
07 During your trip
Emergency towing
07
290* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Having the vehicle towed by a tow truck
Call for professional help from an authorized towing company. Volvo recommends the useof flat bed equipment.
CAUTION
In certain conditions, the towing eyelet may be used to pull the vehicle onto aflatbed tow truck.
• The vehicle's position and ground clearance determine if it can be pulledup onto a flatbed tow truck using thetowing eyelet.
• If the angle of the tow truck’s ramp istoo steep or the ground clearanceunder the vehicle is insufficient, dam-age could occur by attempting to pullthe vehicle using the towing eyelet.
• If necessary, lift the vehicle using thetow truck’s lifting device.
WARNING
No person or object should be behind the tow truck while the vehicle is being pulledup onto the flatbed.
CAUTION
•The vehicle should always be towed in the forward direction.
• Vehicles with All Wheel Drive (AWD)*that are being towed with the frontwheels off the ground should not betowed at a speed above approx.45 mph (70 km/h) and should not betowed farther than 30 miles (50 km).
Towing the vehicle
1. With the remote key fully pressed into the
ignition slot 1
, press START/STOP
ENGINE for approximately 2 seconds to
activate ignition mode II.
2. The remote key must remain in the igni- tion slot 2
for the entire time that the vehi-
cle is being towed.
3. Keep the tow rope taut when the towing vehicle slows down by applying light pressure on the brake pedal. This willhelp prevent jarring movements of thevehicle being towed.
4. Be prepared to apply the brakes to stop the vehicle being towed.
CAUTION
General towing precautions:
• Please check with state and local authorities before attempting this typeof towing, as vehicles being towed aresubject to regulations regarding maxi-mum towing speed, length and type oftowing device, lighting, etc.
• If the vehicle's battery is dead, seepage 119 to provide current for releas-ing the electric parking brake and tomove the gear selector from the
P
position to N. If this is not possible,
see page 124 for information aboutmanually overriding the shiftlock sys-tem to move the gear selector from P
to N.
• Maximum speed: 50 mph (80 km/h).Do not exceed the maximum allowabletowing speed.
• Maximum distance with front wheelson ground: 50 miles (80 km).
• The vehicle should only be towed inthe forward direction.
1
Not necessary in vehicles with the optional keyless drive.
2 For vehicles with the optional keyless drive, the remote key must be in the vehicle.

08 Wheels and tires
General information
08
296
•The tires with the most tread should always be at the rear (to reduce the risk ofskidding).
• Contact a Volvo workshop if you areunsure about the tread depth.
Storing wheels and tiresWhen storing complete wheels (tires mounted on rims), they should be suspended off thefloor or placed on their sides on the floor. Tires not mounted on rims should be stored on their sides or standing upright, but shouldnot be suspended.
CAUTION
Tires should preferably be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, and should never bestored in close proximity to solvents, gaso-line, oils, etc.
WARNING
•The wheel and tire sizes for your Volvo are specified to meet stringent stabilityand handling requirements. Unap-proved wheel/tire size combinationscan negatively affect your vehicle'sstability and handling.
• Any damage caused by installation ofunapproved wheel/tire size combina-tions will not be covered by your newvehicle warranty. Volvo assumes noresponsibility for death, injury, orexpenses that may result from suchinstallations.

08 Wheels and tires
Tire inflation
08
}}
297
Inflation placard
G032521
Tire inflation placard
Tire inflationCheck tire inflation pressure regularly. See the tire inflation table on page 300. A tire inflation pressure placard is also located onthe driver's side B-pillar (the structural mem-ber at the side of the vehicle, at the rear ofthe driver's door opening). This placard indi-cates the designation of the factory-mountedtires on your vehicle, as well as load limitsand inflation pressure.
NOTE
•The placards shown indicate inflation pressure for the tires installed on thevehicle at the factory only.
• A certain amount of air seepage fromthe tires occurs naturally and tire pres-sure fluctuates with seasonal changesin temperature. Always check tirepressure regularly.
•
Use a tire gauge to check the tire inflation pressure, including the spare, at leastonce a month and before long trips. Youare strongly urged to buy a reliable tirepressure gauge, as automatic service sta-tion gauges may be inaccurate.
• Use the recommended cold inflationpressure for optimum tire performanceand wear.
• Under-inflation or over-inflation maycause uneven treadwear patterns.
WARNING
•Under-inflation is the most common cause of tire failure and may result insevere tire cracking, tread separation,or "blow-out," with unexpected loss ofvehicle control and increased risk ofinjury.
• Under-inflated tires reduce the loadcarrying capacity of your vehicle.
When weather temperature changes occur, tire inflation pressures also change. A 10-degree temperature drop causes a corres-ponding drop of 1 psi (7 kPa) in inflation pres-sure. Check your tire pressures frequentlyand adjust them to the proper pressure,which can be found on the vehicle's tire infor-mation placard or certification label.
Checking tire pressure
Cold tiresInflation pressure should be checked when the tires are cold. The tires are considered to be cold when they have the same temperature as thesurrounding (ambient) air. This temperature is normally reached after the vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours.

08 Wheels and tires
Inflation pressure
08
300
Tire inflation pressure table
The following tire pressures are recommended by Volvo for your vehicle. Refer to the tire inflation placard (see page 297 for its location) for informa- tion specific to the tires installed on your vehicle at the factory.
Tire sizeCold tire pressure for up to five persons
Front psi (kPa)Rear psi (kPa)
225/50 R17 Extra load36 (250)36 (250)
235/40 R18 Extra load 235/40 R19 Extra load38 (260)38 (260)
Temporary spare tire T125/80R1761 (420)61 (420)
WARNING
19” wheels may never be used on vehicles
that are not equipped with the R-design or
the Sport chassis options. Using 19” wheels on vehicles equipped the standard chassis presents a safety
risk and the risk of damage to the vehicle,and impairs the vehicle’s driving characte-ristics.
NOTE
Please consult a Volvo retailer’s Parts department for the most up-to-date speci-fications.

