tow VOLVO XC90 2009 Owner´s Manual

Contents
6
06
06 Starting and drivingGeneral information................................128
Fuel requirements................................... 129
Refueling................................................. 131
Starting the vehicle................................. 133
Ignition switch and steering wheel lock. . 135
Economical driving.................................. 136
Difficult driving conditions...................... 137
Automatic transmission..........................138
Jump starting.......................................... 141
All Wheel Drive (option)........................... 142
Brake system.......................................... 143
Stability system....................................... 145
Front/rear park assist (accessory/option) 147
Towing.................................................... 149
Towing a trailer....................................... 151
Detachable trailer hitch........................... 155
Load carriers (accessory)........................ 156
Cold weather precautions....................... 157
Before a long distance trip...................... 158
Blind Spot Information System...............159
07
07 Wheels and tiresGeneral information................................166
Tire inflation ............................................ 168
Tire inflation pressure tables – U.S. mod-
els............................................................ 170
Tire inflation pressure tables – Canadian
models.................................................... 171
Tire designations..................................... 172
Glossary of tire terminology.................... 174
Vehicle loading........................................ 175
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.................. 176
Snow chains, snow tires, studded tires. . 177
Temporary spare..................................... 178
Tire rotation............................................. 179
Changing wheels....................................180
Tire Sealing System ............................... 185
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) –
U.S. models only..................................... 190
08
08 Car careWashing and cleaning the vehicle.......... 194
Paint touch up......................................... 198

01 SafetySupplemental Restraint System
0120
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
G027284
SRS warning lightAs 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, the occupant
weight sensor, and inflatable curtains. All of
these systems are monitored by the SRS con-
trol module. An SRS warning light in the instru-
ment panel (see the illustration) illuminates
when the ignition key is turned to position I,II,
orIII, and will normally go out after approxi-
mately 7 seconds if no faults are detected in
the system.
Where applicable, a text message
will also be displayed when the SRS warning
light illuminates. If this warning symbol is not
functioning properly, the general warning sym-
bol illuminates and a text message will be dis-
played.
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
an authorized 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
put the key in the ignition before discon-
necting 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 tech-
nician for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle, use
the following procedure to override the
shiftlock system to move the gear selector
to the neutral position:
1. Switch off the ignition for at least
10 minutes and disconnect the battery.
2. Wait at least one minute.
3. Insert the key in the ignition and turn it
to position II
4. Press firmly on the brake pedal.
5.
Move the gear selector from P (Park) to
theN(Neutral) position.

01 SafetyFront airbags
0124
G032525
Airbag decal on passenger's side dashboard
WARNING
•
Children must never be allowed in the
front passenger's seat. Volvo recom-
mends that ALL occupants (adults and
children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches
(140 cm) be seated in the back seat of
any vehicle with a passenger-side front
airbag.
•
Occupants in the front passenger's seat
must never sit on the edge of the seat,
sit leaning toward the instrument panel
or otherwise sit out of position.
•
The occupant's back must be as upright
as comfort allows and be against the
seat back with the seat belt properly
fastened.
•
Feet must be on the floor, e.g., not on
the dash, seat or out of the window.
WARNING
•
No objects or accessory equipment,
e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed
on, attached to, or installed near the air
bag hatch (the area above the glove
compartment) or the area affected by
airbag deployment.
•
There should be no loose articles, e.g.
coffee cups, on the floor, seat, or dash-
board area.
•
Never try to open the airbag cover on
the steering wheel or the passenger's
side dashboard. This should only be
done by a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the vehicle occupants.

