Get Starting and driving -> General information Guide for Volvo C30 4 Door First Generation (2006-2013)

06 Starting and driving

General information

Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire

pressure regularly (when tires are cold).

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.

•

WARNING

Driving with the liftgate open: Driving with

the liftgate open could lead to poisonous

exhaust gases entering the passenger com-

partment. If the liftgate must be kept open

for any reason, proceed as follows:

Remove snow tires when threat of snow or

ice has ended.

Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc,

increase air resistance and also fuel con-

sumption.

1. Close the windows.

Observe the following rules:

At highway driving speeds, fuel consump-

tion will be lower with the air conditioning

on and the windows closed than with the

air conditioning off and the windows open.

•

2. Set the ventilation system control to air

flow to floor, windshield and side win-

dows and the blower control to its high-

est setting.

Bring the engine to normal operating tem-

•

perature as soon as possible by driving

with a light foot on the accelerator pedal for

the first few minutes of operation. A cold

engine uses more fuel and is subject to

increased wear.

Using the onboard trip computer's fuel

consumption modes can help you learn

how to drive more economically.

Weight distribution affects handling

Whenever possible, avoid using the vehicle

•

At the specified curb weight your vehicle has a

tendency to understeer, which means that the

steering wheel has to be turned more than

might seem appropriate for the curvature of a

bend. This ensures good stability and reduces

the risk of rear wheel skid. Remember that

these properties can alter with the vehicle load.

The heavier the load in the cargo area, the less

the tendency to understeer.

for driving short distances. This does not

allow the engine to reach normal operating

temperature.

Other factors that decrease gas mileage

are:

Dirty air cleaner

•

Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration

and hard braking.

•

Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter

Dragging brakes

Use the transmission's Drive (D) position

as often as possible and avoid using kick-

down.

•

Incorrect front end alignment

Some of the above mentioned items and others

are checked at the standard maintenance

intervals.

On models with a manual transmission,

use the highest gear possible, depending

on the vehicle's speed.

•

Do not exceed posted speed limits.

•

Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra

load) in the vehicle.

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06 Starting and driving

General information

Volvo. Different types of antifreeze must

not be mixed.

Handling, roadholding

CAUTION

Vehicle load, tire design and inflation pressure

all affect vehicle handling. Therefore, check

that the tires are inflated to the recommended

pressure according to the vehicle load. See the

"Tire pressure" section. Loads should be dis-

tributed so that capacity weight or maximum

permissible axle loads are not exceeded.

Engine damage will occur if water is

drawn into the air cleaner.

•

Volvo recommends using only genuine

Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle's radiator.

Your Volvo retailer stocks plenty of Volvo

engine coolant to help protect your vehicle

during cold weather.

•

If the vehicle is driven through water

deeper than 9 in. (25 cm), water may

enter the differential and the transmis-

sion. This reduces the oil's lubricating

capacity and may shorten the service

life of these components.

Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – this

prevents the formation of condensation in

the tank. In addition, in extremely cold

weather conditions it is worthwhile to add

fuel line de-icer before refueling.

Driving through water

Do not allow the vehicle to stand in

water up to the door sills longer than

absolutely necessary. This could result

in electrical malfunctions.

•

The vehicle can be driven through water up to

a depth of approximately 9 in. (25 cm), at a

maximum speed of 6 mph (10 km/h).

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. 0W-30 oil is recommended for

driving in areas with sustained low temper-

atures.

If the engine has been stopped while the

car is in water, do not attempt to restart

the engine. Have the car towed out of

the water.

Take particular care when driving through

flowing water.

•

Clean the electrical connections for trailer

wiring after driving in mud or water

•

When driving through water, maintain low

speed and do not stop in the water.

•

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.

•

Cold weather precautions

If you wish to check your vehicle before the

approach of cold weather, the following advice

is worth noting:

WARNING

After driving through water, press lightly on

the brake pedal to ensure that the brakes

are functioning normally. Water or mud can

make the brake linings slippery, resulting in

delayed braking effect.

Make 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). See section "Coolant". The use of

"recycled" antifreeze is not approved by

143

06 Starting and driving

General information

Volvo recommends the use of snow tires

on all four wheels for winter driving – see

the chapter "Wheels and tires."

•

Conserving electrical current

Keep the following in mind to help minimize

battery drain:

NOTE

If the ignition is switched on, a warning

message will be displayed in the text

window in the instrument panel when

the battery charge is low.

•

To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from

freezing, add washer solvents containing

antifreeze (see page 220 for the location of

the washer fluid reservoir). This is impor-

tant since dirt is often splashed on the

windshield during winter driving, requiring

the frequent use of the washers and wip-

ers. Volvo Washer Solvent should be dilu-

ted 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 sol-

vent and 3 parts water Down to 0 °F

(–18 °C): 1 part washer solvent and 2 parts

water Down to –18 °F (–28 °C): 1 part

washer solvent and 1 part water.

When the engine is not running, avoid turn-

•

ing the ignition key to position II. Many

electrical systems (the audio system, the

optional navigation system, power win-

dows, etc) will function with the ignition key

in position I. This position reduces drain on

the battery.

An energy conserving function

designed into the vehicle's electrical

system will switch off certain functions

or reduce the load on the battery by,

e.g., reducing the audio system's vol-

ume.

Please keep in mind that using systems,

•

accessories, etc that consume a great deal

of current when the engine is not running

could result in the battery being completely

drained. Driving or having the engine run-

ning for approximately 15 minutes will help

keep the battery charged.

Before a long distance trip

It is always worthwhile to have your vehicle

checked at a trained and qualified Volvo serv-

ice technician before driving long distances.

Your trained and qualified Volvo service tech-

nician will also be able to supply you with

bulbs, fuses, spark plugs and wiper blades for

your use in the event that problems occur.

The optional 12 volt socket in the cargo

•

Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.

•

area (certain models only) provides electri-

cal current even with the ignition switched

off, which drains the battery.

NOTE

Avoid using de-icing sprays as they can

cause damage to the locks.

As a minimum, the following items should be

checked before any long trip:

Check that engine runs smoothly and that

fuel consumption is normal.

•

Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage.

Have the transmission oil level checked¹.

•

Check condition of drive belts.

•

To prevent injury from contact with hot surfaces, do not inspect your vehicle's transmission fluid yourself. Have your vehicle's transmission fluid level inspected by a qualified Volvo service technician.

144

06 Starting and driving

General information

Check state of the battery's charge.

•

Examine tires carefully (the spare tire as

well), and replace those that are worn.

Check tire pressures.

The brakes, front wheel alignment, and

steering gear should be checked by your

Volvo retailer only.

•

Check all lights, including high beams.

•

Reflective warning triangles are legally

required in some states/provinces.

Have a word with your Volvo retailer if you

intend to drive in countries where it may be

difficult to obtain the correct fuel.

•

Consider your destination. If you will be

driving through an area where snow or ice

are likely to occur, consider snow tires.

•

145

Starting and driving -> General information for Your Volvo C30 4 Door First Generation (2006-2013)

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