2003 VOLVO S40 belt

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VOLVO
S40 & V40
This manual deals with the operation and care of your Volvo.
Welcome to the worldwide family of Volvo owners. We trust that you will enjoy many years of safe driving in your
Volvo, an automobile designed with your safety and comfort in mind. To help ensure your satisfaction with this
vehicle, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the equipment descriptions, operating instructions and
maintenance requirements/recommendations in this manual. We also urge you and your passengers to wear seat belts
at all times in this (or any other) automobile. And, of course, please do not operate a vehicle if you may be affected by
alcohol, medication or any impairment that could hinder your ability to drive.
Your Volvo is designed to meet all applicable safety and emission standards, as evidenced by the certification labels
attached to the driver's door opening and on the left wheel housing in the engine compartment.
For further information please contact your retailer, or:
In the USA:
Volvo Cars of North America
Customer Relations
P.O. Box 914
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
800-458-1552
In the Canada:
Volvo Cars of Canada. Ltd.
175 Gordon Baker Road
Willowdale, Ontario M2H 2N7
800-663-8255
We also invite you to visit our home page on the Internet at:
http://www.volvocars.com
Contents
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VOLVO
S40 & V40
Chapter 1 - Occupant safety
pg. 1 Occupant safety
Occupant safety
Not wearing a seat belt is like believing "It'll never happen to me!" Volvo, the inventor of the three-point seat belt,
urges you and all adult occupants 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. Volvo also believes no child should sit in the
front seat of a car and that no one under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) should ride as a passenger in the front seat of
any vehicle equipped with a passenger side airbag.
Fact: In every state and province, some type of child-restraint legislation has been passed. Additionally, most states
and provinces have already made it mandatory for occupants of a car to use seat belts.
So, urging you to "buckle up" is not just our recommendation - legislation in your state or province may mandate seat
belt usage. The few seconds it takes to buckle up may one day allow you to say, "It's a good thing I was wearing my
seat belt".
Seat belts2
Volvo SRS4
Side Impact Protection System - (SIPS) airbag8
WHIPS9
IC system10
Child safety, Booster cushion11
Child restraint anchorages14
Reporting Safety Defects16
pg. 2 Seat belts
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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 seconds after the starting (ignition) key is turned to
the driving position. A chime will sound at the same time if the driver has not fastened his or her seat belt. The rear
seats are provided with self -retracting inertial 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 buckle until a distinct snapping sound is heard. The seat
belt retractor is normally "unlocked" and you can move freely, provided that the shoulder belt is not pulled out too far.
The retractor will lock up as follows:
if the belt is pulled out rapidly
during braking and acceleration
if the vehicle is leaning excessively
when driving in turns
For the seat belt to provide maximum protection in the event of an accident, it must be worn correctly. When wearing
the seat belt remember:
The belt should not be twisted or turned.
The lap belt must be positioned low on the hips (not pressing against the abdomen).
The shoulder section of the front seat belts adjusts automatically to the driver's height. Adjusting the shoulder belt
Lap portion of the seat belt should sit low
Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled up into its retractor and that the shoulder and lap belts are taut.
Before exiting the car, check that the seat belt retracts fully after being unbuckled. If necessary, guide the belt back
into the retractor slot.
NOTE: Legislation in your state or province may mandate seat belt usage.
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During pregnancy
Pregnant women should always wear seat belts. Remember that the belt should always be positioned in such a way as
to avoid any possible pressure on the abdomen. The lap portion of the belt should be located low, as shown in the
above illustration.
pg. 3 Seat belts, Head restraints
WARNING!
Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant.
Never wear the shoulder portion of the belt under the arm, behind the back or otherwise out of position. Such use
could cause injury in the event of an accident.
As the seat belts lose much of their strength when exposed to violent stretching, they should be replaced after any
collision, even if they appear to be undamaged.
Never repair the belt on your own; have this work done by an authorized Volvo retailer only.
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 available 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.
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.
Rear head restraints
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The rear head restraints can be adjusted according to the passenger's height. The restraint should be carefully adjusted
to support the occupant's head.
The head restraint can be raised by pulling straight up or lowered by pressing the catch (1) at the base of the left head
restraint support and pushing down.
Removing/replacing the head restraints
When folding the rear seats flat for carrying cargo ( see page 55), head restraints should be fully removed by pulling all
the way up, pressing the catch at base of the left support and pulling the head restraint all the way out. Be sure to
reinstall and adjust head restraints to their proper position before allowing passengers to occupy the seats.
pg. 4 Volvo SRS
Passenger side SRS hatch
As an enhancement to the three-point seat belt system, your Volvo is equipped with a Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS). The Volvo SRS consists of an airbag (2) on both the driver's and passenger's sides and seat belt tensioners in
both front door pillars (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, and
by decals on both sun visors and on the far right side of the dash.
