STARTING AND DRIVING
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Before a long distance trip
It is always worthwhile to have your vehiclechecked by a trained and qualified Volvo servicetechnician before driving long distances. Yourretailer will also be able to supply you with bulbs,fuses, spark plugs and wiper blades for your usein the event that problems occur.
As a minimum, the following items should bechecked before any long trip:
•Check that engine runs smoothly and thatfuel consumption and the oil level are normal.
•Before leaving on a trip, fill the fuel tank andmake sure the hybrid battery is fully charged.During the trip, make a habit of refueling reg-ularly.
•Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage.
•Check condition of drive belts.
•Check state of the battery's charge.
•Examine tires carefully and replace thosethat are worn. Also, check tire inflation pres-sure.
•The brakes, front wheel alignment, and steer-ing gear should be checked by a trained andqualified Volvo service technician only.
•Check all lights, including high beams.
•Reflective warning triangles are legallyrequired in some states/provinces.
•Have a word with a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician if you intend to drive
in countries where it may be difficult toobtain 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 bythinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stopsand adjusting the speed of your vehicle to imme-diate traffic conditions.
Driving economically with the XC90 T8
Twin Engine Plug-in Hybrid
Plan your driving in order to utilize the electricmotor as much as possible.
An energy-conserving driving style lowers currentconsumption from the hybrid battery and helpsincrease electric driving range.
Charging
•Charge the hybrid battery regularly using thecharging cable. Whenever possible, begin adrive with a fully charged battery.
•Check the location of charging points.
•Where possible, choose parking spaces withcharging points.
WHEELS AND TIRES
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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 rotation
Your 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 onlybe 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 tires
When storing complete wheels (tires mounted onrims), they should be suspended off the floor orplaced on their sides on the floor.
Tires not mounted on rims should be stored ontheir 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 Volvoare 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. 486)
•Tread wear indicator (p. 483)
