warning light VOLVO XC70 2012 Owner´s Manual

03 Your driving environment
Brakes
03
118* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Brake system
The brake system is a hydraulic system con-
sisting of two separate brake circuits. If a prob-
lem should occur in one of these circuits, it is
still possible to stop the vehicle with the other
brake circuit.
If the brake pedal must be depressed farther
than normal and requires greater foot pressure,
the stopping distance will be longer.
A warning light in the instrument panel will light
up to warn the driver that a fault has occurred.
If this light comes on while driving or braking,
stop immediately and check the brake fluid
level in the reservoir.
NOTE
Press the brake pedal hard and maintain
pressure on the pedal – do not pump the
brakes.
WARNING
If the fluid level is below the MIN mark in the
reservoir or if a brake system message is
shown in the information display: DO NOT
DRIVE. Have the vehicle towed to a trained
and qualified Volvo service technician and
have the brake system inspected.
Brake pad inspectionOn vehicles equipped with a jack*, the condi-
tion of the brake pads can be checked by rais-
ing the vehicle (see page 308 for information
about using the jack and removing a wheel)
and performing a visual inspection of the brake
pads.
WARNING
•If the vehicle has been driven immedi-
ately prior to a brake pad inspection, the
wheel hub, brake components, etc., will
be very hot. Allow time for these com-
ponents to cool before carrying out the
inspection.
•Apply the parking brake and put the
gear selector in the Park (P) position.
•Block the wheels standing on the
ground, use rigid wooden blocks or
large stones.
WARNING
•Use the jack intended for the vehicle
when changing a tire. For any other job,
use stands to support the vehicle.
•The jack should be kept well-greased
and clean, and should not be damaged.
•Be sure the jack is on a firm, level, non-
slippery surface.
•No objects should be placed between
the base of jack and the ground, or
between the jack and the attachment
bar on the vehicle.
•The jack must correctly engage the jack
attachment.
•Never allow any part of your body to be
extended under a vehicle supported by
a jack.
Brake lightsThe brake lights come on automatically when
the brakes are applied.
Adaptive brake lightsThe adaptive brake lights activate in the event
of sudden braking or if the ABS system is acti-
vated. This function causes an additional tail-
light on each side of the vehicle to illuminate to
help alert vehicles traveling behind.
The adaptive brake lights activate if:

03 Your driving environment
Hill Descent Control (HDC)*
03
124* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Introduction
Normally, when the accelerator pedal is
released while driving down hills, the vehicle's
speed slows as the engine runs at lower rpm
(the normal engine braking effect). However, if
the downhill gradient becomes steeper and if
the vehicle is carrying a load, speed increases
despite the engine braking effect. In this situa-
tion, the brakes must be applied to reduce the
vehicle's speed.
HDC is a type of automatic engine brake and
makes it possible to increase or decrease the
vehicle's speed on downhill gradients using
only the accelerator pedal, without applying
the brakes. The brake system functions auto-
matically to maintain a low and steady speed.
HDC is particularly useful when driving down
steep hills with rough surfaces, and where the
road may have slippery patches.
WARNING
HDC does not function in all situations, and
is a supplementary braking aid. The driver
has full responsibility for driving in a safe
manner.
Function
•HDC can be switched on and off with the
button in the center console. An indicator
light in the button illuminates when HDC is
activated.
•The indicator light in the instrument
panel illuminates and a message is dis-
played when the system is controlling the
vehicle's speed.
•HDC only functions when first or reverse
gears are selected (1 will be shown in the
instrument panel display when first gear is
selected).
NOTE
HDC cannot be activated if the gear selector
is the D position.
Using HDC
HDC allows the car to roll forward at a maxi-
mum speed of 6 mph (10 km/h), and 4 mph
(7 km/h) in reverse. However, the accelerator
pedal can be used to select any speed that is
possible in first or reverse gears. When the
accelerator pedal is released, speed is quickly
reduced again to 6 mph (10 km/h) or 4 mph
(7 km/h), depending on the gear selected,
regardless of the hill's gradient. It is not nec-
essary to apply the brakes.
•The brake lights illuminate automatically
when HDC is controlling the vehicle's
speed.
•The driver can slow or stop the vehicle at
any time by applying the brakes.
HDC is deactivated when:
•The button on the center console is
pressed
•A gear higher than first gear is selected
•D is selected on vehicles with an automatic
transmission
HDC can be deactivated at any time. If this is
done while driving down a steep hill, the sys-
tem's braking effect will decrease gradually.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)*
04

* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.153 Introduction
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is an optional
system designed to assist the driver by main-
taining a set speed or a set time interval to the
vehicle ahead. It is primarily intended for use
on long straight roads in steady traffic, such as
on highways and other main roads.
When the driver has set the desired speed and
the time interval to the vehicle ahead, ACC
functions as follows:
•If there are no other vehicles in the lane
ahead of you, your vehicle will travel at the
set speed.
•If ACC's radar sensor detects a slower
moving vehicle in the lane ahead, the sys-
tem will adapt your vehicle's speed to help
maintain the set time interval to the vehicle
ahead. When there are no longer slower
moving vehicles ahead, your vehicle will
accelerate to resume the set speed.
If ACC is switched off completely or in standby
mode and your vehicle comes too close to
another vehicle ahead, the driver will be
warned by the Distance Alert system (see
page 163).
WARNING
•Adaptive Cruise Control cannot cover
all driving situations and traffic, weather
and road conditions. The "Function"
section provides information about lim-
itations that the driver must be aware of
before using this feature.
•This system is designed to be a supple-
mentary driving aid. It is not, however,
intended to replace the driver's atten-
tion and judgement. The driver is
responsible for maintaining a safe dis-
tance and speed and must intervene if
Adaptive Cruise Control does not main-
tain a suitable speed or suitable dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.
•Maintenance of ACC components may
only be performed by a trained and
qualified Volvo technician.
Function
Function overview1
Warning light, braking by driver required
Controls in steering wheel
Radar sensor in front grille
Adaptive Cruise Control consists of:
•A cruise control system to maintain a set
speed
•A system to maintain a set distance to the
vehicle ahead, which is expressed as a
time interval. For example, you can choose
to remain approximately 2 seconds behind
the vehicle ahead. The actual distance
required to maintain a 2-second interval
will vary according the speed of the vehi-
cles.
1The illustration is schematic; details will vary, depending on the model

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)*
04
154* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
WARNING
•Adaptive Cruise Control is not a colli-
sion avoidance system. The driver is
always responsible for applying the
brakes if the system does not detect
another vehicle.
•Adaptive Cruise Control does not react
to people or animals, or small vehicles
such as bicycles and motorcycles. It
also does not react to slow moving,
parked or approaching vehicles, or sta-
tionary objects.
•Do not use Adaptive Cruise Control in
demanding driving conditions such as
city driving or other heavy traffic situa-
tions, in slippery conditions, when there
is a great deal of water or slush on the
road, during heavy rain or snow, in poor
visibility, on winding roads or on high-
way on- or off-ramps.
The distance to the vehicle ahead (in the same
lane) is monitored by a radar sensor. Your vehi-
cle's speed is regulated by accelerating and
braking. The brakes may emit a sound when
they are being modulated by the adaptive
cruise control system. This is normal.
WARNING
The brake pedal moves when the adaptive
cruise control system modulates the
brakes. Do not rest your foot under the
brake pedal.
The ACC system is designed to smoothly reg-
ulate speed. However, the driver must apply
the brakes in situations that require immediate
braking. This applies when there are great dif-
ferences in speed between vehicles, or if the
vehicle ahead brakes suddenly.
WARNING
Due to limitations in the radar sensor, brak-
ing may occur unexpectedly or not at all,
see page 158.
Adaptive Cruise Control can be put in active
mode at any permitted speed. However, if the
vehicle's speed falls below 18 mph (30 km/h)
or if engine speed (rpm) becomes too low, ACC
disengages (goes into standby mode) and will
no longer modulate the brakes
2. The driver will
then have to maintain a safe distance to the
vehicle ahead.
WARNING
When Adaptive Cruise Control is in standby
mode or is switched off completely, the
brakes will not be modulated automatically.
The driver must assume full control over the
vehicle.
Warning light—driver braking requiredAdaptive Cruise Control can exert brake force
that is equivalent to approximately 40% of the
vehicle's total braking capacity. In situations
requiring more brake force than ACC can pro-
vide and if the driver does not apply the brakes,
an audible signal from the Collision Warning
system will sound and warning light will illumi-
nate (see page 172) in the windshield to alert
the driver to react.
NOTE
Strong sunlight, reflections, extreme light
contrasts, the use of sunglasses, or if the
driver is not looking straight ahead may
make the visual warning signal in the wind-
shield difficult to see.
2Does not apply to vehicles with the optional Queue Assist. See page 157 for more information.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)*
04
156* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
When the symbol on the
left side of the display
changes to
, the radar sen-
sor has detected another
vehicle ahead. The distance
to a vehicle ahead is only
regulated when this symbol (
) is illumi-
nated.
Changing the set speedAfter a speed has been set, it can be increased
or decreased by using the
or buttons.
Each time one of these buttons is pressed, the
vehicle's speed changes by 5 mph
(approximately 8 km/h).
When the system is in active mode, the
but-
ton has the same function as
, but results in
a smaller increase in speed.
NOTE
•If one of the Adaptive Cruise Control
buttons is pressed for more than
approximately one minute, ACC will be
deactivated. The engine must then be
switched off and restarted to reset ACC.
•In some situations Adaptive Cruise
Control cannot be put in active mode.
Cruise control Unavailable is shown
in the display, see page 161.
Setting a time intervalThe set time interval to vehicles ahead can be
increased by pressing
and decreased by
pressing
. The current time interval is shown
briefly in the display following adjustment.
Different time intervals can be
selected and are shown in the
display as 1–5 horizontal bars.
The greater the number of
bars, the longer the time inter-
val. One bar represents a time
interval of approximately
1 second; 5 bars is approximately
2.5 seconds. At low speeds, when the distance
to the vehicle ahead is short, ACC increases
the time interval slightly. In order to follow the
vehicle ahead as smoothly as possible, ACC
allows the time interval to vary considerably in
certain situations.
WARNING
•Only use a time interval that is suitable
in current traffic conditions.
•A short time interval gives the driver lim-
ited reaction time if an unexpected sit-
uation occurs in traffic.
The number of bars indicating the selected
time interval are shown while the setting is
being made and for several seconds afterward.
A smaller version of the symbol is then shown
to the right in the display. The same symbol is
also displayed when Distance Alert is in active
mode, see page 163 .
Standby mode (temporary deactivation)
Press to temporarily deactivate cruise con-
trol (put it in standby mode). The set speed, for
example 55 mph, is then shown in parenthe-
ses.
The previously set speed and time interval are
resumed by pressing
.
WARNING
There may be a significant increase in speed
after the button has been pressed.
When ACC is in active mode, the vehicle’s
speed increases by approximately 1 mph
(1 km/h) each additional time
is pressed.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)*
04

* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.159
WARNING
Accessories or other objects, such as extra
headlights, must not be installed in front of
the grille.
Modification of the radar sensor could make
its use illegal.
The radar sensor's capacity to detect vehicles
ahead is impeded:
•if the radar sensor is obstructed and can-
not detect other vehicles, for example in
heavy rain, or if snow or other objects are
obscuring the radar sensor.
NOTE
Keep the area in front of the radar sensor
clean.
•if the speed of vehicles ahead is signifi-
cantly different from your own speed.
Situations where ACC may not function
optimally
WARNING
•The radar sensor has a limited field of
vision. In some situations it may detect
a vehicle later than expected or not
detect other vehicles at all.
•If ACC is not functioning properly,
cruise control will also be disabled.
Radar sensor's field of vision (shown in pink)
In certain situations, the radar sensor can-
not detect vehicles at close quarters, for
example a vehicle that suddenly enters the
lane between your vehicle and the target
vehicle.
Small vehicles, such as motorcycles, or
vehicles not driving in the center of the lane
may remain undetected.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Distance Alert*
04

* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.163 Introduction
Distance Alert is part of Adaptive Cruise Con-
trol and is a function that provides information
about the time interval to the vehicle ahead.
Distance Alert is active at speeds above
approximately 18 mph (30 km/h). Time interval
information is only given for a vehicle that is
driving ahead of your vehicle in the same direc-
tion. No information is provided for vehicles
driving toward you, moving very slowly, or at a
standstill.
Amber warning light1.
An amber warning light in the windshield glows
steadily if your vehicle is closer to the one
ahead than the set time interval.
NOTE
Distance Alert only monitors distance to the
vehicle ahead while Adaptive Cruise Control
is in standby mode or off.
WARNING
Distance Alert only indicates the distance to
the vehicle ahead. It does not affect the
speed of your vehicle.
Operation
Press the button in the center instrument panel
to switch this function on or off. The indicator
light in the button illuminates when the function
is on.Depending on the optional equipment
selected, there may not be room for a Distance
Alert button in the center console. In this case,
the function is controlled through the menu
system. Press MY CAR and go to Settings
Car settingsDistance alertOn/Off.
Setting a time interval
Controls and display
Time interval: Increase/decrease
Time interval: On, while it is being set
Time interval: On, after it has been set
Press
to increase the interval or to
decrease it.
1The illustration is schematic - certain details may vary from model to model

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
Distance Alert*
04
164* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Five different time intervals
can be selected and are
shown in the display as 1–5
horizontal bars. The greater
the number of bars, the longer
the time interval. One bar rep-
resents approximately
1 second to the vehicle ahead; 5 bars is
approximately 2.5 seconds.
The number of bars indicating
the selected time interval are
shown while the setting is
being made and for several
seconds afterward. A smaller
version of the symbol is then
shown to the right in the dis-
play. The same symbol is displayed when
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is activated.
NOTE
•The higher your vehicle’s speed, the
greater the distance to the vehicle
ahead, measured in feet (meters), for a
given time interval.
•The set time interval is also used by
Adaptive Cruise Control, see page 155.
WARNING
Only use a time interval that is suitable in
current traffic conditions.
Limitations
Distance Alert uses the same radar sensor
used by Adaptive Cruise Control and the Col-
lision Warning system. See page 158 for more
information on the radar sensor’s limitations.
NOTE
Strong sunlight, reflections, extreme light
contrasts, the use of sunglasses, or if the
driver is not looking straight ahead may
make the visual warning signal in the wind-
shield difficult to see.
WARNING
•Bad weather or winding roads may
affect the radar sensor’s capacity to
detect vehicles ahead.
•The size of the vehicle ahead, such as a
motorcycle, may also make it difficult to
detect. This may result in the warning
light illuminating at a shorter distance
than the one that has been set, or that
the light will not come on at all.

