Towing A Trailer - Volvo XC60 Owner's Manual

08 Starting and driving
||
•
Dragging brakes
•
Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and oth-
ers are checked at the standard maintenance
intervals.
WARNING
Driving with the tailgate open: Driving
with the tailgate open could lead to poi-
sonous exhaust gases entering the pas-
senger compartment. If the tailgate must
be kept open for any reason, proceed as
follows:
•
Close the windows
•
Set the ventilation system control to air
flow to floor, windshield and side win-
dows and the blower control to its
highest setting.
Handling and roadholding
At the specified curb weight your vehicle has
a tendency to understeer, which means that
the steering wheel has to be turned more
than might seem appropriate for the curva-
ture of a bend. This ensures good stability
and reduces the risk of rear wheel skid.
Remember that these properties can alter
with the vehicle load. The heavier the load in
the cargo area, the less the tendency to
understeer.
08
14 Available on certain 4-cyl. engines
Models with the T6 turbo engine only.
15
278
•
Vehicle load, tire design and inflation
pressure all affect vehicle handling.
Therefore, check that the tires are inflated
to the recommended pressure according
to the vehicle load. Loads should be dis-
tributed so that capacity weight or maxi-
mum permissible axle loads are not
exceeded.
•
At the specified curb weight your vehicle
has a tendency to understeer, which
means that the steering wheel has to be
turned more than might seem appropriate
for the curvature of a bend. This ensures
good stability and reduces the risk of rear
wheel skid. Remember that these proper-
ties can alter with the vehicle load. The
heavier the load in the cargo compart-
ment, the less the tendency to under-
steer.
Related information
•
Climate – general information (p. 124)

Towing a trailer

When towing a trailer, always observe the
legal requirements of the state/province.
NOTE
For the maximum trailer and tongue
weights recommended by Volvo, see
Weights (p. 368).
•
All Volvo models are equipped with
energy-absorbing shock-mounted bump-
ers. Trailer hitch installation should not
interfere with the proper operation of this
bumper system.
Trailer towing does not normally present any
particular problems, but take into considera-
tion:
•
Increase tire pressure to recommended
full pressure, see Tire inflation – pressure
table (p. 297).
•
When your vehicle is new, avoid towing
heavy trailers during the first 620 miles
(1,000 km).
•
Maximum speed when towing a trailer:
50 mph (80 km/h).
•
Engine and transmission are subject to
increased loads. Therefore, engine cool-
ant temperature should be closely
watched when driving in hot climates or
hilly terrain. Use a lower gear and turn off