2004 VOLVO XC90 Owners Manual

2004 VOLVO XC90
pg. 15 Safety
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
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2004 VOLVO XC90
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
WHIPS consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on the front se\
at backrests and head restraints
designed to help absorb some of the energy generated in a rear-end colli\
sion.
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 su\
pport the occupant's head before
moving slightly rearward. This movement helps absorb some of the forces \
that could result in the
whiplash effect.
WARNING!
WHIPS is designed to supplement the other safety systems in your vehicle\
. For this system to
function properly, the three-point seat belt must be worn. Please be awa\
re that no system can prevent
all possible injuries that may occur in an accident.
If your vehicle has been involved in a collision, the front seat backres\
ts must be inspected by an
authorized Volvo retailer even, if the seats appear to be undamaged. Cer\
tain components in the
WHIPS system may need to be replaced. Do not attempt to service any comp\
onent in the WHIPS
system yourself.
WARNING!
If the rear seat backrests are folded down, cargo must be secured to pre\
vent it from sliding forward
against the front seat backrests in the event of a collision from the re\
ar. This could interfere with the
action of the WHIPS system.
The WHIPS system is designed to function in certain collisions from the \
rear, depending on the crash
severity, angle and speed.
Occupants in the front seats must never sit out of position. The occupan\
t's back must be as upright as
comfort allows and be against the seat back with the seat belt properly \
fastened.
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2004 VOLVO XC90
pg. 16 Safety
WARNING!
Any contact between the front seat backrests and the folded rear seat co\
uld impede the function of the
WHIPS system. If the rear seat is folded down, the occupied front seats \
must be adjusted forward so
that they do not touch the folded rear seat.
Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats (see illustration \
above right) could impede the
function of the WHIPS system.
pg. 17 Safety
Child safety
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint systems for all occupants i\
ncluding children. Remember
that, regardless of age and size, a child should always be properly rest\
rained in a vehicle.
Your vehicle is also equipped with ISOFIX attachments, which make it mor\
e convenient to install child
seats (see
page 18).
Restraint systems for children are designed to be secured in the vehicle\
by lap belts or the lap portion of
a lap-shoulder belt. Such child restraint systems can help protect child\
ren in vehicles in the event of an
accident only if they are used properly. However, children could be enda\
ngered in a crash if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle. Failure to follow th\
e installation instructions for your
child restraint can result in your child striking the vehicle's interior\
in a sudden stop.
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2004 VOLVO XC90
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable substitute for a child re\
straint system. In an accident, a
child held in a person's arms can be crushed between the vehicle's inter\
ior and an unrestrained person.
The child could also be injured by striking the interior, or by being ej\
ected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. The same can also happen if the infant or chi\
ld rides unrestrained on the
seat. Other occupants should also be properly restrained to help reduce \
the chance of injuring or
increasing the injury of a child.
All states and provinces have legislation governing how and where childr\
en should be carried in a
vehicle. Find out the regulations existing in your state or province. Re\
cent accident statistics have shown
that children are safer in rear seating positions than front seating pos\
itions when properly restrained. A
child restraint system can help protect a child in a vehicle. Here's wha\
t to look for when selecting a child
restraint system:
l It should have a label certifying that it meets applicable Federal Motor\
Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS 213) - or in Canada, CMVSS 213.
l Make sure the child restraint system is approved for the child's height,\
weight and development - the
label required by the standard or regulation, or instructions for infant\
restraints, typically provide this
information.
l In using any child restraint system, we urge you to carefully look over \
the instructions that are
provided with the restraint. Be sure you understand them and can use the\
device properly and safely in
this vehicle. A misused child restraint system can result in increased i\
njuries for both the infant or child
and other occupants in the vehicle.
When a child has outgrown the child safety seat, you should use the rear\
seat with the standard seat belt
fastened. The best way to help protect the child here is to place the ch\
ild on a cushion so that the seat
belt is properly located on the hips (see
page 2). Legislation in your state or province may mandate the
use of a child seat or cushion in combination with the seat belt, depend\
ing on the child's age and/or size.
Please check local regulations.
A specially designed and tested booster cushion (not available in Canad\
a) for children between the age
of 3 and approximately 10 years, weighing 33-80 lb (15-36 kg) and 38-5\
4 inches (97-137 cm) in height,
can be obtained from your Volvo retailer.
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2004 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
l Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the\
front passenger's seat. We
also recommend that children under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height \
who have outgrown these
devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt fastened.
l Keep vehicle doors and the tailgate locked and keep keys out of a child'\
s reach.
Unsupervised children could lock themselves in an open tailgate and risk\
injury. Children should be
taught not to play in vehicles.
l On hot days, the temperature in the vehicle interior can rise very quick\
ly. Exposure to these high
temperatures for even a short period of time can cause heat-related inju\
ry or death. Small children are
particularly at risk.
pg. 18 Safety
Child safety (contd)

