1993 Volvo 940

The following "Special Tips" apply to cars with automatic transmission

for steep hills and when driving for prolonged periods at low speed position 1should be selected. Avoid, however, repeated changes since this can cause overheating of the transmission oil. for driving on mountain roads with long persistent uphill gradients, select position 2.

When negotiating long, steep downhill slopes, position 1 or 2 should be selected, in order to obtain the best possible engine braking effect.

Do not hold the car stationary on an incline by using the accelerator pedal; instead, engage the parking brake. This prevents unnecessary heating of the transmission oil.

When towing, prepare as follows:
Disengage the 4th gear (the indicator light on the instrument panel goes on).

Engine warm-up - initial driving procedure

Experience shoes that engines in vehicles driven short distances are subject to abnormally-rapid wear because the engine never reaches normal operating temperature. It is therefore beneficial to reach normal operating temperature as soon as possible. This is best achieved by driving with a light forot on the accelerator pedal for a few minutes after starting, rather than prolonged idling.

pg. 4:6 Automatic transmission (cont.)

Gear selector positions

P park
R reverse
N neutral
D drive
2 intermediate
1 low

P (Park)

Use this position when parked with the engine running or stopped

Never use P while car is in motion.
The transmission is mechanically locked when in position P. Also, apply the parking brake when parking on grades.

WARNING!
Never leave the car when the engine is running. If, by mistake, the gear selector is moved from P, the car may start moving.

The gear selector is locked in the P position - SHIFT-LOCK.
To release the selector, start the engine and depress the brake pedal. See section 6:18 for instructions on manually releasing the gear selector.

R (Reverse)

Never engage R while is moving forward.

N (Neutral)

Neutral position = no gear is engaged. The engine can be started in this position. Use parking brake.

Driving gears

D (Drive)

D is the normal driving position. Upshifts and downshifts of the forward gears occur automatically and are governed by accelerator pedal position and vehicle speed.

Lock-up

With the gear selector in position D (Drive) the lockup device disengages the torque converter at speeds above approx. 47-56 mph (75-90 km/h). It provides lowered engine speeds and improved mileage.
The lockup engagement may be noticed as an extra upshift when accelerating.

pg. 4:7 Automatic transmission (cont.)

2 (intermediate position)

Upshifts and downshifts of first two gears (low and intermediate) occur automatically. No upshift to 3rd or 4th gear occurs. Position 2 may be used to obtain forced downshift to 2nd gear for increased engine braking effect.

1 (low position)

If position 1 is selected when driving at high speeds, 2 is engaged first and 1 when the speed has dropped to approx. 30 mph (50 km/h). No upshift can occur once 1 is engaged. Use position 1 to select low gear when no upshift is desired, for instance, when entering and descending steep grades.

Shift gate

The gear selector can be moved freely between D and 2. Selections of other positions are obtained by depressing the selector knob prior to moving the selector.
Slightly depressing the selector knob allows selection of positions N, D, 2 and L. Fully depressing the selector knob allows selection of positions R and P. This is also necessary when initially bringing the selector out of position P.
Fully depressing the selector knob thus permits shifting freely between all positions.

pg. 4:8 Automatic transmission (cont.)

4th gear disengagement:

The 4th gear is engaged automatically after the transmission has shifted through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears at certain speeds and loads. By pressing in the button at the rear of the selector level, the 4th gear can be disengaged, thus providing a three-speed transmission. As a reminder the é light on the dashboard glows. By pressing in the button again, the transmission reverts to four-speed operation and the é light shuts off.

Disengage the 4th gear when:

- towing a trailer
- driving in mountainous regions.
Since using the 4th gear improves fuel economy, it should be used as often as possible in conditions other than those stated above.

WARNING!

Never select P or R while the car is in motion.

When initially selecting positions D, 3, 2, 1, or R, your forot should press firmly on the brake pedal to ensure that the car is standing still with the engine idling.

The gear selector should not be downshifted to 2 or 1 at speeds above 75 mph (125 km/h). *
* Always observe local speed limits.

Kick-down

Automatic shift to a lower gear (kick-down) is achieved by depressing the accelerator pedal fully and briskly. An up-shift will be achieved when approaching the top speed for a particular gear or by releasing the accelerator pedal slightly. Kick-down can be used for maximum acceleration or when passing at highway speeds below a certain limit.

NOTE: The kickdown feature should not be used during the break-in period.

pg. 4:9 Three-way catalytic converter

Three-way catalytic converter cautions

Keep your engine properly tuned. Certain engine malfunctions, particularly involving the electrical, fuel or distributor ignition systems, may cause unusually high three-way catalytic converter temperatures. Do not continue to operate your vehicle if you detect engine misfire, noticeable loss of power or other unusual operating conditions, such as engine overheating or backfiring. A properly tuned engine will help avoid malfunction that could damage the three-way catalytic converter.

