automatic transmission VOLVO XC70 2012 Owner´s Manual

01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)01

21 General information
Warning symbols in the instrument panel
As an enhancement to the three-point seat
belts, your Volvo is equipped with a Supple-
mental Restraint System (SRS). Volvo's SRS
consists of seat belt pretensioners, front air-
bags, side impact airbags, a front passenger
occupant weight sensor, and inflatable cur-
tains. All of these systems are monitored by the
SRS control module. An SRS warning light in
the instrument panel (see the illustration) illu-
minates when the ignition is in modes I, II, or
III, and will normally go out after approximately
6 seconds if no faults are detected in the sys-
tem.
Where applicable, a text message will also be
displayed when the SRS warning light illumi-
nates. If this warning symbol is not functioningproperly, the general warning symbol illumi-
nates and a text message will be displayed.
See also page 76 and page 78 for more
information about indicator and warning sym-
bols.
WARNING
•If the SRS warning light stays on after
the engine has started or if it illuminates
while you are driving, have the vehicle
inspected by a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician as soon as
possible.
•Never try to repair any component or
part of the SRS yourself. Any interfer-
ence in the system could cause mal-
function and serious injury. All work on
these systems should be performed by
a trained and qualified Volvo service
technician.
WARNING
If your vehicle has been subjected to flood
conditions (e.g., soaked carpeting/standing
water on the floor of the vehicle) or if your
vehicle has become flood-damaged in any
way, do not attempt to start the vehicle or
insert the remote key into the ignition slot
before disconnecting the battery (see
below). This may cause airbag deployment
which could result in personal injury. Have
the vehicle towed to a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle:
1. Switch off the ignition for at least
10 minutes and disconnect the battery.
2. Follow the instructions for manually
overriding the shiftlock system on page
116.

03 Your driving environment
Seats
03
89
G017903
Release and lower the center head
restraint (see page 87) if the center and/or
right section of the backrest is to be low-
ered. The outboard head restraints fold
down automatically.
Pull up the backrest release control on the
respective section(s) (
) and fold the sec-
tion(s) down. A red indicator (
) shows
that the backrest is not locked in the
upright position.
NOTE
It may be necessary to move the front seats
forward or put their backrests in a more
upright position before folding down the
rear seat backrests.
WARNING
•When one or more sections of the back-
rest is returned to the upright position,
check that it is properly locked in place
by pushing and pulling it. The red indi-
cators should also not be visible.
•Return the outboard head restraints to
the upright position.
•Long loads should always be securely
anchored to help avoid injury in the
event of a sudden stop.
•Always turn the engine off and apply the
parking brake when loading/unloading
the vehicle.
•Place the transmission in the Park (P)
position to help prevent inadvertent
movement of the gear selector.
•On hot days, the temperature in the
vehicle interior can rise very quickly.
Exposure of people to these high tem-
peratures for even a short period of time
can cause heat-related injury or death.
Small children are particularly at risk.

03 Your driving environment
Mirrors
03

* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.103 Power door mirrors
Door mirror controls
Adjusting1.
Press the L button for the left door mirror
or the R button for the right door mirror.
The light in the button comes on.
2. Adjust the position with the joystick in the
center.
3.
Press the L or R button again. The light
should no longer be on.
WARNING
Objects seen in the mirrors may appear fur-
ther away than they actually are.
Retractable power door mirrors*The mirrors can be retracted for parking/driving
in narrow spaces:
1.
Press down the L and R buttons at the
same time.
2. Release them after approximately one sec-
ond. The mirrors automatically stop in the
fully retracted position.
Fold out the mirrors by pressing down the L
and R buttons at the same time. The mirrors
automatically stop in the fully extended posi-
tion.
Storing the position*The mirror positions are stored in the key mem-
ory when the vehicle has been locked with the
remote key. When the vehicle is unlocked with
the same remote control the mirrors and the
driver's seat adopt the stored positions when
the driver's door is opened.
The function can be activated/deactivated in
MY CAR under Settings
Car settings
Car key memoryPosition of door mirrors
and driver's seat in key. See page 131 for a
description of the menu system.
Tilting the door mirrors when parking*The door mirrors can be tilted down to help
give the driver a better view along the sides of
the vehicle, for example when parallel parking.To activate this function, select reverse gear
and press the L or R mirror control button to tilt
the mirror down.
The function can be activated/deactivated in
MY CAR under Settings
Car settings
Side mirror settingsTilt left mirror or Tilt
right mirror
. See page 131 for a description
of the menu system.
The door mirror will reset to its normal position:
•after 10 seconds when reverse is disen-
gaged and the car remains stopped.
•immediately when reverse is disengaged
and the vehicle's forward speed exceeds
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
•immediately if you press the correspond-
ing L or R button again.
•when the engine is turned off.
•when the side mirrors are folded in.
NOTE
Only one mirror can be tilted down at a time.
Automatically tilting the door mirrors
when parking
The door mirrors can tilt down automatically to
help give the driver a better view along the
sides of the vehicle, for example when parallel
parking. When the transmission is no longer in

