2000 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-5
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Seat cushion angle and height adjustment (driver ’s seat)
HS0030
For front edge
For rear edge
LowerRaise
Raise
Lower
Turn either d ial to ad just the ang le and heig ht of the seat c ushion to
the d esired p osition. Head restraint adjustment
HS0031
To raise the head restraint, p ull it up . To lower i t, p ush the head re-
straint d own while d ep ressing the release b utton on the top of the
seatb ac k.

2-6
OM-H2735
The b est p osition for the head restraint is just above or level with the
top of the ears. Lumbar support
HS0032
Pull the lever forward or b ac kward .
Pulling the lever forward will inc rease the amount of sup p ort for your
lower b ac k.

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Seat heater (if equipped)
CAUTION
Do not use the seat heater when the engine is not running. The
battery could run down if the heater is operated while the engine is not running. Do not put anything on the seat which insulates against heat,
such as a blanket, cushion, or similar items. This may cause theseat heater to overheat. When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine, paint thinner, or
any similar materials.
The seat heater op erates when the ig nition switc h i s either in the “ACC ”
or “ON ” p osition.
HS0034
HB1019BB Heating element
To turn on the seat heater, p ush the
“LO ” or “HI ” p osition on the switc h,
as d esired , d ep end ing on the temp erature. LO: Normal heating
HI: Rap id heating
The ind ic ator loc ated on the switc h c omes on when t he seat heater is in
op eration. When the vehic le ’s interior is warmed enoug h or b efore you
leave the vehic le, b e sure to turn the switc h off.

2-8
Rear seats
WARNING
Never drive the vehicle with the head rests removed because
they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Seat belts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat. To reduce the risk of sliding un-der the seat belt in a collision, the seatbacks should be alwaysused in the upright position while the vehicle is running. If the
seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a collision, therisk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding upover the abdomen will increase, and both can result in serious in-ternal injury or death.
Especially when the occupant of the rear seat is a child, be sureto position the seatback upright. Children are more likely to slideunder the lap belt than adults if the seatback is reclined in a colli-sion. Do not put cushions or any other materials between occupants
and seatbacks or seat cushions. If you do so, the risk of slidingunder the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomenwill increase, and both can result in serious internal injury ordeath. Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback or
in the cargo area. Doing so may result in serious injury or death. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble forward and injure passengersin the event of a sudden stop or accident. Secure skis and other lengthy items properly to prevent them
from shooting forward and causing serious injury during a sud-den stop a sudden steering or a rapid acceleration.

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-9
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HS0249
HS0248
Adjust seatback to upright position. Sit well back and upright. Do not recline the seatbackwhile vehicle is moving

Reclining the seat back
HS0379
Pull the release hand le up and ad just the seatb ac k to the d esired
p osition. Then release the hand le and make sure the seatb ac k is se-
c urely loc ked into p lac e.

2-10
Folding down the seatback
HS0375
Unloc k the seatb ac k b y p ulling the release hand le a nd then fold the
seatb ac k d own. Then p ush the seatb ac k d ownward unti l it loc ks into
p lac e and make sure that it is sec urely loc ked .
To return the seatb ac k to its orig inal p osition, un loc k the seatb ac k b y
p ulling the release hand le and then raise the seatb ac k until it loc ks
into p lac e and make sure that it is sec urely loc ked .
Head rest adjustment
n Height adjustment
HS0376
To raise the head rest, p ull it up . To lower it, p u sh the head rest d own
while d ep ressing the release b utton on the top of t he seatb ac k.

Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag2-11
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OM-H2735
The b est p osition for the head rest is just ab ove o r level with the top of
the ears.

2-12Seatbelts
Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
All persons in the vehicle should fasten their seatbelts BE-
FORE the vehicle starts to move. Otherwise, the possibility of se-
rious injury becomes greater in the event of a sudden stop or ac-cident. All belts should fit snugly in order to provide full restraint.
Loose fitting belts are not as effective in preventing or reducing
injury. Each seatbelt is designed to support only one person. Never
use a single belt for two or more persons — even children. Other-
wise, in an accident, serious injury or death could result. Replace all seatbelt assemblies including retractors and at-
taching hardware worn by occupants of a vehicle that has been ina serious accident. The entire assembly should be replaced evenif damage is not obvious. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerablespeed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially ifthey are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater. Forthat reason, we strongly recommend that ALL children (includingthose in child seats and those that have outgrown child restraint
devices) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at all times in achild restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate forthe child ’s height and weight.
Secure ALL types of child restraint devices (including forwardfacing child seats) in the REAR seats at all times.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TOTHE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.