The airbags are folded and located in the steering wheel hub and above the glove compartment. They are designed to
deploy during certain frontal or front -angular collisions, impacts, or decelerations, depending on the crash severity,
angle, speed and object impacted. The airbags may also deploy in certain non-frontal collisions where rapid
deceleration occurs.
The airbag system includes inflators (1) surrounded by the airbags (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 seats' 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.
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The entire process, including inflation and deflation of the airbags, takes approximately two-tenths of a second.
WARNING!
As its name implies, SRS is designed to be a SUPPLEMENT to - not a replacement for - the three-point belt
system. For maximum protection, wear seat belts at all times. Be aware that no system can prevent all possible
injuries that may occur in an accident.
When installing any optional equipment, make sure that the SRS system 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 nearest authorized Volvo retailer for inspection as soon as possible.
pg. 5 Volvo SRS
A self -diagnostic system incorporated into the sensor monitors the SRS, SIPS and IC-system. If a fault is detected, the
"SRS" warning light 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 5 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 the self -diagnostic system:
Sensor unit
SRS wiring
Inflators
WARNING!
Never drive an SRS equipped car with your hands on the steering wheel pad / airbag housing.
No objects, accessory equipment or stickers may be placed on, attached to 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 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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SRS decal on door pillar driver's side
There is no maintenance to perform on the SRS yourself. The month and year shown on the decal on the door pillar
indicate when you should contact your Volvo retailer for specific servicing or replacement of airbags and seatbelt
tensioners. This service must be performed by an authorized Volvo retailer.
Should you have any questions about the SRS system, please contact your authorized Volvo retailer or Volvo
Customer Support:
In the USA: In Canada:
Volvo Cars of North America Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
Customer Relations 175 Gordon Baker Road
P.O. Box 914 Willowdale, Ontario M2H 2N7
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914 1-800-663-8255
800-458-1552
pg. 6 Volvo SRS
SRS texts on outside of both
sun visorsSRS texts on inside of both sun
visorsSRS texts on the
passenger's dashSRS text at far right of
dash
WARNING!
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.
NOTE: Deployment of SRS components occurs only one time during an accident. In a collision where deployment
occurs, the airbags and seat belt tensioners activate. Some noise occurs and a small amount of powder is released. The
release of the powder may appear as smoke-like matter. This is a normal characteristic and does not indicate fire.
NOTE: Volvo's dual-threshold airbags use special sensors that are integrated with the front seat buckles. The point at
which the airbag deploys is determined by whether or not the seat belt is being used, as well as, the severity of the
collision. Collisions can occur where only one of the airbags deploys.
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WARNING!
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger seat. Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and
children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the back seat of any vehicle with a front passenger side
airbag.
Occupants in the front passenger's seat must never sit on the edge of the seat, sit leaning toward the instrument
panel or otherwise sit out of position. The occupant's back must be as upright as comfort allows and be against the
seat back with the seat belt properly fastened.
Feet must be on the floor, e.g. not on the dash, seat or out of the window.
No objects or accessory equipment, e.g. dash covers, may be placed on, attached to or installed near the SRS
hatch (the area above the glove compartment) or the area affected by airbag deployment (see illustration on page 4
).
There should be no loose articles, e.g. coffee cups, on the floor, seat or dash area.
Never try to open the SRS cover on the steering wheel or the passenger side SRS seam. This should only be done
by an authorized Volvo service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an accident.
pg. 7 Volvo SRS
NOTE : The information on this page does not pertain to the Side Impact Protection System airbags.
When are the airbags deployed?
The SRS system is designed to deploy during certain frontal or front -angular collisions, impacts, or decelerations,
depending on the crash severity, angle, speed and object impacted. The SRS sensor is designed to react to both the
impact of the collision and the inertial forces generated by it and to determine if the intensity of the collision is
sufficient for the airbags to be deployed.
WARNING!
The SRS is designed to help prevent serious injury. Deployment occurs very quickly and with considerable force.
During normal deployment and depending on variables such as seating position, one may experience abrasions,
bruises, swellings, or other injuries as a result of airbag deployment.
If the airbags have been deployed, we recommend the following:
Have the car towed to an authorized Volvo retailer. Never drive with the airbags deployed.
Have an authorized Volvo retailer replace the SRS system components.
Use only new, Genuine Volvo Parts when replacing SRS components (airbags, seat belts, tensioners, etc.).
When are the airbags NOT deployed?
Not all frontal collisions activate the SRS system. If the collision involves a non-rigid object (e.g., a snow drift or
bush), or a rigid, fixed object at a low speed, the SRS system will not necessarily deploy. Front airbags do not
normally deploy in a side impact collision, in a collision from the rear or in a rollover situation. The amount of
damage to the bodywork does not reliably indicate if the airbags should have deployed or not.
Seat belts - the heart of the Volvo safety system
The heart of the Volvo safety system is the three-point seat belt (a Volvo invention)! In order for the SRS system to
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