Safety -> Airbags for Your Volvo Xc90 SUV 2020

SAFETY  
Driver/passenger-side airbags3  
As a supplement to the seat belts, the vehicle  
is equipped with driver and passenger side  
front airbags.  
Airbags  
WARNING  
The vehicle is equipped with airbags and  
inflatable curtains for the driver and passen-  
gers.  
If your vehicle has become water-damaged  
in any way (e.g., soaked floor mats/stand-  
ing water on the floor of the vehicle), do  
not attempt to start the engine. This may  
cause airbag deployment, which could  
result in serious injury. Volvo recommends  
towing the vehicle directly to an authorized  
Volvo workshop.  
WARNING  
If the airbag warning light stays on  
after the engine has started or if it illu-  
minates while you are driving, have the  
vehicle inspected by a trained and  
qualified Volvo service technician as  
soon as possible.  
Before attempting to tow the vehicle:  
1. Switch off the ignition for at least 10  
minutes and disconnect the battery.  
Never attempt to alter or repair any of  
the vehicle's safety systems yourself.  
Incorrectly performed repairs to any  
system could impair function and lead  
to serious injury. All work on these sys-  
tems should be performed by a trained  
and qualified Volvo service technician.  
2. Follow the instructions for manually  
overriding the shiftlock system.  
Deployed airbags  
Driver/passenger side front airbags.  
In a frontal collision, the airbags help protect  
the driver's and passenger's head, neck, face  
and chest and the driver's knees and legs.  
WARNING  
If any of the airbags have deployed:  
Do not attempt to drive the vehicle.  
Have it towed to an authorized work-  
shop.  
A collision of a sufficiently violent force will  
trigger the sensors and one or more airbags  
will inflate. The airbag helps cushion the initial  
impact of the collision for the passenger. The  
airbag deflates when compressed by the colli-  
sion. A small amount of powder will also be  
released from the airbag. This may appear to  
be smoke and is normal. The entire process,  
from inflation to deflation of the airbag, occurs  
within tenths of a second.  
If necessary, seek medical attention.  
Related information  
Safety (p. 42)  
Inflatable curtain (p. 61)  
}}  
53  
 
SAFETY  
||  
The front airbag system  
WARNING  
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 nitro-  
gen gas.  
The sensors react differently depending on  
the circumstances of the accident and  
whether or not the seat belt is used. This  
applies to all belt positions.  
The airbags in the vehicle are designed  
to be a SUPPLEMENT to-not a  
replacement 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.  
There may therefore be accident situations  
in which only one (or none) of the airbags  
are deployed. The sensors monitor the  
impact of the collision and react accord-  
ingly to deploy one, several or no airbags.  
As the movement of the seats' occupants  
compresses the airbags, some of the gas is  
expelled at a controlled rate to provide better  
cushioning. The belt tensioners minimize slack  
in the seat belts and are activated for occu-  
pants wearing their seat belts. The entire proc-  
ess, from inflation to deflation of the airbag,  
occurs within tenths of a second.  
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 considera-  
ble 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 deployment of  
one or both of the airbags.  
WARNING  
The seat belt and the airbag work together.  
If the seat belt is not used or is used incor-  
rectly, the airbag may not provide the  
intended protection in a collision.  
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.  
To help prevent injury in the event the air-  
bag is deployed, passengers should sit as  
upright as possible, with their feet on the  
floor and their backs against the seat back-  
rest.  
The driver's side front airbag is folded and  
located in the steering wheel hub.  
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.  
The knee airbag is folded on the underside of  
the dashboard on the driver's side. The text  
AIRBAG is embossed on the panel.  
WARNING  
Volvo recommends contacting an author-  
ized Volvo workshop for repairs. Incorrectly  
performed repairs to the airbag system  
could impair function and lead to serious  
injury.  
The passenger's side front airbag is folded  
behind a panel located above the glove com-  
partment.  
