If you wish to check your vehicle before the approach of cold weather, the following advice is worth noting:

• Make sure that the engine coolant contains 50 percent antifreeze. Any other mixture will reduce freeze protection. This gives protection against freezing down to –31 °F (–35 °C).
• The use of "recycled" antifreeze is not approved by Volvo. Different types of antifreeze must not be mixed.
• Volvo recommends using only genuine Volvo antifreeze in your vehicle's radiator.
Your Volvo retailer stocks plenty of Volvo engine coolant to protect your vehicle during cold weather.
• Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – this prevents the formation of condensation in the tank. In addition, in extremely cold weather conditions it is worthwhile to add fuel line de-icer before refueling.
• The viscosity of the engine oil is important.

Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil) improves cold-weather starting as well as decreasing fuel consumption while the engine is warming up. For winter use, 5W-30 oil, particularly the synthetic type1, is recommended.

Be sure to use good quality oil but do not use cold-weather oil for hard driving or in warm weather. See section "Engine oil" for more information.

• The load placed on the battery is greater during the winter since the windshield wipers, lighting, etc. are used more often.

Moreover, the capacity of the battery decreases as the temperature drops. In very cold weather, a poorly charged battery can freeze and be damaged. It is therefore advisable to check the state of charge more frequently and spray an antirust oil on the battery posts.

• Volvo recommends the use of snow tires on all four wheels for winter driving – see section "Wheels and tires."
• To prevent the washer fluid reservoir from freezing, add washer solvents containing antifreeze. This is important since dirt is often splashed on the windshield during winter driving, requiring the frequent use of the washers and wipers. Volvo Washer Solvent should be diluted as follows:
• Down to 14 ° F (–10 ° C): 1 part washer solvent and 4 parts water
• Down to 5 ° F (–15 ° C): 1 part washer solvent and 3 parts water
• Down to 0 ° F (–18 ° C):1 part washer solvent and 2 parts water
• Down to –18 ° F (–28 ° C): 1 part washer solvent and 1 part water
• Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.

NOTE
Avoid the use of de-icing sprays as they can cause damage to the locks.

W – Winter/Wet driving mode – enhanced vehicle traction

• Mode W will only function if the gear selector is in the (D)rive position.
• Press the button at the base of the gear selector to engage/disengage this driving mode.
• An LED in the button will light up to indicate that W is engaged and this will also be displayed in the instrument panel.
• This mode may be selected for starting/ moving off on slippery roads.