Table of Contents
Advertisement
07 During your trip
Driving recommendations
Before a long distance trip
It is always worthwhile to have your vehicle
checked by a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician before driving long dis-
tances. Your retailer will also be able to sup-
ply you with bulbs, fuses, spark plugs and
wiper blades for your use in the event that
problems occur.
As a minimum, the following items should be
checked before any long trip:
•
Check that engine runs smoothly and that
fuel consumption is normal.
•
Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage
•
Have the transmission oil level checked.
•
Check condition of drive belts.
•
Check state of the battery's charge.
•
Examine tires carefully (the spare tire as
well), and replace those that are worn.
Check tire pressures.
•
The brakes, front wheel alignment, and
steering gear should be checked by a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni-
07
cian only.
•
Check all lights, including high beams.
•
Reflective warning triangles are legally
required in some states/provinces.
•
Have a word with a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician if you intend to
270
drive in countries where it may be difficult
to obtain the correct fuel.
•
Consider your destination. If you will be
driving through an area where snow or ice
are likely to occur, consider snow tires.
Cold weather precautions
If you wish to check your vehicle before the
approach of cold weather, the following
advice is worth noting:
•
Make sure that the engine coolant con-
tains 50 percent antifreeze. Any other
mixture will reduce freeze protection. This
gives protection against freezing down to
–31 °F (–35 °C). The use of "recycled"
antifreeze is not approved by Volvo. Dif-
ferent types of antifreeze must not be
mixed.
•
Volvo recommends using only genuine
Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle's radiator.
•
Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – this
helps prevent the formation of condensa-
tion in the tank. In addition, in extremely
cold weather conditions it is worthwhile
to add fuel line de-icer before refueling.
•
The viscosity of the engine oil is impor-
tant. Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil)
improves cold-weather starting as well as
decreasing fuel consumption while the
engine is warming up. Full synthetic
0W-30 oil is recommended for driving in
areas with sustained low temperatures.
•
The load placed on the battery is greater
during the winter since the windshield
wipers, lighting, etc., are used more
often. Moreover, the capacity of the bat-
tery decreases as the temperature drops.
In very cold weather, a poorly charged
battery can freeze and be damaged. It is
therefore advisable to check the state of
charge more frequently and spray an anti-
rust oil on the battery posts.
•
Volvo recommends the use of snow tires
on all four wheels for winter driving, see
page 300.
•
To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from
freezing, add washer solvents containing
antifreeze. This is important since dirt is
often splashed on the windshield during
winter driving, requiring the frequent use
of the washers and wipers. Volvo Washer
Solvent should be diluted as follows:
Down to 14 °F (–10 °C): 1 part washer
solvent and 4 parts water Down to 5 °F
(–15 °C): 1 part washer solvent and
3 parts water Down to 0 °F (–18 °C):
1 part washer solvent and 2 parts water
Down to –18 °F (–28 °C): 1 part washer
solvent and 1 part water.
•
Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.
•
Avoid using de-icing sprays as they can
cause damage to the locks.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
