have been developed to give these fea-tures on snow/ice-free surfaces. Most models are equipped with "all-season" tires, which provide a somewhat higherdegree of road holding on slippery surfacesthan tires without the "all-season" rating.However, for optimum road holding on icy orsnow-covered roads, we recommend suitablewinter tires on all four wheels. When replacing tires, be sure that the new tires are the same size designation, type(radial) and preferably from the same manu-facturer, on all four wheels. Otherwise there isa risk of altering the car's roadholding andhandling characteristics.
New Tires
Remember that tires are perishable goods. Asof 2000, the manufacturing week and year(Department of Transportation (DOT) stamp)will be indicated with 4 digits (e.g., 1513means that the tire illustrated was manufac-tured during week 15 of 2013).
Tire rotationYour vehicle has no required tire rotation. Tire wear is affected by a number of factors suchas tire inflation, ambient temperature, drivingstyle, etc.
NOTE
•
If the tires are rotated, they should only be moved from front to rear orvice versa. They should never be rota-ted left to right/right to left.
• Ideally, tire rotation should be done thefirst time after approximately 3,000miles (5,000 km) and thereafter at6,000-mile (10,000-km) intervals.Some customers find that tire rotationmay help to get extra mileage from tirelife.
• Tire rotation should only be performedif front/rear tire wear is fairly even andtread height is above 1/16" (1.6 mm).
Your Volvo retailer can also provide guidance based on your particular driving circumstan-ces.
Tire ageTires degrade over time, even when they arenot being used. It is recommended that tiresgenerally be replaced after 6 years of normalservice. Heat caused by hot climates, fre-
Page 186 of 308

07 Wheels and tires
Tire designations
07
184
1
2
3
4
5
6
12
11
10
8
79
G026442
Federal law mandates that tire manufacturers place standardized information on the side-wall of all tires (see the illustration). The following information is listed on the tire sidewall: The tire designation:
NOTE
Please be aware that the following tire designation is an example only and that
this particular tire may not be available onyour vehicle.
215 : the width of the tire (in millimeters)
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. The larger the number, the wider the tire.
65 : The ratio of the tire's height to its
width in percent.
R : Radial tire (the designation RF and the
symbol indicate that the vehicle is
equipped with optional self-supporting run flat tires 1
. See page 205 for more
information about these tires).
15 : The diameter of the wheel rim (in
inches).
95 : The tire's load index. In this example,
a load index of 95 equals a maximum load of 1521 lbs (690 kg).
H : The tire's speed rating, or the maxi-
mum speed at which the tire is designed to be driven for extended periods of time,carrying a permissible load for the vehi-cle, and with correct inflation pressure.For example, H indicates a speed ratingof 130 mph (210 km/h).
NOTE
The tire's load index and speed rating may not appear on the sidewall because theyare not required by law.
M+S or M/S = Mud and Snow; AT = All
Terrain; AS = All Season
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN): This begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all fed- eral standards. The next two numbers orletters are the plant code where it wasmanufactured, the next two are the tiresize code and the last four numbers rep-resent the week and year the tire wasbuilt. For example, 1510 means that thetire was manufactured during week 15 of2010. The numbers in between are mar-keting codes used at the manufacturer'sdiscretion. This information helps a tiremanufacturer identify a tire for safetyrecall purposes.
Tire Ply Composition and Material Used: Indicates the number of plies indi-
cates or the number of layers of rubber- coated fabric in the tire tread and side-wall. Tire manufacturers also must indi-cate the ply materials in the tire and thesidewall, which include steel, nylon, poly-ester, and others.
1 Self-supporting run flat tires may not be available on all models
Page 286 of 308
11 Specifications
Dimensions
11
284
PositionDimensionin (mm)
AWheelbase112.6 (2857)
BLength189.3 (4807)
CLoad length, floor, seatback down79.4 (2018)
DLoad length, cargo area44 (1118)
EHeight70.2 (1784)
FLoad height34.3 (872)
GTrack, front64.3 (1634)
HTrack, rear63.9 (1624)