warning VOLVO XC70 2003 User Guide

2003 VOLVO XC70
WARNING!
l Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can i\
mpair the steering of your
car. 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 prolonged exp\
osure.
l If your car has been subjected to flood conditions (e.g. soaked carpeti\
ng/ standing water on the
floor of the vehicle) or if your car has become flood-damaged in any wa\
y, do not attempt to start the
vehicle or put the key in the ignition before disconnecting the battery.\
This may cause airbag
deployment which could result in personal injury. Have the car towed to \
an authorized Volvo retailer
for repairs.



pg. 9 Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)


Volvo Inflatable Curtain (VIC)
This system consists of inflatable curtains located along the sides of t\
he 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 occupant of the front seat and the occupant of \
the outboard rear seat position in
certain side impact collisions.
NOTE: IC system deployment occurs only on the side of the vehicle affected by \
the impact.
In certain side impacts, BOTH the Inflatable Curtain (IC) and the Side Impact Airbag System (SIPS-\
bag) will deploy, whereas, in some cases, ONLY the Inflatable Curtain (IC) will deploy. In cases where
BOTH the IC and the SIPS-bag deploy, deployment will occur simultaneously.
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2003 VOLVO XC70
If the inflatable curtain deploys, it remains inflated for approximately\
3 seconds.

WARNING!
l The IC system is a supplement to the Side Impact Protection System. It i\
s not designed to deploy
during collisions from the front or rear of the car or in rollover situa\
tions.
l Never try to open or repair any components of the IC system. This should\
be done only by an
authorized Volvo service technician.
l The inflatable curtains are designed to deploy only during certain side-\
impact collisions, depending
on the crash severity, angle, speed and impact. The inflatable curtains \
are not designed to deploy in
all side impact situations.
l In order for the IC to provide its best protection, both front seat occu\
pants 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 system. Only adu\
lts should sit in the front seats.
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger seat. See
page 14 for guidelines. Failure to
follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants.\

l When the rear seat backrest(s) are folded down, the car should not be \
loaded to a level higher than
2 in. (5 cm) below the upper edge of the rear passenger door windows. \
Objects placed higher than this
level could impede the function of the inflatable curtain.



pg. 10 Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)


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2003 VOLVO XC70
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
The WHIPS system consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on t\
he front seat backrests and
head restraints designed to help absorb some of the energy generated in \
a collision from the rear ("rear-
ended").
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 su\
pport the occupant's head before
moving slightly rearward. This movement helps absorb some of the forces \
that could result in the
whiplash effect.


Do not wedge boxes, suitcases, etc. behind front seats
WARNING!
l Any contact between the front seat backrests and the folded rear seat co\
uld impede the function of
the WHIPS system. If the rear seat is folded down, the occupied front se\
ats must be adjusted forward
so that they do not touch the folded rear seat.
l Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats (see illustration \
above) could impede the
function of the WHIPS system.
l The WHIPS system is designed to supplement the other safety systems in y\
our car. For this system
to function properly, the three-point seat belt must be worn. Please be \
aware that no system can
prevent all possible injuries that may occur in an accident.
l If your car has been involved in a collision, the front seat backrests m\
ust be inspected by an
authorized Volvo retailer even if the seats appear to be undamaged. Cert\
ain components in the
WHIPS system may need to be replaced. Do not attempt to service any comp\
onent in the WHIPS
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2003 VOLVO XC70

pg. 11 Child safety


If all the seats are occupied, a rear-facing auxiliary seat in the cargo\
area can be used. This seat is
designed for two children, each weighing between 50 - 88 lbs. (23 - 40 \
kg) with a total seat capacity of
176 lbs. (80 kg) and up to 55 inches (140 cm) in height.
Raising
Remove the cargo area cover, if installed, from the car. Raise the backr\
est section forward until it locks
in place.
Flip the seat cushion over.
Lowering
Flip the seat cushion back into storage position.
Pull the release handle and lower the backrest to storage position.
WARNING!
Both rear seat backrests must be up when the auxiliary seat is being use\
d. Do not use a booster
cushion or child seat in conjunction with the auxiliary seat. The luggag\
e net should be retracted and
the child safety lock in the tailgate should be open to allow access to \
the cargo area.

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2003 VOLVO XC70
WARNING!
The exhaust pipe will still be hot when the engine is turned off. Take c\
are that children do not burn
themselves when they get into or out of the car.
pg. 12 Child safety
Integrated booster cushions, outboard positions (optional)
Volvo's own integrated booster cushions have been specially designed to \
help safeguard a child seated in
the rear seat. When using an integrated booster cushion, the child must \
be secured with the vehicle's
three-point seat belt. This child seat is designed for use only by child\
ren who weigh between 33 and 80
lbs (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is between 38 and 54 in. (97 and \
137 cm).


Integrated booster cushion - outboard positions
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2003 VOLVO XC70
The child should be properly seated on the booster cushion. The hip sect\
ion of the three-point seat belt
must fit snugly across the child's hips, not across the stomach. The sho\
ulder section of the three-point
seat belt should be positioned across the chest and shoulder (see illus\
tration). The shoulder belt must
never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm. WARNING!
l Failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions on the use of this chi\
ld restraint system can result
in your child striking the vehicle's interior during a sudden stop or cr\
ash.
l In the event of a collision while the integrated booster cushion was occ\
upied, the entire booster
cushion and seat belt must be replaced. The booster cushion should also \
be replaced if it is badly
worn or damaged in any way. This work should be performed by an authoriz\
ed Volvo retailer only.
The booster cushion should be cleaned while in place in the vehicle if p\
ossible. If not, please consult
your Volvo retailer.

pg. 14 Child safety
Keeping child seats in place (ALR/ELR*)
To make child seat installation easier, each seat belt (except for the \
driver's belt) is equipped with a
locking mechanism to help keep the seat belt taut.
When attaching the seat belt to a child seat:
l Attach the seat belt to the child seat according to the child seat manuf\
acturer's instructions.
l Pull the seat belt out as far as possible.
l Insert the seat belt latch plate into the buckle (lock) in the usual w\
ay.
l Release the seat belt and pull it taut around the child seat.
A sound from the seat belt retractor will be audible at this time and is\
normal.
The belt will now be locked in place.
This function is automatically disabled when the seat belt is unlocked a\
nd the belt is fully
retracted.
* Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor
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2003 VOLVO XC70
Important!
Why Volvo believes no child should sit in the front seat of a car. It's quite simple really. A front air
bag is a very powerful device designed, by law, to help protect an adult\
. Because of the size of the air
bag and its speed of inflation, a child should never be placed in the fr\
ont seat, even if he or she is
properly belted or strapped into a child safety seat. Volvo has been an \
innovator in safety for over fifty
years, and we'll continue to do our part. But we need your help. Please \
remember to put your children in
the back seat, and buckle them up.
Volvo has some very specific recommendations:
l Always wear your seat belt.
l Air bags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety device which, when used with a three-\
point seat belt can
help reduce serious injuries during certain types of accidents. Volvo re\
commends that you do not
disconnect the air bag system in your vehicle.
l Volvo strongly recommends that ALL children sit in the rear seat of any \
vehicle and that they be
properly restrained.
l A child should NEVER sit in the front passenger seat of any vehicle equi\
pped with a passenger-side
front airbag.
l Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than\
four feet seven inches (140
cm) be seated in the back seat of any vehicle with a front passenger si\
de airbag.
Drive safely!
WARNING!
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.

pg. 15 Child safety


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2003 VOLVO XC70
Child Restraint Anchorages
Volvo cars are fitted with child restraint top tether anchorages in the \
rear seat.
Refer to the child seat manufacturer's instruction for information on se\
curing the child seat. WARNING!
Child Restraint Anchorages are designed to withstand only those loads im\
posed by correctly fitted
Child Restraints. Under no circumstances are they to be used for adult s\
eat belts or harnesses. The
anchorages are not able to withstand excessive forces on them in the eve\
nt of collision if full harness
seat belts or adult seat belts are installed to them. An adult who uses \
a belt anchored in a Child
Restraint Anchorage runs a great risk of suffering severe injuries shoul\
d a collision occur. Do not
install rear speakers which would require the removal of the top tether \
anchors or interfere with the
proper use of the top tether strap.


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2003 VOLVO XC70
provided with the restraint. Be sure you understand them and can use the\
device properly and
safely in this vehicle. A misused child restraint system can result in i\
ncreased injuries for both the
infant or child and other occupants in the vehicle.
A child who has outgrown the child safety seat should use the rear seat \
with the standard seat belt
fastened. Place the child on an approved cushion so that the seat belt i\
s properly located on the child's
hips (see
page 13).Legislation in your state or province may mandate the use of a child \
seat or cushion in
combination with the seat belt, depending on the child's age and/or size\
. Please check local regulations.
A specially designed and tested booster cushion (not available in Canad\
a ) for children between 50 - 80
lbs (22.7 - 36 kg) and 38 -54 inches (97 - 137 cm) in height can be \
obtained from your Volvo retailer.
If necessary, an auxiliary seat for children is available for use in the\
luggage compartment of station
wagon models. This seat is designed for two children, each weighing betw\
een 50 - 88 lbs. (23 - 40 kg)
and up to 59 inches (150 cm) in height.
WARNING!
l When using the auxiliary seat for children, both sections of the rear se\
at backrest must be secured
in the upright position.
l Do not use a booster cushion or child seat in conjunction with the auxil\
iary seat.

pg. 17 Occupant safety

Seat belt maintenance
Check periodically that the seat belts are in good condition. Use water \
and a mild detergent for cleaning.
Check seat belt mechanism function as follows: Attach the seat belt and \
pull rapidly on the strap.
Volvo Concern for Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of Volvo. Our concern dates back to 1927 when \
the first Volvo rolled off the
production line. Three-point seat belts (a Volvo invention), safety ca\
ges, and energy-absorbing impact
zones were designed into Volvo cars long before it was fashionable or re\
quired by government
regulation. We will not compromise our commitment to safety. We continue\
to seek out new safety
features and to refine those already in our cars. You can help. We would\
appreciate hearing your
suggestions about improving automobile safety. We also want to know if y\
ou ever have a safety concern
with your car. Call us in the U.S. at: 800-458-1552 or in Canada at: 800\
-663-8255.
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2003 VOLVO XC70
pg. 18 Brake system

Brake circuit malfunction
The brake system is a hydraulic system consisting of two master cylinder\
s and two separate brake
circuits. If a problem should occur in one of these circuits, it is stil\
l possible to stop the car with the other
brake circuit.
If the brake pedal must be depressed farther than normal and requires gr\
eater foot pressure, the stopping
distance will be longer.
A warning light in the instrument panel will light up to warn the driver\
that a fault has occurred.
If this light comes on while driving or braking, stop immediately and ch\
eck the brake fluid level in the
reservoir.
NOTE: Press the brake pedal hard and maintain pressure on the pedal - do not pump the brakes.
WARNING!
If the fluid level is below the MIN mark in the reservoir: DO NOT DRIVE.\
Tow the car to a Volvo
retailer and have the brake system inspected.
NOTE: When the car is at a standstill and the engine is idling, e.g. at a traf\
fic light and the brake pedal
is depressed, the pedal may go down slightly. This is normal and is caus\
ed by an built-in function in the
power brake system.
Power brakes function only when the engine is running
The power brakes utilize vacuum pressure which is only created when the \
engine is running. Never let
the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine switched off.
If the power brakes are not working, the brake pedal must be pressed app\
roximately four times harder
than usual to make up for the lack of power assistance. This can happen \
for example when towing your
vehicle or if the engine is switched off when the vehicle is rolling. Th\
e brake pedal feels harder than
usual.
Water on brake discs and brake pads affects braking
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