2019 VOLVO XC90 TWIN ENGINE tow

STARTING AND DRIVING
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483
Installing the ball holder1. If necessary, remove the cotter pin from the locking bolt and slide the locking bolt out of
the towbar assembly.
2. Slide the ball holder into the towbar assem- bly.
3. Align the hole in the ball holder with the one in the towbar assembly.
4. Slide the locking bolt through the towbar assembly/ball holder.
5. Insert the cotter pin in the hole at the end of the locking bolt.
WARNING
Be sure the towbar is securely locked in
position before attaching anything to it.
Always attach the trailer's safety wire
securely to the towbar's safety wire
attachment bracket.
Removing the ball holder1. Remove the cotter pin from the locking bolt
and slide the locking bolt out of the ball
holder/towbar assembly.
2. Pull the ball holder out of the towbar assem- bly.
Stowing the ball holder
WARNING When not in use, the detachable ball holder
should always be properly stowed in the des-
ignated location under the floor of the cargo
compartment.
Related information

Driving with a trailer (p. 483)
Towing capacity and tongue weight (p. 670) Driving with a trailer
There are a number of things to consider when
towing a trailer, such as the towbar, the trailer
and how the load is distributed in the trailer.
Load-carrying capacity is determined by the vehi-
cle's curb weight. The total weight of all passen-
gers and any installed accessories, e.g. towbar,
reduces the vehicle's load-carrying capacity by
the corresponding amount.
Towbars used on the vehicle must be
approved for the applicable use.
Distribute the load on the trailer so that the
weight on the towbar complies with the
specified maximum towball weight. The
tongue weight is calculated as part of the
vehicle's payload.
Increase the tire pressure to the recom-
mended pressure for a full load.
The engine is subjected to more load than
usual when towing a trailer.
Towing a trailer affects the vehicle's han-
dling, durability and driving economy.
Do not drive with a heavy trailer when the
vehicle is very new. Wait until the mileage
has reached at least 1000 km (620 miles).
On long and steep downgrades, the vehicle's
brakes are subjected to much more load
than usual. When manually shifting, down-
shift and adapt speed accordingly.

||STARTING AND DRIVING
* Option/accessory.
484
Follow applicable regulations regarding per-
mitted speed and weight.
Drive slowly when towing a trailer up a long
and steep incline.
The maximum trailer weights given only apply
to altitudes up to 1000 meters (3280 feet)
above sea level. At higher altitudes, engine
power (and thus the vehicle's climbing ability)
is decreased due to the reduced air density,
and the maximum trailer weight must there-
fore be reduced. The weight of the vehicle
and trailer must be decreased by 10% for
each additional 1000 m (3280 feet) or part
thereof.
Avoid driving with a trailer on inclines of more
than 12%.
Avoid overloading and other incorrect use.
The trailer's brakes must be balanced with
the vehicle's brakes to help ensure safe
stops (follow applicable local regulations).
NOTE To facilitate towing a trailer in a vehicle equip-
ped with pneumatic suspension*, select: the
Suspension Control
Dynamic
setting in
Individual drive mode.
CAUTION
Bumper-attached trailer hitches must not
be used on Volvos, nor should safety
chains be attached to the bumper.
Trailer hitches attaching to the vehicle
rear axle must not be used.
Never connect a trailer's hydraulic brake
system directly to the vehicle brake sys-
tem, nor a trailer's lighting system directly
to the vehicle lighting system. Consult
your nearest authorized Volvo retailer for
correct installation.
When towing a trailer, the trailer's safety
chains or wire must be correctly fastened
to the attachment points provided in the
trailer hitch on the vehicle. The safety
chain or wire must never be fastened to
or wound around the towing ball.
NOTE The optional detachable trailer hitch may not
be available in all markets or on all models.
Consult your Volvo retailer.
NOTE
Extreme weather conditions, towing a trailer,
driving at high altitudes and fuel quality are
factors that significantly increase a vehicle's
fuel consumption.
Trailer weights
WARNING Please adhere to the recommendations provi-
ded for trailer weight. If the recommendations
are not followed, the vehicle and trailer may
be difficult to control during evasive maneu-
vers and braking.
NOTE
The specified maximum trailer weights are
those permitted by Volvo. National vehicle
regulations may set additional restrictions on
trailer weight and speed. The trailer hitches
may be certified for higher towing weights
than the vehicle is permitted to tow.
Self-leveling suspension*The vehicle's self-leveling system attempts to
keep the vehicle at a constant level, regardless of
load (up to the maximum permitted weight).
When the vehicle is stationary, the rear end of the
vehicle will be slightly lowered, which is normal.
Driving in hilly terrain or hot weatherIn certain conditions, there is a risk of overheat-
ing when driving with a trailer. If overheating of
the engine and drive system is detected, a warn-
ing symbol will illuminate in the instrument panel
along with a message.

