06 Starting And Driving; General - Volvo XC90 Owner's Manual

06 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.
For more advice on reducing environmental
impact. see page 12.
•
Get the engine warmed up as soon as pos-
sible.
•
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.
06
•
Remove the load carrier when it is not in
use.
•
Avoid driving with open windows.
126
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
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 tem-
peratures.
Avoid overheating the engine
Do not exceed engine speeds of 4500 rpm
(diesel engines: 3500 rpm) if driving with a
trailer or caravan in hilly terrain. The oil tem-
perature could then become too high.
Open tailgate
Avoid driving with the tailgate open. If it is nec-
essary to drive with the tailgate open for a short
distance:
1. Close all windows.
2. Set the air distribution to the windscreen
and floor and run the fan at high speed.
WARNING
Do not drive with the tailgate open. Toxic
exhaust fumes can be drawn into the car
through the cargo area.
Driving on rough roads
The Volvo XC90 is primarily designed for driv-
ing on main roads, but also has good handling
properties on uneven or rough roads. Keep the
following in mind in order to preserve the serv-
ice life of your car:
•
Drive slowly on rough roads so you do not
damage the car's underbody.
•
If the ground is loose or is made up of dry
sand or snow, it is always best to keep the
car moving at all times and avoid shifting.
Do not stop the car.
•
If the road is extremely steep and there is
a risk of overturning, never try to turn the
car around. Reverse back down. Do not