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
Transmission
03
117
Insert the key blade into the opening. Press
the key blade down as far as possible and
keep it held down. Move the gear selector
from the P position. For information on the
key blade, see page 59.
All Wheel Drive – AWD4
Your Volvo can be equipped with permanent
All Wheel Drive, which means that power is
distributed automatically between the front
and rear wheels. Under normal driving condi-
tions, most of the engine's power is directed to
the front wheels. However, if there is any ten-
dency for the front wheels to spin, an electron-
ically controlled coupling distributes power to
the wheels that have the best traction.
NOTE
The message AWD disabled Service
required will be appear in the information
display if an electrical fault should occur in
the AWD system. A warning light will also
illuminate in the instrument panel. If this
occurs, have the system checked by a
trained and qualified Volvo service techni-
cian.
4Standard on certain models.

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.157
Standby mode due to action by the driverACC is temporarily deactivated and put in
standby mode:
•when the brakes are applied
•if the driver's seat belt is taken off
•If the driver's door is opened
•if the gear selector is moved to N
•if the accelerator pedal is depressed for
more than 1 minute.
NOTE
If the accelerator pedal is only depressed for
a short time, such as when passing another
vehicle, ACC is deactivated temporarily and
is reactivated when the pedal is released.
Automatic standby modeAdaptive cruise control is linked to other sys-
tems such as the stability and traction control
system (DSTC). If this system is not functioning
properly, adaptive cruise control is automati-
cally deactivated and will go into standby
mode.
In the event of automatic deactivation, an audi-
ble signal will sound and the message
Cruise
control Cancelled is shown in the display.
The driver must then intervene and adapt the
vehicle's speed to the surrounding traffic and
regulate the distance to the vehicle ahead.An automatic switch to standby mode may be
caused if:
•the wheels lose traction
•brake temperature is high
•the radar sensor is obstructed by, for
example, wet snow or rain.
Queue Assist*The following functions are linked to your vehi-
cle's automatic transmission and comprise the
Queue Assist feature.
Please note that the lowest speed that can be
set is 18 mph (30 km/h), although ACC can
maintain a set speed/distance to a vehicle
ahead down to a standstill. Queue Assist con-
sists of the following features:
Enhanced speed intervalYour vehicle can maintain the set time interval
to the vehicle ahead at any permissible speed,
including a complete stop.
In order to activate ACC at speeds below
18 mph (30 km/h):
•The vehicle ahead must be within a rea-
sonable distance (not farther away than
approx. 100 ft/30 meters)
•The lowest speed that can be selected is
18 mph (30 km/h), although ACC will also
help maintain the set time interval to thevehicle ahead at lower speeds, including a
complete stop.
During short stops (less than approximately
3 seconds) in slow-moving traffic, your vehicle
will begin moving again automatically as soon
as the vehicle ahead begins to move.
If it takes more than 3 seconds for the vehicle
ahead to begin moving, ACC will be automati-
cally go into standby mode.
The driver will then have to reactivate ACC in
one of the following ways:
•By pressing
•By accelerating up to at least 3 mph
(4 km/h)
Your vehicle will then resume following the
vehicle ahead at the set time interval.
NOTE
ACC can remain active and keep your vehi-
cle at a standstill for up to 2 minutes. After
2 minutes have elapsed, the parking brake
will be engaged and ACC will go into
standby mode.
To reactivate ACC, the driver must release
the parking brake (see page 122) and press
.

06 During your trip
Towing a trailer
06
280
Introduction
Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailer
hitches that are specially designed for the vehi-
cle.
NOTE
See page 355 for the maximum trailer and
tongue weights recommended by Volvo.
•Observe the legal requirements of the
state/province in which the vehicles are
•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 the tire inflation table on
page 293.
•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 coolant
temperature should be closely watchedwhen driving in hot climates or hilly terrain.
Use a lower gear and turn off the air con-
ditioner if the temperature gauge needle
enters the red range.
•If the automatic transmission begins to
overheat, a message will be displayed in
the text window.
•Avoid overload and other abusive opera-
tion.
•Hauling a trailer affects handling, durabil-
ity, and economy.
•It is necessary to balance trailer brakes
with the towing vehicle brakes to provide a
safe stop (check and observe state/local
regulations).
•Do not connect the trailer's brake system
directly to the vehicle's brake system.
•More frequent vehicle maintenance is
required.
•Remove the ball holder when the hitch is
not being used.
•Volvo recommends the use of synthetic
engine oil when towing a trailer over long
distances or in mountainous areas.
WARNING
•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must
not be used on Volvos, nor should
safety chains be attached to the
bumper.
•Trailer hitches attaching to the vehicle
rear axle must not be used.
•Never connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to the vehicle
brake system, nor a trailer's lighting
system directly to the vehicle lighting
system. Consult your nearest author-
ized Volvo retailer for correct installa-
tion.
•When towing a trailer, the trailer's safety
wire must be correctly fastened to the
hole or hook provided in the trailer hitch
on the vehicle. The safety wire should
never be fastened to or wound around
the drawbar ball.