2008 VOLVO S40 Owners Manual

cars long before it was fashionable or required by government regulation.
We will not compromise our commitment to safety. We continue to seek out new safety features and to refine those
already in our cars. You can help. We would appreciate hearing your suggestions about improving automobile safety.
We also want to know if you ever have a safety concern with your car. Call us in the U.S. at: 1-800-458-1552 or in
Canada at: 1-800-663-8255.
Occupant safety reminders
How safely you drive doesn't depend on how old you are but rather on:
How well you see.
Your ability to concentrate.
How quickly you make decisions under stress to avoid an accident.
The following suggestions are intended to help you cope with the ever changing traffic -environment.
Never drink and drive.
If you are taking any medication, consult your physician about its potential effects on your driving abilities.
Take a driver-retraining course.
Have your eyes checked regularly.
Keep your windshield and headlights clean.
Replace wiper blades when they start to leave streaks.
Take into account the traffic, road, and weather conditions, particularly with regard to stopping distance.
Reporting safety defects in the U.S.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Volvo Cars
of North America, LLC. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual problems between you, your retailer, or Volvo Cars of North America, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington D.C. 20590.
You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from:
http://www.safercar.gov
Volvo strongly recommends that if your vehicle is covered under a service campaign, safety or emission recall or
similar action, it should be completed as soon as possible. Please check with your local retailer or Volvo Cars of North
America, LLC if your vehicle is covered under these conditions.
13 01 Safety
Occupant safety
NHTSA can be reached at:
Internet:
http://www.nhtsa.gov
Telephone:
1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
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Reporting safety defects in Canada
If you believe your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform Transport Canada in addition to notifying Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
To contact Transport Canada, call (800) 333-0510, or (613) 993-9851 if you are calling from the Ottawa region.
14 01 Safety
Seat belts
Using seat belts
Seat belts should always be worn by all occupants of your vehicle. Children should be 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 vehicle.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
Seat belt pretensioners
The outboard seat belts are equipped with pretensioners that reduce slack in the belts. These pretensioners are triggered
in situations where the front or side impact airbags deploy, and in certain impacts from the rear. The front seat belts
also include a tension reducing device which, in the event of a collision, limits the peak forces exerted by the seat belt
on the occupant.
Buckling a seat belt
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
When wearing the seat belt remember:
The belt should not be twisted or turned.
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The lap section of the 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.
Unbuckling the seat belt
To remove the seat belt, press the red section on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting the vehicle, check that the
seat belt retracts fully after being unbuckled. If necessary, guide the belt back into the retractor slot.
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 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.
15 01 Safety
Seat belts
WARNING
Never repair the belt yourself; have this work done by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician 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.
Seat belt use during pregnancy
The seat belt should always be worn during pregnancy. But it is crucial that it be worn in the correct way. The diagonal
section should wrap over the shoulder then be routed between the breasts and to the side of the belly. The lap section
should lay flat over the thighs and as low as possible under the belly. It must never be allowed to ride upward. Remove
all slack from the belt and insure that it fits close to the body without any twists.
As a pregnancy progresses, pregnant drivers should adjust their seats and steering wheel such that they can easily
maintain control of the vehicle as they drive (which means they must be able to easily operate the foot pedals and
steering wheel). Within this context, they should strive to position the seat with as large a distance as possible between
their belly and the steering wheel.
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Child seats
Please refer to page 35
for information on securing child seats with the seat belts.
16 01 Safety
Seat belts
Seat belt reminder
The seat belt reminder consists of an audible signal, an indicator light above the rearview mirror, and a symbol in the
instrument panel (see page 54
) that alert the driver and front seat passenger if their seat belts are not fastened.
NOTE
The function is active for a total of 6 minutes from the time the ignition is switched on.
During the first minute:
The seat belt reminder function only reacts if the driver has not fastened his/her seat belt.
The indicator light above the mirror and the symbol in the instrument panel will light up and stay lit until the seat
belt has been fastened.
A chime will sound for 6 seconds. The frequency of the chiming increases with the speed of the car.
After one minute has elapsed:
The seat belt reminder reacts if the driver and/or the front seat passenger have not fastened their seat belts.
The indicator light above the mirror and the symbol in the instrument panel will light up and stay lit until the seat
belt(s) have been fastened, or until the remaining 5 minutes of the 6-minute cycle have elapsed.
The chime will sound for 6 seconds, at 30-second intervals. The frequency of the chiming increases with the speed
of the car.
After 6 minutes, the chime will no longer sound and the indicator lights will go out.
Seat belt maintenance
Check periodically that the seat belts are in good condition. Use water and a mild detergent for cleaning. Check seat
belt mechanism function as follows: attach the seat belt and pull rapidly on the strap.
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17 01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
As an enhancement to the three-point seat belts, your Volvo is equipped with a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).
Volvo's SRS consists of seat belt pretensioners, front airbags, side impact airbags, the occupant weight sensor, and
inflatable curtains. All of these systems are monitored by the SRS control module. An SRS warning light in the
instrument panel (see the illustration) illuminates when the ignition key is turned to position I, II, or III, and will
normally go out after approximately 7 seconds if no faults are detected in the system.
Where applicable, a text message will also be displayed when the SRS warning light illuminates. If this warning
symbol is not functioning properly, the general warning symbol
illuminates and either SRS AIRBAG SERVICE
URGENT or SRS AIRBAG SERVICE REQUIRED will be displayed.
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 145 for information on manually
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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.
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.
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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
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
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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
WARNING
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