1996 VOLVO 850 Owners Manual

1996 Volvo 850
l Move the seat as far forward as possible
WARNING! Cover sharp edges on load to help prevent injury to occupants. \
Secure load to help
prevent shifting during sudden stops.



Long load storage (sedans)

There is a flap located in the panel behind the rear seat which makes it\
possible to carry long loads such
as skis, etc. To open, pull the strap forward.
Protective covers (for skis) should be used to avoid soiling or tearin\
g the upholstery. Please note that the
flap in the rear seat is only intended for light loads such as skis, car\
pets, etc.
Max length: 6 1/2 ft (2 meters) Max weight: 55 lbs (25 kg)
WARNING! Always turn engine off and apply parking brake when loading/unl\
oading the vehicle.
Place transmission selector in P (PARK) position to help prevent inadv\
ertent movement of selector.




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1996 Volvo 850
Occupant safety
pg. 3:1 Occupant safety
Occupant safety

3:2 Seat belts
3:4Volvo SRS
3:8Side Impact Protection System - (SIPS) air bag
3:9Child safety
3:13Occupant safety
3:13Reporting Safety Defects

Despite our strongest recommendations, and your best intentions, not wea\
ring a seat belt is like
believing "It'll never happen to me!". Volvo urges you and all adult occ\
upants of your car to wear seat
belts and ensure that children are properly restrained, using an infant,\
car or booster seat determined by
age, weight and height.
Fact: In every state and province, some type of child-restraint legislat\
ion has been passed. Additionally,
most states and provinces have already made it mandatory for occupants o\
f a car to use seat belts.
So, urging you to "buckle up" is not just our recommendation - legislati\
on in your state or province may
mandate seat belt usage. The few seconds it takes to buckle up may one d\
ay allow you to say, "It's a
good thing I was wearing my seat belt".

pg. 3:2 Seat belts
Seat belts

Always fasten the seat belts before you drive or ride.
Two lights above the rear view mirror will be illuminated for 4-8 second\
s after the starting (ignition) key
is turned to the driving position. A chime will sound at the same time i\
f the driver has not fastened his
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1996 Volvo 850
seat belt. The rear seats are provided with self-retracting inertia reel\
belts. The front seats are provided
with single roller belts with tensioners.

To buckle:
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptac\
le (buckle for rear seats) until a
distinct snapping sound is heard. The seat belt retractor is normally "u\
nlocked" and you can move freely,
provided that the shoulder belt is not pulled out too far. The retractor\
will lock up as follows:
l if the belt is pulled out rapidly
l during braking and acceleration
l if the vehicle is leaning excessively
l when driving in turns


For the seat belt to provide maximum protection in the event of an accid\
ent, it must be worn correctly.
When wearing the seat belt remember:
l The belt should not be twisted or turned.
l The lap belt must be positioned low on the hips (not pressing against t\
he abdomen).
l The shoulder section of the front seat belts adjusts automatically to th\
e driver's height.
Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled up into its retractor and tha\
t the shoulder and lap belts are taut.
Before exiting the car, check that the seat belt retracts fully after be\
ing unbuckled.
If necessary, guide the belt back into the retractor slot.

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1996 Volvo 850
NOTE: Legislation in your state or province may mandate seat belt usage.\

WARNING! Any device used to induce slack into the shoulder belt portion \
of the three-point belt
system will have a detrimental effect on the amount of protection availa\
ble to you in the event of a
collision. The seat back should not be tilted too far back. The shoulder\
belt must be taut in order to
function properly.
pg. 3:3 Seat belts

During pregnancy

Pregnant women should always wear seat belts. Remember that the belt sho\
uld always be positioned in
such a way as to avoid any possible pressure on the abdomen. The lap por\
tion of the belt should be
located low, as shown in the above illustration.
WARNING! Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant. Never wear th\
e shoulder portion of the
belt under the arm, behind the back or otherwise out of position. Such u\
se could cause injury in event
of accident. As the seat belts lose much of their strength when exposed \
to violent stretching, they
should be replaced after any collision, even though they may appear to b\
e undamaged. Never repair
the belt on your own; have this done by an authorized Volvo retailer onl\
y.

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1996 Volvo 850

Center head restraint

The center head restraint can be adjusted according to the passenger's h\
eight. The restraint should be
carefully adjusted to support the occupant's head.
To raise: Pull straight up
To lower: Pull forward and push down




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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 3:4 Volvo SRS


As an enhancement to the three-point seat belt system, your Volvo is equ\
ipped with a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS). The Volvo SRS consists of airbags (2) and kn\
ee bolsters (5) on both the driver's
and passenger's sides and seat belt tensioners in both front door pillar\
s (4). The system is designed to
supplement the protection provided by the three-point seat belt system. \

The SRS system is indicated by the "SRS" embossed on the steering wheel \
pad and above the glove
compartment, the knee bolsters beneath the steering column and the glove\
compartment and decals on
both sun visors and on the far right side of the dash.

The airbags are folded and located in the center of the steering wheel a\
nd above the glove compartment.
They are designed to deploy during certain frontal-angular collisions, i\
mpacts, or decelerations,
depending on the crash severity, angle, speed and object impacted. Both \
air bags and seat belt tensioners
will deploy, even if the passenger seat is not occupied.
WARNING! As its name implies, SRS is designed to be a SUPPLEMENT to - no\
t a replacement for -
the three-point belt system. The airbag is designed not to be released i\
n the event of a side or rear-end
collision, or during a rollover situation. For maximum protection, wear \
seat belts at all times. Be aware
that no system can prevent all possible injuries that may occur in an ac\
cident.

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1996 Volvo 850

The airbag system includes gas generators (1) surrounded by the airbag\
s (2) and front seat belt
tensioners for both of the front seats (4). To deploy the system, the \
sensor (3) activates the gas
generators causing the airbags to be inflated with nitrogen gas. As the \
movement of the seat's occupants
compresses the airbags, some of the gas is expelled at a controlled rate\
to provide better cushioning.
Both seat belt tensioners also deploy, minimizing any seat belt slack.

The entire process, including inflation and deflation of the airbags, ta\
kes approximately two-tenths of a
second.
WARNING! When installing any optional equipment make sure that the SRS s\
ystem is not damaged.
Do not attempt to service any component of the SRS yourself. Attempting \
to do so may result in
serious personal injury. If a problem arises, take your car to the neare\
st authorized Volvo Retailer for
inspection as soon as possible.
pg. 3:5 Volvo SRS
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1996 Volvo 850

A self-diagnostic system incorporated in the sensor monitors the SRS. Th\
is system does not, however,
monitor the SIPS airbags. If a fault is detected, the "SRS" warning ligh\
t will illuminate. The light is
included in the warning/indicator light cluster in the instrument panel.\
Normally, the SRS warning lamp
should light up when the ignition is switched on and should go out after\
10 seconds or when the engine
is started. Check that this light is functioning properly every time the\
car is started.

The following items are monitored by all the self-diagnostic system:
l Sensor unit
l Cable harness
l Gas generator ignitors
WARNING!
Never drive an SRS equipped car with your hands on the steering wheel pa\
d/airbag housing.
No objects, accessory equipment or stickers may be placed on, attached t\
o or installed near the SRS
cover in the center of the steering wheel, the SRS cover above the glove\
compartment or the area
affected by the airbag deployment.
If the SRS warning light stays on after the engine has started or if it \
comes on while you are driving,
drive the car to the nearest authorized Volvo retailer for inspection as\
soon as possible.

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