2009 VOLVO XC90 Owner´s Manual

01 Safety
Occupant safety
0117 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 Trans-
port 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.

01 SafetySeat belts
0118
Using seat belts
G020104
Adjusting the seat beltVolvo, the inventor of the three-point seat belt,
urges you and all occupants of your vehicle to
wear seat belts and ensure that children are
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 pretensionersThe seat belts are equipped with pretensioners
that reduce slack in the belts. These preten-sioners are triggered in situations where the
airbags deploy. The front seat belts also
include a tension reducing device which, in the
event of a collision, limits the peak forces exer-
ted by the seat belt on the occupant.
Buckling a seat beltPull 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.
•
The lap section of the belt must be posi-
tioned 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 beltTo remove the seat belt, press the red section
on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting the
vehicle, check that the seat belt retracts fullyafter being unbuckled. If necessary, guide the
belt back into the retractor slot.
Seat belt reminderThe seat belt reminder consists of an audible
signal, an indicator light above the rearview
mirror, and a symbol in the instrument panel
that alert the driver and front seat passenger if
their seat belts are not fastened.

01 Safety
Seat belts
0119
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.
•
Seat belts lose much of their strength
when exposed to violent stretching and
should be replaced after any collision,
even if they appear to be undamaged.
•
Never repair the belt yourself; have this
work done by an authorized Volvo serv-
ice 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 avail-
able 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
G020105
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 andsteering 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.
Child seatsPlease see page 34 for information on secur-
ing child seats with the seat belts.Seat belt maintenanceCheck periodically that the seat belts are in
good condition. Use water and a mild deter-
gent for cleaning. Check seat belt mechanism
function as follows: attach the seat belt and pull
rapidly on the strap.

01 SafetySupplemental Restraint System
0120
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
G027284
SRS warning lightAs an enhancement to the three-point seat
belts, your Volvo is equipped with a Supple-
mental Restraint System (SRS). Volvo's SRS
consists of seat belt pretensioners, front air-
bags, side impact airbags, the occupant
weight sensor, and inflatable curtains. All of
these systems are monitored by the SRS con-
trol module. An SRS warning light in the instru-
ment panel (see the illustration) illuminates
when the ignition key is turned to position I,II,
orIII, and will normally go out after approxi-
mately 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 sym-
bol illuminates and a text message will be dis-
played.
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 interfer-
ence in the system could cause mal-
function and serious injury. All work on
these systems should be performed by
an authorized 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 discon-
necting 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 tech-
nician 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:
1. Switch off the ignition for at least
10 minutes and disconnect the battery.
2. Wait at least one minute.
3. Insert the key in the ignition and turn it
to position II
4. Press firmly on the brake pedal.
5.
Move the gear selector from P (Park) to
theN(Neutral) position.

01 SafetyFront airbags
01``21 The front airbag system
G020111
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 genera-
tors surrounded by the airbags, and decelera-
tion sensors that activate the gas generators,
causing the airbags to be inflated with nitrogen
gas.
G031006
Location of the passenger's side front airbagAs the movement of the seats' occupants com-
presses the airbags, some of the gas is expel-
led 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 sec-
ond.
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.

01 SafetyFront airbags
0122
WARNING
•
The airbags in the vehicle are designed
to be a SUPPLEMENT to–not a replace-
ment 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 hous-
ing.
•
The front airbags are designed to help
prevent serious injury. Deployment
occurs very quickly and with consider-
able 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 equip-
ment, make sure that the front airbag
system is not damaged. Any interfer-
ence in the system could cause mal-
function.
Front airbag deployment•
The front airbags are designed to deploy
during certain frontal or front-angular col-
lisions, impacts, or decelerations, depend-
ing 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 colli-
sion where deployment occurs, the air-
bags and seat belt pretensioners acti-
vate. 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 sen-
sors that are integrated with the front
seat buckles. The point at which the air-
bag 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 trig-
gered at partial capacity. If the impact is
more severe, the airbags are triggered
at full capacity.
Should you have questions about any compo-
nent in the SRS system, please contact a
trained and qualified Volvo service technician
or Volvo Customer Support:In the USAVolvo Cars of North America, LLC

01 SafetyFront airbags
01``23
Customer Care Center
P.O. Box 914 Rockleigh,
New Jersey 07647-0914
1-800-458-1552
www.volvocars.usIn CanadaVolvo 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.
•
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 pro-
longed exposure.
G032243
Airbag decal in the front passenger's door opening
G032934
Airbag decal on the outside of both sun visors

01 SafetyFront airbags
0124
G032525
Airbag decal on passenger's side dashboard
WARNING
•
Children must never be allowed in the
front passenger's seat. Volvo recom-
mends 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.
•
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.
•
There should be no loose articles, e.g.
coffee cups, on the floor, seat, or dash-
board 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.