Volvo XC90 - Manual (Page 160)

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.