Get Starting, driving, gearshifting -> Driving with trailer Guide for Volvo Xc70 SUV First Generation (1997-2007)

107

Driving with braked trailer

Driving with trailer

· The towing bracket on the car must be of an approved type. Your

Volvo dealer can advise you as to which towing bracket to use.

· Distribute the load in the trailer so that the weight on the towing

bracket is approximately 50 kg for trailer weights under 1200 kg and

approximately 75 kg for trailer weights over 1200 kg.

· Increase tyre pressure to correspond to the pressure for full load. See

the tyre pressure table!

· Clean the towing bracket regularly and grease the towball* and all

moving parts to prevent unnecessary wear.

· Do not drive with a heavy trailer when your car is brand new! Wait

until it has gone at least 1000 km (620 miles).

· The brakes are loaded much more than usual on long and steep

downhill slopes. Downshift to a lower gear and adjust your speed.

· If the car is driven with a heavy load in a hot climate, the engine and

gearbox may overheat. The temperature gauge in the combined

instrument panel goes into the red zone when the car overheats. Stop

and let the engine idle a few minutes.

· If the car overheats, the air conditioning system can be temporarily

switched off.

· The gearbox reacts with a built-in protection function if the car

overheats. See the message in the display!

· The engine is loaded more heavily than usual when driving with a

trailer.

· For reasons of safety, you should not drive faster than 80 km/h

(50 mph), even if the laws of certain countries permit higher speeds.

· The highest permissible weight for a trailer without brakes is 750 kg.

· If you park with a trailer, always move the gear selector to the P

position (automatic transmission), or engage a gear (manual gearbox).

If you park on steep hills always put chocks under the wheels.

· Avoid driving with trailer weights above 1200 kg on inclines great

than 12%. You should not drive with a trailer on inclines above 15%.

* Does not apply to ball hitch with vibration damper.

Driving with trailer - automatic transmission

· When parking on a slope you should apply the parking brake before

moving the gear selector to the P position. When starting on a slope

you should first move the gear selector to the driving position and then

release the parking brake.

· Select an appropriate low gear position on the gearbox when driving

on steep slopes or if driving slowly. In doing so, you prevent the

gearbox from changing up if you have an automatic transmission. The

gearbox oil will be cooler.

· If you have a Geartronic transmission, do not use a higher manual gear

than what the engine can ”handle”. It is not always economical to drive

in high gears.

NOTE! Some models must be fitted with an oil cooler for the automatic

transmission when driving with a trailer. You should therefore check with

your closest Volvo dealer about just your car if a towbar has been fitted at

a later date.

108

Driving with braked trailer

0300202M

Level control

If you car is equipped with automatic levelling, the rear suspension always

retains the correct ride height regardless of the load. When the car is

stationary, the rear suspension sinks, which is completely normal. When

starting with a load, the level is pumped up after a certain distance.

NOTE! The following are the highest trailer weights permitted by

the Volvo Car Corporation. Remember that national traffic

regulations may further limit trailer weight and speed.

The towbar may be certified for higher tow weights than the car

should tow.

Maximum permitted trailer Recommended

weight for braked trailer ball pressure

0-1200 kg.................................................... 50 kg

1201-1600 kg.............................................. 75 kg

1601-1800 kg.............................................. 75 kg

WARNING!

If you do not follow the given recommendations, the trailer and

car may be difficult to control during evasive manoeuvres and

braking, which can be dangerous to you and others on the road.

109

Towing bracket

IMG-201504

Towbars

The towball must be cleaned and greased

regularly. If a towball hitch with vibration

damper is used, it is not necessary to grease the

towball.

If the car is equipped with a detachable towbar,

follow the towball mounting instructions

carefully. See page 111.

NOTE! Always remove the towball section

after use. Store it in the cargo compartment.

WARNING!

Be sure to attach the trailer’s safety cable to

the correct place.

WARNING!

If the car is fitted with a Volvo detachable

towbar:

• Follow the towball mounting instructions

carefully.

• The towball must be locked with the key

before driving off.

• Check that the indicator window shows

green.

Trailer cable

An adapter is required if the car’s towbar has a

13-pin connector and the trailer has a 7-pin

connector. Use an adapter cable approved by

Volvo. Make sure the cable does not drag on

the ground.

