2011 VOLVO V50 airbag

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) 01
28
Disabling the passenger's side front
airbag
2
G018082
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) indicator light
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults
and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches
(140 cm) be seated in the rear seat of any vehi-
cle 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 rec-
ommendations on page 37.
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 (willnot 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 pas-
senger'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 manufac-
turer'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 23) will
come on and stay on
The message
PASS. AIRBAG OFF SERVICE
URGENTwill be displayed in the information
display.

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS)01

29
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 statusOWS indica-
tor light sta-
tusPassenger's
side front
airbag sta-
tus
Seat unoc-
cupiedOWS indica-
tor light
lights
up
Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by low
weight
occupant/
object
A
OWS indica-
tor light
lights
up
Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by
heavy occu-
pant/objectOWS 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 in the event
of a collision anytime the system senses that aperson of adult size is sitting properly in the
front passenger's seat. The PASSENGER
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 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) 01
30
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
1 Volvo Drive
P.O. Box 914
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647
1-800-458-1552
In Canada
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road North York, Ontario
M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255WARNING
•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 38.
•No objects should be placed under the
front passenger's seat. This could inter-
fere with the OWS system's function.

01 Safety
Side impact protection airbags01

31 Side impact airbags – front seats only
G020118
Location of the side impact (SIPS) airbag
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 air-
bags are designed to deploy only during cer-
tain side-impact collisions, depending on the
crash severity, angle, speed and point of
impact.
G025315
Driver's side SIPS airbag
G025316
Passenger's side SIPS airbag
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 systemThis SIPS airbag system consists of gas gen-
erators and side airbag modules built into the
outboard sides of both front seat backrests.

01 Safety
Side impact protection airbags 01
32
WARNING
•The SIPS airbag system is a supple-
ment to the structural Side Impact Pro-
tection 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 compo-
nents 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 posi-
tion 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.

01 Safety
Inflatable Curtain (IC)01
33 The Inflatable Curtain system
G019985
This system consists of inflatable curtains
located along the sides of the roof liners,
stretching from the center of both front side
windows to the rear edge of the rear side door
windows. It is designed to help protect the
heads of the occupants of the front seats and
the occupant of the outboard rear seating posi-
tions in certain side impact collisions.
In certain side impacts, both the Inflatable Cur-
tain (IC) and the Side Impact Airbag System
(SIPS airbag) will deploy. The IC and the SIPS
airbag deploy simultaneously.
NOTE
If the inflatable curtain deploys, it remains
inflated for approximately 3 seconds.
WARNING
•The IC 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 car or in roll-
over situations.
•Never try to open or repair any compo-
nents of the IC system. This should be
done only by a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician.
•Never hang heavy items from the ceiling
handles. This could impede deployment
of the Inflatable curtain.
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 38 for guide-
lines. Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an
accident.

01 Safety
Crash mode 01
36
Driving after a collision
G026363
If the vehicle has been involved in a collision,
the text CRASH MODE SEE MANUAL may
appear in the information display. This indi-
cates that the vehicle's functionality has been
reduced.
This text can only be shown if the display is
undamaged and the vehicle's electrical system
is intact.
CRASH MODE is a feature that is triggered if
one or more of the safety systems (for example,
front or side airbags, an inflatable curtain, or
one or more of the seat belt pretensioners) has
deployed. The collision may have damaged an
important function in the vehicle, such as thefuel lines, sensors for one of the safety sys-
tems, the brake system, etc.
WARNING
•Never attempt to repair the vehicle
yourself or to reset the electrical system
after the vehicle has displayed
CRASH
MODE SEE MANUAL. This could
result in injury or improper system func-
tion.
•Restoring the vehicle to normal operat-
ing mode should only be done by a
trained and qualified Volvo service tech-
nician.
•After CRASH MODE SEE MANUALhas been displayed, if you detect the
odor of fuel vapor, or see any signs of
fuel leakage, do not attempt to start the
vehicle. Leave the vehicle immediately.
Attempting to start the vehicleIf damage to the vehicle is minor and there is
no fuel leakage, you may attempt to start the
vehicle. To do so:
1. Remove the ignition key or optional keyless
drive start control, see page 148.
2. Reinsert the key or start control in the igni-
tion switch. The vehicle will then attempt to
reset CRASH MODE to normal mode.3. Try to start the vehicle.
Moving the vehicleIf the electrical system is able to reset system
status to normal (CRASH MODE SEE
MANUAL will no longer be displayed), the
vehicle may be moved carefully from its pres-
ent position, if for example, it is blocking traffic.
It should, however, not be moved farther than
is absolutely necessary.
WARNING
Even if the vehicle appears to be drivable
after CRASH MODE has been set, it should
not be driven or towed (pulled by another
vehicle). There may be concealed damage
that could make it difficult or impossible to
control. The vehicle should be transported
on a flatbed tow truck to a trained and quali-
fied Volvo service technician for inspection/
repairs.

01 Safety
Child safety 01
38
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!