STARTING AND DRIVING
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Driving with a trailer
When towing a trailer, always observe the legalrequirements of the state/province.
•All Volvo models are equipped with energy-absorbing shock-mounted bumpers. Trailerhitch installation should not interfere with theproper operation of this bumper system.
Trailer towing does not normally present any par-ticular problems, but take into consideration:
•Increase tire pressure to recommended fullpressure.
•When your vehicle is new, avoid towing heavytrailers during the first 620 miles (1,000 km).
•Maximum speed when towing a trailer:50 mph (80 km/h).
•Engine and transmission are subject toincreased loads. Therefore, engine coolanttemperature should be closely watched whendriving in hot climates or hilly terrain. Use alower gear and turn off the air conditioner ifthe temperature gauge needle enters the redrange.
•If the automatic transmission begins to over-heat, a message will be displayed in the textwindow.
•Avoid overload and other abusive operation.
•Hauling a trailer affects handling, durability,and economy.
•It is necessary to balance trailer brakes withthe towing vehicle brakes to provide a safestop (check and observe state/local regula-tions).
•Do not connect the trailer's brake systemdirectly to the vehicle's brake system.
•More frequent vehicle maintenance isrequired.
•Remove the ball holder when the hitch is notbeing used.
NOTE
•When parking the vehicle with a trailer ona hill, apply the parking brake before put-ting the gear selector in P. Always followthe trailer manufacturer's recommenda-tions for wheel chocking.
•When starting on a hill, put the gearselector in D before releasing the parkingbrake.
•If you use the manual (Geartronic) shiftpositions while towing a trailer, make surethe gear you select does not put toomuch strain on the engine (using toohigh a gear).
•The drawbar assembly/trailer hitch maybe rated for trailers heavier than the vehi-cle is designed to tow. Please adhere toVolvo's recommended trailer weights.
•Avoid driving with a trailer on inclines ofmore than 15%.
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CAUTION
The maximum trailer weights listed are onlyapplicable for altitudes up to 3,280 ft(1000 m) above sea level. With increasingaltitude the engine power and therefore thecar's climbing ability are impaired because ofthe reduced air density, so the maximumtrailer weight has to be reduced accordingly.The weight of the vehicle and trailer must bereduced by 10% for every further 3,280 ft(1,000 m) (or part thereof). When towing5,000 lbs (2,250 kg) hill inclination is restric-ted to 14%.
WARNING
•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must notbe 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 hitchhas 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
•Detachable trailer hitch (p. 398)
•Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) (p. 399)
•Weights (p. 563)
Detachable trailer hitch
Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailerhitches that are specially designed for the vehi-cle.
Ball holder
Cotter pin
Hitch assembly
Locking bolt
Safety wire attachment
Installing the ball holder
1. If necessary, remove the cotter pin from thelocking bolt and slide the locking bolt out ofthe hitch assembly.
2. Slide the ball holder into the hitch assembly.
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How TSA works
Once 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.
TSA is deactivated if the driver deactivates ESCin the center display's menu system.
When the ESC symbol in theinstrument panel flashes, TSAis active.
Related information
•Detachable trailer hitch (p. 398)
•Driving with a trailer (p. 397)
•Electronic Stability Control (ESC) (p. 263)
Ignition modes
The vehicle's ignition can be put in variousmodes (levels) to make different functions availa-ble.
The vehicle's ignition has 3 modes: 0, I, and IIthat can be used to operate various functionswithout starting the engine. The following tableshows examples of which functions are availablein the respective modes.
STARTING AND DRIVING
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.420
Maintaining/increasing the hybridbattery's charge while driving
In certain situations, it can be useful to controlthe hybrid battery's charge level while the vehicleis being driven. The hybrid battery functionsHold and Charge while driving are available inall drive modes.
The "Hold" and "Charge" function
buttons
These functions are activated from the centerdisplay's Function view.
Hold
Battery level sustained forlater use.
This function saves the hybridbattery's charge for use at alater time such as when drivingin an urban area or residentialneighborhood. Hold is available regardless of thehybrid battery's charge level.
The vehicle will function as in normal hybrid driv-ing and will use energy from e.g., regenerativebraking to support the gasoline engine.
