Volvo V70X, C70 (2010 year). Instruction

01 Safety

Occupant safety

Volvo's concern for safety

Safety is Volvo's cornerstone. Our concern
dates back to 1927 when the first Volvo rolled
off the production line. Three-point seat belts
(a Volvo invention), safety cages, and energy-
absorbing impact zones were designed into
Volvo vehicles long before it was fashionable
or required by government regulation.

We will not compromize our commitment to
safety. We continue to seek out new safety
features and to refine those already in our vehi-
cles. You can help. We would appreciate hear-
ing your suggestions about improving automo-
bile safety. We also want to know if you ever
have a safety concern with your vehicle. Call us
in the U.S. at: 1-800-458-1552 or in Canada at:
1-800-663-8255.

Occupant safety reminders

How safely you drive doesn't depend on how
old you are but rather on:

•

How well you see.

•

Your ability to concentrate.

•

How quickly you make decisions under
stress to avoid an accident.

The following suggestions are intended to help
you cope with the ever changing traffic envi-
ronment.

•

Never drink and drive.

•

If you are taking any medication, consult
your physician about its potential effects
on your driving abilities.

•

Take a driver-retraining course.

•

Have your eyes checked regularly.

•

Keep your windshield and headlights
clean.

•

Replace wiper blades when they start to
leave streaks.

•

Take into account the traffic, road, and
weather conditions, particularly with
regard to stopping distance.

01 Safety

Reporting safety defects

Reporting safety defects in the U.S.

If you believe that your vehicle has a
defect which could cause a crash or
could cause injury or death, you
should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition to
notifying Volvo Cars of North Amer-
ica, LLC. If NHTSA receives similar
complaints, it may open an investiga-
tion, and if it finds that a safety defect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may
order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become
involved in individual problems
between you, your retailer, or Volvo
Cars of North America, LLC. To con-
tact NHTSA, you may either call the
Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at

1-888-327-4236

(TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Trans-
portation, Washington D.C. 20590.

You can also obtain other information
about motor vehicle safety from:

http://www.safercar.gov

Volvo strongly recommends that if
your vehicle is covered under a serv-
ice campaign, safety or emission
recall or similar action, it should be
completed as soon as possible.
Please check with your local retailer
or Volvo Cars of North America, LLC
if your vehicle is covered under these
conditions.

NHTSA can be reached at:

Internet:

http://www.nhtsa.gov

Telephone:

1-888-DASH-2-DOT
(1-888-327-4236).

Reporting safety defects in Canada

If you believe your vehicle has a defect that
could cause a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately inform Trans-
port Canada in addition to notifying Volvo Cars
of Canada Corp.

To contact Transport Canada, call
(800) 333 – 0510, or (613) 993 – 9851 if you are
calling from the Ottawa region.

01 Safety

Seat belts

General information

Adjusting the seat belt

Seat belts should always be worn by all occu-
pants of your vehicle. Children should be prop-
erly 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.

Most states and provinces make it mandatory
for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.

Seat belt pretensioners

All seat belts are equipped with pretensioners
that reduce slack in the belts. These preten-
sioners are triggered in situations where the
front or side impact airbags deploy, and in cer-
tain impacts from the rear. The front seat belts
also include a tension reducing device which,

in the event of a collision, limits the peak forces
exerted by the seat belt on the occupant.

Buckling a seat belt

Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch
plate into the receptacle until a distinct click is
heard. The seat belt retractor is normally
"unlocked" and you can move freely, provided
that the shoulder belt is not pulled out too far.

The retractor will lock up as follows:

•

if the belt is pulled out rapidly

•

during braking and acceleration

•

if the vehicle is leaning excessively

•

when driving in turns.

To make child seat installation easier, each
seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equip-
ped with a locking mechanism to help keep the
seat belt taut. See page 35 for more infor-
mation regarding the Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR).

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 belt

To 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 maintenance

Check 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.

01 Safety

Seat belts

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.

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 audible signal and warning light
will be on for a total of 6 seconds from the time
the ignition is switched on, regardless of
whether or not the seat belts are 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 seats

The 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 in the information display can
always be accessed, even if it has been erased,
by pressing the READ button to display stored
messages.

01 Safety

Seat belts

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

a distance as possible between their belly and
the steering wheel.

Child seats

Please refer to page 36 for information on
securing child seats with the seat belts.

01 Safety

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

General information

022831

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 functioning

properly, the general warning symbol illumi-
nates and a text message will be displayed.
See also page 72 and page 74 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:

Switch off the ignition for at least
10 minutes and disconnect the battery.

Follow the instructions for manually
overriding the shiftlock system on page
108.

Please be aware that overriding the shiftlock
system does not release the steering wheel
lock.

01 Safety

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

Front airbags

G018665

The front airbag system

The 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.

