maintenance VOLVO XC90 2003 Owners Manual

2003 VOLVO XC90
instructions and maintenance requirements/recommendations in this manual\
. We also urge you and your
passengers to wear seat belts at all times in this (or any other) auto\
mobile. And, of course, please do not operate
a vehicle if you may be affected by alcohol, medication or any impairmen\
t that could hinder your ability to
drive.
Your Volvo is designed to meet all applicable safety and emission standa\
rds, as evidenced by the certification
labels attached to the driver's door opening and on the left wheel housi\
ng in the engine compartment.
For further information please contact your retailer, or:
In the USA:
Volvo Cars of North America
Customer Relations
P.O. Box 914
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
800-458-1552
In Canada:
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
800-663-8255

General information

Shiftlock
When your car is parked, the gear selector is locked in the (P)ark position. To release the selector from this
position, turn the ignition key to position II (or start the engine), \
depress the brake pedal, press the button on the
front side of the gear selector knob and move the selector from (P)ark\
.
Keylock (automatic transmission)
When you switch off the ignition, the gear selector must be in the (P)ark position before the key can be
removed from the ignition switch.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
The ABS system in your car performs a self-diagnostic test when the vehi\
cle first reaches the speed of
approximately 12 mph (20 km/h). The brake pedal will pulsate several t\
imes and a sound may be audible from
the ABS control module. This is normal.
Fuel filler door
The fuel filler door, located on the right rear fender, is connected to \
your vehicle's central locking system.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
environmental impact.
Volvo's environmental activities are based on a holistic view, which mea\
ns we consider the overall
environmental impact of a product throughout its complete life cycle. In\
this context, design, production,
product use, and recycling are all important considerations.
In production, Volvo has partly or completely phased out several chemica\
ls including chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), lead chromates, naphtanates, asbestos, mercury and cadmium; an\
d reduced the amount of chemicals
used in our plants 50% since 1991.
Volvo was the first in the world to introduce into production a three-wa\
y catalytic converter with Lambda
Sond, now called oxygen sensor, in 1976. The current version of this hig\
hly efficient system reduces emissions
of harmful substances (CO, HC, NOx) from the exhaust pipe by approxima\
tely 95% and the search to eliminate
the remaining emissions continues. Volvo is the only automobile manufact\
urer to offer CFC-free retrofit kits
for the air conditioning system of all models as far back as the 1975 Vo\
lvo 240. Advanced electronic engine
controls, refined purification systems and cleaner fuels are bringing us\
closer to our goal.
After Volvo vehicles and parts have fulfilled their use, recycling is th\
e next critical step in completing the life
cycle. The metal content is about 75% of the total weight of a vehicle, \
which makes the vehicle among the most
recycled industrial products. In order to have efficient and well contro\
lled recycling, many Volvo variants have
printed dismantling manuals, indicating the weight and material of indiv\
idual components. For Volvo, all
homogeneous plastic parts weighing more than 1.7 oz. (50 grams) are ma\
rked with international symbols that
indicate how the component is to be sorted for recycling.
In addition to continuous environmental refinement of conventional gasol\
ine-powered internal combustion
engines, Volvo is actively looking at advanced technology alternative-fu\
el vehicles.
When you drive a Volvo, you become our partner in the work to lessen the\
car's impact on the environment.
To reduce your vehicle's environmental impact, you can:
l Maintain proper air pressure in your tires. Tests have shown decreased f\
uel economy with improperly
inflated tires.
l Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your Warranty and Service\
Records Information booklet.
l Drive at a constant speed.
l See an authorized Volvo retailer as soon as possible for inspection if t\
he check engine (malfunction
indicator) lamp illuminates, or stays on after the vehicle has started.\

l Properly dispose of any vehicle-related waste such as used motor oil, us\
ed batteries, brake pads, etc.
l When cleaning your car, use Volvo's own car care products, all of which \
have systematically been adapted to
the environment.
For additional information regarding the environmental activities in whi\
ch Volvo Cars of North America, LLC.
and Volvo Car Corporation are involved, visit our Internet Home Page at:\

http://www.volvocars.com
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Contents
Safety
Instruments and controls
Climate control
Interior
Locks and Alarm
Starting and driving
Vehicle care
Wheels and tires
Maintenance
Specifications
Audio
Index
Back Cover




