VOLVO XC90 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
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.

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor
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. For child safety recommen-
dations, see 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 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
ThePASSENGER 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 OWS 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
0126
WARNING
•
If a fault in the system is detected and
indicated as explained, 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
Occupant Weight Sensor should be
inspected by a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician 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 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 willilluminate and stay on to remind you that the
passenger's side front airbag is disabled (see
the following table).
Passeng-
er's seat
occu-
pancy sta-
tus
OWS indi-
cator light
status
Passeng-
er's side
front air-
bag status
Seat unoc-
cupied
OWS indica-
tor light
is
not lit
Passenger's
side front
airbagdisa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by low
weight
occupant/
object
A
OWS indica-
tor lightlights up
Passenger's
side front
airbagdisa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by
heavy occu-
pant/object
OWS indica-
tor light
is
not lit
Passenger's
side front
airbagena-
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 lampwill not be lit. 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 (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.
ThePASSENGER 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 seat back 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.

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor
0127
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
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 34).
•
No objects should be placed under the
front passenger's seat. This could inter-
fere with the OWS system's function.

01 SafetySide impact protection airbags
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
Location of the 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.
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
01``29 The Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)
G027047
This system consists of inflatable curtains
located along the sides of the roof liners,
stretching from the front side windows to the
rear edge of the rear side windows. It is
designed to help protect the heads of the occu-
pants of the front seats and the occupants of
the outboard rear seating positions, including
the outboard passenger in the optional third
row of seats in certain side impact collisions.
G027048
The inflatable curtains in the Volvo XC90 are
also designed to help protect the occupants of
the vehicle in a roll-over situation, and to help
prevent them from being thrown from the vehi-
cle if a roll-over occurs.
NOTE
In 5 -seat models, the Inflatable Curtains
extend to protect both rows of seats. In 7 -
seat models, they extend to protect all three
rows.By design, the VIC system deploys only on the
side of the vehicle affected by the impact.However, in certain side impacts, or in a roll-
over situation, BOTH the Inflatable Curtains
and the Side Impact Airbag System (SIPS-bag)
will deploy, whereas, in some cases, ONLY the
Inflatable Curtain will deploy. In cases where
BOTH the Inflatable Curtain and the SIPS-bag
deploy, deployment will occur simultaneously.
NOTE
If the Inflatable Curtain deploys, it remains
inflated for approximately 5 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
all 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.

01 SafetyVolvo Inflatable Curtain
0130
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 page 34 for guide-
lines. Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an
accident.