2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger's seat. Volvo reco\
mmends that ALL occupants
(adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seate\
d in the back seat of any vehicle
with a front passenger-side airbag. See
page 20 for guidelines.
Occupants in the front passenger's seat must never sit on the edge of th\
e seat, sit leaning toward the
instrument panel or otherwise sit out of position. The occupant's back m\
ust 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 wind\
ow. No objects or accessory
equipment, e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed on, attached to, or inst\
alled near the SRS hatch (the
area above the glove compartment) or the area affected by airbag deploy\
ment (see illustration on
page
4).
There should be no loose articles, e.g. coffee cups, on the floor, seat \
or dashboard area. Never try to
open the SRS cover on the steering wheel or the passenger side dash. Thi\
s should only be done by an
authorized Volvo service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle\
occupants.
Warning light in the instrument panel
A self-diagnostic system incorporated in the sensor monitors the SRS. Th\
is system does not, however,
monitor the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) airbags. If a fault i\
s detected, the 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 key is turned to \
positions I, II or III and should
go out after 7 seconds or when the engine is started. Check that this li\
ght is functioning properly every
time the vehicle is started.
The following items are monitored by the self-diagnostic system:
l Sensor unit
l Cable harness
l Gas generator
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
If the SRS warning light stays on after the engine has started or if it \
comes on while you are driving,
drive the vehicle to the nearest authorized Volvo retailer for inspectio\
n as soon as possible.
pg. 7 Safety
When are the airbags deployed?
The information on this page pertains to SRS (front) airbags only. For\
information about Side Impact
Protection System (SIPS) airbags, please see
page 10. For Inflatable Curtain (IC) airbags, please see
page 12.
The SRS system is designed to deploy during certain frontal or front-ang\
ular 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 f\
orces generated by it and to
determine if the intensity of the collision is sufficient for the seat b\
elt pretensioners or airbags to be
deployed.
If the airbags have been deployed, we recommend the following:
l Have the vehicle towed to an authorized Volvo retailer. Never drive with\
the airbags deployed.
l Have an authorized Volvo retailer replace the SRS system components.
l Use only new, Genuine Volvo Parts when replacing SRS components (airbag\
s, seat belts,
pretensioners, etc.).
When are the airbags NOT deployed?
Not all frontal collisions activate the SRS system. If the collision inv\
olves a nonrigid 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 collisio\
n from the rear or in a rollover
situation. The amount of damage to the bodywork does not reliably indica\
te 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 Vo\
lvo invention)! In order for the
SRS system to provide the protection intended, seat belts must be worn a\
t all times by everyone in the
vehicle. The SRS system is a supplement to the seat belts.
WARNING!
Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can i\
mpair the steering of your
vehicle. Other safety systems can also be damaged. The smoke and dust fo\
rmed when the airbags are
deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of prolonged exp\
osure.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 8 Safety
Airbags (Supplemental Restraint System) (contd)
WARNING!
If your vehicle has been subjected to flood conditions (e.g. soaked car\
peting/standing water on the
floor of the vehicle) or if your vehicle has become flood-damaged in an\
y way, do not attempt to start
the vehicle or put the key in the ignition before disconnecting the batt\
ery (see below). This may cause
airbag deployment which could result in personal injury. Have the vehicle towed to an authorized
Volvo retailer for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle, use the following procedure to ove\
rride the shiftlock system to
move the gear selector to the neutral position.
l Switch off the ignition for at least 10 minutes and disconnect the batte\
ry
l Wait at least one minute
l Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to position II
l Press firmly on the brake pedal.
l Move the gear selector from (P)ark to the (N)eutral position.
There is no maintenance to perform on the SRS yourself. The month and ye\
ar shown on the decal on the
door pillar indicate when you should contact your Volvo retailer for spe\
cific servicing or replacement of
airbags and seat belt pretensioners. This maintenance must be performed \
by an authorized Volvo
retailer. Should you have any questions about the SRS system, please con\
tact your authorized Volvo
retailer or Volvo Customer Support: In the U.S.A In Canada:
Volvo Cars of North America Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
Customer Relations 175 Gordon Baker Road
P.O. Box 914 North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914 800-663-8255
800-458-1552
pg. 9 Safety
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
The If the fluid level is below the MIN mark in the reservoir or if a "B\
rake failure - Service urgent"
message is displayed in the text window: DO NOT DRIVE. Have the vehicle \
towed to an authorized
Volvo retailer and have the brake system inspected.
l If the brake fluid level is above the MIN mark, drive carefully to an au\
thorized Volvo retailer and
have the brake system inspected Volvo retailer and have the brake system\
inspected.
DSTC
The Dynamic Stability and Traction Control system (DSTC) is explained \
in greater detail on
pages 97
and 98. This system consists of several functions:
Risk for slippery conditions
If the warning light comes on and stays on, this indicates that traction\
with the road surface is reduced.
Drive with caution.
If this light flashes, it indicates that the DSTC system is working to restore traction to on\
e or more of the
wheels.
Reduced Stability Control
If the green indicator light in the DSTC button goes out, DSTC has reduc\
ed effect because the system
had been switched off with the button in the center console. The text DS\
TC SPIN CONTROL OFF will
be displayed in the text window.
