
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.
NOTE
When the ignition is switched on, the OWS indicator light will go on for up to 10 seconds while the system performs
a self -diagnostic test.
However, if a fault is detected in the system:
The OWS indicator light will stay on
The SRS warning light (see page 17) will come on and stay on
The message PASS. AIRBAG OFF SERVICE URGENT will be displayed in the information display.
22 01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS)
WARNING
Never try to open, remove, or repair any components in the OWS system. This could result in system malfunction.
Maintenance or repairs should only be carried out by an a trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
If a fault in the system is detected and indicated as explained on the preceding page, be aware that the passenger's
side front airbag will not deploy in the event of a collision. In this case, the SRS system and Occupant Weight
Sensor should be inspected by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician as soon as possible.
The front passenger's seat should not be modified in any way. This could reduce pressure on the seat cushion,
which might interfere with the OWS system's function.
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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's seat. See page 32
for guidelines. Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle
occupants in an accident.
27 01 Safety
Whiplash Protection System
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
The WHIPS system consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on the front seat backrests designed to help
absorb some of the energy generated in a collision from the rear (when the vehicle is "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
rearward. This movement helps absorb some of the forces that could result in whiplash.
WARNING
The WHIPS system is designed to supplement the other safety systems in your car. For this system to function
properly, the three-point seat belt must be worn. Please be aware that no system can prevent all possible injuries that
may occur in an accident.
The WHIPS system is designed to function in certain collisions from the rear, depending on the crash severity,
angle and speed.
28 01 Safety
Whiplash Protection System
WARNING
Occupants in the front seats must never 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.
WARNING
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2 0 0 8
VOLVO S40
44 02 Instruments and controls
Instrument overview 46
Instrument panel49
Indicator and warning symbols51
Symbols - instrument panel53
Information display56
12-volt sockets58
Lighting panel59
Left-side steering wheel lever62
Trip computer63
Cruise control65
Right-side steering wheel lever67
Rain sensor68
Steering wheel adjustment, Hazard warning flashers69
Parking brake70
Power windows71
Mirrors73
Power moonroof (option)75
Personal settings77
HomeLink® Universal Transceiver (option)80
45 02 Instruments and controls
46 02 Instruments and controls
Instrument overview
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47 02 Instruments and controls
Instrument overview
1. Steering wheel adjustment69
2. Hood opener203
3. Controls in front doors(see inset illustration at next page)
4. Left steering wheel lever62
5. Lighting panel59
6. Door open handle and locking button122
7. Climate system air vent88
8. Side window air vent88
9. Cruise control65
10. Horn, airbag18
11. Main instrument panel49
12. Audio controls (option)231
13. Right steering wheel lever67
14. Ignition switch135
15. Moonroof control (option)75
16. Not in use
17. Movement detector (option), alarm sensor125
18. Courtesy lighting switch101
19. Driver's side reading light101
20. Passenger's side reading light101
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1. Speedometer
2. Turn signal, left
3. Warning symbol - See the following pages for additional information.
4. Information display - The display presents information and warning messages, the ambient temperature, and the
clock, etc. When the ambient temperature is between 23° and 36°F (-5° and +2°C), a snowflake symbol is shown in
the display. This symbol serves as a warning for possible slippery road surfaces. Please note that this symbol does not
indicate a fault with your car. At low speeds, or when the car is not moving, the temperature readings may be slightly
higher than the actual ambient temperature.
5. Information symbol - See the following pages for additional information.
6. Turn signal, right
7. Tachometer - Shows engine speed in thousands of revolutions per minute (rpm). Do not drive continuously with the
needle in the red area of the dial, which indicates maximum allowable engine rpm range. Instead, shift to a higher gear
or slow the vehicle down. The engine management system will automatically prevent excessively high engines speeds.
This will be noticeable as a pronounced unevenness in engine speed.
8. Indicator and warning symbols
9. Fuel gauge (see page 252
for fuel tank volume). When a warning light in the gauge comes on, there are
approximately 2.1 US gallons (8 liters) of fuel remaining in the tank. For more information on fuel level and
consumption, see "Trip computer" on page 63
.
