02 Service and maintenance
10
Fuel Requirements
02
Octane Rating
MINIMUM
Typical pump octane label
Volvo recommends premium fuel for best
performance, but using 87 octane
1
or above
will not affect engine reliability.
Volvo engines are designed to achieve rated
horsepower, torque, and fuel economy per-
formance using premium 91 octane fuel. In
demanding conditions, such as operating the
vehicle in hot weather, towing a trailer, or
driving for extended periods at higher alti-
tudes than normal, it may be advisable to
switch to higher octane fuel (91 or higher) or
to change gasoline brands to fully utilize your
engines capacity, and for the smoothest pos-
sible operation.
Fuel Formulations
Do not use gasoline that contains lead as a
knock inhibitor, and do not use lead addi-
tives. Besides damaging the exhaust emis-
sion control systems on your vehicle, lead
has been strongly linked to certain forms of
cancer.
Many fuels contain benzene as a solvent. Un-
burned benzene has been strongly linked to
certain forms of cancer. If you live in an area
where you must fill your own gas tank, take
precautions. These may include:
• standing upwind away from the filler noz-
zle while refueling
• refueling only at gas stations with vapor
recovery systems that fully seal the mouth
of the filler neck during refueling
• wearing neoprene gloves while handling a
fuel filler nozzle.
Use of Additives
With the exception of gas line antifreeze dur-
ing winter months, do not add solvents,
thickeners, or other store-bought additives to
your vehicle's fuel, cooling, or lubricating
systems. Overuse may damage your engine,
and some of these additives contain organi-
cally volatile chemicals. Do not needlessly
expose yourself to these chemicals.
Deposit control gasoline (detergent
additives)
Volvo recommends the use of detergent gas-
oline to control engine deposits. Detergent
gasoline is effective in keeping injectors and
1
AKI (ANTI KNOCK INDEX) is an average of the
Research Octane Number (RON) and the Mo-
tor Octane Number (MON), MON+RON/2.
G028920
NOTE
When switching to higher octane fuel or
changing gasoline brands, it may be neces-
sary to fill the tank more than once before a
difference in engine operation is noticeable.
WARNING
Never carry a cell phone that is
switched
on
while refueling your vehicle. If the phone
rings, this may cause a spark that could ig-
nite gasoline fumes, resulting in fire and in-
jury.
WARNING
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, colorless,
and odorless gas. It is present in all exhaust
gases. If you ever smell exhaust fumes in-
side the vehicle, make sure the passenger
compartment is ventilated, and immediately
return the vehicle to a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician for correction.
VCNA XC90 warranty manual week 1146.book Page 10 Friday, November 4, 2011 11:44 AM