Reduced anti-spin function
If the yellow indicator light comes on and remains on, DSTC's Stability \
Control function has been
switched off due to excessively high brake temperature. The text TRACTIO\
N CONTROL
TEMPORARILY OFF will be displayed in the text window.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Fault in the DSTC system
If the yellow indicator light remains on, there is a fault in the system\
. The text ANTI-SKID SERVICE
REQUIRED will be displayed.
l Stop the vehicle in a safe place and switch off the engine. Restart the \
engine.
l If the indicator light goes off, no further action is necessary.
If the indicator light remains on, drive to an authorized Volvo retailer\
to have the system inspected.
pg. 27 Instruments and controls
Indicator and warning symbols (contd)
Supplemental Restraint system (SRS)
If the light comes on (or stays on after the vehicle has started), the\
SRS diagnostic system has detected a
fault. Drive to an authorized Volvo retailer for an inspection of the sy\
stem. See the SRS section for more
information.
Generator warning light
If the light comes on while the engine is running, have the charging sys\
tem checked.
Seat belt reminder This symbol lights up to indicate that the driver has not fastened his/\
her seat
belt.
PARKING BRAKE
This light will be on when the parking brake is applied. The parking bra\
ke lever is situated between the
front seats.
Canadian models are equipped with this symbol.
Rear fog light
This light indicates that the fog light is on.
Turn signal indicator - trailer (certain models)
If you are towing a trailer, this light will flash simultaneously with t\
he turn signals on the trailer. If the
light does not flash when signaling, neither the trailer's turn signals \
nor the vehicle's turn signals are
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2003 VOLVO XC90
functioning.
Oil pressure warning light
If the light comes on while driving, stop the vehicle and then stop the \
engine immediately and
check the engine oil level See
page 130. If the light stays on after restart, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest authorized Volvo retailer. After hard driving, the light may com\
e on occasionally when the
engine is idling. This is normal, provided it goes off when the engine s\
peed is increased.
CHECK ENGINE Malfunction indicator light
On-Board Diagnostics II (OBDII): As you drive, a computer called "OBDI\
I" monitors your vehicle's
engine, transmission, electrical and emission systems. The CHECK ENGINE \
light will light up if the
computer senses a condition that potentially may need correcting. When t\
his happens, please have your
vehicle checked by a Volvo retailer as soon as possible.
A CHECK ENGINE light may have many causes. Sometimes, you may not notice\
a change in your
vehicle's behavior. Even so, an uncorrected condition could hurt fuel ec\
onomy, emission cleanliness, and
driveability. Extended driving without correcting the cause could even d\
amage other components in
your vehicle.
Canadian models are equipped with this warning light.
pg. 28 Instruments and controls
Indicator and warning symbols (contd)
Messages in the text window
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2003 VOLVO XC90
The positions of these buttons may vary, depending on the specifications\
of your vehicle
1. Reverse warning system (option)
This system provides an audible warning if you back the vehicle to withi\
n approximately 5 feet (1.5
meters) of an object. See
page 99 for more information.
NOTE: The system activates automatically when the engine is started, and can b\
e deactivated by
pressing this button (e.g. when towing a trailer) or reactivated if ne\
cessary.
2. Folding sideview mirrors (option)
Press the button and release it to fold the sideview mirrors in or out. \
When the button is pressed while
the mirrors are folded in, there will be a delay of several seconds befo\
re the mirrors begin to move
outward.
3. Auxiliary lights
This button is used to switch on auxiliary lights (if installed). An L\
ED in the switch will light up to
indicate that the auxiliary lights are illuminated.
4. Dynamic Stability Traction Control system (DSTC)
This button is used to switch off DSTC's stability Control function. Whe\
n the LED in the button is ON,
all DSTC functions are active. See
pages 97 and 98 for additional information.
NOTE: To avoid inadvertently switching off the Stability Control function, the\
button must be pressed
for at least half a second. The text "SPIN CONTROL OFF" will be displaye\
d in the text window and the
green indicator light in the button will go out. All DSTC functions will\
be automatically be on when the
engine is started.
WARNING!
The Please be aware that the vehicle's handling characteristics may be a\
ffected if the Stability Control
function is switched off.
5. Rear seat air conditioing (option)
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
The Never adjust the steering wheel while
driving.
pg. 31 Instruments and controls
Lighting panel
A - Headlights and parking lights
All lighting off.
Models with daytime running lights:
Low beam headlights will automatically come on if the ignition key is in\
position II. Front and rear
parking lights, tail lights, side marker lights, and license plate light\
s will also be on. Volvo recommends
the use of daytime running lights. If, however, you would prefer to have\
these lights turned off (USA
only), please consult your Volvo retailer. Please note that the use of \
daytime running lights is mandatory
in Canada.
Parking lights on. The parking lights should be switched off when you leave the vehicle to \
help avoid battery drain.
Headlights, parking lights, license plate lights and instrument panel il\
lumination are on if the
ignition key is in position II.
If the headlight switch is in this position, all lights will go out when\
the ignition is switched off.
The headlight switch must be in this position before the high beams will\
function.
Switch from high to low beams and vice versa by pulling the turn signal \
switch lever on the left side of
steering column toward you.
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