DRIVER SUPPORT
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.171
Adjustable steering force*
Steering force increases with the speed of the vehicle to give the driver enhanced sense ofcontrol and stability. At low speed the vehicle iseasy to steer in order to facilitate parking, etc.
Adjustable steering force *Steering force can be changed under MY CAR
Car settingsSteering wheel force.
Select Low, Medium or High. For a description
of the menu system, My Car – introduction (p. 71).
NOTE
This steering force level menu function can- not be accessed when the vehicle is inmotion.
NOTE
In certain situations, the power steering may become too warm and will have to be tempo-rarily cooled down. While this is happening,the power steering effect will be reducedslightly and somewhat more effort may berequired to turn the steering wheel. If this occurs, a message will be displayed in the instrument panel.
Related information
• Active chassis
* (Four C) (p. 166)
Road Sign Information (RSI) * –
introduction
RSI is a feature that helps the driver see road signs with the posted speed limit.
Introduction
Examples of readable road signs
If the vehicle passes a sign showing the speed limit, this will be displayed in the center console.
WARNING
RSI does not function in all situations and is only intended to provide supplementary infor-mation. The driver is always responsible for operating the vehicle safely.
Related information
• Road Sign Information (RSI) – operation (p. 172)
• Road Sign Information (RSI) – limitations(p. 172)
STARTING AND DRIVING
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* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.259
While driving
•If you select the manual shifting position while driving, the gear that was being used inthe Drive position will also initially beselected 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 atime and will utilize the braking power of theengine. If the current speed is too high forusing a lower gear, the downshift will notoccur until the speed has decreased enoughto allow the lower gear to be used.
• If you slow to a very low speed, the transmis-sion 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 seconds (irrespective of whether the engine is running)then the gear selector is locked. In order to move the gear selector from N to
another gear position, the brake pedal must be depressed and the ignition must be in at least position II, see Ignition modes (p. 74).
Geartronic : steering wheel paddles *
In addition to the manual gearshift function using the gear selector, this option makes it possible tomanually shift gears from the steering wheel.
Steering-wheel mounted gear shift paddles
"– ": Shift down to a lower gear.
"+ ": Shift up to a higher gear.
In order to shift gears with the paddles, they have to first be activated. The gear selector can be
in either the D or S position. Activating the paddles:
• Pull either paddle toward the steering wheel and release it; the
D in the instrument panel
will change to the number of the gear cur- rently being used. Shifting gears:
• Pull the paddle toward the steering wheeland release it.
Deactivating the paddles:
• Hold the "
+" paddle for approximately
3 seconds.
NOTE
If the gear selector was in D when paddle
shifting was activated ( D changed to the
number of the gear being used), the transmis- sion will automatically revert to D after
approximately 5 seconds if the paddles are not used to shift gears. This will not occur:
STARTING AND DRIVING
287
WARNING
•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must not be used on Volvos, nor should safetychains be attached to the bumper.
• Trailer hitches attaching to the vehiclerear axle must not be used.
• Never connect a trailer's hydraulic brakesystem directly to the vehicle brake sys-tem, nor a trailer's lighting system directlyto the vehicle lighting system. Consultyour nearest authorized Volvo retailer forcorrect installation.
• When towing a trailer, the trailer's safetychains or wire must be correctly fastenedto the attachment points provided in thetrailer hitch on the vehicle. The safetychain or wire must never be fastened toor wound around the towing ball.
Trailer cable
An adapter is required if the vehicle's trailer hitch has a 13-pin connector and the trailer has 7 pins.Use an adapter cable approved by Volvo. Makesure the cable does not drag on the ground.
