2009 VOLVO S40 child seat

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS)
01``27
WARNING
If a fault in the system is detected and indi-
cated as explained on the preceding page,
be aware that the passenger's side front air-
bag 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 techni-
cian as soon as possible.
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.
•
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 sys-
tem's function.
The OWS is designed to disable (will not inflate)
the passenger's side front airbag when a rear
facing infant seat, a forward-facing child
restraint, or a booster seat is detected. The
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp will
illuminate and stay on to remind you that thepassenger's side front airbag is disabled (see
the following table).
Passenger's
seat occu-
pancy status
OWS indica-
tor light sta-
tus
Passenger's
side front
airbag sta-
tus
Seat unoc-
cupied
OWS indica-
tor lightlights up
Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by low
weight
occupant/
object
A
OWS indica-
tor lightlights up
Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by
heavy occu-
pant/object
OWS indica-
tor light
is
not lit
Passenger's
side front
airbag ena-
bled
AVolvo recommends that children always be properly
restrained in appropriate child restraints in the rear seats. Do
not assume that the passenger's side front airbag is disabled
unless the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit.
Make sure the child restraint is properly installed. If there is
any doubt as to the status of the passenger's side front air-
bag, move the child restraint to the rear seat.The OWS is designed to enable (may inflate)
the passenger's side front airbag anytime thesystem senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the front passenger's seat.
ThePASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp will be off and remain off.
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:
1. Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to
place the seatback in an upright position.
2. Have the person sit upright in the seat,
centered on the seat cushion, with the per-
son's legs comfortably extended.
3. 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 pas-
senger's frontal airbag.
4.
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.
ModificationsIf you are considering modifying your vehicle in
any way to accommodate a disability, for

01 SafetyOccupant Weight Sensor (OWS)
0128
example by altering or adapting the driver's or
front passenger's seat(s) and/or airbag sys-
tems, 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 passeng-
er'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 exer-
ted 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 passen-
ger should always be on the seat cush-
ion. 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.
•
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 Retrac-
tor (ALR/ELR) seat belt, see page 36.
•
No objects should be placed under the
front passenger's seat. This could inter-
fere with the OWS system's function.

01 Safety
Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)
0131
WARNING
In order for the VIC to provide its best pro-
tection, both front seat occupants and both
outboard rear seat occupants should sit in
an upright position with the seat belt prop-
erly fastened; adults using the seat belt and
children using the proper child restraint sys-
tem. Only adults should sit in the front seats.
Children must never be allowed in the front
passenger's seat, see page 36 for guide-
lines. Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an
accident.

01 SafetyChild safety
01``35 Children should be seated safely
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint
systems for all occupants including children.
Remember that, regardless of age and size, a
child should always be properly restrained in a
car.
Your car is also equipped with ISOFIX/LATCH
attachments, which make it more convenient
to install child seats.
Some 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
children in cars in the event of an accident only
if they are used properly. However, children
could be endangered in a crash if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the vehi-
cle. Failure to follow the installation instructions
for your child restraint can result in your child
striking the vehicle's interior in a sudden stop.
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable
substitute for a child restraint system. In an
accident, a child held in a person's arms can
be crushed between the vehicle's interior and
an unrestrained person. The child could also be
injured by striking the interior, or by being ejec-
ted from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver
or impact. The same can also happen if the
infant or child rides unrestrained on the seat.
Other occupants should also be properlyrestrained to help reduce the chance of injuring
or increasing the injury of a child.
All states and provinces have legislation gov-
erning how and where children should be car-
ried in a car. Find out the regulations existing
in your state or province. Recent accident sta-
tistics have shown that children are safer in rear
seating positions than front seating positions
when properly restrained. A child restraint sys-
tem can help protect a child in a vehicle. Here's
what to look for when selecting a child restraint
system:
•
It should have a label certifying that it
meets applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS 213) – or in Can-
ada, CMVSS 213.
•
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 infor-
mation.
•
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 injuries 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 child
on a cushion so that the seat belt is properly
located on the hips (see the illustration on page
42). Legislation in your state or province may
mandate the use of a child seat or cushion in
combination with the seat belt, depending on
the child's age and/or size. Please check local
regulations.
A specially designed and tested booster cush-
ion (not available in Canada) can be obtained
from your Volvo retailer for children weighing
33 – 80 lb. (15 – 36 kg) and 38-54 inches
(97 – 137 cm) in height.
WARNING
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.

