winter tires VOLVO XC60 2009 Owner´s Manual

05 During your tripDriving recommendations 05
204
Before a long distance tripIt is always worthwhile to have your vehicle
checked by a trained and qualified Volvo serv-
ice technician before driving long distances.
Your retailer will also be able to supply 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:
\b
Check that engine runs smoothly and that
fuel consumption is normal.
\b Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage
\b Have the transmission oil level checked.
\b Check condition of drive belts.
\b Check state of the battery\fs charge.
\b Examine tires carefully (the spare tire as
well), and replace those that are worn.
Check tire pressures.
\b The brakes, front wheel alignment, and
steering gear should be checked by a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni-
cian only.
\b Check all lights, including high beams.
\b Reflective warning triangles are legally
required in some states/provinces.
\b Have a word with a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician if you intend to
drive in countries where it may be difficult
to obtain the correct fuel. \b
Consider your destination. If you will be
driving through an area where snow or ice
are likely to occur, consider snow tires.
Cold weather precautionsIf you wish to check your vehicle before the
approach of cold weather, the following advice
is worth noting:
\bMake sure that the engine coolant contains
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" anti-
freeze is not approved by Volvo. Different
types of antifreeze must not be mixed.
\b Volvo recommends using only genuine
Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle\fs radiator.
\b 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.
\b The viscosity of the engine oil is important.
Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil) improves
cold-weather starting as well as decreas-
ing fuel consumption while the engine is
warming up. For winter use, 5W-30 oil, par-
ticularly the synthetic type, is recom-
mended. Be sure to use good quality oil but
do not use cold-weather oil for hard driving
or in warm weather, see page 283 for more
information on engine oil.
NOTE Synthetic oil is not used when the oil is
changed at the normal maintenance inter-
vals except at owner request and at addi-
tional charge.
\b
The load placed on the battery is greater
during the winter since the windshield wip-
ers, lighting, etc. are used more often.
Moreover, the capacity of the battery
decreases as the temperature drops. In
very cold weather, a poorly charged bat-
tery can freeze and be damaged. It is there-
fore advisable to check the state of charge
more frequently and spray an anti-rust oil
on the battery posts.
\b Volvo recommends the use of snow tires
on all four wheels for winter driving, see
page 262.
\b 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

06 Maintenance and specifications
Wheels and tires06
}}
253
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with tires according
to the vehicle\fs tire information placard on the
B-pillar (the structural member at the side of
the vehicle, at the rear of the driver\fs door
opening), or on the inside of the fuel filler door
on Canadian models.
CAUTION
Some Volvo models are equipped with an
Ultra High Performance tire and wheel com-
bination designed to provide maximum dry
pavement performance with consideration
for hydroplaning resistance. As such, they
may be more susceptible to road hazard
damage and, depending on driving condi-
tions, may achieve a tread life of less than
20,000 miles (30,000 km). Even if this vehi-
cle is equipped with Volvo’s advanced AWD
or DSTC system, these tires are not
designed for winter driving, and should be
replaced with winter tires when weather
conditions dictate.
The tires have good road holding characteris-
tics and offer good handling on dry and wet
surfaces. It should be noted however that the
tires have been developed to give these fea-
tures on snow/ice-free surfaces.
Certain models are equipped with "all-season"
tires, which provide a somewhat higher degree of road holding on slippery surfaces than tires
without the "all-season" rating. However, for
optimum road holding on icy or snow-covered
roads, we recommend suitable winter tires on
all four wheels.
When replacing tires, be sure that the new tires
are the same size designation, type (radial) and
preferably from the same manufacturer, on all
four wheels. Otherwise there is a risk of altering
the car\fs roadholding and handling characte-
ristics.
New Tires
Remember that tires are perishable goods. As
of 2000, the manufacturing week and year
(Department of Transportation (DOT) stamp)
will be indicated with 4 digits (e.g. 1502 means
that the tire illustrated was manufactured dur-
ing week 15 of 2002).
Tire ageTires degrade over time, even when they are
not being used. It is recommended that tires
generally be replaced after 6 years of normal
service. Heat caused by hot climates, frequent
high loading conditions or Ultra Violet (U.V)
exposure can accelerate the aging process.
You should replace the spare tire when you
replace the other road tires due to the aging of
the spare.
A tire\fs age can be determined by the DOT
stamp on the sidewall (see the illustration).
A tire with e.g., visible cracks or discoloration
should be replaced immediately.
Improving tire economy
\b
Maintain correct tire pressure. For the tire
pressure tables, see page 258.
\b Drive smoothly: avoid fast starts, hard
braking and tire screeching.
\b Tire wear increases with speed.
\b Correct front wheel alignment is very
important.
\b Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy
and driving comfort.
\b Tires must maintain the same direction of
rotation throughout their lifetime.
\b When replacing tires, the tires with the
most tread should be mounted on the rear G021823