Charge
Engine charges hybridbattery.
This function is only available when the hybridbattery's charge level is low and can recharge thebattery up to 33%, after which the Hold functionwill be activated automatically.
Symbol in the instrument panel
The symbol will appear in the instrumentpanel when either of these functions is activated.See also the article "Hybrid-related symbols andmessages" for additional information.
Related information
•Hybrid-related symbols and messages(p. 408)
•Drive modes (p. 420)
•Using the electric motor in city driving(p. 419)
•Driving economically (p. 385)
Drive modes
Selecting a drive mode affects the vehicle's driv-ing characteristics to help make driving moreenjoyable or easier in certain types of situations.
The following systems are adapted to help pro-vide the best vehicle performance in the respec-tive drive modes:
•Steering
•Engine/transmission/All Wheel Drive*
•Brakes
•Suspension control
•Instrument panel
•Climate system settings
Select the drive mode best suited to the currentdriving conditions.
Please be aware that not all modes can beselected in all driving situations. The selectedmode will be displayed in the instrument panel.
STARTING AND DRIVING
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Selecting a drive mode
1.Press the DRIVE MODE control in the tun-nel console.
>A pop-up menu will open in the centerdisplay.
2. Roll the control upward or downward to scrollto the desired drive mode.
A drive mode can also be selected by tap-ping its button on the center display.
3. Press the control again to select it.
When a driving mode cannot be selected, one ofthe following messages may be displayed:
•Not possible to select due to gear inmanual
•Not possible to select due to low battery
•Not possible to select due to lowtemperature
•Not possible to select due to limitations
•Not possible to select due to highspeed.
Available drive modes
HYBRID
This is the default mode.
The vehicle normally starts in Hybrid mode 4. Theengine management system uses both the elec-tric motor and gasoline engine (separately or intandem) and calculates the optimal levels of per-formance, fuel consumption and comfort. Athigher speeds, ground clearance is reducedautomatically to help reduce wind resistance.
The amount of driving done using only the elec-tric motor in Hybrid mode is determined by thehybrid battery's charge level and the need forheating/cooling in the passenger compartment.
If sufficient electrical energy is available, only theelectric motor will be activated when the driverpresses the accelerator pedal up to a certainlevel. Above this level, the gasoline engine willstart.
The instrument panel gauge when both the electricmotor and gasoline engine are being used
The long needle in the gauge indicates theamount of energy that the vehicle is currentlyusing. The short white line between the "light-ning" and "oil drop" symbols indicates theamount of energy available. See also the article"General information about the XC90 T8 TwinEngine Plug-in Hybrid" for additional information.
The gasoline engine starts when the responserequired when the driver presses the acceleratorpedal cannot be provided by the electric motoralone.
The gauge also indicates when the battery isbeing recharged (regenerated) during light brak-ing. See the article "Brakes" for additional infor-mation.
4Unless the vehicle was switched off in Off Road mode. If so, it will restart in Off Road mode.
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INDIVIDUAL
This setting allows you to adapt a driving mode toyour personal preferences.
Select one of the other driving modes as a basisand change the settings to provide the drivingcharacteristics that you prefer. This driving modeis only available if it has been activated in thecenter display.
INDIVIDUAL is only available if it has been acti-vated in the center display.
Settings view5 for INDIVIDUAL driving mode
1.Tap Settings in the center display's Topview.
2.Tap My CarIndividual Drive Mode andtap Individual Drive Mode.
3.Select: Eco, Comfort or Dynamic.
The following settings can be modified:
•Driver Display (instrument panel)
•Steering force
•Powertrain Characteristics
•Brake Characteristics
•Pneumatic suspension and shockabsorbers
•ECO Climate.
Related information
•Adjustable steering force (p. 262)
•Loading (p. 218)
•General information about the XC90 T8 TwinEngine Plug-in Hybrid (p. 16)
•All Wheel Drive (AWD) (p. 429)
•Hill Descent Control (HDC) (p. 380)
•Brakes (p. 376)
5Generic illustration.
WHEELS AND TIRES
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUSTCONFORM TO FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIRE-MENTS IN ADDITION TO THESE GRADES.
