VOLVO S60 2011 Owner´s Manual

01 Safety
Seat belts01

21
Seat belt retractorThe seat belt retractor will lock up in the fol-
lowing 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) is acti-
vated
NOTE
Each seat belt (except for the driver's belt)
is equipped with the ALR/ELR function,
which is designed to help keep the seat belt
taut. ALR/ELR activates if the seat belt is
pulled out as far as possible. If this is done,
a sound from the seat belt retractor will be
audible, which is normal, and the seat belt
will be pulled taut and locked in place. This
function is automatically disabled when the
seat belt is unbuckled and fully retracted.
See also page See page 40 for information
about using a seat belt's ALR/ELR function to
anchor 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 pressing against
the abdomen).
•Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled
up into its retractor and that the shoulder
and lap belts are taut.
Unbuckling the seat beltTo remove the seat belt, press the red section
on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting the
vehicle, check that the seat belt retracts fully
after being unbuckled. If necessary, guide the
belt back into the retractor slot.
Seat belt maintenanceCheck periodically that the seat belts are in
good condition. Use water and a mild deter-
gent for cleaning. Check seat belt mechanism
function as follows: attach the seat belt and pull
rapidly on the strap.
WARNING
Never use a seat belt for more than one
occupant. Never wear the shoulder portion
of the belt under the arm, behind the back
or otherwise out of position. Such use could
cause injury in the event of an accident. As
seat belts lose much of their strength when
exposed to violent stretching, they should
be replaced after any collision, even if they
appear to be undamaged.
WARNING
•Never repair the belt yourself; have this
work done by a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician only.
•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 avail-
able 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.
•Do not use child safety seats or child
booster cushions/backrests in the front
passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these
devices sit in the rear seat with the seat
belt properly fastened.

01 Safety
Seat belts 01
22
Seat belt reminder
G017726
Seat belt reminder light in ceiling console
The seat belt reminder consists of an audible
signal, an indicator light near the rearview mir-
ror and a symbol in the instrument panel that
alert all occupants of the vehicle to fasten their
seat belts. The indicator light will be on for a
total of 6 seconds from the time the ignition is
switched on. There will also be an audible sig-
nal if the driver's seat belt is not fastened.
If the front seat belts are unbuckled while the
vehicle is in motion, the audible signal and
warning light will be active for a total of 6 sec-
onds.
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 display
when a belt is being used. This message
will disappear after approximately 6 sec-
onds or can be erased by pressing the
READ button on the left steering wheel
lever.
•It also provides a reminder if one of the
occupants of the rear seat has unbuckled
his/her seat belt while the vehicle is in
motion. A visual and audible signal will be
given. These signals will stop when the
seat belt has been re-buckled or can be
stopped by pressing the READ 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 been erased,
by pressing the READ button to display stored
messages.
Seat belt use during pregnancy
G020998
The seat belt should always be worn during
pregnancy. But it is crucial that it be worn in the
correct way. The diagonal section should wrap
over the shoulder then be routed between the
breasts and to the side of the belly. The lap
section should lay flat over the thighs and as
low as possible under the belly. It must never
be allowed to ride upward. Remove all slack
from the belt and ensure that it fits close to the
body without any twists.
As a pregnancy progresses, pregnant drivers
should adjust their seats and steering wheel
such that they can easily maintain control of the
vehicle as they drive (which means they must
be able to easily operate the foot pedals and
steering wheel). Within this context, they
should strive to position the seat with as large

01 Safety
Seat belts01
23
a distance as possible between their belly and
the steering wheel.
Child seatsPlease refer to page 41 for information on
securing child seats with the seat belts.

01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) 01
24
General information
G022831
Warning symbols in the instrument panel
As an enhancement to the three-point seat
belts, your Volvo is equipped with a Supple-
mental Restraint System (SRS). Volvo's SRS
consists of seat belt pretensioners, front air-
bags, side impact airbags, a front passenger
occupant weight sensor, and inflatable cur-
tains. All of these systems are monitored by the
SRS control module. An SRS warning light in
the instrument panel (see the illustration) illu-
minates when the ignition is in modes I, II, or
III, and will normally go out after approximately
6 seconds if no faults are detected in the sys-
tem.
Where applicable, a text message will also be
displayed when the SRS warning light illumi-
nates. If this warning symbol is not functioningproperly, the general warning symbol illumi-
nates and a text message will be displayed.
See also page 76 and page 78 for more
information about indicator and warning sym-
bols.
WARNING
•If the SRS warning light stays on after
the engine has started or if it illuminates
while you are driving, have the vehicle
inspected by a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician as soon as
possible.
•Never try to repair any component or
part of the SRS yourself. Any interfer-
ence in the system could cause mal-
function and serious injury. All work on
these systems should be performed by
a trained and qualified Volvo service
technician.
WARNING
If your vehicle has been subjected to flood
conditions (e.g., soaked carpeting/standing
water on the floor of the vehicle) or if your
vehicle has become flood-damaged in any
way, do not attempt to start the vehicle or
insert the remote key into the ignition slot
before disconnecting the battery (see
below). This may cause airbag deployment
which could result in personal injury. Have
the vehicle towed to a trained and qualified
Volvo service technician for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle:
1. Switch off the ignition for at least
10 minutes and disconnect the battery.
2. Follow the instructions for manually
overriding the shiftlock system on page
112.
Please be aware that overriding the shiftlock
system does not release the steering wheel
lock.

01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)01

25 Front airbags
G018665
The front airbag systemThe 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.
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 cush-
ioning. 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 com-
partment.
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 with your hands on the
steering wheel pad/airbag housing.
•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.

01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) 01
26
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.
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.
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 USA
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
Customer Care Center
1 Volvo Drive
P.O. Box 914Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647
1-800-458-1552
www.volvocars.us
In Canada
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
www.volvocanada.com
1See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information see page 29.

01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)01

27
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.
Airbag decals
G008335
Airbag decal on the outside of both sun visors
Passenger's side airbag decal
WARNING
•Children must never be allowed in the
front passenger's seat.
•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.

01 Safety
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) 01
28
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 the illustration
on page 25).
•There should be no loose articles, such
as coffee cups on the floor, seat, or
dashboard 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 Sensor01

29 General information
2
2
G017724
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) indicator light
Disabling the passenger's side front
airbag
Volvo recommends 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 front passenger side airbag, and
be properly restrained for their size and weight.
For child safety recommendations, see
page 40.
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 (will
not 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 frontairbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp is located in the overhead
console, near the base of the rearview mirror.
NOTE
When the ignition is switched on, the OWS
indicator light will go on for up to 10 seconds
while the system performs a self-diagnostic
test.
However, if a fault is detected in the system:
•The OWS indicator light will stay on
•The SRS warning light (see page 24) will
come on and stay on
•The message Pass. Airbag OFF Service
urgent will be displayed in the information
display.
WARNING
If a fault in the system is detected and indi-
cated as described, be aware that the pas-
senger's side front airbag will not deploy in
the event of a collision. In this case, the SRS
system and Occupant Weight Sensor
should be inspected by a trained and quali-
fied Volvo service technician as soon as
possible.

01 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor 01
30
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 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.
Passeng-
er's seat
occu-
pancy sta-
tusOWS indi-
cator light
statusPasseng-
er's side
front air-
bag status
Seat unoc-
cupiedOWS indica-
tor light
lights up.Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by low
weight
occupant/
object
A
OWS indica-
tor light
lights upPassenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled
Seat occu-
pied by
heavy occu-
pant/objectOWS indica-
tor light is
not litPassenger's
side front
airbag ena-
bled
AVolvo 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 is disabled
unless the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit.
Make sure the child restraint is properly installed. If there is
any doubt as to the status of the passenger's side front air-
bag, move the child restraint to the rear seat.
The OWS is designed to enable (may inflate)
the passenger's side front airbag in the event
of a collision anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly in the
front passenger's seat. The PASSENGER AIR-BAG 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 AIR-
BAG OFF indicator lamp is on, it is possible 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 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: