Volvo S40 - ANNEXE 244, Owner'S Manual

Page: 142 / 316

06 Starting and driving
General
06
142
Economical driving
Driving economically means driving smoothly
while thinking ahead and adjusting your driving
style and speed to the prevailing conditions.
•
Drive in the highest gear possible, adapted
to the current traffic situation and road -
lower engine speeds result in lower fuel
consumption.
•
Avoid driving with open windows.
•
Avoid sudden unnecessary acceleration
and heavy braking.
•
Remove unnecessary items from the car -
the greater the load the higher the fuel con-
sumption.
•
Use engine braking to slow down, when it
can take place without risk to other road
users.
•
A roof load and ski box increase air resis-
tance, leading to higher fuel consumption
- remove the load carriers when not in use.
•
Do not run the engine to operating tem-
perature at idling speed, but rather drive
with a light load as soon as possible - a
cold engine consumes more fuel than a
warm one.
•
Cars with the D2 engine and 6-speed man-
ual transmission with Start/Stop are
started in 2nd gear under normal condi-
tions on level ground.
For more information and further advice, see
the pages 15 and 293.
WARNING
Never switch off the engine while moving,
such as downhill, this deactivates important
systems such as the power steering and
brake servo.
Driving in water
The car can be driven through water at a maxi-
mum depth of 25 cm at a maximum speed of
10 km/h. Extra caution should be exercised
when passing through flowing water.
IMPORTANT
Engine damage can occur if water enters
the air filter.
In greater depths, water can enter the trans-
mission. This reduces the lubricating ability
of the oils and shortens the service life of the
systems.
When driving in water, maintain a low speed
and do not stop the car. When the water has
been passed, depress the brake pedal lightly
and check that full brake function is achieved.
Water and mud for example can make the
brake linings wet resulting in delayed brake
function.
•
Clean the electric contacts of the electric
engine block heater and trailer coupling
after driving in water and mud.
IMPORTANT
Do not let the car stand with water over the
sills for any long period of time. This could
cause electrical malfunctions.
In the event of stalling in water, do not try to
restart. Tow the car from the water.
Engine, gearbox and cooling system
Under special conditions, for example hard
driving in hilly terrain and hot climate, there is
a risk that the engine and drive system may
overheat - in particular with a heavy load.
For supplementary information about over-
heating when driving with a trailer - see
page 180.
•
Remove any auxiliary lamps from in front
of the grille when driving in hot climates.
•
In the event of a risk of overheating a built-
in protection function in the gearbox is acti-
vated which, amongst other things, illumi-
nates the instrument panel's yellow infor-
mation lamp and there is a text message