airbag VOLVO XC90 2004 Owners Manual

2004 VOLVO XC90
2 0 0 4
VOLVO XC90
Safety

pg. 1 Safety
Seat belts2
Airbags (Supplemental Restraint System)4
Side airbags (SIPS airbags)10
Inflatable Curtain (IC)12
Roll-over Protection System13
Inspection of airbags, Inflatable Curtains and seat belt pretensioners14
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)15
Child safety17
Occupant safety, Reporting safety defects21
pg. 2 Safety
Seat belts
Not wearing a seat belt is like believing "It'll never happen to me!" Vo\
lvo, the inventor of the three-point
seat belt, urges you and all occupants of your vehicle to wear seat belt\
s and ensure that children are
properly restrained, using an infant, car or booster seat determined by \
age, weight and height. Volvo also
believes no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle.
NOTE: Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle \
to use seat belts. So,
urging you to buckle up is not just our recommendation. The few moments \
it takes to buckle your seat
belt may one day allow you to say "It's a good thing I was wearing my se\
at belt."
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (1 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
NOTE: A chime will sound several times if the driver has not fastened his/her\
seat belt.
The seat belts are equipped with tensioners that reduce slack in the sea\
t belts. These tensioners are
triggered in situations where the airbags deploy.
The front seat belts also include a tension reducing device which, in th\
e event of a collision, limits the
peak forces exerted by the seat belt on the occupant.

Extending the lap belt
To buckle a seat belt:
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptac\
le until a distinct click is heard. The
seat belt retractor is normally "unlocked" and you can move freely, prov\
ided that the shoulder belt is not
pulled out too far. The retractor will lock up as follows:
l if the belt is pulled out rapidly
l during braking and acceleration
l if the vehicle is leaning excessively
l when driving in turns
For the seat belt to provide maximum protection in the event of an accid\
ent, it must be worn correctly.
When wearing the seat belt remember:
l The belt should not be twisted or turned.
l The lap belt must be positioned low on the hips (not pressing against t\
he abdomen).
Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled up into its retractor and tha\
t the shoulder and lap belts are taut.
Before exiting the vehicle, check that the seat belt retracts fully afte\
r being unbuckled. If necessary,
guide the belt back into the retractor slot.
Child seats:
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (2 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90

Sample label found on all seat belts with pretensioners
pg. 4 Safety
Airbags (Supplemental Restraint System)
Driver's side airbag
As an enhancement to the three-point seat belt system, your Volvo is equ\
ipped with a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) to complement the three-point seat belt system.\
The inflatable airbag is installed
folded up in the center of the steering wheel. The wheel is embossed wit\
h SRS.
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (4 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Never drive an SRS equipped vehicle with your hands on the steering whee\
l pad/airbag
housing.
Passenger side airbag
The airbag on the front passenger side is folded up in a compartment abo\
ve the glove compartment. The
panel is embossed SRS.
WARNING!
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 airbag deployment.

