
WARNING
If the SRS warning light stays on after the engine has started or if it illuminates while you are driving, have the
vehicle inspected by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician as soon as possible.
Never try to repair any component or part of the SRS yourself. Any interference in the system could cause
malfunction and serious injury. All work on these systems should be performed by a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician.
WARNING
If your vehicle has been subjected to flood conditions (e.g. soaked carpeting/standing water on the floor of the
vehicle) or if your vehicle has become flood-damaged in any way, do not attempt to start the vehicle or put the key
in the ignition before disconnecting the battery (see below). This may cause airbag deployment which could result in
personal injury. Have the vehicle towed to a trained and qualified Volvo service technician for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle, use the following procedure to override the shiftlock system to move the
gear selector to the neutral position:
- Switch off the ignition for at least 10 minutes and disconnect the battery
- Wait at least one minute. - Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to position II.
- Press firmly on the brake pedal.
- Move the gear selector from Park ( P) to the Neutral ( N) position. See page 146
for information on manually
overriding the shiftlock system.
18 01 Safety
Front airbags
The front airbag system
The front airbags supplement the three-point seat belts. For these airbags to provide the protection intended, seat belts
must be worn at all times.
The front airbag system includes gas generators surrounded by the airbags, and deceleration sensors that activate the
gas generators, causing the airbags to be inflated with nitrogen gas.
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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 pretensioners also deploy, minimizing seat belt slack. The entire process,
including inflation and deflation of the airbags, takes approximately one fifth of a second.
The location of the front airbags is indicated by "SRS AIRBAG" embossed on the steering wheel pad and above the
glove compartment, and by decals on both sun visors and on the front and far right side of the dash.
The driver's side front airbag is folded and located in the steering wheel hub.
The passenger's side front airbag is folded behind a panel located above the glove compartment.
WARNING
The airbags in the vehicle are designed to be a SUPPLEMENT to-not a replacement for-the three-point seat belts.
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.
Never drive a vehicle with a steering wheel-mounted airbag with your hands on the steering wheel pad/airbag
housing.
The front airbags are 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 from deployment of one or both of the airbags.
When installing any accessory equipment, make sure that the front airbag system is not damaged. Any interference
in the system could cause malfunction.
19 01 Safety
Front airbags
Front airbag deployment
The front airbags 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 SRS sensors, which trigger the front airbags, are 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 seat belt
pretensioners and/or airbags to be deployed.
However, not all frontal collisions activate the front airbags.
If the collision involves a nonrigid object (e.g., a snow drift or bush), or a rigid, fixed object at a low speed, the
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front airbags 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.
NOTE
Deployment of front airbags occurs only one time during an accident. In a collision where deployment occurs, the
airbags and seat belt pretensioners 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.
Volvo's front 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. If the impact is less severe, but severe enough to
present a clear injury risk, the airbags are triggered at partial capacity. If the impact is more severe, the airbags are
triggered at full capacity.
Should you have questions about any component in the SRS system, please contact a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician or Volvo Customer Support:
In the USA :
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
Customer Care Center
P.O. Box 914 Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
1-800-458-1552
www.volvocars.us
In Canada :
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
www.volvocanada.com
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
1.
Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can impair the steering of your vehicle. Other
safety systems can also be damaged.
The smoke and dust formed when the airbags are deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of
prolonged exposure.
1See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information on page 21.
20 01 Safety
Front airbags
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WARNING
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger's 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 32
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.
WARNING
No objects or accessory equipment, e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed on, attached to, or installed near the air
bag hatch (the area above the glove compartment) or the area affected by airbag deployment (see the illustration on
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page 18).
There should be no loose articles, e.g. coffee cups, on the floor, seat, or dashboard area.
Never try to open the airbag cover on the steering wheel or the passenger's side dashboard. This should only be
done by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants.
21 01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor
Disabling the passenger's side front airbag
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the rear
seat of any vehicle with a passenger's side front airbag, and be properly restrained. Children should always be seated
in child restraints appropriate for their size and weight. See also the child safety recommendations beginning on page
30.
The Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) is designed to meet the regulatory requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208 and is designed to disable (will not inflate) the passenger's side front airbag under certain
conditions.
The OWS works with sensors that are part of the front passenger's seat and seat belt. The sensors are designed to
detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the passenger's side front airbag should be enabled
(may inflate) or disabled (will not inflate).
The OWS will disable (will not inflate) the passenger's side front airbag when:
the front passenger's seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in the front seat,
the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant seat that is installed according to the
manufacturer's instructions,
the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing child restraint that is installed according to
the manufacturer's instructions,
the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time,
a child or a small person occupies the front passenger's seat.
The OWS uses a PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp which will illuminate and stay on to remind you that the
passenger's side front airbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is located in the overhead
console, near the base of the rearview mirror.
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If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger's seat, but the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is
on, it is possible that the person isn't sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in an upright position.
Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the person's legs comfortably extended.
Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for about two minutes. This will allow the system to
detect that person and enable the passenger's frontal airbag.
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains on even after this, the person should be advised to ride
in the rear seat.
This condition reflects limitations of the OWS classification capability. It does not indicate OWS malfunction.
23 01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor
Modifications
If you are considering modifying your vehicle in any way to accommodate a disability, for example by altering or
adapting the driver's or front passenger's seat(s) and/or airbag systems, please contact Volvo at:
In the USA :
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
Customer Care Center
P.O. Box 914 Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
1-800-458-1552
In Canada :
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
WARNING
No objects that add to the total weight on the seat should be placed on the front passenger's seat. If a child is
seated in the front passenger's seat with any additional weight, this extra weight could cause the OWS system to
enable the airbag, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.
The seat belt should never be wrapped around an object on the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the
OWS system's function.
The front passenger's seat belt should never be used in a way that exerts more pressure on the passenger than
normal. This could increase the pressure exerted on the weight sensor by a child, and could result in the airbag being
enabled, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.
WARNING
Keep the following points in mind with respect to the OWS system. Failure to follow these instructions could
adversely affect the system's function and result in serious injury to the occupant of the front passenger's seat:
The full weight of the front seat passenger should always be on the seat cushion. The passenger should never lift
him/herself off the seat cushion using the armrest in the door or the center console, by pressing the feet on the floor,
by sitting on the edge of the seat cushion, or by pressing against the backrest in a way that reduces pressure on the
seat cushion. This could cause OWS to disable the passenger's side front airbag.
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Do not place any type of object on the front passenger's seat in such a way that jamming, pressing, or squeezing
occurs between the object and the front seat, other than as a direct result of the correct use of the Automatic Locking
Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seat belt (see page 32
).
No objects should be placed under the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the OWS system's function.
24 01 Safety
Side impact protection airbags
Side impact airbags (SIPS) - front seats only
As an enhancement to the structural side impact protection built into your car, the car is also equipped with Side
Impact Protection System (SIPS) airbags.
The SIPS airbag system is designed to help increase occupant protection in the event of certain side impact collisions.
The SIPS airbags are designed to deploy only during certain side-impact collisions, depending on the crash severity,
angle, speed and point of impact.
NOTE
SIPS airbag deployment (one airbag) occurs only on the side of the vehicle affected by the impact. The airbags are
not designed to deploy in all side impact situations.
Components in the SIPS airbag system
This SIPS airbag system consists of gas generators and side airbag modules built into the outboard sides of both front
seat backrests.
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WARNING
The SIPS airbag system is a supplement to the structural Side Impact Protection System and the three-point seat
belt system. It is not designed to deploy during collisions from the front or rear of the car or in rollover situations.
The use of seat covers on the front seats may impede SIPS airbag deployment.
No objects, accessory equipment or stickers may be placed on, attached to or installed near the SIPS airbag system
or in the area affected by SIPS airbag deployment.
Never try to open or repair any components of the SIPS airbag system. This should be done only by a trained and
qualified Volvo service technician.
In order for the SIPS airbag to provide its best protection, both front seat occupants should sit in an upright
position with the seat belt properly fastened.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the occupants of the vehicle in the event of an accident.
25 01 Safety
Door mounted inflatable curtains
Door Mounted Inflatable Curtain system (DMIC)
The DMIC is a supplement to the structural side impact protection. These inflatable curtains are concealed in the upper
section of the driver and passenger doors.
The Inflatable Curtain (DMIC) and the Side Impact Airbag System (SIPS-bag) will both deploy in certain side
impacts.
NOTE
DMIC deployment can occur regardless of whether the power retractable hard top is up or down.
If the inflatable curtain deploys, it remains inflated for approximately 5 seconds.
WARNING
The DMIC 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 vehicle. It only provides protection for the occupants of the front seats.
There is a risk of injury if the driver or front seat passenger leans on or against the door panel when the DMIC
deploys.
Never install or mount any equipment on the insides of the doors, door pillars, or side panels. This could impede
the function of the DMIC system.
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