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 air-
bag, and be properly restrained for their size
and weight. For child safety recommenda-
tions,see page 39.
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
manufacturer'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 rear-
view mirror.
NOTE
When the ignition is switched on, the OWS
indicator light will go on for up to 10 sec-
onds 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 21) will
come on and stay on
•
The message
Pass. Airbag OFF Service
urgent will be displayed in the informa-
tion display.
WARNING
If a fault in the system is detected and
indicated as described, be aware that the
passenger'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 qualified Volvo service techni-
cian as soon as possible.
