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General information
Adjusting the seat beltSeat belts should always be worn by all occu- pants of your vehicle. Children should beproperly restrained, using an infant, car, orbooster seat determined by age, weight andheight. 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 pretensionersAll seat belts are equipped with pretensionersthat reduce slack in the belts. These preten-sioners are triggered in situations where thefront or side impact airbags deploy, and incertain impacts from the rear. The front seat belts also include a tension reducing devicewhich, in the event of a collision, limits thepeak forces exerted by the seat belt on theoccupant.
Fastening a seat belt
BucklingPull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptacle until a distinct clickis heard. The seat belt retractor is normally"unlocked" and you can move freely, provi-ded that the shoulder belt is not pulled outtoo far.
Seat belt retractorThe seat belt retractor will lock up in the following situations:
• if the belt is pulled out rapidly
• during braking and acceleration
• if the vehicle is leaning excessively
• when driving in turns
• if the Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer- gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) isactivated
NOTE
Each seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equipped with the ALR/ELR function,which is designed to help keep the seatbelt taut. ALR/ELR activates if the seat beltis pulled out as far as possible. If this isdone, a sound from the seat belt retractorwill be audible, which is normal, and theseat belt will be pulled taut and locked inplace. This function is automatically disa-bled when the seat belt is unbuckled andfully retracted.
See also page 39 for information about using a seat belt's ALR/ELR function toanchor a child seat.
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 pressingagainst the abdomen).
• Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolledup into its retractor and that the shoulderand lap belts are taut.
Unbuckling the seat beltTo remove the seat belt, press the red section on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting thevehicle, check that the seat belt retracts fullyafter being unbuckled. If necessary, guide thebelt back into the retractor slot.

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Seat belt maintenanceCheck periodically that the seat belts are in good condition. Use water and a mild deter-gent for cleaning. Check seat belt mechanismfunction as follows: attach the seat belt andpull rapidly on the strap.
WARNING
Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant. Never wear the shoulder portionof the belt under the arm, behind the backor otherwise out of position. Such usecould cause injury in the event of an acci-dent. As seat belts lose much of theirstrength when exposed to violent stretch-ing, they should be replaced after any col-lision, even if they appear to be undam-aged.
WARNING
•Never repair the belt yourself; have this work done by a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician only.
• Any device used to induce slack intothe shoulder belt portion of the three-point belt system will have a detrimen-tal effect on the amount of protectionavailable to you in the event of a colli-sion.
• The seat back should not be tilted toofar back. The shoulder belt must betaut in order to function properly.
• Do not use child safety seats or childbooster cushions/backrests in thefront passenger's seat. We also rec-ommend that children who have out-grown these devices sit in the rearseat with the seat belt properly fas-tened.
Seat belt reminder
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Seat belt reminder light in ceiling console The seat belt reminder consists of an audible signal, an indicator light near the rearviewmirror and a symbol in the instrument panelthat alert all occupants of the vehicle to fas-ten their seat belts. The audible signal andindicator light will be on for several secondsfrom the time the ignition is switched on,regardless of whether or not
the seat belts
are fastened. If the front seat belts are unbuckled while the vehicle is in motion, the audible signal andwarning light will be active for a several sec-onds.

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Rear seatsThe seat belt reminder in the rear seat has two additional functions:• It provides information about which seat belts are fastened in the rear seat. A mes-sage will appear in the information displaywhen a belt is being used. This messagewill disappear after several seconds orcan be erased by pressing the
OK button
on the left steering wheel lever.
• It also provides a reminder if one of theoccupants of the rear seat has unbuckledhis/her seat belt while the vehicle is inmotion. A visual and audible signal will begiven. These signals will stop when theseat belt has been re-buckled or can bestopped by pressing the
OK button.
• The message
Unbelted in rear seat will
appear in the information display if one of the rear doors has been opened.
The message in the information display can always be accessed, even if it has beenerased, by pressing the OK button to display
stored messages.
Seat belt use during pregnancy
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The seat belt should always be worn during pregnancy. But it is crucial that it be worn inthe correct way. The diagonal section shouldwrap over the shoulder then be routedbetween the breasts and to the side of thebelly. The lap section should lay flat over thethighs and as low as possible under the belly.It must never be allowed to ride upward.Remove all slack from the belt and ensurethat it fits close to the body without anytwists. As a pregnancy progresses, pregnant drivers should adjust their seats and steering wheelsuch that they can easily maintain control ofthe vehicle as they drive (which means theymust be able to easily operate the foot pedalsand steering wheel). Within this context, they should strive to position the seat with as largea distance as possible between their bellyand the steering wheel.
Child seatsPlease refer to page 41 for information onsecuring child seats with the seat belts.

