warning VOLVO 850 1996 Owner's Guide

1996 Volvo 850
l Check that the hooks under the seat cushions engage the holes on the top\
edge of the backrest.
When the backrest is raised, the outboard head restraints return to thei\
r normal positions.


The backrest must lock into place. The red lock indicator will not be vi\
sible if the seat has locked into
place correctly.
The seat belts must be correctly positioned when the seat is returned to\
the normal position.

WARNING! When the rear seat is folded down, do not place heavy objects a\
gainst the backs of the
front seat. This places a severe strain on the folded down backrest of t\
he rear seat. Be sure to secure
cargo. Cargo must not be stacked higher than the top of seatbacks. This \
will reduce the possibility of
luggage, etc. becoming projectiles during sudden maneuvers, rapid brakin\
g or an accident.

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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 2:18 Folding rear seat, Removing seat cushions (wagon)
WARNING! The red lock indicator is VISIBLE (A) when the backrest in NO\
T locked in position and
not visible (B) when the backrest is correctly locked in place. When t\
he backrest is in the upright
position, it must always be correctly locked in place.


Removing seat cushions

The seat cushion can be easily removed to provide a slightly larger carg\
o storage area.
l Fold the seat cushion toward the back of the front seats
l Release the red catches
l Disconnect the connector for the rear seat heating (certain models)
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1996 Volvo 850
l Fold the cushion back to a nearly horizontal position
l Lift out the cushion

WARNING! Do not place extremely heavy articles against the front seats, \
as the backrest which is
folded down is then placed under severe strain.
Be sure to secure cargo. Hard and sharp articles could otherwise damage \
the frontseat backrest and/or
cause injury to passengers in the event of rapid braking or a collision.\

pg. 2:19 Concealed storage bin (wagon)

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1996 Volvo 850

As a safety precaution, your car is equipped with four eyelets (six on \
wagons) to which straps can be
attached to secure luggage.


Eyelets inside car (sedans/wagons)
WARNING! The eyelets are not to be used as passenger restraints or as an\
chorages for child restraints.
See page 3:9.
Station wagons only:
Unless the station wagon is equipped with Volvo's auxiliary seat for chi\
ldren (option) passengers
should not ride in the rear cargo area.

Station wagons only:
If the optional auxiliary seat for children is in use, fold this seat do\
wn before folding down the rear seat
backrest.

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1996 Volvo 850
l Move the seat as far forward as possible
WARNING! Cover sharp edges on load to help prevent injury to occupants. \
Secure load to help
prevent shifting during sudden stops.



Long load storage (sedans)

There is a flap located in the panel behind the rear seat which makes it\
possible to carry long loads such
as skis, etc. To open, pull the strap forward.
Protective covers (for skis) should be used to avoid soiling or tearin\
g the upholstery. Please note that the
flap in the rear seat is only intended for light loads such as skis, car\
pets, etc.
Max length: 6 1/2 ft (2 meters) Max weight: 55 lbs (25 kg)
WARNING! Always turn engine off and apply parking brake when loading/unl\
oading the vehicle.
Place transmission selector in P (PARK) position to help prevent inadv\
ertent movement of selector.




Contents | Top of Page
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1996 Volvo 850
NOTE: Legislation in your state or province may mandate seat belt usage.\

WARNING! Any device used to induce slack into the shoulder belt portion \
of the three-point belt
system will have a detrimental effect on the amount of protection availa\
ble to you in the event of a
collision. The seat back should not be tilted too far back. The shoulder\
belt must be taut in order to
function properly.
pg. 3:3 Seat belts

During pregnancy

Pregnant women should always wear seat belts. Remember that the belt sho\
uld always be positioned in
such a way as to avoid any possible pressure on the abdomen. The lap por\
tion of the belt should be
located low, as shown in the above illustration.
WARNING! Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant. Never wear th\
e shoulder portion of the
belt under the arm, behind the back or otherwise out of position. Such u\
se could cause injury in event
of accident. As the seat belts lose much of their strength when exposed \
to violent stretching, they
should be replaced after any collision, even though they may appear to b\
e undamaged. Never repair
the belt on your own; have this done by an authorized Volvo retailer onl\
y.

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1996 Volvo 850
pg. 3:4 Volvo SRS


As an enhancement to the three-point seat belt system, your Volvo is equ\
ipped with a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS). The Volvo SRS consists of airbags (2) and kn\
ee bolsters (5) on both the driver's
and passenger's sides and seat belt tensioners in both front door pillar\
s (4). The system is designed to
supplement the protection provided by the three-point seat belt system. \

The SRS system is indicated by the "SRS" embossed on the steering wheel \
pad and above the glove
compartment, the knee bolsters beneath the steering column and the glove\
compartment and decals on
both sun visors and on the far right side of the dash.

The airbags are folded and located in the center of the steering wheel a\
nd above the glove compartment.
They are designed to deploy during certain frontal-angular collisions, i\
mpacts, or decelerations,
depending on the crash severity, angle, speed and object impacted. Both \
air bags and seat belt tensioners
will deploy, even if the passenger seat is not occupied.
WARNING! As its name implies, SRS is designed to be a SUPPLEMENT to - no\
t a replacement for -
the three-point belt system. The airbag is designed not to be released i\
n the event of a side or rear-end
collision, or during a rollover situation. For maximum protection, wear \
seat belts at all times. Be aware
that no system can prevent all possible injuries that may occur in an ac\
cident.

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1996 Volvo 850

The airbag system includes gas generators (1) surrounded by the airbag\
s (2) and front seat belt
tensioners for both of the front seats (4). To deploy the system, the \
sensor (3) activates the gas
generators causing the airbags to be inflated with nitrogen gas. As the \
movement of the seat's occupants
compresses the airbags, some of the gas is expelled at a controlled rate\
to provide better cushioning.
Both seat belt tensioners also deploy, minimizing any seat belt slack.

The entire process, including inflation and deflation of the airbags, ta\
kes approximately two-tenths of a
second.
WARNING! When installing any optional equipment make sure that the SRS s\
ystem is not damaged.
Do not attempt to service any component of the SRS yourself. Attempting \
to do so may result in
serious personal injury. If a problem arises, take your car to the neare\
st authorized Volvo Retailer for
inspection as soon as possible.
pg. 3:5 Volvo SRS
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1996 Volvo 850

A self-diagnostic system incorporated in the sensor monitors the SRS. Th\
is system does not, however,
monitor the SIPS airbags. If a fault is detected, the "SRS" warning ligh\
t will illuminate. The light is
included in the warning/indicator light cluster in the instrument panel.\
Normally, the SRS warning lamp
should light up when the ignition is switched on and should go out after\
10 seconds or when the engine
is started. Check that this light is functioning properly every time the\
car is started.

The following items are monitored by all the self-diagnostic system:
l Sensor unit
l Cable harness
l Gas generator ignitors
WARNING!
Never drive an SRS equipped car with your hands on the steering wheel pa\
d/airbag housing.
No objects, accessory equipment or stickers may be placed on, attached t\
o or installed near the SRS
cover in the center of the steering wheel, the SRS cover above the glove\
compartment or the area
affected by the airbag deployment.
If the SRS warning light stays on after the engine has started or if it \
comes on while you are driving,
drive the car to the nearest authorized Volvo retailer for inspection as\
soon as possible.

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1996 Volvo 850

There is no maintenance to perform on the SRS yourself. The only periodi\
c maintenance recommended
on the SRS is that the air bag modules and front seat belts (including \
tensioners) should be replaced
approximately every ten years and that the other components in the syste\
m (wiring, connectors, etc.)
should also be inspected at this time. The SRS decal on your car shows t\
he month and year servicing is
due. This service must be performed by an authorized Volvo retailer. Sho\
uld you have any questions
about the SRS system, please contact your authorized Volvo Retailer or V\
olvo Customer Support.
pg. 3:6 Volvo SRS
WARNING
This car is equipped with a full frontal Supplemental Restraint System (\
SRS) with AIRBAG in front of
the driver and front passenger.
*ALL OCCUPANTS MUST BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, ADULTS USING SEAT-BELTS
AND CHILDREN USING CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS.

*DO NOT INSTALL AND USE ANY CHILD RESTRAINTS IN THE FRONT SEAT.
We also recommend that children who have outgrown child restraint system\
s in the rear seat with the
seat-belt properly fastened. The safest place in the car for children is\
in the rear seat.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAN RESULT IN INJURY TO THE VEHICLE\

OCCUPANTS IN AN ACCIDENT.
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