Front airbag deployment  
The front airbags are designed to deploy  
during certain frontal or front-angular colli-  
sions, impacts, or decelerations, depend-  
3
XC90 Excellence Lounge does not have passenger airbags.  
54  
SAFETY  
ing on the crash severity, angle, speed and  
object impacted. The airbags may also  
deploy in certain non-frontal collisions  
where rapid deceleration occurs.  
WARNING  
Deployment of front airbags occurs  
only one time during an accident. In a  
collision where deployment occurs, the  
airbags and seat belt tensioners 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.  
Do not use child safety seats or child  
booster cushions/backrests in the front  
passenger's seat. We also recommend  
that occupants under 140 cm (4 feet  
7 inches) in height who have outgrown  
these devices sit in the rear seat with  
the seat belt fastened. See also the  
Occupant Weight Sensor information.  
The airbag system's sensors, which trigger  
the front airbags, are designed to deter-  
mine if the collision is powerful enough to  
activate the belt tensioners and/or the air-  
bags.  
However, not all frontal collisions activate the  
front airbags.  
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.  
If the collision involves a nonrigid object  
Volvo's front airbags use special sen-  
sors 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 col-  
lision.  
(e.g., a snow drift or bush), or a rigid, fixed  
object at a low speed, the front airbags  
will not necessarily deploy.  
The smoke and dust formed when the  
airbags are deployed can cause skin  
and eye irritation in the event of pro-  
longed exposure.  
Front airbags do not normally deploy in a  
side impact collision, in a collision from  
the rear or in a rollover situation.  
Collisions can occur where only one of  
the airbags deploys. If the impact is  
less severe, but severe enough to pres-  
ent a clear injury risk, the airbags are  
triggered at partial capacity. If the  
impact is more severe, the airbags are  
triggered at full capacity.  
The amount of damage to the bodywork  
does not reliably indicate if the airbags  
should have deployed or not.  
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 United States  
Volvo Car USA, LLC  
Customer Care Center  
1 Volvo Drive  
P.O. Box 914  
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647  
}}  
55  
SAFETY  
|| 1-800-458-1552  
In Canada  
WARNING  
No objects or accessory equipment,  
e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed  
on, attached to, or installed near the air  
bag cover (the area above the glove  
compartment) or the area affected by  
airbag deployment.  
Volvo Car Canada Ltd.  
Customer Care Centre  
9130 Leslie Street, Suite 101  
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 0B9  
1-800-663-8255  
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.  
Passenger's side airbag decal.  
Airbag decals  
WARNING  
Children must never be allowed in the  
front passenger's seat.  
Failure to follow these instructions can  
result in injury to the vehicle's occu-  
pants.  
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.  
Related information  
The occupant's back must be as  
upright as comfort allows and be  
against the seat back with the seat belt  
properly fastened.  
Airbag decal on the outside of both sun visors.  
Feet must be on the floor, e.g., not on  
the dash, seat or out of the window.  
56  
SAFETY  
of a properly seated occupant and determine if  
the passenger's side front airbag should be  
enabled (may inflate) or disabled (will not  
inflate).  
Occupant weight sensor  
The Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) is  
designed to meet the regulatory require-  
ments 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.  
When the ignition is switched on, the  
OWS indicator light will illuminate for sev-  
eral seconds while the system performs a  
self-diagnostic test.  
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,  
However, if a fault is detected in the system:  
The OWS indicator light will stay on.  
The SRS warning light will come on and  
stay on and a text message will be dis-  
played.  
the system determines that an infant is  
present in a rear-facing infant seat that is  
installed according to the manufacturer's  
instructions,  
WARNING  
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,  
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.  
the system determines that a small child is  
present in a booster seat,  
Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) indicator light  
Disabling the passenger's side front  
airbag  
a front passenger takes his/her weight off  
of the seat for a period of time,  
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants  
(adults and children) shorter than 140 cm  
(4 feet 7 inches) be seated in the back seat of  
any vehicle with a front passenger side airbag  
and be properly restrained for their size and  
weight.  