Top of Page
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 8 Safety
Airbags (Supplemental Restraint System) (contd)
WARNING!
If your vehicle has been subjected to flood conditions (e.g. soaked car\
peting/standing water on the
floor of the vehicle) or if your vehicle has become flood-damaged in an\
y way, do not attempt to start
the vehicle or put the key in the ignition before disconnecting the batt\
ery (see below). This may cause
airbag deployment which could result in personal injury. Have the vehicle towed to an authorized
Volvo retailer for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle, use the following procedure to ove\
rride the shiftlock system to
move the gear selector to the neutral position.
l Switch off the ignition for at least 10 minutes and disconnect the batte\
ry
l Wait at least one minute
l Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to position II
l Press firmly on the brake pedal.
l Move the gear selector from (P)ark to the (N)eutral position.
There is no maintenance to perform on the SRS yourself. The month and ye\
ar shown on the decal on the
door pillar indicate when you should contact your Volvo retailer for spe\
cific servicing or replacement of
airbags and seat belt pretensioners. This maintenance must be performed \
by an authorized Volvo
retailer. Should you have any questions about the SRS system, please con\
tact your authorized Volvo
retailer or Volvo Customer Support: In the U.S.A In Canada:
Volvo Cars of North America Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
Customer Relations 175 Gordon Baker Road
P.O. Box 914 North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914 800-663-8255
800-458-1552
pg. 9 Safety
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Why Volvo believes no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle
It's quite simple really. A front airbag is a very powerful device desig\
ned, by law, to help protect an
adult. Because of the size of the airbag and its speed of inflation, a c\
hild should never be placed in the
front seat, even if he or she is properly belted or strapped into a chil\
d safety seat. Volvo has been an
innovator in safety for over fifty years, and we'll continue to do our p\
art. But we need your help. Please
remember to put your children in the back seat, and buckle them up.
Volvo has some very specific recommendations:
l Always wear your seat belt.
l Airbags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety device which, when used with a three-p\
oint seat belt can help
reduce serious injuries during certain types of accidents. Volvo recomme\
nds that you do not disconnect
the airbag system in your vehicle.
l Volvo strongly recommends that ALL children sit in the rear seat of any \
vehicle and that they be
properly restrained.
l A child should NEVER sit in the front passenger seat of any vehicle equi\
pped with a passenger-side
front airbag.
l Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than\
four feet seven inches (140
cm) be seated in the back seat of any vehicle with a front passenger si\
de airbag.
Drive safely!
* Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor
pg. 21 Safety
Occupant safety, Reporting safety defects
Seat belt maintenance
Check periodically that the seat belts are in good condition. Use water \
and a mild detergent for cleaning.
Check seat belt mechanism function as follows: attach the seat belt and \
pull rapidly on the strap.
Volvo concern for safety
Safety is Volvo's cornerstone. Our concern dates back to 1927 when the f\
irst Volvo rolled off the
production line. Three-point seat belts (a Volvo invention), safety ca\
ges, and energy-absorbing impact
zones were designed into Volvo vehicles long before it was fashionable o\
r required by government
regulation. We will not compromise our commitment to safety. We continue\
to seek out new safety
features and to refine those already in our vehicles. You can help. We w\
ould appreciate hearing your
suggestions about improving automobile safety. We also want to know if y\
ou ever have a safety concern
with your vehicle. Call us in the U.S. at: 800-458-1552 or in Canada at:\
800-663-8255.
Occupant safety
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2003 VOLVO XC90
When a warning light in the instrument panel comes on, a message is also\
displayed in the text window.
After you have read the message, you can erase it by pressing button A (\
see illustration).
NOTE: Certain messages cannot be erased until the condition has been correcte\
d.
If a warning message is displayed when e.g. you are using the trip compu\
ter, this message must be
erased before you can access the function of your choice. Press button A\
to erase the warning message.
You can scroll through the stored messages by pressing button A (see il\
lustration). The text window can
be cleared (the message will be returned to memory) by pressing button\
A again. Message Meaning:
STOP SAFELY: Stop and switch off the engine - to help prevent serious risk of
damage.
STOP ENGINE: Stop and switch off the engine - to help prevent serious risk of
damage.
SERVICE URGENT: Take your vehicle to an authorized Volvo retailer for inspection as
soon as possible.
SEE MANUAL: Refer to your owner's manual. For additional information, please
contact your Volvo retailer.
SERVICE REQUIRED: Take your vehicle to an authorized Volvo retailer for inspection at
your convenience (but preferably before the next scheduled
maintenance).
FIX NEXT SERVICE: Have the system affected inspected at the next scheduled
maintenance.
TIME FOR REGULAR
SERVICE This light will come on at 7,500 mile (12,000 km) intervals, after
750 hours of driving or after 12 months, whichever occurs first, to
remind the driver that the maintenance interval has been exceeded.
The light will stay on for 2 minutes after start until reset by the
servicing retailer.
pg. 29 Instruments and controls
Switches in center console
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Acceleration
The air conditioning is momentarily disengaged during full-throttle acce\
leration.
Climate control maintenance
All maintenance on the climate control systems should be carried out by \
an authorized Volvo service technician only.
Refrigerant
Volvo cares about the environment. The air conditioning system in your v\
ehicle contains a CFC-free refrigerant - R134a.
This substance will not deplete the ozone layer. The system contains 2.2\
lbs (1000 g) R134a and uses PAG oil.
Passenger compartment blower
