Economical Driving; Boot Lid - Volvo S60 Owner's Manual

Starting and driving
General

Economical driving

Economical driving results from driving gently
with anticipation and adapting your driving
style and speed to the situation.
Keep in mind the following:
• Drive the engine to operating temperature
as soon as possible! That is to say: do not
let the engine idle, but drive with a light
load as soon as you can.
• A cold engine consumes more fuel than a
warm one.
• Avoid driving short distances where the
engine never has time to reach operating
temperature.
• Drive gently! Avoid unnecessary quick
accelerations and heavy braking.
• Do not drive with unnecessary, heavy
loads in the car.
• Do not use winter tyres when the roads
are clear and dry.
• Remove the load carrier when it is not in
use.
• Do not open side windows unnecessarily.
94
Do not drive with an open

boot lid!

If you drive with the boot lid open, some of the
exhaust gases and poisonous carbon monoxide
could be sucked into the car through the cargo
compartment. If you must drive a short distance
with the boot lid open, do as follows:
• Close all windows.
• Distribute the air between the windscreen
and floor while running the fan at high
speed.
Your new car – slippery road
surfaces
Driving on a slippery road may feel different
depending on whether you choose a car with a
manual or an automatic gearbox. Practice skid
driving under controlled conditions so that you
know how your new car reacts.
Automatic gearbox – cold starts
When starting in low temperatures, gear shifts
may feel harder. This is due to viscosity of the
gearbox oil at low temperatures.
To minimise engine emissions, the gearbox
shifts up later than normal if the engine has been
started at low temperature.
When the engine is cold, the transmission shifts
gears at higher engine speeds than normal. This
is to help the catalytic converter reach normal
operating temperature quickly.
Automatic gearbox
adaptive system
The gearbox is controlled by an "adaptive
system". The control module continually
"learns" how the gearbox behaves. It senses
how the gearbox shifts gear and achieves
optimal gear shifts each time. The control
module also senses the way you drive, such as
how hard you depress the accelerator, and
adjusts the sensitivity of the shift schedule to
your driving style.