Isofix attachments
ISOFIX fasteners and seat guides
ISOFIX fasteners are installed in the second row of seats in the outboar\
d positions. One set of ISOFIX
guides is also provided. Consult your Volvo retailer for more informatio\
n on child safety accessories.
When installing child seats in the second row of seats (in seven-seat m\
odels), we recommend that the
seats in this row be moved to their rearmost position.
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2004 VOLVO XC90
Integrated child booster cushion (option)
Volvo's own integrated booster cushion has been specially designed to he\
lp safeguard a child seated in
the rear seat. When using an integrated booster cushion, the child must \
be secured with the vehicle's
three-point seat belt. This child seat is designed for use only by child\
ren who weigh between 33 and 80
lb (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is between 38 and 54 in (97 and 13\
7 cm).
The child should be properly seated on the booster cushion. The hip sect\
ion of the three-point seat belt
must fit snugly across the child's hips, not across the stomach. The sho\
ulder section of the three-point
seat belt should be positioned across the chest and shoulder (see illus\
tration). The shoulder belt must
never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm.
WARNING!
Failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions on the use of this chi\
ld restraint system can result in
your child striking the vehicle's interior during a sudden stop or crash\
. In the event of a collision
while the integrated booster cushion was occupied, the entire booster cu\
shion and seat belt must be
replaced. The booster cushion should also be replaced if it is badly wor\
n or damaged in any way. This
work should be performed by an authorized Volvo retailer only. The boost\
er cushion should be
cleaned while in place in the vehicle if possible. If not, please consul\
t your Volvo retailer.
pg. 19 Safety
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2004 VOLVO XC90
Integrated booster cushion
Raising
l Pull the handle at the front of the cushion (1) forward.
l Move the seat belt latch aside before raising the cushion.
l With both hands push the cushion rearward (2).
l Push the cushion until it locks in place.
Lowering
l Pull the handle at the front of the cushion (1) forward.
l Pull the seat forward and press it down until it locks in place.
The booster cushion must be pressed down before the backrest can be fold\
ed down.

Child restraint anchorages
Child restraint anchorages
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2004 VOLVO XC90
Volvo vehicles are equipped with child restraint top tether anchorages i\
n the rear seats (second row of
seats in seven-seat models). Refer to the child seat manufacturer's ins\
tructions for information on
securing the child seat.
WARNING!
Child Restraint Anchorages are designed to withstand only those loads im\
posed by correctly fitted
Child Restraints. Under no circumstances are they to be used for adult s\
eat belts or harnesses. The
anchorages are not able to withstand excessive forces on them in the eve\
nt of collision if full harness
seat belts or adult seat belts are installed to them. An adult who uses \
a belt anchored in a Child
Restraint Anchorage runs a great risk of suffering severe injuries shoul\
d a collision occur. Do not
install rear speakers which would require the removal of the top tether \
anchors or interfere with the
proper use of the top tether strap.
pg. 20 Safety
Child safety (contd)
Keeping child seats in place (ALR/ ELR*)
To make child seat installation easier, each seat belt (except for the \
driver's belt) is equipped with a
locking mechanism to help keep the seat belt taut.
When attaching the seat belt to a child seat:
l Attach the seat belt to the child seat according to the child seat manuf\
acturer's instructions.
l Pull the seat belt out as far as possible.
l Insert the seat belt latch plate into the buckle (lock) in the usual w\
ay.
l Release the seat belt and pull it taut around the child seat.
A sound from the seat belt retractor will be audible at this time and is\
normal.
The belt will now be locked in place.
This function is automatically disabled when the seat belt is unlocked a\
nd the belt is fully retracted.
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.
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