Driving Economically - Volvo XC 90 Owner's Manual

Driving economically

Better driving economy can be obtained by
thinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stops
and adjusting the speed of your vehicle to imme-
diate traffic conditions.
Economical driving conserves natural
resources
Observe the following rules:
•
Bring the engine to normal operating tem-
perature 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 vehicle
for driving short distances. This does not
allow the engine to reach normal operating
temperature.
•
Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration
and hard braking.
•
Use the transmission's Drive (D) position as
often as possible and avoid using kick-down.
•
Using the engine's Eco function can help
improve fuel economy.
•
Do not exceed posted speed limits.
•
Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load)
in the vehicle.
•
Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire
pressure regularly (when the 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.
•
At highway driving speeds, fuel consumption
will be lower with the air conditioning on and
the windows closed than with the air condi-
tioning off and the windows open.
•
Using the onboard trip computer's fuel con-
sumption modes can help you learn how to
drive more economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
•
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 inter-
vals.
Handling and roadholding
•
Vehicle load, tire design and inflation pres-
sure all affect vehicle handling. Therefore,
check that the tires are inflated to the rec-
ommended pressure according to the vehicle
load. Loads should be distributed so that
capacity weight or maximum 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
STARTING AND DRIVING
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 compartment, the less the ten-
dency to understeer.
333