2004 Volvo V70 Owner's Manual - Page 4

Volvo and the environment Volvo is committed to the well being of our customers. As a natural part of this commitment, we care about the environment in which we all live. Caring for the environment means an everyday involvement in reducing our environmental impact. Volvo's environmental activities are based on a holistic view, which means we consider the overall environmental impact of a product throughout its complete life cycle. In this context, design, production, product use, and recycling are all important considerations. In production, Volvo has partly or completely phased out several chemicals including freons, lead chromates, naphtanates, asbestos, mercury and cadmium; and reduced the amount of chemicals used in our plants 50% since 1991. In use, Volvo was the first in the world to introduce into production a three-way catalytic converter with a Lambda sond, now called oxygen sensor, in 1976. The current version of this highly efficient system reduces emissions of harmful substances (CO, HC, NOx) from the exhaust pipe by approximately 95% and the search to eliminate the remaining emissions continues. Volvo is the only automobile manufacturer to offer CFC-free retrofit kits for the air conditioning system for all models as far back as the M/Y 1975 240. Advanced electronic engine controls, refined purification systems and cleaner fuels are bringing us closer to our goal. After Volvo cars and parts have fulfilled their use, recycling is the next critical step in completing the life cycle. The metal content is about 75% of the total weight of a car, which makes the car among the most recycled industrial products. In order to have efficient and well controlled recycling, many Volvo variants have printed dismantling manuals, indicating the weight and material of individual components. For Volvo, all homogeneous plastic parts weighing more than 1.7 oz. (50 grams) are marked with international symbols that indicate how the component is to be sorted for recycling. In addition to continuous environmental refinement of conventional gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, Volvo is actively looking at advanced technology alternative-fuel vehicles. When you drive a Volvo, you become our partner in the work to lessen the car's impact on the environment. To reduce your vehicle's environmental impact, you can: Maintain proper air pressure in your tires. Tests have shown decreased fuel economy with improperly inflated tires Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your Warranty and Service Records Information booklet. Drive at a constant speed See an authorized Volvo retailer as soon as possible for inspection if the check engine (malfunction indicator) lamp illuminates, or stays on after the vehicle has started Properly dispose of any vehicle related waste such as used motor oil, used batteries, brake pads, etc. When cleaning your car, use Volvo's own car care products, all of which have systematically been adapted to the environment PremAir® On the surface of the radiator in the engine compartment, there is a special coating called PremAir®. PremAir® works as a catalytic converter, converting most of the ozone passing through the radiator into oxygen, thereby reducing harmful ground-level ozone. For additional information regarding the environmental activities in which Volvo Cars of North America, LLC. and Volvo Cars of Canada, Ltd. are involved, visit our Internet Home Page at: http://www.volvocars.com