Volvo XC90 owner manual Smoother starts with a trailer, Leveling

06 Starting and driving

Towing a trailer

06

160

WARNING

•Bumper-attached trailer hitches must not be used on Volvos, nor should safety chains be attached to the bumper.

•Trailer hitches attaching to the vehicle rear axle must not be used.

•Never connect a trailer's hydraulic brake system directly to the vehicle brake system, nor a trailer's lighting system directly to the vehicle lighting system. Consult a trained and qualified Volvo service technician for correct installation.

•When towing a trailer, the trailer's safety wire must be correctly fastened to the hole or hook provided in the trailer hitch on the vehicle. The safety wire should never be fastened to or wound around the drawbar ball.

Smoother starts with a trailer

Models equipped with the V8-engine and the 6-speed automatic transmission have a built- in function that reduces acceleration slightly in first gear when the vehicle is towing a trailer.

This is done to help avoid wheel spin and to make starting off smoother.

•This function is activated when the trailer's electrical connector is plugged into the

electrical socket mounted near the trailer hitch.

•The function is automatically deactivated when the trailer's wiring is disconnected from the socket. The vehicle will then accelerate normally.

NOTE

Since this function is activated when a con- nector is plugged into the electrical socket near the trailer hitch, it will be activated by any electrical equipment (e.g. bicycle racks with lighting, etc) that is plugged in, and will remain active until the equipment is unplug- ged from the socket.

Leveling

If your vehicle is equipped with automatic lev- eling, the rear suspension always retains the correct ride height regardless of the load.

•The system adjusts the rear suspension to the correct level after the vehicle has been driven a short distance.

•When the vehicle is stationary, the rear suspension lowers, which is normal.