01 SafetyChild safety
0136
Automatic Locking Retractor/
Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/
ELR)To make child seat installation easier, each
seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equip-
ped with a locking mechanism to help keep the
seat belt taut.When attaching the seat belt to a child
seat:1. Attach the seat belt to the child seat
according to the child seat manufacturer's
instructions.
2. Pull the seat belt out as far as possible.
3. Insert the seat belt latch plate into the
buckle (lock) in the usual way.
4. 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 auto-
matically disabled when the seat belt is
unlocked and 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.Volvo's recommendationsWhy does Volvo believe that no child should sit
in the front seat of a car? It's quite simple really.
A front airbag is a very powerful device
designed, by law, to help protect an adult.
Because of the size of the airbag and its speed
of inflation, a child should never be placed in
the front seat, even if he or she is properly bel-
ted or strapped into a child safety seat. Volvo
has been an innovator in safety for over sev-
enty-five years, and we'll continue to do our
part. But we need your help. Please remember
to put your children in the back seat, and
buckle them up.Volvo has some very specific
recommendations:•
Always wear your seat belt.
•
Airbags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety
device which, when used with a three-
point seat belt can help reduce serious
injuries during certain types of accidents.Volvo recommends that you do not dis-
connect the airbag system in your vehicle.
•
Volvo strongly recommends that everyone
in the vehicle be properly restrained.
•
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 front passenger
side airbag.
•
Drive safely!

01 Safety
Child restraint systems
0137 Child restraints
G026491
Infant seatThere are three main types of child restraint
systems: infant seats, convertible seats, and
booster cushions. They are classified accord-
ing to the child's age and size.
The following section provides general infor-
mation on securing a child restraint using a
three-point seat belt. Refer to pages 43–
45 for information on securing a child restraint
using ISOFIX lower anchors and/or top tether
anchorages.
G026503
Convertible seat
WARNING
A child seat should never be used in the
front passenger seat of any vehicle with a
front passenger airbag – not even if thePassenger airbag off
symbol near the
rear-view mirror is illuminated (on vehicles
equipped with Occupant Weight Sensor). If
the severity of an accident were to cause the
airbag to inflate, this could lead to serious
injury or death to a child seated in this posi-
tion.
WARNING
Always refer to the child restraint manufac-
turer's instructions for detailed information
on securing the restraint.
WARNING
•
When not in use, keep the child restraint
system secured or remove it from the
passenger compartment to help pre-
vent it from injuring passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or collision.
•
A small child's head represents a con-
siderable part of its total weight and its
neck is still very weak. Volvo recom-
mends that children up to age 4 travel,
properly restrained, facing rearward. In
addition, Volvo recommends that chil-
dren should ride rearward facing, prop-
erly restrained, as long as possible.

01 SafetyInfant seats
0138
Securing an infant seat with a seat belt
G026417
Do not place the infant seat in the front passeng-
er's seat
NOTE
Refer to pages 43–45 for information on
securing a child restraint using ISOFIX lower
anchors and/or top tether anchorages.
WARNING
•An infant seat must be in the rear-facing
position only.•The infant seat should not be positioned
behind the driver's seat unless there is
adequate space for safe installation.
1. Place the infant seat in the rear seat of the
vehicle.
G026493
Positioning the seat belt through the infant seat2. Attach the seat belt to the infant seat
according to the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
G026492
Fasten the seat belt
WARNING
A child seat should never be used in the
front passenger seat of any vehicle with a
front passenger airbag – not even if thePassenger airbag off
symbol near the
rear-view mirror is illuminated (on vehicles
equipped with Occupant Weight Sensor). If
the severity of an accident were to cause the
airbag to inflate, this could lead to serious
injury or death to a child seated in this posi-
tion.
3. Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch
plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct
click is audible.

01 SafetyInfant seats
0139
G026494
Pull out the shoulder section of the seat belt4. Pull the shoulder section of the seat belt
out as far as possible to activate the belt's
automatic locking function.
NOTE
The locking retractor will automatically
release when the seat belt is unbuckled and
allowed to retract fully.5. Press the infant seat firmly in place, let the
seat belt retract and pull it taut. A sound
from the seat belt retractor's automatic
locking function will be audible at this timeand is normal. The seat belt should now be
locked in place.
G026498
Ensure that the seat is securely in place
WARNING
It should not be possible to move the child
restraint more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) in any
direction.6. Push and pull the infant seat to ensure that
it is held securely in place by the seat belt.
7. The infant seat can be removed by unbuck-
ling the seat belt and letting it retract com-
pletely.