08 Wheels and tires
Glossary of tire terminology
08
303
Terms
The tire suppliers may have additional mark- ings, notes or warnings such as standardload, radial tubeless, etc.
• Tire information placard
: A placard
showing the OE (Original Equipment) tire sizes, recommended inflation pressure,and the maximum weight the vehicle cancarry.
• Tire Identification Number (TIN)
: A
number on the sidewall of each tire pro-viding information about the tire brandand manufacturing plant, tire size anddate of manufacturer.
• Inflation pressure
: A measure of the
amount of air in a tire.
• Standard load
: A class of P-metric or
Metric tires designed to carry a maximumload at 35 psi [37 psi (2.5 bar) for Metrictires]. Increasing the inflation pressurebeyond this pressure will not increase thetires load carrying capability.
• Extra load
: A class of P-metric or Metric
tires designed to carry a heavier maxi-mum load at 41 psi [43 psi (2.9 bar) forMetric tires]. Increasing the inflation pres-sure beyond this pressure will notincrease the tire's load carrying capabil-ity.
• kPa
: Kilopascal, a metric unit of air pres-
sure. •
PSI
: Pounds per square inch, a standard
unit of air pressure.
• B-pillar
: The structural member at the
side of the vehicle behind the front door.
• Bead area of the tire
: Area of the tire
next to the rim.
• Sidewall of the tire
: Area between the
bead area and the tread.
• Tread area of the tire
: Area of the perim-
eter of the tire that contacts the roadwhen mounted on the vehicle.
• Rim
: The metal support (wheel) for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon whichthe tire beads are seated.
• Maximum load rating
: a figure indicating
the maximum load in pounds and kilo-grams that can be carried by the tire. Thisrating is established by the tire manufac-turer.
• Maximum permissible inflation pressure
: the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire. This limit is set by the tire manufac-turer.
• Recommended tire inflation pressure
:
inflation pressure, established by Volvo,which is based on the type of tires thatare mounted on a vehicle at the factory.This information can be found on the tireinflation placard(s) located on the driver's side B-pillar and in the tire inflation tablein this chapter.
• Cold tires
: The tires are considered to be
cold when they have the same tempera-ture as the surrounding (ambient) air. Thistemperature is normally reached after thevehicle has been parked for at least3 hours.

08 Wheels and tires
Vehicle loading
08
305
WARNING
•Exceeding the permissible axle weight, gross vehicle weight, or any otherweight rating limits can cause tireoverheating resulting in permanentdeformation or catastrophic failure.
• Do not use replacement tires withlower load carrying capacities than thetires that were original equipment onthe vehicle because this will lower thevehicle's GVW rating. Use only tireswith the correct load carrying capacity.Consult your Volvo retailer for informa-tion.

08 Wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
08
306
Quality grading information
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST CONFORM TO FEDERAL SAFETYREQUIREMENTS IN ADDITION TO THESEGRADES Quality grades can be found, where appli- cable, on the tire sidewall between thetread shoulder and maximum sectionwidth. For example: Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TREADWEARThe treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tes-ted under controlled conditions on a specifiedgovernment test course. For example, a tiregraded 150 would wear one and one half(1 1/2) times as well on the governmentcourse as a tire graded 100. The relative per-formance of tires depends upon the actualconditions of their use, however, and manydepart significantly from the norm due to var-iation in driving habits, maintenance practicesand differences in road characteristics andclimate.
TRACTIONThe traction grades, from highest to lowest,are AA, A, B, and C, as measured under con-trolled conditions on specified governmenttest surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tiremarked C may have poor traction perform-ance. The traction grade assigned to this tireis based on braking (straight-ahead) tractiontests and is not a measure of cornering (turn-ing) traction.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight-ahead) tractiontests and is not a measure of cornering(turning) traction.
TEMPERATUREThe temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire's resistance tothe generation of heat and its ability to dissi-pate heat when tested under controlled con-ditions on a specified indoor laboratory testwheel. Sustained high temperature can causethe material of the tire to degenerate andreduce tire life, and excessive temperaturecan lead to sudden tire failure. The grade Ccorresponds to a minimum level of perform-ance that all passenger vehicle tires mustmeet under the Federal Motor Safety Stand-ard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higherlevels of performance on the laboratory testwheel than the minimum required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly infla-ted and not overloaded. Excessive speed,under-inflation, or excessive loading, eitherseparately or in combination, can causeheat buildup and tire failure.

08 Wheels and tires
Temporary Spare
08
308
Spare tire
The spare tire in your vehicle1
is called a
"Temporary Spare". Recommended tire pressure (see the placard on the B-pillar or on the fuel filler door) shouldbe maintained irrespective of which positionon the vehicle the temporary spare tire isused on. In the event of damage to this tire, a new one can be purchased from your Volvo retailer.
WARNING
Current legislation prohibits the use of the "Temporary Spare" tire other than as atemporary replacement for a puncturedtire. It must be replaced as soon as possi-ble by a standard tire. Road holding andhandling may be affected with the "Tem-porary Spare" in use. Do not exceed50 mph (80 km/h).
CAUTION
The vehicle must not be driven with wheels of different dimensions or with a spare tireother than the one that came with the vehi-cle. The use of different size wheels canseriously damage your car's transmission.
1 Not on models equipped with the Tire sealing system.