Driving Economy - Volvo CROSS COUNTRY 2011 Owner's Manual

2001 VOLVO Cross Country
pg. 86 Driving economy
Economical driving conserves natural resources
Better driving economy may be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stops and
adjusting the speed of your vehicle to immediate traffic conditions. Observe the following rules:
Bring the engine to normal operating temperature as soon as possible by driving with a light foot on
the accelerator pedal for the first few minutes of operation. A cold engine uses more fuel and is subject
to increased wear.
Whenever possible, avoid using the car for driving short distances. This does not allow the engine to
reach normal operating temperature.
Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
Do not exceed posted speed limits.
Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the car.
Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire pressure regularly (when tires are cold).
Remove snow tires when threat of snow or ice has ended.
Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc., increase air resistance and also fuel consumption.
Avoid using automatic transmission kickdown feature unless necessary.
Avoid using the air conditioning when it is not required. When engaged, the conditioner's compressor
places an additional load on the engine. However, at higher driving speeds, fuel consumption will be
lower with the air conditioning on and the windows closed than with the air conditioning off and the
windows open.
Using the onboard trip computer's fuel consumption modes can help you learn how to drive more
economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
Worn or dirty spark plugs
Incorrect spark plug gap
Dirty air cleaner
Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
Dragging brakes
Incorrect front end alignment Some of the above mentioned items and others are checked at the
standard Maintenance Service intervals.
NOTE: Vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions should use (D)rive as often as possible and
avoid using "kick-down" to help improve fuel economy. Vehicles equipped with manual transmissions
should use fifth gear at highway speeds. At other times, choose the highest gear that still allows smooth
acceleration.
Weight distribution affects handling
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