Quality grades can be found, where applica-ble, on the tire sidewall between the treadshoulder and maximum section width. Forexample:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TREADWEAR
The treadwear grade is a comparative ratingbased on the wear rate of the tire when testedunder controlled conditions on a specified gov-ernment test course. For example, a tire graded150 would wear one and one half (1 ½) times aswell on the government course as a tire graded100. The relative performance of tires dependsupon the actual conditions of their use, however,and many depart significantly from the norm dueto variation in driving habits, maintenance practi-ces and differences in road characteristics andclimate.
TRACTION
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, areAA, A, B, and C, as measured under controlledconditions on specified government test surfacesof asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C mayhave poor traction performance. The tractiongrade assigned to this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and is not a meas-ure of cornering (turning) traction.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire isbased on braking (straight-ahead) tractiontests and is not a measure of cornering (turn-ing) traction.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,and C, representing the tire's resistance to thegeneration of heat and its ability to dissipate heatwhen tested under controlled conditions on aspecified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustainedhigh temperature can cause the material of thetire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and exces-sive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.The grade C corresponds to a minimum level ofperformance that all passenger vehicle tires mustmeet under the Federal Motor Safety StandardNo. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levelsof performance on the laboratory test wheel thanthe minimum required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-lished for a tire that is properly inflated andnot overloaded. Excessive speed, under-infla-tion, or excessive loading, either separately orin combination, can cause heat buildup andtire failure.
Snow tires and chains
The use of snow chains and/or winter tires canhelp improve traction in winter driving conditions.
Snow chains can be used on your Volvo with thefollowing restrictions:
•Snow chains should be installed on frontwheels only. Use only Volvo approved snowchains.
•If accessory, aftermarket or "custom" tiresand wheels are installed and are of a size dif-ferent than the original tires and wheels,chains in some cases CANNOT be used.Sufficient clearances between chains andbrakes, suspension and body componentsmust be maintained.
•Some strap-on type chains will interfere withbrake components and therefore CANNOTbe used.
•All Wheel Drive models: Snow chainsshould only be installed on the front wheels.
•Certain size tires may not allow the assemblyof snow chains/traction devices.
Consult your Volvo retailer for additional snowchain information.
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
549
CAUTION
When using an automatic car wash in whichthe vehicle has to be able to roll freely, theauto-hold brake function must be deactivated.If this is not done, the brakes will automati-cally be applied when the vehicle is stationary.
To deactivate this function:
1.Drive the vehicle into the car wash
2. Turn off the auto-hold function using thecontrol on the center console
3. Turn off the parking brake's automaticfunction in the center display's Top view
(tap Settings, tap My CarElectricParking Brake and deselect AutoActivate Parking Brake)
4.Put the gear selector in N
5.Switch off the ignition by turning the startknob to STOP and holding it in this posi-tion for at least 4 seconds
The vehicle will then be able to roll freely.
CAUTION
•Before driving into an automatic carwash, turn off the optional rain sensor toavoid damaging the windshield wipers.
•Make sure that side view mirrors, auxiliarylamps, etc, are secure, and that anyantenna(s) are retracted or removed. Oth-erwise there is risk of the machine dis-lodging them.
•Chromed wheels: Clean chrome-platedwheels using the same detergents usedfor the body of the vehicle. Aggressivewheel-cleaning agents can permanentlystain chrome-plated wheels.
WARNING
•When the vehicle is driven immediatelyafter being washed, apply the brakes,including the parking brake, several timesin order to remove any moisture from thebrake linings.
•Engine cleaning agents should not beused when the engine is warm. This con-stitutes a fire risk.
Exterior components
Volvo recommends the use of special cleaningproducts, available at your Volvo retailer, forcleaning colored plastic, rubber, or ornamentalcomponents such as chromed strips on the exte-
rior of your vehicle. The instructions for usingthese products should be followed carefully. Sol-vents or stain removers should not be used.
CAUTION
•Avoid waxing or polishing plastic or rub-ber components
•Polishing chromed strips can wear awayor damage the surface
•Polishes containing abrasive substancesshould not be used
Related information
•Paint damage (p. 553)
•Corrosion protection (p. 552)
•Polishing and waxing (p. 554)
•Windshield wipers in the service position(p. 543)