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WARNING
If your vehicle has become flood-damaged in any way (e.g., soaked carpeting/stand-ing water on the floor of the vehicle), donot attempt to start the vehicle or insertthe remote key into the ignition slot beforedisconnecting the battery (see below). Thismay cause airbag deployment which couldresult in serious injury. Have the vehicletowed to a trained and qualified Volvoservice technician for repairs. Before attempting to tow the vehicle:
1. Switch off the ignition for at least10 minutes and disconnect the bat- tery.
2. Follow the instructions for manually overriding the shiftlock system onpage 131.
Front airbags
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The front airbag systemThe front airbags supplement the three-point seat belts. For these airbags to provide theprotection intended, seat belts must be wornat 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 nitro-gen gas.
Location of the passenger's side front airbag
As the movement of the seats' occupants compresses the airbags, some of the gas isexpelled at a controlled rate to provide bettercushioning. Both seat belt pretensioners alsodeploy, minimizing seat belt slack. The entireprocess, including inflation and deflation ofthe airbags, takes approximately one fifth of asecond. 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 thefront and far right side of the dash. The driver's side front airbag is folded and located in the steering wheel hub.

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The passenger's side front airbag is folded behind a panel located above the glove com-partment.
WARNING
•
The airbags in the vehicle are designed to be a SUPPLEMENT to–not areplacement for–the three-point seatbelts. For maximum protection, wearseat belts at all times. Be aware thatno system can prevent all possibleinjuries that may occur in an accident.
• Never drive with your hands on thesteering wheel pad/airbag housing.
• The front airbags are designed to helpprevent serious injury. Deploymentoccurs very quickly and with consider-able force. During normal deploymentand depending on variables such asseating position, one may experienceabrasions, bruises, swellings, or otherinjuries as a result from deployment ofone or both of the airbags.
• When installing any accessory equip-ment, make sure that the front airbagsystem 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,depending on the crash severity, angle,speed and object impacted. The airbagsmay also deploy in certain non-frontalcollisions where rapid decelerationoccurs.
• The SRS sensors, which trigger the frontairbags, are designed to react to both theimpact of the collision and the inertialforces generated by it, and to determine ifthe intensity of the collision is sufficientfor the seat belt pretensioners and/or air-bags 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 air-bags will not necessarily deploy.
• Front airbags do not normally deploy in aside impact collision, in a collision fromthe rear or in a rollover situation.
• The amount of damage to the bodyworkdoes not reliably indicate if the airbagsshould have deployed or not.WARNING
•Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in thefront passenger's seat. We also rec-ommend that occupants under 4 feet7 inches (140 cm) in height who haveoutgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt fastened 1
.
• Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can impairthe steering of your vehicle. Othersafety systems can also be damaged.
• The smoke and dust formed when theairbags are deployed can cause skinand eye irritation in the event of pro-longed exposure.
Should you have questions about any com- ponent in the SRS system, please contact atrained and qualified Volvo service technicianor Volvo customer support: In the USA Volvo Cars of North America, LLC Customer Care Center1 Volvo DriveP.O. Box 914
1
See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information on page 26.