STARTING AND DRIVING
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* Option/accessory. 485
The automatic transmission selects the optimal
gear for the current load and engine speed.
Steep inclines
Do not lock the automatic transmission into a
higher gear than what the engine can handle ‒ it
is not always preferable to drive in high gears at
low rpm.
Parking on a hill
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Put the gear selector in P.
4. Release the brake pedal.
Put chocks behind the wheels when the vehicle
is parked on a hill with a trailer attached.
Starting on a hill
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Put the gear selector in D.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Release the brake pedal and start driving.
Related information
Trailer Stability Assist* (p. 485)
Checking trailer lights (p. 486)
Towing capacity and tongue weight (p. 670)
Overheating of engine and transmission
(p. 479) Trailer Stability Assist*
Trailer Stability Assist (TSA 8
) is a function
designed to help stabilize a vehicle that is tow-
ing a trailer when the vehicle and trailer have
begun to sway. The function is part of the Elec-
tronic Stability Control system ESC 9
.
Reasons for swayingA vehicle towing a trailer may begin to sway for
various reasons. Normally this only occurs at high
speeds. However, if the trailer is overloaded or
unevenly distributed, e.g. too far back, there is a
risk of swaying even at low speeds.
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 an
uneven road or over a bump.
Sudden movements of the steering wheel.
Once swaying has begun, it can be difficult or
impossible to stop it. This makes the vehicle and
trailer difficult to control and there is a risk of
swerving into oncoming traffic or driving off the
road.
Trailer Stability Assist functionTrailer Stability Assist continuously monitors the
vehicle's movements, particularly lateral move- ments. If swaying is detected, the brakes are
applied individually on the front wheels, which has
a stabilizing effect on the vehicle and trailer. This
is often enough to enable the driver to regain
control of the vehicle.
If the Trailer Stability Assist function's first
attempt is not adequate to stop the swaying
motion, the brakes are applied on all wheels and
engine power is temporarily reduced. As the
swaying motion begins to decrease and the vehi-
cle and trailer have once again become stable,
TSA stops regulating the brakes/engine power
and the driver regains control of the vehicle.
NOTE
Trailer Stability Assist is deactivated if the
driver selects the sport mode by deactivating
ESC in the center display's menu system. Trailer Stability Assist may not intervene if the
driver tries to compensate for the swaying motion
by moving the steering wheel rapidly, because
the system will then not be able to determine if it
is the trailer or the driver causing the swaying.
8
Trailer Stability Assist
9 Electronic Stability Control

||STARTING AND DRIVING
* Option/accessory.
486 When Trailer Stability Assist is
activated, the ESC symbol is
displayed in the instrument
panel.
Related information