02 Instruments and controlsInstrument panel
0256
Seat belt reminder
This symbol lights up to indicate
that the driver has not fastened his/
her seat belt.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
If this light comes on while the
vehicle is being driven, or remains
on for longer than approximately
10 seconds after the vehicle has
been started, the SRS system's
diagnostic functions have detected a fault in a
seat belt lock or pretensioner, a front airbag,
side impact airbag, and/or an inflatable curtain.
Have the system(s) inspected by a trained and
qualified Volvo service technician as soon as
possible.
BRAKE – Brake failure warning lightIf the light comes on while driving or braking,
stop immediately, open the hood and check
the brake fluid level in the reservoir. see
page 212.
Canadian models are equipped
with this warning light.
If the BRAKE and ABS warning lights come
on at the same time, this could indicate a
fault in the brake system.•
Stop the vehicle in a suitable place and
switch off the engine.
•
Restart the engine.
•
If both warning lights go off, no further
action is required.
•
If both lights are still on after the engine has
been restarted, switch off the engine again
and check the brake fluid level (see
page 212 for the location of the brake fluid
reservoir).
If the brake fluid level is above the MIN mark,
drive carefully to a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician and have the brake system
inspected.WARNING
If the fluid level is below the MIN mark in the
reservoir or if a
Brake failure – Service
urgent
message is displayed in the text
window:DO NOT DRIVE
. Have the vehicle
towed to a trained and qualified Volvo serv-
ice technician and have the brake system
inspected.
PARK BRAKE Parking brake appliedThis light will be on when the parking brake
(hand brake) is applied. The parking brake
pedal is located on the left side of the driver's
footwell, see page 75 for more information.
Canadian models are equipped
with this symbol.Oil pressure warning light
2
If the light comes on while driv-
ing, stop the vehicle and then
stop the engine immediately and
check the engine oil level, see
page 58. If the light stays on after
restart, have the vehicle towed to the nearest
trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
After hard driving, the light may come on occa-
sionally when the engine is idling. This is nor-
mal, provided it goes off when the engine
speed is increased.
Generator warning light
If the light comes on while the
engine is running, have the charg-
ing system checked.
2On certain engines, the symbol for low oilpressure is not used. Instead, a text warningis provided in the information display, see page 58.

02 Instruments and controls
Instrument panel
0257
Rear fog light
This light indicates that the fog
light is on.
CHECK ENGINE Malfunction indicator
lightOn-Board Diagnostics II (OBDII): As you drive,
a computer called "OBDII" monitors your vehi-
cle's engine, transmission, electrical and emis-
sion systems. The CHECK ENGINE light will
light up if the computer senses a condition that
potentially may need correcting. When this
happens, please have your vehicle checked by
a trained and qualified Volvo service technician
as soon as possible.
ACHECK ENGINE light may have many cau-
ses. Sometimes, you may not notice a change
in your vehicle's behavior. Even so, an uncor-
rected condition could hurt fuel economy,
emission cleanliness, and driveability.
Extended driving without correcting the cause
could even damage other components in your
vehicle.
Canadian models are equipped
with this warning light.
ABS (Anti-lock brake system)
If the warning light comes on, there
is a malfunction of the ABS system
(the standard braking system will
still function). The vehicle should
be driven to a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician for inspection. See
page 143 for additional information.
DSTC system
The Dynamic Stability and Traction
Control system (DSTC) is
explained in greater detail on page
145.
Tire pressure monitoring light
See page 190 for more informa-
tion on this function.
Turn signal indicator – trailer (certain
models)
If you are towing a trailer, this light
will flash simultaneously with the
turn signals on the trailer. If the
light does not flash when signaling,
neither the trailer's turn signals nor
the vehicle's turn signals are functioning.

02 Instruments and controls
Center console controls
0261
NOTE
If the door mirrors have been inadvertently
pushed out of position (in a car wash, park-
ing lot, etc.) manually return them to normal
position. If mirror adjustment does not seem
to operate after manual folding, reset the
folding mirrors as follows:•
Turn the ignition key to position II.
•
Manually fold the mirror(s) to the normal
position.
•
Press the button to fold both mirrors in.
•
Press the button again to fold the mir-
rors out to their normal position.
Park Assist (option/accessory as
available)
This system provides an audi-
ble warning when the vehicle is
being parked or if it is driven
close to a person or object. For
more information see
page 147.
NOTE
The system activates automatically when
the engine is started, and can be deacti-
vated by pressing this button (e.g. when
towing a trailer) or reactivated if necessary.
Auxiliary lights
This button is used to switch on
auxiliary lights (if installed). A
light in the button will light up to
indicate that the auxiliary lights
are illuminated.
12 volt socket
This 12 volt socket can be used
to plug in certain accessories
such as cellular telephones,
etc. The ignition key must be in
position I (or higher) for the aux-
iliary socket to function.
NOTE
The auxiliary sockets can also be used for
cigarette lighters, which are available as
accessories at your Volvo retailer.Power child locks (option)
For more information on this
function, see page 124.

