Starting the vehicle

Updated 2020-03-19

The vehicle can be started using the start knob next to the steering wheel when the remote key is in the passenger compartment.

P6-1746-XC40-engine start button — Location of the start button.

Warning

Before starting:

Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the seat, steering wheel and mirrors.
Make sure you can fully depress the brake pedal.

The remote key is not physically used to start the ignition because the vehicle is equipped with the keyless Passive Start system.

To start the vehicle:

Important

The vehicle cannot be started if the charging cable is still plugged in. Make sure to pull out the charging cable from the charging socket before starting the vehicle.

The remote key must be inside the vehicle. For vehicles with Passive Start, the key must be in the front section of the passenger compartment. With the optional keyless locking/unlocking function*, the key can be anywhere in the vehicle.

Press and hold down the brake pedal1 as far as possible.

Press the start button.

Warning

Never use more than one inlay mat at a time on the driver's floor. If any other type of floor mat is used, remove the original mat from the driver's seat floor before driving. All types of mats must be securely anchored in the attachment points in the floor. Make sure the floor mat does not impede the movement of the brake pedal or accelerator pedal in any way, as this could be a serious safety hazard.
Volvo's floor mats are specially manufactured for your vehicle. They must be properly secured in the attachment points in the floor to help ensure they cannot slide and become trapped under the pedals.

The starter motor will crank until the engine starts or until overheating protection is triggered.

During normal start conditions, the vehicle's electric motor will be prioritized and the gasoline engine will remain off. This means that once the start button has been pressed, the electric motor has "started" and the vehicle is ready to be driven. The warning and information symbols in the instrument panel will go out and the selected theme will be displayed to indicate that the electric motor is activated.

In some situations such as in cold weather or if the hybrid battery's charge level is too low the gasoline engine will start instead.

Error messages

If the Vehicle key not found message is shown in the instrument panel at start, place the remote key at the backup reader and then make a new start attempt.

P6-1746-XC40-Storing key/backup reader — Location of the backup reader.

Note

When the remote key is placed in the backup reader, make sure that no other vehicle keys, metal objects or electronic devices (e.g. cellular phones, tablets, laptops or chargers) are in the backup reader. Multiple vehicle keys close to each other in the backup reader can disrupt their functionality.

If Vehicle start System check, wait is displayed in the instrument panel while attempting to start the vehicle, wait until the message disappears and try again to start the vehicle.

Important

If the engine has not responded after 3 attempts – wait for 3 minutes before starting a new attempt. Starting capability increases if the starter battery is given time to recover.

Note

The vehicle cannot be started if the hybrid battery is discharged.

Warning

Never remove the remote control key from the vehicle while driving.

Warning

Always remove the remote key from the passenger compartment when you leave the vehicle and make sure the ignition is in mode 0.
Always put the gear selector in P and apply the parking brake before leaving the vehicle. Never leave the vehicle unsupervised while the engine is running.
Always open the garage door fully and make sure that ventilation is very good before starting the engine in a garage. The exhaust fumes produced by the vehicle contain carbon monoxide, which is invisible and odorless but very toxic.

Important

When starting in cold weather, the automatic transmission may shift up at slightly higher engine speeds than normal until the automatic transmission fluid reaches normal operating temperature.
Do not race a cold engine immediately after starting. This could prevent fluids from properly lubricating vital components in the engine before it has reached the proper operating temperature.
The engine should be idling when the gear selector is moved. Never accelerate until the gear is fully engaged. Accelerating rapidly before a gear is properly engaged could lead to harder wear of components.
To help prevent the transmission oil from overheating, select P or N when idling at a standstill for prolonged periods of time.

Note

With a cold start, idling speed may be considerably higher than normal for certain engine types. This is done to get the emissions system up to normal operating temperature as quickly as possible, which minimizes exhaust emissions and protects the environment.