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VOLVO V70
Chapter 1 - Safety
pg. 1 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.
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 belts
2
Center head restraint3
Front airbags (SRS)4
Side impact airbags (SIPS)8
Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)9
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)10
Child safety11
Occupant safety17
Brake system18
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)19
Stability Traction Control (STC)20
Dynamic Stability Traction Control (DSTC)20
pg. 2 Seat belts
Seat belts
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Always fasten the seat belts before you drive or ride. A chime will sound several times if the driver's seat belt is
not fastened.
To buckle:
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptacle until a distinct click 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).
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.
Adjusting shoulder belt
Lap portion of the belt should sit low
Child seats: Please refer to page 14
for information on securing child seats with the 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, Center head restraint
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.
Adjust head restraint height
Center head restraint (rear)
The center head restraint can be adjusted according to the passenger's height. The restraint should be carefully adjusted
to support the occupant's head.
To raise, lift up to desired position. To lower the center head restraint, press the release button behind the right-hand
support while pressing down the head restraint to the desired position. 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
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WARNING!
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that occupants under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the
seat belt fastened.
NOTE: Deployment of SRS components occurs only one time during an accident. In a collision where deployment
occurs, the air bags 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 air bag 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.
NOTE: Volvo's dual-stage airbags: If the impact is less severe, but severe enough to present a clear injury risk, the
dual-stage airbags are triggered at just 70% of its total capacity. If the impact is more severe, the dual-stage airbags are
triggered with full capacity.
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 passenger -side front
airbag. See page 14
for guidelines.
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 dash. This should only be done by an
authorized Volvo service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants.
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WARNING!
The IC system is a supplement to the Side Impact Protection System. It is not designed to deploy during collisions
from the front or rear of the car or in rollover situations.
Never try to open or repair any components of the IC system. This should be done only by an authorized Volvo
service technician.
The inflatable curtains are designed to deploy only during certain side-impact collisions, depending on the crash
severity, angle, speed and impact. The inflatable curtains are not designed to deploy in all side impact situations.
In order for the IC to provide its best protection, both front seat occupants and both outboard rear seat occupants
should sit in an upright position with the seat belt properly fastened; adults using the seat belt and children using the
proper child restraint system. Only adults should sit in the front seats. Children must never be allowed in the front
passenger seat. See page 14
for guidelines. Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle
occupants.
When the rear seat backrest(s) are folded down, the car should not be loaded to a level higher than 2 in. (5 cm)
below the upper edge of the rear passenger door windows. Objects placed higher than this level could impede the
function of the inflatable curtain.
pg. 10 Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
The WHIPS system consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on the front seat backrests and head restraints
designed to help absorb some of the energy generated in a collision from the rear ("rear-ended").
In the event of a collision of this type, the hinges and brackets of the front seat backrests are designed to change
position slightly to allow the backrest/head restraint to help support the occupant's head before moving slightly
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Electrically operated seats with memory function (option)*
Power seat control panel
A Front edge of seat (raise/lower)
B Forward - rearward
C Rear edge of seat (raise/lower)
D Backrest tiltWARNING!
Because the driver's seat can be adjusted with the ignition off, children should never be left unattended in the car.
Movement of the seat can be STOPPED at any time by pressing any button on the power seat control panel.
Do not adjust the seat while driving. The seat should be adjusted so that the brake pedal can be depressed fully. In
addition, position the seat as far rearward as comfort and control allow.
The seat rails on the floor must not be obstructed in any way when the seat is in motion.
Programming the memory
Three seat positions can be programmed. To program a seat position:
1 Adjust the seat to the desired position.
2 Hold down the MEM button.
3 While holding down the MEM button, press button 1 to program the current position of the seat.
Buttons 2 and 3 can be programmed in the same way. To move the seat to a programmed position, press and hold
down button 1, 2 or 3 until the seat moves to the preset position and stops.
As a safety precaution, the seat will stop automatically if the button is released before the seat has reached the
programmed position.
NOTE: The seat has an overload protector which engages if an object blocks the movement of the seat. If this
happens, remove the object and wait 20 seconds before operating the seat again.
* This option is only available on the driver's seat.
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Child safety lock control in left rear doorChild safety lock control in right rear door
Child safety locks - rear doors
The controls are located on the rear door jambs. Use a screwdriver to adjust these controls.
A The door cannot be opened from the inside. Normal operation from the outside.
B The door lock functions normally.WARNING!
Remember, in the event of an accident, the rear seat passengers cannot open the doors from the inside with the
buttons in position A.
Contents | Top of Page
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Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)14
Automatic transmission90, 91, 145
- Geartronic92, 93
- Kickdown91, 92
Automatic transmission - cold starts91
Auxiliary socket31, 39
AWD
- general information94
- using snow chains109
B
Backrest (center) - 3-section rear seat64
Battery104, 148
Battery maintenance138, 139
- Replacing the battery139
- Ventilation hose139
Booster cushion12, 16
Brake failure warning light28
Brake fluid137
Brake system18
Bulbs (list)148
Bulbs - replacing120-125
C
Capacities (oils and fluids)141
, 146
Cargo compartment cover71
Cargo compartment lighting67
Cargo eyelets68
Cargo net69
Catalytic converters - three-way106
Center armrest - 3-section rear seat65
Center backrest (3-section rear seat)64
Center console - switches31
Center head restraint - 3-section rear seat64
Center head restraint - rear seat3
Center seat head restraint63
Central locking buttons79
Chains - winter driving109
Changing wheels112, 113
Child booster cushion12, 16
Child Restraint Anchorages15
Child safety11, 12, 14, 16
Child safety locks - rear doors82
Climate controls48-51
Climate system - general information47
Clock27
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