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 rear-  
view mirror.  
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  
}}  
57  
 
SAFETY  
||  
BAG OFF indicator lamp is on, it is possible  
that the person isn't sitting properly in the  
seat. If this happens:  
Passeng-  
er's seat  
occupancy  
status  
OWS indi- Passenger's  
cator light side front  
WARNING  
Never try to open, remove or repair any  
components in the OWS system. This  
could cause the system to malfunction.  
Maintenance or repairs should only be  
carried out by an a trained and qualified  
Volvo service technician.  
status  
airbag sta-  
tus  
Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to  
place the backrest in an upright position.  
Seat unoccu- OWS indi-  
pied  
Passenger's  
side front air-  
bag disabled  
Have the person sit upright in the seat,  
centered on the seat cushion, with the  
person's legs comfortably extended.  
cator light  
lights up  
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  
system's function.  
Seat occu-  
pied by low  
weight occu- lights up  
pant/objectA  
OWS indi-  
cator light  
Passenger's  
side front air-  
bag disabled  
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.  
Seat occu-  
pied by  
heavy occu-  
pant/object  
OWS indi-  
cator light  
is not lit  
Passenger's  
side front air-  
bag enabled  
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-  
tor lamp remains on even after this, the  
person should be advised to ride in the  
rear seat.  
A
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 dis-  
abled 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 airbag, move the child restraint to the rear seat.  
This indicates limitations in OWS classifica-  
tion capability. It does not indicate OWS mal-  
function.  
Modifications  
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 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:  
In the United States  
Volvo Car USA, LLC  
Customer Care Center  
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front  
passenger's seat, but the PASSENGER AIR-  
58  
SAFETY  
1 Volvo Drive  
WARNING  
WARNING  
P.O. Box 914  
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 col-  
lision, thereby injuring the child.  
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.  
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647  
1-800-458-1552  
In Canada  
Volvo Car Canada Ltd.  
Customer Care Centre  
9130 Leslie Street, Suite 101  
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 0B9  
1-800-663-8255  
The full weight of the front seat pas-  
senger should always be on the seat  
cushion. 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.  
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 pres-  
sure exerted 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.  
}}  
59  
SAFETY  
||  
Side airbags  
WARNING  
WARNING  
The side airbags, on the driver's and passen-  
ger sides, protect the chest and hip in a colli-  
sion.  
Volvo recommends contacting an author-  
ized Volvo workshop for repairs. Incorrectly  
performed repairs to the side airbag sys-  
tem could impair function and lead to seri-  
ous injury.  
Do not place any type of object on the  
front passenger's seat in such a way  
that jamming, pressing, or squeezing  
occurs between the object and the  
front seat, other than as a direct result  
of the correct use of the Automatic  
Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking  
Retractor (ALR/ELR) seat belt.  
WARNING  
Do not place any objects in the area  
between the outer edges of the seats and  
the door panels, as this could impair the  
function of the side airbags.  
No objects should be placed under the  
front passenger's seat. This could inter-  
fere with the OWS system's function.  
Volvo recommends only using seat covers  
approved by Volvo. Other seat covers could  
prevent the side airbags from functioning  
properly.  
Related information  
The side airbags are located in the front seats'  
outer backrest frames and help protect the  
driver and front seat passenger.  
WARNING  
The side airbag is a supplement to the seat  
belt. Always wear your seat belt.  
A collision of a sufficiently violent force will  
trigger the sensors and one or more side air-  
bags will inflate. The side airbags inflate  
between the seat occupant and the door panel  
to help cushion the initial impact of the colli-  
sion. The airbag deflates when compressed by  
the collision. The side airbags are normally  
only deployed on the side of the vehicle  
impacted by the collision.  
Related information  
60