Approximately 50 minutes after the ignition is turned off, the blower ma\
y come on automatically, and run for seven
minutes, to remove condensation in the A/C evaporator.
Blower function to reduce battery drain
The climate system's blower functions normally while the engine is runni\
ng.
However, when the engine is switched off (even if the ignition is switc\
hed to positions I or II), the blower control will be
automatically switched off to avoid unnecessary battery drain. The follo\
wing points pertain if the ignition key is on but the
engine is not running:
l To restart the blower, turn the control knob to the setting of your choi\
ce.
l After approximately 2 minutes, the blower speed will be reduced to avoid\
battery drain.
You can reset the blower speed at any time. Please be aware that the sys\
tem has been designed to reduce the blower's speed
again after 2 minutes, until the engine is started. If the battery becom\
es drained:
l LOW BATTERY, FAN IS REDUCED will be displayed in the text window in the \
instrument panel.
l The yellow warning light in the instrument panel (see page 25) will also light up.
pg. 47 Climate control
Air distribution
Air distribution
The incoming air is distributed through the ventilation points in the pa\
ssenger compartment shown above.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 84 Starting and driving
ENGINE OIL
Although some oil consumption occurs during normal engine operation, mor\
e oil is consumed when the
engine is new as the internal parts generate higher friction while weari\
ng-in to each other. From the time
the engine is new until the first maintenance is performed, the oil cons\
umption could be higher than
normal. For this reason, it is especially important to check the oil eve\
ry time you refuel your vehicle
during this period. See
page 130.
Fuel requirements
Octane rating
Volvo engines are designed for optimum performance on unleaded premium g\
asoline with an AKI
octane rating of 91 or above. AKI (ANTI KNOCK INDEX) is an average of \
the Research Octane
Number, RON, and the Motor Octane Number, MON. ((RON + MON)/2). The \
minimum octane
requirement is AKI 87 (RON 91).
Deposit control gasoline (detergent additives)
Volvo recommends the use of detergent gasoline to control engine deposit\
s. Detergent gasoline is
effective in keeping injectors and intake valves clean. Consistent use o\
f deposit control gasolines will
help ensure good driveability and fuel economy. If you are not sure whet\
her the gasoline contains
deposit control additives, check with the service station operator.
NOTE: Volvo does not recommend the use of external fuel injector cleaning syst\
ems.
Unleaded fuel
Each Volvo has a three-way catalytic converter and must use only unleade\
d gasoline. U.S. and Canadian
regulations require that pumps delivering unleaded gasoline be labelled \
"UNLEADED". Only these
pumps have nozzles which fit your vehicle's filler inlet. It is unlawful\
to dispense leaded fuel into a
vehicle labelled "unleaded gasoline only". Leaded gasoline damages the t\
hree-way catalytic converter
and the heated oxygen sensor system. Repeated use of leaded gasoline wil\
l lessen the effectiveness of
the emission control system and could result in loss of emission warrant\
y coverage. State and local
vehicle inspection programs will make detection of misfueling easier, po\
ssibly resulting in emission test
failure for misfueled vehicles.
NOTE: Some U.S. and Canadian gasolines contain an octane enhancing additive ca\
lled methyl-
cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). If such fuels are used, \
your Emission Control System
performance may be affected, and the Check Engine Light (malfunction in\
dicator lamp) located on your
instrument panel may light. If this occurs, please return your vehicle t\
o an authorized Volvo retailer for
maintenance.
Gasoline containing alcohol and ethers
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Never switch off the ignition (turn the ignition key to position 0) or\
remove the key from the ignition
switch while the vehicle is in motion. This could cause the steering whe\
el to lock, which would make
the vehicle impossible to steer.
* The gear selector must be in the (P)ark position (automatic transmission).
** Please be aware that leaving the key in this position will increase b\
attery drain.
pg. 89 Starting and driving
General information
Economical driving conserves natural resources
Better driving economy may be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid\
starts and stops and
adjusting the speed of your vehicle to immediate traffic conditions. Obs\
erve the following rules:
l Bring the engine to normal operating temperature as soon as possible by \
driving with a light foot on
the accelerator pedal for the first few minutes of operation. A cold eng\
ine uses more fuel and is subject
to increased wear.
l Whenever possible, avoid using the vehicle for driving short distances. \
This does not allow the engine
to reach normal operating temperature.
l Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration and hard braking.
l Use the transmission's (D)rive position as often as possible and avoid using "kickdown" to help
improve fuel economy.
l Do not exceed posted speed limits.
l Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load) in the vehicle.
l Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire pressure regularly (when tir\
es are cold).
l Remove snow tires when threat of snow or ice has ended.
l Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc, increase air resistance and also f\
uel consumption.
l At highway driving speeds, fuel consumption will be lower with the air c\
onditioning on and the
windows closed than with the air conditioning off and the windows open. \
l Using the onboard trip computer's fuel consumption modes can help you le\
arn how to drive more
economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage are:
l Dirty air cleaner
l Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
l Dragging brakes
l Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and others are checked at the standard\
Maintenance intervals.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 103 Starting and driving
Towing a trailer
Volvo recommends the use of Volvo trailer hitches that are specially des\
igned for the vehicle.
l Maximum trailer weights recommended by Volvo are:
All models - trailers without brakes: 1,650 lbs (750 kg)
Models with all wheel drive - trailers with brakes: 4,960 lbs (2250 kg)\