Remember that tampering or unauthorized modification to the engine or the vehicle may be illegal and can cause three-way catalytic converter or exhaust system overheating. This includes:
- Altering fuel injection settings or components. Adjusting distributor ignition timing beyond specified limits.
- Altering emission system components or location or removing components
- Repeated use of leaded fuel.

Do not park your car over combustible materials, such as grass or leaves, which can come into contact with the hot exhaust system and cause such materials to ignite under certain wind and weather conditions.

Excessive starter cranking (in excess of one minute), with an intermittently firing or flooded engine, can cause three-way catalytic converter or exhaust system overheating.

NOTE: Unleaded fuel is required for cars with three-way catalytic converters. A label on the instrument panel and inside fuel tank filler door will remind owners and filling station attendants of this requirement.
Important! It is unlawful to dispense leaded fuel into any vehicle labeled "unleaded gasoline only".

pg. 4:10 Points to remember

Weight distribution affects handling

At the specified curb weight your car 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 trunk, the less the tendency to understeer.

Handling, roadholding

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 "Tire pressure" section. Loads should be distributed so that capacity weight or maximum permissible axle loads are not exceeded.

WARNING! It is recommended that tire of the same make and dimensions be used on all four wheels (including the use of snow tires). Do not use bias ply tires as this will adversely alter vehicle handling characteristics.

WARNING!
An extra mat on the driver's floor can cause the accelerator pedal to catch. Check that the movement of the accelerator pedal is not impeded. Not more than one protective floor covering may be used at one time.

CAUTION: Driving through standing water
Drive slowly and carefully if going through standing water (i.e. flooded roadways, etc.). Damage to engine could result if excess water is ingested through the air intake system.
Never drive the vehicle in water deeper than 1 forot (300 mm).

WARNING! Do not drive with trunk lid or tailgate open!
Poisonous exhaust gases may enter via the trunk lid or tailgate.
If the trunk lid/tailgate must be kept open for any reason, proceed as follows:

Close the windows.

Set the ventilation system control to

and blower control to its highest setting.

Roof racks (removable and permanent)

Roof rails are available as Volvo accessories. Observe the following points when is use:

Avoid single-point loads. Distribute the load evenly.

Place heavier cargo at bottom of load.

Observe that center of gravity and handling are influenced by load weight.

Increasing load size increases wind resistance and, thus, adversely affects fuel economy.

Anchor the cargo correctly with a cord.

Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, fast cornering and hard braking.

Max. roof load is 220 lbs. (100 kg) for removable racks mounted on drip rails. for permanent roof racks, check the manufacturers weight specifications.

Max. roof load is 70 lbs (30 kg) for permanent rack mounted directly on roof.

Cooling system

The risk for overheating is greatest, especially in hot weather, when:

towing a trailer up steep inclines for prolonged periods at wide open throttle and low engine rpm.

idling for prolonged periods while the air conditioning is in operation. stopping the engine suddenly after high speed driving (so-called "after-boiling" can occur).

pg. 4:11 Points to remember (cont.)

To avoid overheating, the following rules should be followed:

Reduce speed and downshift when towing a trailer up long, steep inclines. The risk of overheating can be reduced by switching off the air conditioning system for a short time.

Do not let the engine idle unnecessarily for prolonged periods.

Do not stop the engine immediately after high-speed driving, but instead, allow the engine to idle for 1/2-1 minute before switching off.
When the risk of overheating is imminent, or in the event of overheating, (the temperature gauge goes repeatedly into, or stays continually in, the red section) the following precautions should be taken:

Switch off the air conditioning system.

Stop the car and put the gear lever into neutral (position N). Do not stop the engine!

Increase the engine speed to approx. 2000 rpm (twice idling speed)

If the vehicle is overheating, switch the heater to full (maximum) position.

Check the level of coolant in the expansion tank. Top-up, if necessary. See "Cooling System".

The engine must NOT be running when coolant is topped-up.

Electrical system

When replacing the battery or when carrying out work involving the electrical system, the following should be observed:

A battery connection to the wrong terminal will damage the diodes. Before connections are made, check the polarity of the battery with a voltmeter.

If booster batteries are used for starting, they must be properly connected to minimize the risk of the diode being damaged. for correct connection, see "Jump starting" section.

Never disconnect the battery circuit (for example, to replace the battery) while the engine is running, as this will immediately ruin the generator. Always make sure that all the battery connections are properly tightened.

If any electrical/welding work is performed on the vehicle, the battery's ground lead (negative cable) and all the connecting cables of the generator must be disconnected and the welder cables placed as near the welding point as possible.

If the radio has an anti-theft code and the battery has been disconnected, the code must be re-entered before the radio will function properly.

WARNING!
The Supplemental Restraint System is grounded under the driver's seat. Do not loosen the two screws grounding the unit. Do not ground other electrical components using these screws or any other points near them. Faults in the system could occur if it is improperly grounded.

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