06 Maintenance and specificationsWheels and tires 06
254 wheels to reduce the chance of oversteer
during hard braking.
\b Hitting curbs or potholes can damage the
tires and/or wheels permanently.
Summer and winter tires The arrows shows the direction of rotation of the
tire
\b
When switching between summer and
winter tires, mark the tires to indicate
where they were mounted on the car, e.g.,
LF = left front, RR = right rear
\b Tires with tread designed to roll in only one
direction are marked with an arrow on the
sidewall.
\b Incorrectly mounted tires impair the car\fs
braking properties and ability to force
aside rain, snow and slush. \b
The tires with the most tread should always
be at the rear (to reduce the risk of skid-
ding).
\b Contact a Volvo workshop if you are
unsure about the tread depth.Storing wheels and tiresWhen storing complete wheels (tires mounted
on rims), they should be suspended off the
floor or placed on their sides on the floor.
Tires not mounted on rims should be stored on
their sides or standing upright, but should not
be suspended.
CAUTION Tires should preferably be stored in a cool,
dry, dark place, and should never be stored
in close proximity to solvents, gasoline, oils,
etc.
WARNING \b
The wheel and tire sizes for your Volvo
are specified to meet stringent stability
and handling requirements. Unap-
proved wheel/tire size combinations
can negatively affect your vehicle\fs sta-
bility and handling. Approved tire sizes
are shown in the tire inflation pressure
tables on page 258.
\b Any damage caused by installation of
unapproved wheel/tire size combina-
tions will not be covered by your new
vehicle warranty. Volvo assumes no
responsibility for death, injury, or
expenses that may result from such
installations. Tire wear
Tire rotationTire wear is affected by a number of factors
such as tire inflation, ambient temperature,
driving style, etc. Your vehicle is driven mainly
by the front tires, which will wear faster.
If the tires are rotated, they should only be
moved from front to back or vice versa. They
should never be rotated left to right/right to left.
However, tire rotation, done at the recom-
mended intervals, is one way of helping to keep G021778

06 Maintenance and specifications
Wheels and tires06
}}
263
chains in some cases CANNOT be used.
Sufficient clearances between chains and
brakes, suspension and body components
must be maintained.
\b Some strap-on type chains will interfere
with brake components and therefore
CANNOT be used.
\b All Wheel Drive models: Snow chains
should only be installed on the front
wheels. Only chains adapted for AWD
models should be used.
Consult your Volvo retailer for additional snow
chain information.
CAUTION \b
Check local regulations regarding the
use of snow chains before installing.
\b Use single-sided snow chains only.
\b Always follow the chain manufacturer\fs
installation instructions carefully. Install
chains as tightly as possible and
retighten periodically.
\b Never exceed the chain manufacturer\fs
specified maximum speed limit. (Under
no circumstances should you exceed
31 mph (50 km/h).
\b Avoid bumps, holes or sharp turns
when driving with snow chains.
\b The handling of the vehicle can be
adversely affected when driving with
chains. Avoid fast or sharp turns as well
as locked wheel braking.
Snow tires, studded tires 2
Tires for winter use:
\b Owners who live in or regularly commute
through areas with sustained periods of
snow or icy driving conditions are strongly
advised to fit suitable winter tires to help
retain the highest degree of traction.
\b It is important to install winter tires on all
four wheels to help retain traction during cornering, braking, and accelerating. Fail-
ure to do so could reduce traction to an
unsafe level or adversely affect handling.
\b Do not mix tires of different design as this
could also negatively affect overall tire road
grip.
\b Winter tires wear more quickly on dry roads
in warm weather. They should be removed
when the winter driving season has ended.
\b Studded tires should be run-in
300 – 600 miles (500 – 1000 km) during
which the vehicle should be driven as
smoothly as possible to give the studs the
opportunity to seat properly in the tires.
The tires should have the same rotational
direction throughout their entire lifetime.
NOTE Please consult state or provincial regula-
tions restricting the use of studded winter
tires before installing such tires.
2
Where permitted

07 Index07
294 Stability system........................................ 155
indicator light ........................................ 75
Starting the engine

................................... 105
with keyless drive............................... 106
Starting the vehicle after a crash (crash mode).................... 32
Start inhibitor (immobilizer) ........................50
Steel grid in cargo area............................ 213
Steering wheel adjusting ............................................... 86
horn....................................................... 86
keypad.................................. 86, 122, 133
Stone chips, touching up .........................277
Storage spaces........................................ 197
Studded tires........................................... 262
Sunroof (moonroof) .................................. 100
Supplemental restraint system ..................17
warning light ......................................... 76T Tailgate
driving with it open............................. 202
power operated.................................... 63
wiper/washer........................................ 94
Tailgate wipers ......................................... 241
Taillights, changing bulbs ........................236
Temporary spare tire............................... 264
Three-way catalytic converter .................208
Tire designations ..................................... 259
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ....271, 272
indicator light ........................................ 75
Tires......................................................... 253
age...................................................... 253
changing from summer to winter

........ 254
glossary of terms ................................ 260
improving economy ............................253
inflation pressure ........................255, 256
inflation pressure tables .....................258
rotation ............................................... 254
snow................................................... 262
spare................................................... 264
specifications ...................................... 257
storing ................................................. 254
studded............................................... 262 tire pressure monitoring system
.........271
tread wear indicator............................ 255
uniform tire quality grading .................262
Top tether anchors (child restraint sys-
tems).......................................................... 43
Touching up paint .................................... 277
Towing a trailer ................................ 217, 218
trailer hitch .......................................... 218
Trailer Stability Assist .........................218
Towing the vehicle ...........................220, 221
Traction control

........................................ 155
Trailer Stability Assist (TSA)..................... 218
Trailer towing ................................... 217, 218
trailer hitch .......................................... 218
Trailer Stability Assist .........................218
Transmission general description .....................109, 110
oil ........................................................ 285
shiftlock override ................................ 110
Tread wear indicator ................................ 255
Trip computer.......................................... 153
Trip odometers.......................................... 78
Trips, long distance ................................. 203