Models with front wheel drive - trailers with brakes: 3,970 lbs (1800 k\
g)
Observe the legal requirements of the state/province in which the vehicl\
es are registered.
l All Volvo models are equipped with energy-absorbing shock-mounted bumper\
s. Trailer hitch
installation should not interfere with the proper operation of this bump\
er system.
Trailer towing does not normally present any particular problems, but ta\
ke into consideration:
l Increase tire pressure to recommended full. See section "Wheels and tire\
s."
l When your vehicle is new, avoid towing heavy trailers during the first 6\
20 miles (1,000 km).
l Recommended hitch tongue load is: Trailer weights below 2,650 lbs (1,200 kg) - 110 lbs (50 kg)
Trailer weights above 2,650 lbs (1,200 kg) - 198 lbs (90 kg)
l Maximum speed when towing a trailer: 50 mph (80 km/h).
l Engine and transmission are subject to increased loads. Therefore, engin\
e coolant temperature should
be closely watched when driving in hot climates or hilly terrain. Use a \
lower gear and turn off the air
conditioner if the temperature gauge needle enters the red range.
l If the automatic transmission begins to overheat, a message will be disp\
layed in the text window.
l Avoid overload and other abusive operation.
l Hauling a trailer affects handling, durability, and economy.
l It is necessary to balance trailer brakes with the towing vehicle brakes\
to provide a safe stop (check
and observe state/local regulations).
l Do not connect the trailer's brake system directly to the vehicle's brak\
e system.
l More frequent vehicle maintenance is required.
l Remove the ball and drawbar assembly when the hitch is not being used.
l Volvo recommends the use of synthetic engine oil when towing a trailer o\
ver long distances or in
mountainous areas.
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