Driving with a trailer (p. 483)
Electronic Stability Control (p. 279) Checking trailer lights
When connecting a trailer, make sure that all of
the lights on the trailer are functioning before
starting to drive.
Trailer turn signals and brake lightsIf one or more of the turn signals or brake lights
on the trailer is not working, a symbol and mes-
sage will be displayed in the instrument panel.
The other lights on the trailer must be checked
manually by the driver before the vehicle is driven. Symbol
Message
Trailer turn indicator Right
turn indicator malfunction
Trailer turn indicator Left
turn indicator malfunction
Trailer brake light Malfunc-
tion If any of the trailer's turn signal lights is not work-
ing, the turn signal symbol in the instrument
panel will also flash more quickly than normal.
Trailer rear fog lightWhen a trailer is connected, the vehicle's rear fog
light may not illuminate and rear fog light func-
tionality is instead transferred to the trailer. If this
is the case, check to see if the trailer is equipped
with a rear fog light before activating the vehicle'sfog lights when driving with a trailer to help
ensure safe operation.
Checking trailer lights*
Automatic check
When the trailer has been connected to the vehi-
cle's electrical system, its lights can be checked
by automatically activating them. This function
helps the driver check that the trailer's lights are
functioning correctly before starting to drive.
In order to perform this check, the engine must
be turned off.
1. When a trailer is connected to the towbar, the message Automatic Trailer Lamp
Check will appear in the instrument panel.
2.

Acknowledge the message by pressing the
O button on the right-side steering wheel
keypad.
> The light check will begin.
3. Get out of the vehicle to perform the check. > All of the lights on the trailer will beginflashing, and then illuminate separately
one at a time.
4. Visually check that all of the trailer's lights are functioning correctly.
5. After a short time, all of the trailer's lights will start flashing again.
> The light check is completed.

STARTING AND DRIVING
487
Disabling the automatic check
The automatic light check can be disabled in the
center display.
1.Tap Settings in the Top view.
2.

Tap My Car Lights and Lighting
.
3. Deselect Automatic Trailer Lamp Check.
Manual check
If the automatic check has been disabled, the
check can be started manually.
1.
Tap Settings in the Top view.
2.

Tap My Car Lights and Lighting
.
3. Select Manual Trailer Lamp Check.
>

The light check will begin. Get out of the
vehicle to perform the check.
Related information
Driving with a trailer (p. 483) Towing using a towline
This section refers to one vehicle being towed
behind another using a towline.
Twin Engine vehicles may not be towed behind
another vehicle due to the risk of damage to the
electric motor. The vehicle must be lifted onto a
tow truck and transported with all four wheels on
the bed or lifting platform of the truck (no wheels
may touch the road).
Towing another vehicleTowing another vehicle requires a lot of power -
use the AWD drive mode. This helps charge the
hybrid battery and improve the vehicle's driving
and roadholding characteristics.
Before towing another vehicle, check applicable
speed limit regulations.
Jump startingDo not tow the vehicle to start the engine. Use an
auxiliary battery if the start battery's charge level
is so low that the engine cannot be started.
CAUTION Attempts to tow-start the vehicle could cause
damage to the electrical drive motor and
three-way catalytic converter.
Related information

Attaching and removing the towing eyelet
(p. 488)
Hazard warning flashers (p. 161)
Recovery (p. 489)
Jump starting using another battery (p. 481)
Selecting ignition mode (p. 438)

STARTING AND DRIVING
* Option/accessory.
488 Attaching and removing the towing
eyelet
Use the towing eyelet to tow another vehicle.
Screw the towing eyelet securely into place in
the threaded outlet behind the cover on the
right-hand side of the rear bumper.
NOTE If the vehicle is equipped with a towbar, there
is no rear attachment for the towing eye.
Attaching the towing eyelet
Take out the towing eyelet, which is stored in
a foam block under the floor in the cargo
compartment. Remove the cover - press the marker with
your finger while prying open the opposite
side/corner open with a coin or similar.
>

