tow VOLVO XC70 2012 Owner´s Manual

03 Your driving environment
Instruments and controls
03

79
Seat belt reminder
This symbol comes on for approximately 6 sec-
onds if the driver has not fastened his or her
seat belt.
Generator not charging
This symbol comes on during driving if a fault
has occurred in the electrical system. Contact
an authorized Volvo workshop.
Engine temperatureEngine overheating can result from low oil or
coolant levels, towing or hard driving at high
heat and altitude, or mechanical malfunction.
Engine overheating will be signaled with text
and a red warning triangle in the middle of the
instrument display. The exact text will depend
on the degree of overheating. It may range from
High engine temp Reduce speed to High
engine temp Stop engine. If appropriate,
other messages, such as Coolant level low,
Stop safely will also be displayed. If your
engine does overheat so that you must stop the
engine, always allow the engine to cool before
attempting to check oil and coolant levels.
See page 322 for more information.
Fault in brake system
If this symbol lights, the brake fluid level may
be too low. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
check the level in the brake fluid reservoir, see
page 322. If the level in the reservoir is belowMIN, the vehicle should be transported to an
authorized Volvo workshop to have the brake
system checked.
Canadian models are equipped with this
symbol.
If the
and symbols come on at the
same time, there may be a fault in the brake
force distribution system.
1. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off
the engine.
2. Restart the engine.
•If both symbols extinguish, continue driv-
ing.
•If the symbols remain on, check the level in
the brake fluid reservoir, see page 322. If
the brake fluid level is normal but the sym-
bols are still lit, the vehicle can be driven,
with great care, to an authorized Volvo
workshop to have the brake system
checked.
•If the level in the reservoir is below MIN, the
vehicle should be transported to an author-
ized Volvo workshop to have the brake
system checked.
WARNING
•If the fluid level is below the MIN mark
in the reservoir or if a warning message
is displayed in the text window: DO
NOT DRIVE. Have the vehicle towed to
a trained and qualified Volvo service
technician and have the brake system
inspected.
•If the ABS and Brake system lights are
on at the same time, there is a risk of
reduced vehicle stability.
Warning symbol
The red warning symbol lights up to indicate a
problem related to safety and/or drivability. A
message will also appear in the main instru-
ments panel's display. The symbol remains
visible until the fault has been rectified but the
text message can be cleared with the READ
button, see page 129. The warning symbol can
also come on in conjunction with other sym-
bols.
Action:
1. Stop in a safe place. Do not drive the vehi-
cle further.
2. Read the information on the information
display. Implement the action in accord-
ance with the message in the display. Clear
the message using READ.

03 Your driving environment
Ignition modes
03
83 Starting and stopping the engine
See page 111 for information on starting the
engine and switching it off.
Emergency towing
See page 283 for more information.

03 Your driving environment
Steering wheel
03
90* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.
Adjusting
G021138
Adjusting the steering wheel
Lever for releasing/locking the steering
wheel
Possible positions
The steering wheel can be adjusted for both
height and reach:
1. Pull the lever toward you to release the
steering wheel.
2. Adjust the steering wheel to the position
that suits you.
3. Push back the lever to lock the steering
wheel in place. If the lever is difficult to
push into place, press the steering wheel
lightly at the same time as you push the
lever.
WARNING
Never adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing.
With the optional speed-dependent power
steering the level of steering force can be
adjusted, see page 150.
Unlocking/locking
Unlocking1. Insert the remote key into the ignition slot
as far as possible.
2.
Press the START/STOP ENGINE button.
> A sound will be audible when the lock
releases.
Vehicles with keyless drive*A remote key must be in the passenger com-
partment or cargo compartment (but not
inserted into the ignition slot)

Press the START/STOP ENGINE button.
> A sound will be audible when the steer-
ing wheel lock releases.
Locking1. Switch off the engine (see page 113 for
details).2. Remove the remote key from the ignition
slot.
3. Open the driver's door.
> A sound will be audible when the steer-
ing wheel lock engages.
Vehicles with keyless drive*1. Switch off the engine (see page 113 for
details).
2. Open the driver's door.
> A sound will be audible when the steer-
ing wheel lock engages.
Keypads
Keypads in the steering wheel
Cruise control, see page 151. Adaptive
cruise control*, see page 153.
Infotainment controls, see page 207.

