Starting And Driving - Volvo S40 Owner's Manual

Starting and driving

General
Economical driving
Driving economically means driving smoothly
while thinking ahead and adjusting your
driving style and speed to the prevailing
conditions.
• Get the engine warmed up as soon as
possible.
• Do not let the engine idle, but drive at
light loads as soon as it is possible.
• A cold engine consumes more fuel than a
warm one.
• Avoid sudden unnecessary acceleration
and heavy braking.
• Do not drive with unnecessary loads in
the car.
• Do not use winter tyres when the roads
are dry.
• Remove load carriers when they are not
being used.
• Avoid driving with open windows.
Slippery driving conditions
Practise driving on slippery surfaces under
controlled conditions to learn how the car
reacts.
Engine and cooling system
Under special conditions, for example when
driving in hilly terrain, extreme heat or with
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heavy loads, there is a risk that the engine
and cooling system will overheat.
Avoid overheating the cooling system
• Maintain a low speed when driving with a
trailer up long, steep ascents.
• Do not turn the engine off immediately
you stop after a hard drive.
• Remove any auxiliary lamps from in front
of the grille if driving in extreme high
temperatures.
Avoid overheating the engine
Do not exceed engine speeds of 4500 rpm
(diesel engine: 3500 rpm) if driving with a
trailer or caravan in hilly terrain. The oil
temperature could then become too high.
Open boot lid
Avoid driving with the boot lid open. If it is
necessary to drive with the boot lid open for
a short distance:
– Close all windows.
– Set the air distribution to the windscreen
and floor and run the fan at high speed.
WARNING!
Do not drive with the boot lid open. Toxic
exhaust fumes can be drawn into the car
through the cargo area.
Do not overload the battery
The electrical functions in the car load the
battery to varying degrees. Avoid having the
ignition key in position II when the engine is
turned off. Use position I instead, as less
power is used. The 12 volt outlet in the cargo
area supplies power even when the ignition
key is removed.
Examples of functions that use a lot of power:
• ventilation fan
• windscreen wipers
• audio equipment (high volume)
• parking lights.
Also, be aware of different accessories that
load the electrical system. Do not use
functions which use a lot of power when the
engine is switched off.
If the battery voltage is low, a message
appears on the display. The energy-saving
function shuts down certain functions or
reduces the load on the battery by, for
example, slowing the ventilation fan and
switching off the audio equipment. Charge
the battery by starting the engine.