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WARNING
•Children must never be allowed in the front passenger's seat.
• Occupants in the front passenger'sseat must never sit on the edge of theseat, sit leaning toward the instrumentpanel or otherwise sit out of position.
• The occupant's back must be asupright as comfort allows and beagainst the seat back with the seatbelt properly fastened.
• Feet must be on the floor, e.g., not onthe dash, seat or out of the window.
WARNING
•No objects or accessory equipment, e.g. dashboard covers, may be placedon, attached to, or installed near theair bag hatch (the area above the glovecompartment) or the area affected byairbag deployment (see the illustrationon page 22).
• There should be no loose articles,such as coffee cups on the floor, seat,or dashboard area.
• Never try to open the airbag cover onthe steering wheel or the passenger'sside dashboard. This should only bedone by a trained and qualified Volvoservice technician.
• Failure to follow these instructions canresult in injury to the vehicle occu-pants.

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WARNING
•Never try to open, remove, or repair any components in the OWS system.This could result in system malfunc-tion. Maintenance or repairs shouldonly be carried out by an a trained andqualified Volvo service technician.
• The front passenger's seat should notbe modified in any way. This couldreduce pressure on the seat cushion,which might interfere with the OWSsystem's function.
Passeng- er's seatoccu-pancy sta-tusOWS indicatorlight sta-tusPasseng- er's sidefront air-bag status
Seat unoc- cupiedOWS indi- cator lightlights up.Passenger's side front air-bag disabled
Seat occu- pied by lowweightoccupant/ object AOWS indi- cator lightlights upPassenger's side front air-bag disabled
Seat occu- pied byheavy occu-pant/objectOWS indi- cator lightis
not litPassenger's side front air-bag enabled
A
Volvo 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 isdisabled unless the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicatorlamp is lit. Make sure the child restraint is properly instal-led. If there is any doubt as to the status of the passeng-er's side front airbag, move the child restraint to the rearseat.
The OWS is designed to enable (may inflate) the passenger's side front airbag in the eventof a collision anytime the system senses thata person of adult size is sitting properly in thefront passenger's seat. The PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp will be off andremain off. If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger's seat, but the PASSENGER AIR-BAG OFF indicator lamp is on, it is possiblethat the person isn't sitting properly in theseat. If this happens:
• Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in an upright position.
• Have the person sit upright in the seat,centered on the seat cushion, with theperson's legs comfortably extended.
• Restart the vehicle and have the personremain in this position for about twominutes. This will allow the system todetect that person and enable the pas-senger's frontal airbag.
• If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-tor lamp remains on even after this, theperson should be advised to ride in therear seat.
This condition reflects limitations of the OWS classification capability. It does not indicateOWS malfunction.
ModificationsIf you are considering modifying your vehiclein any way to accommodate a disability, forexample by altering or adapting the driver's

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or front passenger's seat(s) and/or airbag systems, please contact Volvo at: In the USA Volvo Cars of North America, LLC Customer Care Center1 Volvo DriveP.O. Box 914Rockleigh, New Jersey 076471-800-458-1552 In Canada Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. National Customer Service9130 Leslie Street, Suite 101Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 0B91-800-663-8255WARNING
•No objects that add to the total weight on the seat should be placed on thefront passenger's seat. If a child isseated in the front passenger's seatwith any additional weight, this extraweight could cause the OWS systemto enable the airbag, which mightcause it to deploy in the event of a col-lision, thereby injuring the child.
• The seat belt should never be wrappedaround an object on the front pas-senger's seat. This could interfere withthe OWS system's function.
• The front passenger's seat belt shouldnever be used in a way that exertsmore pressure on the passenger thannormal. This could increase the pres-sure exerted on the weight sensor by achild, and could result in the airbagbeing enabled, which might cause it todeploy in the event of a collision,thereby injuring the child.
WARNING
• Keep the following points in mind with respect to the OWS system. Failure tofollow these instructions couldadversely affect the system's functionand result in serious injury to the occu-pant of the front passenger's seat:
• The full weight of the front seat pas-senger should always be on the seatcushion. The passenger should neverlift him/herself off the seat cushionusing the armrest in the door or thecenter console, by pressing the feet onthe floor, by sitting on the edge of theseat cushion, or by pressing againstthe backrest in a way that reducespressure on the seat cushion. Thiscould cause OWS to disable the front,passenger's side airbag.