VOLVO S60 2009 Owner´s Manual

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
As 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•
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
1.
•
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.
G032934
Airbag decal on outside of both sun visors
1See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information on page 25.

01 SafetyFront airbags
0124
G032525
Airbag decal on the passenger's dashboard
G032243
Airbag decal in the front passenger's door opening
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. See page 33 for guidelines.
•
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, see page 22.
•
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.

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS)
01``25 Disabling the passenger's side front
airbag
G027050
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) indicator lightVolvo 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 beginning on page 33.
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 light which will illuminate and
stay on to remind you that the passenger's side
front airbag is disabled. The
PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF
indicator light is located in the
overhead console, near the base of the rear-
view mirror.
NOTE
The
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator
lamp will illuminate for a short period of time
when the ignition is turned on to confirm it
is functional. When the front passenger's
seat is not occupied (empty seat) or in the
event that the passenger's side front airbag
is enabled (may inflate), the
PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp will be off.
However, if a fault is detected in the
system:•
The
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator
light will stay on.
•
The SRS warning light (see page 20) will
come on and stay on.
•
The message
PASS. AIRBAG OFF
SERVICE URGENT
will be displayed in
the information display.

01 SafetyOccupant Weight Sensor (OWS)
0126
WARNING
If a fault in the system is detected and indi-
cated as explained on the previous page, be
aware that the passenger's side front airbag
will not deploy in the event of a collision.
In this case, the safety systems and Occu-
pant Weight Sensor should be inspected by
a trained and qualified Volvo service tech-
nician 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 authorized Volvo serv-
ice 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. ThePASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
will illuminate and stay on to remind you thatthe passenger'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 light
is
not lit
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.In
rare situations when the seat belt is not properly fastened,
some child restraints may not be detected by the OWS
because there is very little weight on the vehicle seat cush-
ion. In these cases the passenger's side front airbag may be
disabled, but the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp will not be lit. Do not assume that the pas-
senger's side front airbag is disabled unless the
PAS-
SENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp is lit. Makesure the child restraint is properly installed (turn the vehicle
off, remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall
the restraint following the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions) and that the
PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF
indicator lamp is on, or move the child restraint to the
rear seat.
The OWS is designed to enable (may inflate)
the passenger's side front airbag anytime the
system senses that a person 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 possi-
ble that the person isn't sitting properly in the
seat. 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 the per-
son's legs comfortably extended.
•
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.
•
If the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indica-
tor lamp remains on even after this, the
person should be advised to ride in the rear
seat.

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS)
0127
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
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 front passenger's
side 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 33.
•
No objects should be placed under the
front passenger's seat. This could inter-
fere with the OWS system's function.

01 SafetySide impact (SIPS) airbag
0128
Side impact airbags – front seats only
G020118
Location of the side impact (SIPS) airbagAs an enhancement to the structural side
impact protection built into your vehicle, the
vehicle is also equipped with Side Impact Pro-
tection 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
Components in the SIPS airbag system
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.
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 vehicle 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
Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)
0129
G027218
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 (VIC) and the Side Impact Airbag System
(SIPS-bag) will deploy, whereas, in some
cases, only the Inflatable Curtain (VIC) will
deploy. In cases where both the VIC and the
SIPS-bag deploy, this will occur simultane-
ously.
NOTE
If the inflatable curtain deploys, it remains
inflated for approximately 3 seconds.
WARNING
•
The VIC 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 vehicle or in
rollover situations.
•
Never try to open or repair any compo-
nents of the VIC 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 seat. See 33 for guidelines.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an
accident.

01 SafetyWhiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
0130
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) – front seats only
G020347
The WHIPS system consists of specially
designed hinges and brackets on the front seat
backrests designed to help absorb some of the
energy generated in a collision from the rear
(when the vehicle is "rearended").
In the event of a collision of this type, the hinges
and brackets of the front seat backrests are
designed to change position slightly to allow
the backrest/head restraint to help support the
occupant's head before moving slightly rear-
ward. This movement helps absorb some of
the forces that could result in whiplash.
WARNING
•
The WHIPS system is designed to sup-
plement the other safety systems in
your vehicle. For this system to function
properly, the three-point seat belt must
be worn. Please be aware that no sys-
tem can prevent all possible injuries that
may occur in an accident.
•
The WHIPS system is designed to func-
tion in certain collisions from the rear,
depending on the crash severity, angle
and speed.
WARNING
Occupants in the front seats must never 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.