
2 0 0 3 
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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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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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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2 0 0 3 
VOLVO
S40 & V40
Chapter 3 - Body and interior
pg. 39 Body  and interior
Body and interior
The seats,  sun roof, mirrors,  etc. are described on the following pages.  Keys
40
Remote keyless entry system41
Doors and locks42
Alarm43
Trunk/Tailgate/Glove compartment45
Opening the trunk  from the inside  (S40)46
Front  seats47
Child safety locks49
Rear/side view  mirrors/Vanity mirrors50
Interior lights, Sunroof51
Sunroof52
Hood/Luggage cover53
Storage compartments54
Folding rear seat55
Securing cargo56
Cargo space/Trunk light,  Spare tire, Jack57
Side cargo net, Cargo net58
Weight distribution, Handling,  Roadholding,  Roof racks59
pg. 40 Keys
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Bulb  failure warning22
Bulbs126
C
Cabin air filter35
Capacities125
Center head restraint3
Central  locking switch42
Chains - winter driving81
Changing a  wheel87
Child booster  cushion11
Child Restraint Anchorages14
Child safety15
Child safety locks - rear doors49
Concealed storage bin (wagon)59
Coolant - checking/changing117
Cooling system68,124
Cruise control31
D
Daytime  Running  Lights23
Detachable trailer hitch - installing76
Detachable trailer hitch - removing77
Dimensions127
Doors  and  locks42
Drive belt117
Driving economy64
Dynamic Stability Assistance (DSA)30
E
EBD74
ECC  - Electronic Climate Control36,37
Electrical outlet33
Electrical system69,126
Electrically operated  driver's seat50
Electrically operated  front  seats48
Emergency towing70
Emergency warning flashers26
Emissions systems112
Engine123
Engine air filter110
Engine compartment111
Engine oil115,122
Engine oil - checking/changing114
F
Fog light - rear24
Fog lights24
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Lubrication113
Luggage strap  (V40)56
Lumbar support47,48
M
Maintenance service109
Malfunction  indicator lamp23
Manual transmission fluid122
Manually closing the sun roof100
Mirrors - rear/side  view50
O
Occupant safety16
Octane rating63
Oil - engine115
Oil pressure warning light22
Opening  the trunk from  the inside S4046
P
Paint touchup102
Parking brake32
Parking brake reminder light22
PCV  system110
Polishing104
Power seats48
Power steering fluid116,122
PROPOSITION  65 WARNING72,119
R
Radio tuning modes - changing142
Rear fog light24
Rear suspension124
Rear waste bin34
Refueling63
Remote control (central locking system)41
Remote keyless  entry system41
Replacing bulbs90, 92, 93, 94
Replacing fuses95
Replacing number plate  lighting - V4094
Reporting safety defects16
Road assistance128
Roadholding59
Roof rails/racks59
S
Safety defects - reporting16
Safety locks - child49
Seat belt maintenance16
Seat belts2,3
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