110

8902085m

8902084m

Towing bracket

Distance A above:

Fixed tow hitch

V70/V70 AWD: 1094 mm

XC70: 1125 mm

Max. ball pressure: 75 kg

Attachment points

under the car

Distance B above:

V70/V70 AWD: 70 mm

XC70: 70 mm

111

Detachable towbar – mounting the ball section

IMG-20418

IMG-2041

8903789j

Mounting the ball section

1. Remove the guard plug.

2. Ensure that the mechanism is in the

unlocked position by turning the key

clockwise.

3. Check that the indicator window (3) shows

red.

If the window does not show red, press in

(1) and turn the locking wheel anticlockwise

(2) until there is an audible click.

112

IMG-2041

IMG-20418

IMG-204191

4. Insert the towball section until there is an

audible click.

NOTE! The trailer’s safety cable must be

connected to the attachment on the towbar.

5. Check that the indicator window shows

green.

6. Turn the key anticlockwise to the locked

position. Remove the key from the lock.

7. NOTE! Check that the towball section is

secure by pulling it up, down and back.

8903891

If the towball section is not fitted correctly then

it must be removed and refitted in accordance

with the previous steps.

Detachable towbar – mounting the ball section

113

Detachable towbar – mounting the ball section

IMG-2041

IMG-20418

IMG-20419

1. Insert the key and turn it clockwise to the

unlocked position.

2. Push in the locking wheel and turn it

anticlockwise until there is an audible click.

3. Turn the locking wheel down fully until it

comes to a stop. Hold it in this position

while pulling the towball rearward and

upward.

4. Insert the guard plug.

114

Load carrier cover

Use the lug on the on the torque wrench (see

illustration) or the ignition key to unscrew or

secure the cover. Turn a quarter turn.

8901671d

Roof loads – roof rails and the load carriers

Fitting the load carriers

Make sure that the load carrier is pressed firmly

out against the roof rail. Screw the load carrier

in place. Use the supplied torque wrench,

tightening to the mark on the wrench (cor-

responding to 6 Nm). See illustration!

Position of load carriers

Make sure that the load carriers are placed the

right way round on the roof rails. The load

carriers can be placed anywhere along the roof

rail.

When driving without a roof load, the front load

carrier should be positioned about 50 mm in

front of the centre roof mounting and the rear

load carrier positioned about 35 mm in front of

the rear roof mounting (illustrated above). This

is to keep wind noise to a minimum.

8901878m

8901672m

115

Load carrier - Roof loads

General

Load capacity is affected by extra accessories

mounted on the car, such as a towbar, the load

on the towball (75 kg with trailer hitched), load

carriers and roof box, as well as the passengers’

combined weight. The load capacity of the car

is reduced by the number of passengers and

their weight.

WARNING!

The car’s driving characteristics change de-

pending on how heavily it is loaded and how

the load is distributed.

Fitting the load carriers

1. Make sure the load carrier is placed in the

right direction (see the marking on the decal

under the cover).

2. Fit the guide pins into the guide holes (1).

3. Carefully lower the bracket on the other side

to the roof.

4. Screw the knob up a bit.

Press the knob against the roof bracket

catch the hook in the roof bracket under

the roof rail.

5. Screw the load carrier in place.

6. Fit the guide pins of the other brackets into

the guide holes.

7. Screw the load carrier in place.

8. Check that the hook is properly secured in

the roof bracket.

9 Tighten the knobs alternately until the

carrier feels secure.

10. Replace the cover.

11. Regularly check that the knobs are

securely tightened.

8902060

Load carrier attachment points

If you use load carriers

· To avoid damaging your car and to achieve

the best level of safety when driving, we

recommend that you only use load carriers

that Volvo has specially designed for your

car.

· Check periodically that the load carriers

and load are properly secured. Lash the

load securely with suitable straps.

· Distribute the load evenly over the load

carriers. Do not load lopsidedly. Place the

heaviest items at the bottom.

· Keep in mind that the car’s wind resistance

and fuel consumption increase in proportion

to the size of the load.

· Drive gently. Avoid quick accelerations,

heavy braking and taking curves hard.

WARNING!

Load no more than 100 kg on the roof, in-

clusive of the load carriers or roof box.

The car’s centre of gravity and driving char-

acteristics are altered by roof loads.

Starting, driving, gearshifting -> Driving with trailer for Your Volvo Xc70 SUV First Generation (1997-2007)

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