Location of the passenger's side front airbag

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 a vehicle with a steering
wheel-mounted airbag with your hands
on the steering wheel pad/airbag hous-
ing.

•

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)

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

•

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 914 Rockleigh, 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

See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information see page 24.

01 Safety

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

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

G032244

Airbag decal on the far right end of the passeng-
er's dashboard

G008335

Airbag decal on the outside of both sun visors

G032527

Airbag decal on passenger's side dashboard

01 Safety

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

WARNING

•

Children must never be allowed in the
front passenger's seat. Volvo recom-
mends 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 passenger-side front
airbag.

•

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.

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 20).

•

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 Sensor

General information

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 35.

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 front

airbag 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 19) 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

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-
tus

OWS indi-
cator light
status

Passeng-
er's side
front air-
bag status

Seat unoc-
cupied

OWS indica-
tor light
lights up.

Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled

Seat occu-
pied by low
weight
occupant/
object

OWS indica-
tor light
lights up

Passenger's
side front
airbag disa-
bled

Seat occu-
pied by
heavy occu-
pant/object

OWS indica-
tor light is
not lit

Passenger's
side front
airbag ena-
bled

Volvo 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 anytime the
system senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the front passenger's seat.

The PASSENGER AIRBAG 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.

Modifications

If 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:

01 Safety

Occupant Weight Sensor

In the USA

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC

Customer Care Center

1 Volvo Drive

P.O. Box 914

Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647

1-800-458-1552

In Canada

Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.

National Customer Service

175 Gordon Baker Road North York, Ontario
M2H 2N7

1-800-663-8255

WARNING

•

No objects that add to the total weight
on the seat should be placed on the
front passenger's seat. If a child is
seated in the front passenger's seat
with any additional weight, this extra
weight could cause the OWS system to
enable the airbag, which might cause it
to deploy in the event of a collision,
thereby injuring the child.

•

The seat belt should never be wrapped
around an object on the front passeng-
er's seat. This could interfere with the
OWS system's function.

•

The front passenger's seat belt should
never be used in a way that exerts more
pressure on the passenger than normal.
This could increase the pressure exer-
ted on the weight sensor by a child, and
could result in the airbag being enabled,
which might cause it to deploy in the
event of a collision, thereby injuring the
child.

WARNING

•

Keep the following points in mind with
respect to the OWS system. Failure to
follow these instructions could
adversely affect the system's function
and result in serious injury to the occu-
pant of the front passenger's seat:

•

The full weight of the front seat passen-
ger should always be on the seat cush-
ion. The passenger should never lift
him/herself off the seat cushion using
the armrest in the door or the center
console, by pressing the feet on the
floor, by sitting on the edge of the seat
cushion, or by pressing against the
backrest in a way that reduces pressure
on the seat cushion. This could cause
OWS to disable the front, passenger's
side airbag.

01 Safety

Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags

General information

G032949

Location of the side impact (SIPS) airbags (front
seats only)

As an enhancement to the structural side
impact protection built into your vehicle, it is
also equipped with Side Impact Protection
System (SIPS) airbags.

The SIPS airbag system is designed to help
increase occupant protection in the event of
certain side impact collisions. The SIPS air-
bags are designed to deploy only during cer-
tain side-impact collisions, depending on the
crash severity, angle, speed and point of
impact.

G024377

SIPS airbag deployment

SIPS airbag deployment (one airbag) occurs
only on the side of the vehicle affected by the
impact. The airbags are not designed to deploy
in all side impact situations.

G032254

SIPS decal on the front of the driver's door open-
ing

NOTE

SIPS airbag deployment (one airbag) occurs
only on the side of the vehicle affected by
the impact. The airbags are not designed to
deploy in all side impact situations.

Components in the SIPS airbag system

This SIPS airbag system consists of a gas gen-
erator, the side airbag modules built into the
outboard sides of both front seat backrests,
and electronic sensors/wiring.

01 Safety

Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags

WARNING

•

The SIPS airbag system is a supple-
ment to the structural Side Impact Pro-
tection System and the three-point seat
belt system. It is not designed to deploy
during collisions from the front or rear of
the vehicle or in rollover situations.

•

The use of seat covers on the front seats
may impede SIPS airbag deployment.

•

No objects, accessory equipment or
stickers may be placed on, attached to
or installed near the SIPS airbag system
or in the area affected by SIPS airbag
deployment.

•

Never try to open or repair any compo-
nents of the SIPS airbag system. This
should be done only by a trained and
qualified Volvo service technician.

•

In order for the SIPS airbag to provide
its best protection, both front seat
occupants should sit in an upright posi-
tion with the seat belt properly fastened.

•

Failure to follow these instructions can
result in injury to the occupants of the
vehicle in the event of an accident.

Volvo V70X, C70 (2010 year). Instruction - part 1