50 02 Instruments and controls
Instrument panel
10. Trip odometer reset button - The trip odometers are used to measure short distances. Press the button briefly to
switch between the odometer for the car's total mileage and the two trip odometers, T1 and T2. A long press (more
than 2 seconds) resets the currently selected trip odometer.
11. Function display - This window displays information on functions such as the odometer, trip odometers, optional
rain sensor, and cruise control.
12. High beam indicator
13. Temperature gauge - The gauge indicates the temperature of the engine cooling system. If the temperature is
abnormally high and the needle enters the red zone, a message is shown in the display. Bear in mind that auxiliary
lamps in front of the air intake reduce the cooling capacity at high outside temperatures and high engine loads.
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14. Indicator and warning symbols
51 02 Instruments and controls
Indicator and warning symbols
Function check
The indicator and warning symbols
1 light up when you turn the ignition key or the optional keyless drive start control
to the driving position (position II) before starting. This shows that the symbols are functioning.
When the engine starts, all symbols go out. If the engine is not started within 5 seconds, all of the symbols
except CHECK ENGINE and will go out. Certain symbols may not have their functions illustrated, depending on the
car's equipment.
The PARK BRAKE symbol will not go out until the parking brake has been released.
1On certain engines, the symbol for low oil pressure is not used. Instead, a text warning is provided in the information display, see also page 206.
Symbols in the center of the instrument panel
Warning symbol
The red warning symbol lights up to indicate a fault that could affect the car's drivability. This symbol illuminates
when the vehicle is traveling at speeds above 5 mph (7 km/h). A text explaining the nature of the fault will also be
shown in the information display. The symbol and accompanying text will remain on until the fault has been corrected.
This symbol may also light up in combination with other indicator or warning symbols.
If the red warning symbol lights up:
1. Stop the car as soon as possible in a suitable location.
2. Read the message in the information display.
3. Follow the instructions provided, or contact a trained and qualified Volvo service technician. Erase the message by
pressing READ (see page 56
).
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Information symbol
The yellow information symbol lights up to alert the driver to a message in the information display. This symbol
illuminates when the vehicle is traveling at speeds below 5 mph (7 km/h).
The message can be erased by pressing the READ button (see page 56
), or will disappear automatically (the length of
time required for the message to disappear varies, depending on the function indicated).
When the message "TIME FOR REGULAR SERVICE" is displayed, the text can be erased and the information
symbol light can be turned off by pressing the READ button. The text will disappear and the symbol light will go out
automatically after two minutes.
52 02 Instruments and controls
Indicator and warning symbols
This symbol may also light up in combination with other indicator or warning symbols.
53 02 Instruments and controls
Symbols - instrument panel
Symbols - left side
1. Malfunction indicator light
As you drive, a computer called On-Board Diagnostics II (OBDII) monitors your car'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 this happens, please have your car checked by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician as soon as
possible.
A CHECK ENGINE light may have many causes. Sometimes, you may not notice a change in your car's behavior.
Even so, an uncorrected condition could hurt fuel economy, emission controls, and drivability. Extended driving
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without correcting the cause could even damage other components in your car.
NOTE
Canadian models are equipped with the second symbol.
2. Anti-lock Brake system (ABS)
If the warning light comes on, there is a malfunction of the ABS system (the standard braking system will still
function).
The vehicle should be driven to a trained and qualified Volvo service technician for inspection. See page 147
for
additional information.
NOTE
Canadian models are equipped with the second symbol.
3. Rear fog light
This symbol indicates that the rear fog light (located in the driver's side taillight cluster) is on.
4. Stability system STC or DSTC
This indicator symbol flashes when the STC (Stability and Traction control system) or the DSTC (Dynamic Stability
and Traction control system) is actively working to stabilize the car. See page 149
for more detailed information.
5. Not in use
6. Fuel level warning light
When this light comes on, there are approximately 2.1 US gallons (8 liters) of fuel remaining in the tank.
54 02 Instruments and controls
Symbols - instrument panel
Symbols - right side
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