The cover turns along its center line and
can then be removed. 3. Screw in the towing eyelet until it reaches its
stop. Fasten the eyelet securing by, for example,
inserting a lug wrench* through it and using
this as a lever.
CAUTION It is important that the towing eye is screwed
in securely as far as possible.
Removing the towing eyelet
–
Unscrew the towing eyelet after use and
return it to its storage location in the foam
block.
Replace the cover on the bumper.
Related information
Towing using a towline (p. 487)
Recovery (p. 489)
Tool kit (p. 574)

STARTING AND DRIVING
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* Option/accessory. 489
Recovery
This section refers to transporting the vehicle
with a tow truck or similar vehicle.
Call a professional towing service for assistance.
In certain conditions, the towing eyelet can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a flatbed tow truck.
CAUTION Note that vehicles with Twin Engine must
always be towed raised with all wheels on the
tow truck.
For vehicles equipped with leveling control*:
If the vehicle is equipped with pneumatic suspen-
sion, this feature must be turned off before the
vehicle is lifted onto a tow truck. Turning off the
function in the center display.
1. Tap Settings in the Top view.
2.

Tap My Car Parking Brake and
Suspension .
3. Select Disable Leveling Control.
The vehicle's location and ground clearance
determine if it can be lifted onto a tow truck. If
the incline of the tow truck is too steep or if the
ground clearance under the vehicle is insufficient,
attempting to pull it up may result in damage. In
this case, the vehicle should only be lifted with
the tow truck's lifting equipment.
WARNING No person or object should be behind the tow
truck when the vehicle is lifted onto the bed
of the truck.
Related information

Attaching and removing the towing eyelet
(p. 488) HomeLink
®
*10
HomeLink ®11
is a programmable remote control,
integrated in the vehicle electrical system, that
can control up to three different devices (e.g.
garage door opener, alarm system, outdoor and
indoor lighting) and thereby replace the remote
controls for these.
General The illustration is generic – the design may vary.
Button 1
Button 2
Button 3
Indicator light
HomeLink ®
is delivered integrated in the rearview
mirror. The HomeLink ®
panel consists of three

AUDIO, MEDIA AND INTERNET
* Option/accessory.515
AreasTap Areas to display a list of areas/locations in
states from the SiriusXM Travel Link database.
Scroll to a state and tap to display:
Weather locations: tap arrow to the right to
display a list of towns. Scroll to desired town
and tap for detailed weather information. You
can choose Map view, today, 5 days or Favor-
ites (star)
Ski locations: tap arrow at right to display
local ski areas. Tap an area for detailed info.
For information about storing a location, state,
town, etc. as a favorite, see the heading "Favor-
ites" in the article "SiriusXM Travel Link."
Related information
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* (p. 512)
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* - Fuel (p. 516)
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* - Sports (p. 517)
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* - Notifications
(p. 515) SiriusXM Travel Link
®
* -
Notifications
This SiriusXM Travel Link service provides notifi-
cations of potential weather problems or other
emergency situations in the vicinity of the vehi-
cle.
From the SiriusXM Travel Link home screen, to
show notifications:
– Tap the
Alerts button to display this screen.
If any notifications are currently available, a
message will appear at the top of the screen.
They can also be listed from the
Settings
menu in the center display's Top view.
If no notifications are available, No active
alerts will be displayed.
Types of notifications
To select the types of notifications to be dis-
played:
1. From the Alerts screen, tap the Select
alerts button at the bottom of the screen.
2.

This displays the types of notifications that
can be displayed. Tap the box to the right of
each type of notification to select/deselect it.
3. Tap Done when you have made your selec-
tions. You will return to the Alerts screen.
Information about a notification
If any notifications have been displayed on the
screen, tap one for more detailed information (i.e., the location of the weather problem on a map
and a description of the situation).
If a phone number is available in a notification, a
Call button will be displayed. Tap this button for additional information.
Related information
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* (p. 512)
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* - Fuel (p. 516)
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* - Sports (p. 517)
SiriusXM Travel Link ®
* - Weather (p. 514)