02 Instruments and controlsLeft-side steering wheel lever
0266
Lever positions
G026954
Turn signals, lane change positionTurn signals, position for normal turnsHigh beam flashToggle between high and low beams,
Home Safe lighting
Turn signalsWhen turningMove the lever as far up or down as possible
(to position 2) to start the turn signals. The turn
signals will be cancelled automatically by the
movement of the steering wheel, or the lever
can be returned to its initial position by hand.When changing lanesThe driver can automatically flash the turn sig-
nals 3 times by:•
Moving the turn signal lever up or down to
position (1) and releasing it.
•
Moving the lever up or down to position (2)
and immediately back to its original posi-
tion.NOTE
•
This automatic flashing sequence can
be interrupted by immediately moving
the lever in the opposite direction.
•
If the turn signal indicator flashes faster
than normal, check for a burned-out
turn signal bulb.
High/low beam headlightsContinuous high beams1.
Turn the ignition key to position II.
2. With the light switch (1) in position
, (see page 63) pull the turn signal
lever toward the steering wheel (position 4)
to toggle between high and low beams
(this also applies on models equipped with
the optional Active Bi-Xenon
Ÿ headlights).
High beam flash1.
Turn the ignition key to position II.
2. Pull the turn signal lever to position (3). The
high beams will remain on until the lever is
released.Home safe lightingWhen 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 switch.
2. Pull the direction indicator lever as far as
possible towards the steering wheel (to
position 4) and release it.
3. Exit the vehicle and lock the doors.
The headlights and parking lights will illuminate
and remain on for 30
1, 60 or 90 seconds. The
1Factory setting

02 Instruments and controlsParking brake
0276
G026992
Parking brake pedalHandle for releasing the parking brake
The parking brake pedal is located under the
dashboard, to the left of the brake pedal.NOTE
The indicator light will light up even if the
parking brake has only been partiallyap-
plied.When applying the parking brake
1. Press firmly on the brake pedal.
2. Press down pedal 1 firmly to its full extent.3. Release the brake pedal and ensure that
the vehicle is at a standstill.
4. If the vehicle rolls, the parking brake pedal
must be pushed down more firmly.
5. When parking a vehicle always put the gear
selector in P.
Parking on a hill
•
If the vehicle is pointing uphill, turn the front
wheels so that they point away from the
curb.
•
If the vehicle is pointing downhill, turn the
front wheels so that they point toward the
curb.
Releasing the parking brake
1. Press firmly on the brake pedal.
2. Pull handle 2.NOTE
If you inadvertently pull the plastic cover 2 ,
it can be pressed back into place.
WARNING
Press down the parking brake pedal firmly
to its full extent.

02 Instruments and controlsMirrors
0280
Rearview mirror
G026660
To reduce glare from the headlights of follow-
ing vehicles, use the control to switch between
the normal and night-driving positions.
Normal positionNight position, reduces glare from follow-
ing headlights
Autodim function (option)The autodim function reacts to headlights from
following traffic and automatically reduces
glare.
NOTE
This function is automatically switched off
when the gear selector is placed in the
Reverse position.Rearview mirror with compass (option)
G026965
The upper left-hand corner of the rearview mir-
ror has an integrated display that shows the
compass direction toward which the car is
pointing. Eight different directions can be dis-
played:
N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W
and
NW
. The
display shows your car's orientation with
respect to true north.
If the compass is activated, it will be displayed
automatically when the ignition is in postilion IIor when the engine is running. The compass
can be switched off or on by pressing the inset
button on the rear side of the mirror (see the
inset illustration). This can be done with
straightened paperclip or similar object. The
button is recessed approximately 1 in. (2.5 cm)
in the mirror.
G026409
Magnetic zonesThe earth is divided into 15 magnetic zones.
The compass is initially set for the zone to
which the car was delivered, and should
always be adjusted if the car is driven to a new
magnetic zone. To do so:
1.
Switch the ignition to position II.

03 ClimateAir distribution
0392
G027044
Air distributionThe incoming air is distributed through the ven-
tilation points in the passenger compartment
shown above.
G027043
Air vents in the dash
OpenClosedHorizontal air flowVertical air flow
Direct the outer air vents toward the side win-
dows to defrost.
0
G027064
Air vents in the door pillars
OpenClosedHorizontal air flowVertical air flow
Direct the outer air vents toward the side win-
dows to defrost.