STARTING AND DRIVING
358in countries where it may be difficult to obtain the correct fuel.
• Consider your destination. If you will be driv-ing through an area where snow or ice arelikely to occur, consider using snow tires.
Driving economically
Better driving economy can be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stopsand adjusting the speed of your vehicle to imme-diate traffic conditions.
Economical driving conserves natural resources
Observe the following rules: • Bring the engine to normal operating tem- perature as soon as possible by driving witha light foot on the accelerator pedal for thefirst few minutes of operation. A cold engineuses more fuel and is subject to increasedwear.
• Whenever possible, avoid using the vehiclefor driving short distances. This does notallow the engine to reach normal operatingtemperature.
• Drive carefully and avoid rapid accelerationand hard braking.
• Use the transmission's Drive (
D) position as
often as possible and avoid using kick-down.
• Using the engine's Eco function can helpimprove fuel economy.
• Do not exceed posted speed limits.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load)in the vehicle.
• Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tirepressure regularly (when the tires are cold). •
Use tires recommended by Volvo for yourvehicle.
• Remove snow tires when threat of snow orice has ended.
• Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc, increaseair resistance and also fuel consumption.
• At highway driving speeds, fuel consumptionwill be lower with the air conditioning on andthe windows closed than with the air condi-tioning off and the windows open.
• Using the onboard trip computer's fuel con-sumption modes can help you learn how todrive more economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
• Dirty air cleaner
• Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
• Dragging brakes
• Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and othersare checked at the standard maintenance inter-vals.
Handling and roadholding
• Vehicle load, tire design and inflation pres-sure all affect vehicle handling. Therefore,check that the tires are inflated to the rec-ommended pressure according to the vehicleload. Loads should be distributed so that
WHEELS AND TIRES
445
sidewall (see the illustration). A tire with e.g., visi- ble cracks or discoloration should be replacedimmediately.
Tire economy
•
Maintain correct tire pressure.
• Avoid fast starts, hard braking and tirescreeching.
• Tire wear increases with speed.
• Correct front wheel alignment is very impor-tant.
• Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy anddriving comfort.
• Tires must maintain the same direction ofrotation throughout their lifetime.
• When replacing tires, the tires with the mosttread should be mounted on the rear wheelsto reduce the chance of oversteer duringhard braking.
• Hitting curbs or potholes can damage thetires and/or wheels permanently.
Tire rotationYour vehicle has no required tire rotation. Tirewear is affected by a number of factors such astire inflation, ambient temperature, driving style,etc.
NOTE
•If the tires are rotated, they should only be moved from front to rear or vice versa.They should never be rotated left toright/right to left.
• Ideally, tire rotation should be done thefirst time after approximately 3,000 miles(5,000 km) and thereafter at 6,000-mile(10,000-km) intervals. Some customersfind that tire rotation may help to getextra mileage from tire life.
• Tire rotation should only be performed iffront/rear tire wear is fairly even andtread height is above 1/16" (1.6 mm).
Storing wheels and tiresWhen storing complete wheels (tires mounted on rims), they should be suspended off the floor orplaced on their sides on the floor. Tires not mounted on rims should be stored on their sides or standing upright, but should not besuspended.
CAUTION
Tires should preferably be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, and should never be stored inclose proximity to solvents, gasoline, oils, etc.
WARNING
• The wheel and tire sizes for your Volvo are specified to meet stringent stabilityand handling requirements. Unapprovedwheel/tire size combinations can nega-tively affect your vehicle's stability andhandling.
• Any damage caused by installation ofunapproved wheel/tire size combinationswill not be covered by your new vehiclewarranty. Volvo assumes no responsibilityfor death, injury, or expenses that mayresult from such installations.
Related information
•Checking tire inflation pressure (p. 452)
• Tread wear indicator (p. 449)