Related information
•
Loading – general (p. 138)
Trailer Stability Assist (TSA)
Trailer Stability Assist is a system designed to help stabilize a vehicle that is towing a trailerwhen the vehicle and trailer have begun to swayand is part of the stability system. For informationon the stability system, see Stability system –introduction (p. 166)
FunctionA vehicle towing a trailer may begin to sway for various reasons. Normally this only occurs at highspeeds but, for example, if the trailer is overloa-ded or if the load is unevenly distributed in thetrailer, there is risk of swaying at speeds betweenapproximately 45-55 mph (70-90 km/h). Swaying may be caused by factors such as:
• The vehicle and trailer are hit by a sudden, strong crosswind
• The vehicle and trailer are traveling on anuneven road surface or drive over a bump
• Sudden movements of the steering wheel
Facts about TSA
• TSA intervenes at speeds above approxi-mately 40 mph (60 km/h)
• The stability system symbol in the instrumentpanel will flash when TSA is working
• If the driver switches off the stability system'sSpin Control function, TSA will also beswitched off (but will be on again the nexttime the engine is started) •
TSA may not intervene when the vehicle andtrailer begin to sway if the driver tries to com-pensate for the swaying motion by movingthe steering wheel rapidly
How TSA worksOnce swaying has begun, it can be very difficultto stop, which makes it difficult to control thevehicle and trailer. The TSA system continuously monitors the vehi- cle's movements, particularly lateral movement. Ifthe system detects a tendency to sway, thebrakes are applied individually on the frontwheels, which has a stabilizing effect on the vehi-cle and trailer. This is often enough to enable thedriver to regain control of the vehicle. If this is not adequate to stop the swaying motion, the brakes are applied to all of the wheels on thevehicle and on the trailer if it is equipped withbrakes, and engine power is temporarily reduced.As the swaying motion begins to decrease andthe vehicle-trailer have once again become sta-ble, TSA will now stop regulating the brakes/engine power and the driver regains control ofthe vehicle.
Related information
•
Towing a trailer (p. 285)
• Loading – general (p. 138)
STARTING AND DRIVING
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289
Attaching the towing eyeletThe towing eyelet is located under the floor of the trunk. This eyelet must be screwedinto the positions provided on the right sidesof either the front or rear bumper (see illus-tration).
There are two different types of covers over the openings for the towing eyelet and theyhave to be opened differently.
• If the cover has a notch, insert a coin, etc.,into the notch and pry open the edge ofthe cover. Open the cover completely andremove it.
• If the cover has a mark along one edge orin a corner, press the mark while pryingout the opposite side/corner using a coin,etc. Open the cover and remove it.
Screw the towing eyelet in place, first by handand then using the tire iron until it is securely inplace. After the vehicle has been towed, the eyelet should be removed and returned to its storagelocation. Press the cover for the attachment point back into position.
WARNING
• When the vehicle is being towed, the igni- tion should be in mode
II (in mode I, all of
the vehicle's airbags are deactivated). For more information, see Ignition modes(p. 74)
• Never remove the remote key from theignition slot when the vehicle is beingtowed. For vehicles with keyless drive, theremote key must remain inside the vehi-cle.
• The power brakes and power steering willnot function when the engine is not run-ning. Approximately 5 times more pres-sure will be required on the brake pedaland the steering wheel will be considera-bly harder to turn.
• The towing eyelets must not be used forpulling the vehicle out of a ditch or forany similar purpose involving severestrain.
Related information
•Towing the vehicle (p. 288)
• Towing by tow truck (p. 289)
Towing by tow truck
When necessary, call for professional help from an authorized towing company. Volvo recom-mends the use of 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 clear-ance determine if it can be pulled up ontoa flatbed tow truck using the towing eye-let.
• If the angle of the tow truck
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
325
Maintenance – owner maintenance
Periodic maintenance requirements and intervals are described in your vehicle's Warranty andService Records Information booklet. The following points can be carried out between the normally scheduled maintenance services.
Owner maintenance
Each time the car is refueled:
• Check the engine oil level.
• Clean the windshield, windshield wipers, headlights, and taillights.
Monthly:
• Check cold tire pressure in all tires. Inspect the tires for wear.
• Check that engine coolant and other fluidlevels are between the indicated "min" and"max" markings.
• Clean interior glass surfaces with a glasscleaner and soft paper towels.
• Wipe driver information displays with a softcloth.
• Visually inspect battery terminals for corro-sion. Corrosion may indicate a loose terminalconnector, or a battery near the end of itsuseful service life. Consult your Volvo retailerfor additional information.
As needed:
Wash the car, including the undercarriage, to reduce wear that can be caused by a buildup of dirt, and corrosion that can be caused by salt res-idues. Clean leaves and twigs from air intake vents at the base of the windshield, and from other placeswhere they may collect.
NOTE
Complete service information for qualified technicians is available online for purchase orsubscription at www.volvotechinfo.com.
Related information
•
Maintenance – opening/closing hood (p. 329)
• Engine compartment – overview (p. 330)
• Engine compartment – coolant (p. 333)
• Engine compartment – engine oil (p. 331)
• Engine compartment – power steering fluid(p. 335)
• Engine compartment – washer fluid (p. 346)
• Cleaning the interior (p. 363)
• Washing the car (p. 361)
• Tire inflation – checking pressure (p. 301)
• Tires – tread wear indicator (p. 294)
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
330
Engine compartment – overviewThe overview shows the main inspection points in the engine compartment.
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
Engine compartment - 4-cylinder engines only
Filler cap-engine oil
Coolant expansion tank
Radiator
Brake fluid reservoir
Battery
Relay/fuse box
Washer fluid reservoir
Air cleaner
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) maystart 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 should always be completely switched off (in mode 0,
see Ignition modes (p. 74)) 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 touchingany components in the engine compartment. The distributor ignition system operates at very high voltages. Special safety precautionsmust be followed to prevent injury. Alwaysturn the ignition off when:
• Replacing distributor ignition componentse.g. plugs, coil, etc.
• Do not touch any part of the distributorignition system while the engine is run-ning. This may result in unintended move-ments and body injury.
Related information
•Maintenance – opening/closing hood (p. 329)
• Maintenance – owner maintenance (p. 325)
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
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335
Checking the level
The fluid reservoir is concealed under the round cover at the rear of the engine compartment. Theround cover must be removed first before thereservoir cap can be accessed. Check, without removing the cap, that there is sufficient fluid in the reservoir. Fluid type: DOT 4 boiling point >536 °F
(>280 °C).Replace : The fluid should be replaced according
to the intervals specified in the Warranty and Service Records Information booklet. When driving under extremely hard conditions (mountain driving, etc), it may be necessary toreplace the fluid more often. Consult a trainedand qualified Volvo service technician. Always entrust brake fluid changing to a trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
WARNING
• If the fluid level is below the
MIN mark in
the reservoir or if a brake-related mes- sage is shown in the information display: DO NOT DRIVE . Have the car towed to a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni- cian and have the brake system inspec-ted.
• Dot 4 should never be mixed with anyother type of brake fluid.
Filling
1. Turn and open the cover.
2. Unscrew the reservoir cap and fill the fluid.
The level must be between the MIN and
MAX marks.Engine compartment – power steering fluid
The fluid level must be between the MIN and
MAX marks. For capacities and recommended
fluid grade, see Fuel tank volume – specification and volume (p. 379).
Check the level frequently. It does not normally require changing.
WARNING
If a problem should occur in the power steer- ing system or if the vehicle has no electricalcurrent and must be towed, it is still possibleto steer the vehicle. However, keep in mindthat greater effort will be required to turn thesteering wheel.
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
336
CAUTION
Keep the area around the power steering fluid reservoir clean when checking.
Bulbs – introduction
Certain bulbs can be replaced by the vehicle's owner. However, the bulbs on the following listshould only be replaced by a trained and quali-fied Volvo service technician.
All bulb specifications are listed in Bulbs – speci-
fications (p. 343).
• Active Bending Lights
• Front parking lights
• Front side marker lights
• Cornering lights
• Turn signals in the door mirrors
• Approach lighting in the door mirrors
• Interior lighting (except for the front footwelllighting)
• Rear parking lights
• LED bulbs
NOTE
• For information regarding any bulbs not mentioned in this section, please contactyour Volvo retailer or a trained andauthorized Volvo service technician.
• Always switch off the ignition before star-ting to replace a bulb.
• If an error message remains in the dis-play after a faulty bulb has been replaced,contact an authorized Volvo workshop.
• Condensation may form temporarily onthe inside of the lenses of exterior lightssuch as headlights, fog lights, or taillights.This is normal and the lights aredesigned to withstand moisture. Normally,condensation will dissipate after thelights have been on for a short time.
• The optional Active Bending Light bulbscontain trace amounts of mercury. Thesebulbs should always be disposed of by atrained and qualified Volvo service techni-cian.
CAUTION
Never touch the glass of bulbs with your fin- gers. Grease and oils from your fingers vapor-ize in the heat and will leave a deposit on thereflector, which will damage it.