Passenger side airbag - location
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (5 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
NOTE:
Deployment of SRS components occurs only one time during an accident. In\
a collision where
deployment occurs, the airbags and seat belt pretensioners activate. Som\
e noise occurs and a small
amount of powder is released. The release of the powder may appear as sm\
oke-like matter. This is a
normal characteristic and does not indicate fire.
NOTE:
Volvo's dual-threshold, dual-stage airbags use special sensors that are \
integrated with the front seat
buckles. The point at which the airbag deploys is determined by whether \
or not the seat belt is being
used, as well as the severity of the collision. Collisions can occur whe\
re only one of the airbags deploys.
If the impact is less severe, but severe enough to present a clear injur\
y risk, the dual-stage airbags are
triggered at 70% of their total capacity. If the impact is more severe, \
the dual-stage airbags are triggered
at full capacity.
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 i\
mpair the steering of your
vehicle. Other safety systems can also be damaged. The smoke and dust fo\
rmed when the airbags are
deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of prolonged exp\
osure.
pg. 6 Safety
Airbags (Supplemental Restraint System) (contd)
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (7 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger's seat. Volvo reco\
mmends that ALL occupants
(adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seate\
d in the back seat of any vehicle
with a front passenger-side airbag. See
page 20 for guidelines.
Occupants in the front passenger's seat must never sit on the edge of th\
e seat, sit leaning toward the
instrument panel or otherwise sit out of position. The occupant's back m\
ust 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 wind\
ow.
No objects or accessory equipment, e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed \
on, attached to, or installed
near the SRS hatch (the area above the glove compartment) or the area \
affected by airbag deployment
(see illustration on
page 4).
There should be no loose articles, e.g. coffee cups, on the floor, seat \
or dashboard area.
Never try to open the SRS cover on the steering wheel or the passenger s\
ide dash. This should only be
done by an authorized Volvo service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle\
occupants.
Warning light in the instrument panel
A self-diagnostic system incorporated in the sensor monitors the SRS. Th\
is system does not, however,
monitor the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) airbags. If a fault i\
s detected, the warning light 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 key is turned to \
positions I, II or III and should
go out after 7 seconds or when the engine is started. Check that this li\
ght is functioning properly every
time the vehicle is started.
The following items are monitored by the self-diagnostic system:
l Sensor unit
l Cable harness
l Gas generator
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (8 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
If the SRS warning light stays on after the engine has started or if it \
comes on while you are driving,
drive the vehicle to the nearest authorized Volvo retailer for inspectio\
n as soon as possible.
pg. 7 Safety
When are the airbags deployed?
The information on this page pertains to SRS (front) airbags only. For\
information about Side Impact
Protection System (SIPS) airbags, please see
page 10. For Inflatable Curtain (IC) airbags, please see
page 12.
The SRS system is designed to deploy during certain frontal or front-ang\
ular collisions, impacts, or
decelerations, depending on the crash severity, angle, speed and object \
impacted. The SRS sensor is
designed to react to both the impact of the collision and the inertial f\
orces generated by it and to
determine if the intensity of the collision is sufficient for the seat b\
elt pretensioners or airbags to be
deployed.
If the airbags have been deployed, we recommend the following:
l Have the vehicle towed to an authorized Volvo retailer. Never drive with\
the airbags deployed.
l Have an authorized Volvo retailer replace the SRS system components.
l Use only new, Genuine Volvo Parts when replacing SRS components (airbag\
s, seat belts,
pretensioners, etc.).
When are the airbags NOT deployed?
Not all frontal collisions activate the SRS system. If the collision inv\
olves a nonrigid object (e.g., a snow
drift or bush), or a rigid, fixed object at a low speed, the SRS system\
will not necessarily deploy. Front
airbags do not normally deploy in a side impact collision, in a collisio\
n from the rear or in a rollover
situation. The amount of damage to the bodywork does not reliably indica\
te if the airbags should have
deployed or not.
Seat belts - the heart of the Volvo safety system
The heart of the Volvo safety system is the three-point seat belt (a Vo\
lvo invention)! In order for the
SRS system to provide the protection intended, seat belts must be worn a\
t all times by everyone in the
vehicle. The SRS system is a supplement to the seat belts.
WARNING!
Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can i\
mpair the steering of your
vehicle. Other safety systems can also be damaged. The smoke and dust fo\
rmed when the airbags are
deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of prolonged exp\
osure.
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (9 of 12)12/30/200\
6 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
pg. 8 Safety
Airbags (Supplemental Restraint System) (contd)
WARNING!
If your vehicle has been subjected to flood conditions (e.g. soaked car\
peting/standing water on the
floor of the vehicle) or if your vehicle has become flood-damaged in an\
y way, do not attempt to start
the vehicle or put the key in the ignition before disconnecting the batt\
ery (see below). This may cause
airbag deployment which could result in personal injury. Have the vehicle towed to an authorized
Volvo retailer for repairs.
Automatic transmission:
Before attempting to tow the vehicle, use the following procedure to ove\
rride the shiftlock system to
move the gear selector to the neutral position.
l Switch off the ignition for at least 10 minutes and disconnect the batte\
ry
l Wait at least one minute
l Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to position II
l Press firmly on the brake pedal.
l Move the gear selector from (P)ark to the (N)eutral position.
There is no maintenance to perform on the SRS yourself. The month and ye\
ar shown on the decal on the
door pillar indicate when you should contact your Volvo retailer for spe\
cific servicing or replacement of
airbags and seat belt pretensioners. This maintenance must be performed \
by an authorized Volvo retailer.
Should you have any questions about the SRS system, please contact your \
authorized Volvo retailer or
Volvo Customer Support: In the U.S.A In Canada:
Volvo Cars of North America Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
Customer Relations 175 Gordon Baker Road
P.O. Box 914 North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914 800-663-8255
800-458-1552
pg. 9 Safety
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (10 of 12)12/30/20\
06 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
Front airbag (SRS) system
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 an airbag (2) on b\
oth the driver's and passenger's
sides and seat belt pretensioners in both front door pillars. The system\
is designed to supplement the
protection provided by the three-point seat belt system. All rear seat b\
elts are also equipped with
pretensioners.
The SRS system is indicated by the "SRS" embossed on the steering wheel \
pad and above the glove
compartment, and by decals on both sun visors and on the front and far r\
ight side of the dash.
The airbags are folded and located in the steering wheel hub and above t\
he glove compartment.
Deployment:
The SRS airbags are designed to deploy during certain frontal or front-a\
ngular collisions, impacts, or
decelerations, depending on the crash severity, angle, speed and object \
impacted. The airbags may also
deploy in certain non-frontal collisions where rapid deceleration occurs\
.
The airbag system includes gas generators (1) surrounded by the airbag\
s (2) and front seat belt
pretensioners for both of the front seats. To deploy the system, the sen\
sor (3) activates the gas generators
causing the airbags to be inflated with nitrogen gas.
As the movement of the seats' occupants compresses the airbags, some of \
the gas is expelled at a
controlled rate to provide better cushioning. Both seat belt pretensione\
rs also deploy, minimizing any
seat belt slack.The entire process, including inflation and deflation of\
the airbags, takes approximately
two-tenths of a second.
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (11 of 12)12/30/20\
06 4:35:11 PM

2004 VOLVO XC90
WARNING!
The SRS is designed to help prevent serious injury. Deployment occurs ve\
ry quickly and with
considerable force. During normal deployment and depending on variables \
such as seating position,
one may experience abrasions, bruises, swellings, or other injuries as a\
result of airbag(s) deployment.
Never try to repair any part of the SRS or SIPS bag systems yourself. Any int\
erference in the system
could cause malfunction and serious injury. All work on these systems sh\
ould be performed by an
authorized Volvo retailer.




Contents | Top of Page
file:///K|/ownersdocs/2004/2004_XC90/04xc90_01a.htm (12 of 12)12/30/20\
06 4:35:11 PM