03 Your driving environment
Lighting
03
92
Lighting panel
G022854
Overview, light switches
Thumb wheel for adjusting display and
instrument lighting
Rear fog light
Front fog lights
Headlights/parking lights
Instrument lightingIllumination of the display and instrument lights
will vary, depending on ignition mode.
The display lighting is automatically subdued
in darkness and the sensitivity is set with the
thumb wheel.
The intensity of the instrument lighting is
adjusted with the thumb wheel.
High/low beam headlights
Headlight switch and lever
High beam flash
Toggle between high and low beams
Daytime running lights/high
beams/high beam flash
Parking lights
Low beams/high beams/high
beam flash
High beam flashMove the lever toward the steering wheel to
position 1. The high beams come on until the
lever is released.
High/low beam headlights
Continuous high beams
1.
Set the ignition to mode II.
2.
With the light switch in position 0 or
, pull the turn signal lever toward the
steering wheel to position 2 to toggle
between high and low beams (this also
applies on models equipped with the
optional Active Bending Lights).
>
The symbol
illuminates in the
instrument panel to indicate that the
high beams are on.
Low beamsWhen the engine is started, the low beams are
activated automatically (daytime running lights)
if the headlight control is in position 0 or
.
Daytime running lights can be deactivated in
the MY CAR menu system under Settings
Car settingsLight settingsDaytime
running lights.
However, please be aware that these lights
may not be deactivated in Canada.

03 Your driving environment
Lighting
03
97 Home safe lighting
When you leave your vehicle at night, you can
make use of the home safe lighting function to
illuminate the area in front of the vehicle.
1. Remove the key from the ignition slot.
2. Pull the turn signal lever as far as possible
towards the steering wheel and release it.
3. Exit the vehicle and lock the doors.
The headlights, parking lights, turn signals,
lights in the door mirrors, license plate lights,
and footwell lighting will illuminate and remain
on for 30
2, 60 or 90 seconds. The time interval
can be set in MY CAR under Settings
Car
settings
Light settingsHome safe light
duration. See page 131 for a description of
the menu system.
Approach lighting
Approach lighting is activated by pressing the
approach light button on the remote key (see
the illustration on page 56).
When the function has been activated, the
parking lights, indicator lights, door mirror
lights, license plate lighting, dome lighting and
door step lighting come on.The time interval for this lighting can be set by
pressing MY CAR and going to Car settings
Light settingsApproach light
duration. See page 131 for a description of
the menu system.
2Factory setting

03 Your driving environment
Wipers and washers
03

* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.99
The rain sensor is automatically deactivated
when the key is removed from the ignition slot
or five minutes after the ignition has been
switched off.
CAUTION
The rain sensor should be deactivated when
washing the car in an automatic car wash,
etc. If the rain sensor function is left on, the
wipers will start inadvertently in the car
wash and could be damaged.
Windshield washing
Washing function
Move the lever toward the steering wheel to
start the windshield and headlight washers.After the lever is released the wipers make sev-
eral extra sweeps.
Heated washer nozzles*The washer nozzles are heated automatically
in cold weather to help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing.
High-pressure headlight washing*High-pressure headlight washing consumes a
large quantity of washer fluid. To save fluid, the
headlights are washed using two alternatives:
•Low/high beam headlights on. The head-
lights will be washed the first time the wind-
shield is washed. Thereafter, the head-
lights will only be washed once for every
five times the windshield is washed within
a 10-minute period.
•Parking lights on. Optional Active Bend-
ing Lights will be washed once for every
five times the windshield is washed. Nor-
mal halogen headlights will not be washed.
CAUTION
Use ample washer fluid when washing the
windshield. The windshield should be thor-
oughly wet when the wipers are in opera-
tion.
Tailgate wiper/washer
G017632
Move the lever forward to start the tailgate washer.
Intermittent wiping
Normal (continuous) wiping
NOTE
The rear wiper is equipped with cut-off func-
tion, which means that it will not operate if
its electric motor overheats. The wiper will
function again after a cool-down period
(30 seconds or longer, depending on the
heat of the motor and ambient temperature
conditions).

03 Your driving environment
Starting the engine
03
112
WARNING
•Always remove the remote key from the
ignition slot when leaving the vehicle,
especially if there are children in the
vehicle.
•Never open the driver's door while driv-
ing or when the vehicle is being towed.
The steering lock could otherwise be
activated, making it impossible to steer
the vehicle. On vehicles with the
optional keyless drive, never remove
the remote key from the vehicle while
driving or during towing.
•Always place the gear selector in Park
and apply the parking brake before
leaving the vehicle. Never leave the
vehicle unattended with the engine run-
ning.
•Always open garage doors fully before
starting the engine inside a garage to
ensure adequate ventilation. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monox-
ide, which is invisible and odorless but
very poisonous.
NOTE
•After a cold start, idle speed may be
noticeably higher than normal for a
short period. This is done to help bring
components in the emission control
system to their normal operating tem-
perature as quickly as possible, which
enables them to control emissions and
help reduce the vehicle's impact on the
environment
3.
CAUTION
•When starting in cold weather, the auto-
matic transmission may shift up at
slightly higher engine speeds than nor-
mal until the automatic transmission
fluid reaches normal operating tem-
perature.
•Do not race a cold engine immediately
after starting. Oil flow may not reach
some lubrication points fast enough to
prevent engine damage.
•The engine should be idling when you
move the gear selector. Never acceler-
ate until after you feel the transmission
engage. Accelerating immediately after
selecting a gear will cause harsh
engagement and premature transmis-
sion wear.
•Selecting P or N when idling at a stand-
still for prolonged periods of time will
help prevent overheating of the auto-
matic transmission fluid.
3If the gear selector is in the D or R positions and the car is not moving, engine speed (rpm) will be lower and it will take longer for the engine to reach normal operating temperature.

03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03

115 Automatic transmission
G021351
Shiftgate positions1
Depress the button on the front of the gear
selector knob to move the gear selector
between the R, N, D, and P positions.
The gear selector can be moved freely between
the Geartronic (manual shifting) and Drive (D)
positions while driving.
Park position (P)Select the P position when starting or parking.
ShiftlockWhen P has been selected, the transmission is
mechanically blocked in this position. The
brake pedal must be depressed and the igni-
tion must be in at least mode II (see page 82)before the gear lever can be moved from the
P position.
Always apply the parking brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Press the control to apply the
brake, see page 121.
CAUTION
The vehicle must be stationary when posi-
tion P is selected.
Reverse ®)The vehicle must be stationary when position
R is selected.
Neutral position (N)No gear is engaged and the engine can be
started with the gear selector in this position.Apply the parking brake if the vehicle is sta-
tionary with the gear selector in position N.
Drive (D)D is the normal driving position. The car auto-
matically shifts between the various forward
gears, based on the level of acceleration and
speed. The car must be at a standstill when
shifting from position R to position D.
Geartronic–manual shiftingGeartronic allows you to manually shift among
your vehicle's six forward speeds. Geartronic
can be selected at any time.
•To access the manual shifting position
from Drive (D), move the gear selector to
the right (to the area marked M in the illus-
tration.
•To return to the D position from the manual
shifting position, move the gear selector to
the left.
While driving
•If you select the manual shifting position
while driving, the gear that was being used
in the Drive position will also initially be
selected in the manual shifting position.
•Move the gear selector forward (toward
"+") to shift to a higher gear or rearward
(toward "–") to shift to a lower gear.
1The information display (see page 75) shows the gear selector's position or the selected gear by displaying the following: P, R, N, D, S, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

03 Your driving environment
Transmission
03
116
•If you hold the gear selector toward "–", the
transmission will downshift one gear at a
time and will utilize the braking power of
the engine. If the current speed is too high
for using a lower gear, the downshift will
not occur until the speed has decreased
enough to allow the lower gear to be used.
•If you slow to a very low speed, the trans-
mission will automatically shift down.
Shiftlock – Neutral (N)If the gear selector is in the N position and the
vehicle has been stationary for at least 3 sec-
onds (irrespective of whether the engine is run-
ning) then the gear selector is locked.
To be able to move the gear selector from N to
another gear position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the ignition must be in posi-
tion II, see page 82.
Geartronic–Sport mode (S)2
This transmission mode provides sportier shift-
ing characteristics and enables a more active
driving style by making it possible to drive at
higher rpm in each gear before shifting up. The
engine also responds faster when the throttle
pedal is pressed.
To access Sport mode from Drive (D), move the
gear selector to the right. The transmission willnot switch to manual shifting mode until the
gear selector is moved forward or rearward
toward + or –.
Sport mode can be selected any time.
NOTE
•When the transmission is in Sport
mode, the transmission symbol in the
main instrument panel will change from
D to S (see page 75).
•Please be aware that using Sport mode
may result in a slight decrease in fuel
economy. Driving in D can help improve
fuel economy.
Geartronic–starting on slippery surfacesSelecting 3rd gear in Geartronic’s manual shift-
ing mode can help provide better traction when
starting off on slippery surfaces. To do so:
1. Depress the brake pedal and move the
gear selector to the right from the D posi-
tion to the manual shifting position. The
text in the instrument panel display will
change from
D to 1.
2. Press the gear selector forward and
release it (this selects 2nd gear). Press theselector forward again and release it to
select 3rd gear.
3. Release the brake pedal and press gently
on the accelerator pedal.
Shiftlock override
If the vehicle cannot be driven, for example
because of a dead battery, the gear selector
must be moved from the P position before the
vehicle can be moved
3.
Lift away the rubber mat on the floor of the
storage compartment behind the center
console to expose the small opening for
overriding the shiftlock system.
2Certain models only3If the battery is dead, the electric parking brake cannot be applied or released. Connect an auxiliary battery if the battery voltage is too low, see page 113.

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: