VOLVO XC90 2003 Owner's Manual

2003 VOLVO XC90
NOTE: SIPS airbag deployment (one airbag) occurs only on the side of the ve\
hicle affected by the
impact.The airbags are not designed to deploy in all side impact situati\
ons.
*A SIPS airbag ' decal is also located at the end of the instrument pane\
l on the driver's side of the
vehicle.
WARNING!
l The SIPS airbag system is a supplement to the Side Impact Protection Sys\
tem and the three-point
seat belt system. It is not designed to deploy during collisions from th\
e front or rear of the vehicle,
and will only deploy in certain rollover situations.
l The use of seat covers on the front seats may impede SIPS airbag deploym\
ent.
l No objects, accessory equipment or stickers may be placed on, attached t\
o or installed near, the
SIPS airbag system or in the area affected by SIPS airbag deployment (s\
ee illustration in the center
column above).
l Never try to open or repair any components of the SIPS airbag system. Th\
is should be done only
by an authorized Volvo service technician.
l In order for the SIPS airbag to provide its best protection, both front \
seat occupants should sit in an
upright position with the seat belt properly fastened.
l Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the occupan\
ts of the vehicle in the event
of an accident.
pg. 11 Safety
The SIPS airbag system
This system consists of a gas generator (1), the side airbags (2), a\
nd electronic sensors/cables (3).
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2003 VOLVO XC90
pg. 12 Safety
Inflatable Curtain (IC)

7-seat model shown
Volvo Inflatable Curtain (IC)
This system consists of Inflatable Curtains located along the sides of t\
he roof liners, stretching from the
front side windows to the rear edge of the rear side windows. It is desi\
gned to help protect the heads of
the occupants of the front seats and the occupant of the outboard rear s\
eating positions, including the
outboard passenger in the optional third row of seats in certain side im\
pact collisions. The Inflatable
Curtains in the Volvo XC90 are also designed to help protect the occupan\
ts of the vehicle in a roll-over
situation, and to help prevent them from being thrown from the vehicle i\
f a roll-over occurs.
NOTE:
In 5-seat models, the Inflatable Curtains extend to protect both rows of\
seats. 7-seat models, they extend
to protect all three rows.
By design, the IC system deploys only on the side of the vehicle affecte\
d by the impact. However, in
certain side impacts, or in a rollover situation, BOTH the Inflatable Curtains (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.
If the Inflatable Curtain deploys, it remains inflated for approximately\
5 seconds.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
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 vehicle. The Inflatable \
Curtains are designed to deploy
only during certain side-impact collisions, depending on the crash sever\
ity, angle, speed and impact.
The Inflatable Curtains are not designed to deploy in all side impact si\
tuations. Never try to open or
repair any components of the IC system. This should be done only by an a\
uthorized Volvo service
technician. In order for the IC to provide its best protection, both fro\
nt seat occupants and all
outboard rear seat occupants should sit in an upright position with the \
seat belt properly fastened;
adults using the seat belt and children using the proper child restraint\
system. Only adults should sit in
the front seats. Children must never be allowed in the front passenger s\
eat. See
page 20 for
guidelines. Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to\
the vehicle occupants in an
accident.
When the backrest(s) in the rear seat(s) are folded down, the vehicl\
e should not be loaded to a level
higher than 2 inches (5 cm) below the upper edge of the side windows. \
Objects placed higher than
this level could impede the function of the Inflatable Curtain.
pg. 13 Safety
Roll-over Protection System
Volvo's Roll-over Protection System has been developed to help prevent t\
he vehicle from rolling over in
the event of sudden evasive maneuvers, skids, etc and to offer enhanced \
protection if a roll-over occurs.
The system works in two ways:
l The stabilizing system Roll Stability Control (RSC) acts to minimize b\
ody roll.
l The system provides additional protection with a reinforced body, Inflat\
able Curtains for all outboard
seating positions, and seat belt pretensioners for all seating positions\
.
RSC uses a gyro-sensor that registers the vehicle's angle of inclination\
and the speed at which this angle
changes. Using this information, the control module calculates the risk \
of a roll-over. If there is an
imminent roll-over risk, the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DS\
TC) system is activated, engine
speed is reduced, and the brakes are applied to one or more of the wheel\
s until the vehicle has regained
stability.
If a roll-over occurs, RSC triggers the seat belt pretensioners and then\
deploys the Inflatable Curtains
(which remain inflated for approximately 5 seconds). These curtains ar\
e designed to follow the contours
of the side windows so that they position themselves between the occupan\
ts' heads and the sides of the
vehicle.
pg. 14 Safety
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Inspection of airbags, Inflatable Curtains and seat belt
pretensioners
The year and month specified on the decal in the door pillar(s) is the\
date when you should contact your
Volvo retailer to inspect and, if necessary, replace the airbags and sea\
t belt pretensioners. If you have
any questions concerning either system, contact an authorized Volvo reta\
iler.
pg. 15 Safety
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
WHIPS consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on the front se\
at backrests and head restraints
designed to help absorb some of the energy generated in a rear-end colli\
sion.
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.
WARNING!
WHIPS is designed to supplement the other safety systems in your vehicle\
. For this system to
function properly, the three-point seat belt must be worn. Please be awa\
re that no system can prevent
all possible injuries that may occur in an accident.
If your vehicle has been involved in a collision, the front seat backres\
ts must be inspected by an
authorized Volvo retailer even, if the seats appear to be undamaged. Cer\
tain components in the
WHIPS system may need to be replaced. Do not attempt to service any comp\
onent in the WHIPS
system yourself.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
If the rear seat backrests are folded down, cargo must be secured to pre\
vent it from sliding forward
against the front seat backrests in the event of a collision from the re\
ar. This could interfere with the
action of the WHIPS system.
The WHIPS system is designed to function in certain collisions from the \
rear, depending on the crash
severity, angle and speed.
Occupants in the front seats must never sit out of position. The occupan\
t's back must be as upright as
comfort allows and be against the seat back with the seat belt properly \
fastened.
pg. 16 Safety
WARNING!
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 seats \
must be adjusted forward so
that they do not touch the folded rear seat.
Boxes, suitcases, etc. wedged behind the front seats (see illustration \
above) could impede the function
of the WHIPS system.
pg. 17 Safety
Child safety
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint systems for all occupants i\
ncluding children. Remember
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2003 VOLVO XC90
that, regardless of age and size, a child should always be properly rest\
rained in a vehicle.
Your vehicle is also equipped with ISOFIX attachments, which make it mor\
e convenient to install child
seats (see
page 18).
Restraint systems for children are designed to be secured in the vehicle\
by lap belts or the lap portion of
a lap-shoulder belt. Such child restraint systems can help protect child\
ren in vehicles in the event of an
accident only if they are used properly. However, children could be enda\
ngered in a crash if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle. Failure to follow th\
e installation instructions for your
child restraint can result in your child striking the vehicle's interior\
in a sudden stop.
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable substitute for a child re\
straint system. In an accident, a
child held in a person's arms can be crushed between the vehicle's inter\
ior and an unrestrained person.
The child could also be injured by striking the interior, or by being ej\
ected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. The same can also happen if the infant or chi\
ld rides unrestrained on the
seat. Other occupants should also be properly restrained to help reduce \
the chance of injuring or
increasing the injury of a child. All states and provinces have legislat\
ion governing how and where
children should be carried in a vehicle. Find out the regulations existi\
ng in your state or province. Recent
accident statistics have shown that children are safer in rear seating p\
ositions than front seating positions
when properly restrained. A child restraint system can help protect a ch\
ild in a vehicle. Here's what to
look for when selecting a child restraint system:
l It should have a label certifying that it meets applicable Federal Motor\
Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS 213) - or in Canada, CMVSS 213.
l Make sure the child restraint system is approved for the child's height,\
weight and development - the
label required by the standard or regulation, or instructions for infant\
restraints, typically provide this
information.
l In using any child restraint system, we urge you to carefully look over \
the instructions that are
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 increased i\
njuries for both the infant or child
and other occupants in the vehicle.
When a child has outgrown the child safety seat, you should use the rear\
seat with the standard seat belt
fastened. The best way to help protect the child here is to place the ch\
ild on a cushion so that the seat
belt is properly located on the hips (see
page 2). Legislation in your state or province may mandate the
use of a child seat or cushion in combination with the seat belt, depend\
ing 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 the age
of 3 and approximately 10 years, weighing 33-80 lb (15-36 kg) and 38-5\
4 inches (97-137 cm) in height,
can be obtained from your Volvo retailer.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
l Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the\
front passenger's seat. We
also recommend that children under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height \
who have outgrown these
devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt fastened.
l Keep vehicle doors and the tailgate locked and keep keys out of a child'\
s reach. Unsupervised
children could lock themselves in an open tailgate and risk injury. Chil\
dren should be taught not to
play in vehicles.
l On hot days, the temperature in the vehicle interior can rise very quick\
ly. Exposure to these high
temperatures for even a short period of time can cause heat-related inju\
ry or death. Small children are
particularly at risk.
pg. 18 Safety
Child safety (contd)

Isofix attachments
ISOFIX fasteners and seat guides
ISOFIX fasteners are installed in the second row of seats in the outboar\
d positions. One set of ISOFIX
guides is also provided. Consult your Volvo retailer for more informatio\
n on child safety accessories.
When installing child seats in the second row of seats (in seven-seat m\
odels), we recommend that the
seats in this row be moved to their rearmost position.
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Integrated child booster cushion (option)
Volvo's own integrated booster cushion has been specially designed to he\
lp 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
lb (15 and 36 kg) and whose height is between 38 and 54 in (97 and 13\
7 cm).
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!
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 crash\
. In the event of a collision
while the integrated booster cushion was occupied, the entire booster cu\
shion and seat belt must be
replaced. The booster cushion should also be replaced if it is badly wor\
n or damaged in any way. This
work should be performed by an authorized Volvo retailer only. The boost\
er cushion should be
cleaned while in place in the vehicle if possible. If not, please consul\
t your Volvo retailer.
pg. 19 Safety
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2003 VOLVO XC90
Integrated booster cushion Raising
l Pull the handle at the front of the cushion (1) forward.
l With both hands push the cushion rearward (2).
l Push the cushion until it locks in place.
Lowering
l Pull the handle at the front of the cushion (1) forward.
l Pull the seat forward and press it down until it locks in place.
The booster cushion must be pressed down before the backrest can be fold\
ed down.

Child restraint anchorages
Child restraint anchorages
Volvo vehicles are equipped with child restraint top tether anchorages i\
n the rear seats (second row of
seats in seven-seat models). Refer to the child seat manufacturer's ins\
tructions for information on
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