2011 VOLVO V50 ECU

04 Interior
Front seats
04

107 Adjusting the front seat head restraints
The front seat head restraints are designed so
that they can be adjusted to two different
height positions.
NOTE
•When the vehicle leaves the factory, the
front seat head restraints will be in the
lower position.
•It is advisable to have the front seat
head restraints in the lower position if
you wish to fold down the seat's back-
rest.
The head restraints should be put in the upper
or lower position according to the height of the
occupant of the seat.
The upper edge of the head restraint should be
at least on a level with the upper-most point of
the seat occupant's ear (see illustration).
To raise or lower a head restraint:
Raising or lowering a head restraint1. Release the head restraint by pressing the
button underneath its left side, at the base
of the support (see the illustration).
2. Move the head restraint until it clicks
(locks) into the upper or lower position.
WARNING
After adjusting the head restraint, be sure
that it is securely locked in the new position
by pressing and/or pulling it.
Removing a head restraintThe front seat head restraints can be removed,
for example, when cleaning the upholstery or if
the front passenger's seat backrest is folded
down to accommodate a long load. To do so:
1. Release the head restraint by pressing the
release button underneath its left side, at
the base of the support.
2. While holding in the release button, press
the locking button at the base of the head
restraint's right support with a screw
driver, etc., and lift the head restraint until
it can be removed completely.

04 Interior
Rear seat
04
116
WARNING
•The red lock indicator is VISIBLE when
the backrest is NOT locked in position
and hidden when the backrest is cor-
rectly locked in place. When the back-
rest is in the upright position, push and
pull it to make sure that it is correctly
locked in place.
•When the rear seat is folded down, do
not place heavy objects against the
backs of the front seats. This places a
severe strain on the folded down back-
rest of the rear seat. Be sure to secure
cargo.
•Cargo must not be stacked higher than
the top of seat backs. This will reduce
the possibility of luggage, etc. becom-
ing projectiles during sudden maneu-
vers, rapid braking or an accident.

04 Interior
Cargo area
04
118
4. Release the button to lock the cargo area
cover in place.
5. Repeat this procedure on the opposite side
of the cargo area.
Check that the cargo area cover is securely in
place.
G020767
Fold the front section of the cover forward
Fold the front section of the cargo area cover
forward into the wedge-shaped grooves near
the rear seat.
Removing the cargo area cover1. Lift the forward section of the cover, fold it
rearward in the vehicle, and let it hang
freely.2. Press the button on the upper edge of the
cover forward to release the catches.
3. Lift out the end of the cargo area cover
from the retaining holes.
4. Repeat the procedure on the opposite side
of the cargo area.
NOTE
Both versions of the cargo area cover are
options that may be available for your vehi-
cle. Consult your Volvo retailer.
Cargo area net (accessory)
G020768
The Volvo V50 can be equipped with a cargo
area net made of strong nylon fabric that can
be used with the rear seat backrests in the
upright position or folded down.
The holder for the retractable net is mounted
on the rear side of the backrests.
Using the net with the backrests in the
upright position
1. From the cargo compartment, pull the net
upward.
2. Insert the net's right attachment in the rear-
most hole in the mounting bracket (see
illustration) and push it forward into the
smaller hole in the bracket to secure it in
place.
3. Pull out the spring-loaded attachment on
the left side of the net and insert it in the
bracket on the left side of the vehicle in the
same way.
WARNING
Be sure that the net is securely attached in
the mounting brackets.
Using the cargo net with the backrest
folded down
Fasten the net in the same way as described
above, using the front mounting brackets.

05 Locks and alarm
Remote key and key blade
05

123 remote key functions
G019402
Lock – Press the Lock button on the
remote once to lock all doors and the tail-
gate. The turn signals will flash once to
confirm locking.
NOTE
The car can also be locked if a door is open
(does not apply to vehicles with the optional
keyless drive).
Unlock – Press the Unlock button on the
remote once to unlock the driver's door.
After a short pause, press the Unlock but-
ton a second time within 10 seconds to
unlock the other doors and the tailgate. A
long press (at least two seconds) opens all
side windows.
NOTE
•The turn signals flash to confirm that the
vehicle has been correctly locked/
unlocked with the remote key or the
optional keyless drive. When locking the
vehicle, the turn signals will flash a con-
firmation only if all the doors are
securely closed and locked. Flashing
confirmation for locking and unlocking
may be customized in the vehicle's Per-
sonal settings menu, see page 84 for
more information.
•The two-step unlocking function can be
changed so that one press of the
Unlock button unlocks all of the doors
and the tailgate. See Personal settings
page 84 for more information.
•Automatic relocking: If the doors are
unlocked, the locks will automatically reen-
gage (re-lock) and the alarm will rearm after2 minutes unless a door or the tailgate has
been opened.
•Automatic locking: When the car starts to
move, the doors and tailgate can be locked
automatically. This feature can be turned
on or off, see Personal settings on page
84 for more information.
•Airbag deployment will automatically
attempt to unlock the doors.
Approach lighting – As you approach the
car: Press the button on the remote key to
illuminate the area around the car in dark
conditions. Pressing the button once lights
up the interior lighting, parking lights, and
license plate lighting. These lights will
switch off automatically after 30, 60 or
90 seconds. See the Personal settings pa
ge 84 for information about adjusting the
time setting.
Unlock tailgate – Press the button once to
disarm the alarm system and unlock only
the tailgate. After closing, the tailgate will
not automatically relock. Press Lock to
relock it and rearm the alarm.
NOTE
This function will not open the tailgate.

06 Starting and driving
Starting the vehicle
06
147
WARNING
•Volvo's floor mats are specially manu-
factured for your car. They must be
firmly secured in the clips on the floor so
that they cannot slide and become trap-
ped under the pedals on the driver's
side.
•Always place the gear selector in Park
(P) and apply the parking brake before
leaving the vehicle. Never leave the
vehicle unattended with the engine run-
ning.
•Always open garage doors fully before
starting the engine inside a garage to
ensure adequate ventilation. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monox-
ide, which is invisible and odorless but
very poisonous.
CAUTION
Automatic transmission: The engine
should be idling when you move the gear
selector. Never accelerate until after you
feel the transmission engage! Accelerating
immediately after selecting a gear will cause
harsh engagement and premature trans-
mission wear. Selecting P or N when idling
at a standstill for prolonged periods of time
will help prevent overheating of the auto-
matic transmission fluid.

06 Starting and driving
Towing
06
158
Emergency towing
G021297
The towing eyelet (1) is located under the
floor of the cargo area.
Remove the cover over the openings for
the towing eyelet on the bumpers by prying
open the lower edge with a coin, etc.
Screw the towing eyelet in place first by
hand and then using the tire iron until it is
securely in place.
After the vehicle has been towed, the eyelet
should be removed and returned to its storage
space.
WARNING
Do not use the towing eyelets to pull the
vehicle up onto a flat bed tow truck.
Towing a vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground
WARNING
Volvo does not recommend towing a disa-
bled vehicle behind another vehicle. Signif-
icant difficulty in steering and braking, com-
bined with unfavorable weather, traffic, and
road conditions may make it impossible to
maintain vehicle control.
1. Apply the parking brake.
WARNING
Towing a vehicle with a locked steering
wheel will make the vehicle impossible to
steer.
2. Insert the key into the ignition to unlock the
steering wheel. The steering wheel must be
unlocked. With the engine off and the vehi-
cle at a standstill, great effort will be
required to turn the steering wheel.
3.
Turn the ignition key to position II.4. Place the gear selector in neutral. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmissions, follow
instruction on page 151, "Shiftlock over-
ride" to allow the gear selector to be moved
from the Park position.
5. Keep firm pressure on the brake pedal
while releasing the parking brake.
6. When towing has been completed, return
the gear selector to Park and apply the
parking brake.
The following points should also be
observed:
•Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). Never
exceed local towing speed limits and heed
all local towing restrictions.
•Never tow farther than 50 miles (80 km).
•Keep the tow rope taut at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
•The disabled vehicle should be towed in
the forward direction only.

06 Starting and driving
Towing
06
159
WARNING
•Never allow a vehicle to be towed with-
out a driver behind the wheel of the dis-
abled vehicle.
•Never remove the key from the ignition
while the vehicle is moving. The steering
wheel could lock, making it impossible
to steer the vehicle.
•When the engine is not running, steering
resistance and the effort needed to
apply the brakes will be great.
•Never attempt to tow a vehicle with a
dead battery at night.
CAUTION
•Check with state and local authorities
before attempting this type of towing,
as vehicles being towed are subject to
regulations regarding maximum towing
speed, length and type of towing
device, lighting, marker flags, etc.
•Never attempt to push- or tow-start a
vehicle with a dead battery. This would
inject unburned fuel into the three-way
catalytic converter(s), causing over-
heating, backfiring, and damage, see
page 160 for instructions on jump star-
ting the vehicle.
Towing vehicles with front wheel drive
Volvo recommends the use of flat bed equip-
ment for towing vehicles with front wheel drive.
If wheel lift equipment must be used, please
use extreme caution to help avoid damage to
the vehicle.
In this case, the vehicle should be towed with
the rear wheels on the ground if at all possible.
If it is absolutely necessary to tow the vehicle
with the front wheels on the ground, please
refer to the towing information on the previous
page.
•Sling-type equipment applied at the front
will damage radiator and air conditioning
lines.
•It is equally important not to use sling-type
equipment at the rear or apply lifting equip-
ment inside the rear wheels; serious dam-
age to the rear axle may result.
•If the vehicle is being towed on a flat bed
truck, the towing eyelets must not be used
to secure the vehicle on the flat bed. Con-
sult the tow truck operator.
WARNING
•Remember that the power brakes and
power steering will not function when
engine is not running. The braking and
steering systems will function but con-
siderably higher pressure will be
required on the brake pedal and greater
steering effort must be exerted.
•The towing eyelets must not be used for
pulling the vehicle out of a ditch or for
any similar purpose involving severe
strain. Do not use the towing eyelets to
pull the vehicle up onto a flat bed tow
truck.

06 Starting and driving
Transporting loads
06
164
Loading the vehicle
Your vehicle's load-carrying capacity is affec-
ted by factors such as:
•the number of passengers
•tire inflation
•the amount of optional or accessory equip-
ment installed
•the amount of cargo.
See the chapter "Wheels and tires" for more
detailed information.
Before loading the car, turn off the engine, and
apply the parking brake when loading or
unloading long objects. The gear selector can
be inadvertently knocked out of position by
long cargo, causing the car to move.
Keep the following in mind when
loading the vehicle:
•Load objects in the cargo area against the
rear seat backrest.
•Load heavy cargo as low as possible.
•Center wide loads.
•Secure all cargo with restraining straps
anchored to the load securing eyelets.
•Cover sharp edges on the load.
•Seats can be folded down and head
restraints removed to extend the cargo
compartment, see page 114.
WARNING
•Remember that an object weighing
44 lbs (20 kg) produces a force of
2,200 lbs (1,000 kg) in a head-on colli-
sion at 30 mph (50 km/h)!
•When the rear backrest(s) are folded
down, the vehicle should not be loaded
to a level higher than 2 in. (5 cm) below
the upper edge of the rear side win-
dows. Objects placed higher than this
level could impede the function of the
Inflatable Curtain.
Load carriers (accessory)
Load carriers are available as Volvo accesso-
ries. Follow the installation instructions sup-
plied with the load carriers.
Observe the following points when using load
carriers:
•To avoid damaging your car and to achieve
maximum safety when driving, we recom-
mend using the load carriers that Volvo has
developed especially for your car.
•Volvo-approved removable roof racks are
designed to carry the maximum allowable
roof load for this vehicle: 165 lbs (75 kg).
For Non-Volvo roof racks, check the man-
ufacturer's weight limits for the rack.
•Never exceed the rack manufacturer's
weigh limits and never exceed the maxi-
mum rated roof load of 165 lbs (75 kg).
•Avoid single-point loads. Distribute loads
evenly.
•Place heavier cargo at the bottom of the
load.
•Secure the cargo correctly with appropri-
ate tie-down equipment.
•Check periodically that the load carriers
and load are properly secured.
•Remember that the car's center of gravity
and handling change when you carry a
load on the roof.
•The car's wind resistance and fuel con-
sumption will increase with the size of the
load.
•Drive smoothly. Avoid rapid starts, fast
cornering and hard braking.