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
City Safety™
04

167
driver is always responsible for main-
taining a safe distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Function
Location of the laser sensor in the windshield2
City Safety™ monitors traffic ahead of you
using a laser sensor mounted in the upper sec-
tion of the windshield. If a collision is imminent,
City Safety™ will automatically apply the
brakes, which may feel like hard braking.
If the difference in speed between your vehicle
and the vehicle ahead is more than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h), City Safety™ alone
cannot prevent a collision from taking place.The driver must apply the brakes to help avoid
a collision or reduce its effect.
When the function activates and applies the
brakes, a message will appear in the informa-
tion display to indicate that the system is/has
been active.
NOTE
•When City Safety™ applies the brakes,
the brake lights will illuminate.
•In cases where City Safety™ has stop-
ped the vehicle, the system will then
release the brakes. The driver must
apply the brakes to keep the vehicle at
a standstill.
Using City Safety™
NOTE
The City Safety™ function is activated auto-
matically each time the engine has been
switched off and restarted.
On and OffIn certain situations, it may be desirable to
switch City Safety™ off, such as when drivingin close quarters where leaves, branches, etc.
may obscure the hood and windshield.
When the engine is running, City Safety™ can
be switched off as follows:
Press My Car in the center console control
panel and go to Settings
Car settings
Driver support systemsCity Safety.
Select
Off.
If the engine is switched off, City Safety™ will
reactivate when the engine is restarted.
WARNING
The laser sensor emits light when the igni-
tion is in mode II or higher, even if City
Safety™ has been switched off.
To switch City Safety™ on again:
•Follow the same procedure as for switch-
ing City Safety™ off but select ON.
2The illustration is schematic; details will vary, depending on the model

04 Comfort and driving pleasure
City Safety™
04
168
Limitations
The sensor used by City Safety™ is designed
to detect cars and other larger motor vehicles
ahead of your vehicle in both daylight and dark-
ness.
However, there are certain limitations and the
laser sensor’s function may be reduced by, for
example, heavy rain or snowfall, or by dense
fog or thick, blowing dust or snow. Condensa-
tion, dirt, ice or snow on the windshield may
also interfere with the sensor’s function.
Objects such as warning flags hanging from
long objects on the roof or accessories such as
auxiliary lights or protective arches on the front
of the vehicle that are higher than the hood may
also impede the sensor’s function.
Braking distance to the vehicle ahead increa-
ses on slippery road surfaces, which may
reduce City Safety’s capacity to avoid a colli-
sion. In situations like this, the DSTC system
(see page 148) will help provide the best pos-
sible braking capacity and stability.
City Safety™ emits infrared light and measures
the way in which the light is reflected. There-
fore, vehicles or objects with low-reflective sur-
faces may not be detected. Normally, the
license plate and taillight reflectors give the
rear section of a vehicle ahead sufficient reflec-
tive surfaces to be detected.NOTE
•Keep the windshield in front of the laser
sensor free of ice, snow, dirt, etc. See
page 167.
•Snow or ice on the hood deeper than
2 inches (5 cm) may obstruct the sen-
sor. Keep the hood free of ice and snow.
•Do not mount or in any way attach any-
thing on the windshield that could
obstruct the laser sensor.
Troubleshooting
If Windscreen Sensors blocked appears in
the information display, this indicates that the
City Safety™ laser sensor is obstructed in
some way and cannot detect vehicles ahead of
you, which means that the system is not func-
tioning.
However, this message will not be displayed in
all situations in which the sensor is obstructed.
For this reason, the driver must ensure that the
area of the windshield in front of the sensor is
always kept clean.
The following table shows some of the situa-
tions that can cause the message to be dis-
played and suggested actions.
CauseAction
The area of the
windshield in front of
the sensor is dirty or
covered by ice or
snow.Clean the wind-
shield or remove the
ice/snow.
The laser sensor's
field of view is
obstructed.Remove the
obstruction.
CAUTION
If a crack, scratch or stone chip should
occur in the section of the windshield in
front the laser sensor and covers an area of
approximately 1/50 x 1/10 in. (0.5 x 3 mm)
or larger, contact a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician to repair or replace
the windshield (see the illustration showing
the location of the sensor on page 167).
Failing to do so may result in reduced City
Safety™ functionality.
To help prevent reduced functionality,
please also observe the following:
•If the windshield is replaced, use the
same type or a windshield approved by
Volvo.
•When replacing windshield wipers, use
the same type or ones approved by
Volvo.